Ephesians 3:4

Contemporary English Version

As you read the letter, you will also find out how well I really do understand the mystery about Christ.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
By reading this you are able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ.

King James Version (1611)
Whereby when ye reade, ye may vnderstand my knowledge in the mysterie of Christ.)

King James Version
Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)

English Standard Version
When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ,

New American Standard Bible
By referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ,

New Century Version
If you read what I wrote then, you can see that I truly understand the secret about the Christ.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
By referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ,

Legacy Standard Bible
About which, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ,

Berean Standard Bible
In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ,

Complete Jewish Bible
and if you read what I have written, you will grasp how I understand this secret plan concerning the Messiah.

Darby Translation
by which, in reading it, ye can understand my intelligence in the mystery of the Christ,)

Easy-to-Read Version
And if you read what I wrote, you can see that I understand the secret truth about Christ.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Whereby when ye reade, ye may knowe mine vnderstanding in the mysterie of Christ)

George Lamsa Translation
So that when you read it you can understand my knowledge of the mystery of Christ,

Good News Translation
and if you will read what I have written, you can learn about my understanding of the secret of Christ.)

Lexham English Bible
so that you may be able when you read to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ

Literal Translation
by the reading of which you are able to realize my understanding in the mystery of Christ,

Amplified Bible
By referring to this, when you read it you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ,

American Standard Version
whereby, when ye read, ye can perceive my understanding in the mystery of Christ;

Bible in Basic English
By the reading of which you will be clear about my knowledge of the secret of Christ;

Hebrew Names Version
whereby, when you read, you can perceive my understanding in the mystery of Messiah;

International Standard Version
By reading this, you will be able to grasp my understanding of the secret about Christ,1 Corinthians 4:1; Ephesians 6:19;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
so that while you read you are able to understand my knowledge of the mystery of the Meshiha,

Murdock Translation
so that while ye read, ye might be able to understand my knowledge of the mystery of the Messiah,)

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Whereby, when ye reade, ye may vnderstande my knowledge in the misterie of Christe)

English Revised Version
whereby, when ye read, ye can perceive my understanding in the mystery of Christ;

World English Bible
whereby, when you read, you can perceive my understanding in the mystery of Christ;

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
By reading which ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ:

Weymouth's New Testament
By means of that explanation, as you read it, you can judge of my insight into the truth of Christ

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
as ye moun rede, and vndurstonde my prudence in the mysterie of Crist.

Update Bible Version
whereby, when you read, you can perceive my understanding in the mystery of Christ;

Webster's Bible Translation
By which when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ,

New English Translation
When reading this, you will be able to understand my insight into this secret of Christ.

New King James Version
by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ),

New Living Translation
As you read what I have written, you will understand my insight into this plan regarding Christ.

New Life Bible
When you read this, you will understand how I know about the things that are not easy to understand about Christ.

New Revised Standard
a reading of which will enable you to perceive my understanding of the mystery of Christ.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Respecting which ye can, by reading, perceive my discernment in the sacred secret of the Christ, -

Douay-Rheims Bible
As you reading, may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ,

Revised Standard Version
When you read this you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ,

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
wher by when ye rede ye maye knowe myne vnderstondynge in the mistery of Christ

Young's Literal Translation
in regard to which ye are able, reading [it], to understand my knowledge in the secret of the Christ,

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
wherby whan ye rede it, ye maye perceaue myne vnderstondynge in ye mystery of Christ,

Mace New Testament (1729)
by the reading whereof you may perceive how far I am let into the secret of Christ.

THE MESSAGE
As you read over what I have written to you, you'll be able to see for yourselves into the mystery of Christ. None of our ancestors understood this. Only in our time has it been made clear by God's Spirit through his holy apostles and prophets of this new order. The mystery is that people who have never heard of God and those who have heard of him all their lives (what I've been calling outsiders and insiders) stand on the same ground before God. They get the same offer, same help, same promises in Christ Jesus. The Message is accessible and welcoming to everyone, across the board.

Simplified Cowboy Version
If you'll go back and read what I said, you'll understand God's crazy plan and how it hinged on Christ.

Contextual Overview

¹ Christ Jesus made me his prisoner, so that I could help you Gentiles. ² You have surely heard about God's kindness in choosing me to help you. ³ In fact, this letter tells you a little about how God has shown me his mysterious ways. ⁴ As you read the letter, you will also find out how well I really do understand the mystery about Christ. ⁵ No one knew about this mystery until God's Spirit told it to his holy apostles and prophets. ⁶ And the mystery is this: Because of Christ Jesus, the good news has given the Gentiles a share in the promises that God gave to the Jews. God has also let the Gentiles be part of the same body. ⁷ God treated me with kindness. His power worked in me, and it became my job to spread the good news. ⁸ I am the least important of all God's people. But God was kind and chose me to tell the Gentiles that because of Christ there are blessings that cannot be measured. ⁹ God, who created everything, wanted me to help everyone understand the mysterious plan that had always been hidden in his mind. ¹⁰ Then God would use the church to show the powers and authorities in the spiritual world that he has many different kinds of wisdom.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

ye may: Matthew 13:11, 1 Corinthians 2:6, 1 Corinthians 2:7, 1 Corinthians 13:2, 2 Corinthians 11:6

the mystery: Ephesians 1:9, Ephesians 5:32, Ephesians 6:19, Luke 2:10, Luke 2:11, Luke 8:10, 1 Corinthians 4:1, Colossians 2:2, Colossians 4:3, 1 Timothy 3:9, 1 Timothy 3:16

Reciprocal: Matthew 13:52 - which Romans 11:25 - this Romans 12:3 - I say 1 Corinthians 2:16 - But 1 Corinthians 14:6 - knowledge 2 Corinthians 6:6 - knowledge

Cross-References

Genesis 3:13
The Lord God then asked the woman, "What have you done?" "The snake tricked me," she answered. "And I ate some of that fruit."

Deuteronomy 29:19
You may be an Israelite and know all about the Lord 's agreement with us, but he won't bless you if you rebel against him. You may think you can get away with it, but you will cause the rest of Israel to be punished along with you.

2 Kings 1:4
Tell him that because he has done this, he's on his deathbed! And Elijah did what he was told.

2 Kings 1:6
"A man met us along the road with a message for you from the Lord ," they answered. "The Lord wants to know why you sent us to ask Baalzebub about your injury and why you don't believe there's a God in Israel. The man also told us that the Lord says you're going to die."

2 Kings 1:16
When Elijah arrived, he told Ahaziah, "The Lord wants to know why you sent messengers to Ekron to ask Baalzebub about your injury. Don't you believe there's a God in Israel? Ahaziah, because you did that, the Lord says you will die."

2 Kings 8:10
"Tell him he will," Elisha said to Hazael. "But the Lord has already told me that Benhadad will definitely die."

Psalms 10:11
They say, "God can't see! He's got on a blindfold."

2 Corinthians 2:11
I have done this to keep Satan from getting the better of us. We all know what goes on in his mind.

2 Corinthians 11:3
But now I fear that you will be tricked, just as Eve was tricked by that lying snake. I am afraid that you might stop thinking about Christ in an honest and sincere way.

1 Timothy 2:14
and the man Adam wasn't the one who was fooled. It was the woman Eve who was completely fooled and sinned.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Whereby when ye read,.... The above chapters, and seriously consider what is contained in them:

ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ of his person, office, and grace; and which knowledge was very large indeed.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Whereby, when ye read - By the bare reading of which you may understand the view which I entertain of the plan of salvation, and the knowledge which I have of God’s method of saving people, particularly of his intention in regard to the salvation of the Gentiles.

In the mystery of Christ - This does not refer to anything “mysterious” in the person of Christ; or the union of the divine and human nature in him; or to anything difficult of apprehension in the work of the atonement. It means the hitherto concealed doctrine that through the Messiah, the Gentiles were to be received to the same privileges as the Jews, and that the plan of salvation was to be made equally free for all. This great truth had been hitherto concealed, or but partially understood, and Paul says that he was appointed to make it known to the world. His “knowledge” on the subject, he says, could be understood by what he had said, and from that they could judge whether he was qualified to state and defend the doctrines of the gospel. Paul evidently supposed that the knowledge which he had on that subject was of eminent value; that it was possessed by few; that it was important to understand it. Hence he dwells upon it. He speaks of the glory of that truth. He traces it back to the counsels of God. He shows that it entered into his eternal plans; and he evidently felt that the truth which he had communicated in the former part of this Epistle, was among the most important that could come before the mind.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Ephesians 3:4. Whereby, when ye read — When ye refer back to them.

Ye may understand my knowledge — Ye may see what God has given me to know concerning what has been hitherto a mystery-the calling of the Gentiles, and the breaking down the middle wall between them and the Jews, so as to make both one spiritual body, and on the same conditions.