Ephesians 3:5

THE MESSAGE

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
People who lived in other times were not told that secret truth. But now, through the Spirit, God has made it known to his holy apostles and prophets.

Revised Standard Version
which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
which mistery in tymes passed was not opened vnto the sonnes of men as it is nowe declared vnto his holy apostles and prophetes by the sprete:

Hebrew Names Version
which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit;

New American Standard Bible
which in other generations was not made known to mankind, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit;

New Century Version
People who lived in other times were not told that secret. But now, through the Spirit, God has shown that secret to his holy apostles and prophets.

Update Bible Version
which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit;

Webster's Bible Translation
Which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it is now revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;

English Standard Version
which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit.

World English Bible
which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit;

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it hath now been revealed to the holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit,

Weymouth's New Testament
which in earlier ages was not made known to the human race, as it has now been revealed to His holy Apostles and Prophets through the Spirit--

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Which was not knowun to othere generaciouns to the sones of men, as it is now schewid to his hooli apostlis and prophetis in the spirit,

English Revised Version
which in other generations was not made known unto the sons of men, as it hath now been revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit;

Berean Standard Bible
which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets.

Contemporary English Version
No one knew about this mystery until God's Spirit told it to his holy apostles and prophets.

Amplified Bible
which in other generations was not disclosed to mankind, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets by the [Holy] Spirit;

American Standard Version
which in other generations was not made known unto the sons of men, as it hath now been revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit;

Bible in Basic English
Which in other generations was not given to the sons of men, but the revelation of it has now been made to his holy Apostles and prophets in the Spirit;

Complete Jewish Bible
In past generations it was not made known to mankind, as the Spirit is now revealing it to his emissaries and prophets,

Darby Translation
which in other generations has not been made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets in [the power of the] Spirit,

International Standard Version
which in previous generations was not made known to human beingsthe sons of men">[fn] as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God'shis">[fn] holy apostles and prophets:Acts 10:28; Romans 16:25; Ephesians 2:20; 3:9;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
which in other generations was not known to the sons of men, as it hath now been revealed to his holy apostles and to his prophets by the Spirit;

Murdock Translation
which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it is now revealed to his holy legates and to his prophets, by the Spirit;

King James Version (1611)
Which in other ages was not made knowen vnto the sonnes of men, as it is now reueiled vnto his holy Apostles and Prophets by the Spirit,

New Living Translation
God did not reveal it to previous generations, but now by his Spirit he has revealed it to his holy apostles and prophets.

New Life Bible
Long ago men did not know these things. But now they have been shown to His missionaries and to the early preachers by the Holy Spirit.

New Revised Standard
In former generations this mystery was not made known to humankind, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit:

Geneva Bible (1587)
Which in other ages was not opened vnto the sonnes of men, as it is nowe reueiled vnto his holy Apostles and Prophets by the Spirit,

George Lamsa Translation
Which in ages past was not made known to the sons of men, as it is now revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Which, in other generations, had not been made known unto the sons of men, as it hath, now, been revealed by his holy apostles and prophets, in Spirit; -

Douay-Rheims Bible
Which in other generations was not known to the sons of men, as it is now revealed to his holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit:

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Which [misterie] in other ages was not opened vnto the sonnes of men, as it is nowe reuealed vnto his holy apostles and prophetes by the spirite,

Good News Translation
In past times human beings were not told this secret, but God has revealed it now by the Spirit to his holy apostles and prophets.

Christian Standard Bible®
This was not made known to people in other generations as it is now revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit:

King James Version
Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;

Lexham English Bible
(which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit):

Literal Translation
which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations, as now it was revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit,

Young's Literal Translation
which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it was now revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit --

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
which (mystery) in tymes past was not opened vnto the childre of me as it is now declared to his holy Apostles and prophetes by the sprete: namely,

Mace New Testament (1729)
which preceeding was not discover'd to men, as now it is to his holy apostles and prophets by the spirit; to wit,

New English Translation
Now this secret was not disclosed to people in former generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit,

New King James Version
which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets:

Simplified Cowboy Version
The plan was always in place, but it wasn't until now that he has unveiled it to his holy cowboys and prophets.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit;

Legacy Standard Bible
which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it was now revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit:

Contextual Overview

¹This is why I, Paul, am in jail for Christ, having taken up the cause of you outsiders, so-called. I take it that you're familiar with the part I was given in God's plan for including everybody. I got the inside story on this from God himself, as I just wrote you in brief. ⁴As 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. ⁷This is my life work: helping people understand and respond to this Message. It came as a sheer gift to me, a real surprise, God handling all the details. When it came to presenting the Message to people who had no background in God's way, I was the least qualified of any of the available Christians. God saw to it that I was equipped, but you can be sure that it had nothing to do with my natural abilities. And so here I am, preaching and writing about things that are way over my head, the inexhaustible riches and generosity of Christ. My task is to bring out in the open and make plain what God, who created all this in the first place, has been doing in secret and behind the scenes all along. Through followers of Jesus like yourselves gathered in churches, this extraordinary plan of God is becoming known and talked about even among the angels! All this is proceeding along lines planned all along by God and then executed in Christ Jesus. When we trust in him, we're free to say whatever needs to be said, bold to go wherever we need to go. So don't let my present trouble on your behalf get you down. Be proud! My response is to get down on my knees before the Father, this magnificent Father who parcels out all heaven and earth. I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit—not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength—that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you'll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ's love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God. God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us. Glory to God in the church! Glory to God in the Messiah, in Jesus! Glory down all the generations! Glory through all millennia! Oh, yes! ⁹The Secret Plan of God This is why I, Paul, am in jail for Christ, having taken up the cause of you outsiders, so-called. I take it that you're familiar with the part I was given in God's plan for including everybody. I got the inside story on this from God himself, as I just wrote you in brief. 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. This is my life work: helping people understand and respond to this Message. It came as a sheer gift to me, a real surprise, God handling all the details. When it came to presenting the Message to people who had no background in God's way, I was the least qualified of any of the available Christians. God saw to it that I was equipped, but you can be sure that it had nothing to do with my natural abilities. And so here I am, preaching and writing about things that are way over my head, the inexhaustible riches and generosity of Christ. My task is to bring out in the open and make plain what God, who created all this in the first place, has been doing in secret and behind the scenes all along. Through followers of Jesus like yourselves gathered in churches, this extraordinary plan of God is becoming known and talked about even among the angels! All this is proceeding along lines planned all along by God and then executed in Christ Jesus. When we trust in him, we're free to say whatever needs to be said, bold to go wherever we need to go. So don't let my present trouble on your behalf get you down. Be proud! My response is to get down on my knees before the Father, this magnificent Father who parcels out all heaven and earth. I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit—not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength—that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you'll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ's love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God. God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us. Glory to God in the church! Glory to God in the Messiah, in Jesus! Glory down all the generations! Glory through all millennia! Oh, yes! ¹⁰The Secret Plan of God This is why I, Paul, am in jail for Christ, having taken up the cause of you outsiders, so-called. I take it that you're familiar with the part I was given in God's plan for including everybody. I got the inside story on this from God himself, as I just wrote you in brief. 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. This is my life work: helping people understand and respond to this Message. It came as a sheer gift to me, a real surprise, God handling all the details. When it came to presenting the Message to people who had no background in God's way, I was the least qualified of any of the available Christians. God saw to it that I was equipped, but you can be sure that it had nothing to do with my natural abilities. And so here I am, preaching and writing about things that are way over my head, the inexhaustible riches and generosity of Christ. My task is to bring out in the open and make plain what God, who created all this in the first place, has been doing in secret and behind the scenes all along. Through followers of Jesus like yourselves gathered in churches, this extraordinary plan of God is becoming known and talked about even among the angels! ¹¹All this is proceeding along lines planned all along by God and then executed in Christ Jesus. When we trust in him, we're free to say whatever needs to be said, bold to go wherever we need to go. So don't let my present trouble on your behalf get you down. Be proud!

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

in other: Ephesians 3:9, Matthew 13:17, Luke 10:24, Acts 10:28, Romans 16:25, 2 Timothy 1:10, 2 Timothy 1:11, Titus 1:1-3, Hebrews 11:39, Hebrews 11:40, 1 Peter 1:10-12

as it: Ephesians 2:20, Ephesians 4:11, Ephesians 4:12, Matthew 23:34, Luke 11:49, 1 Corinthians 12:28, 1 Corinthians 12:29, 2 Peter 3:2, Jude 1:17

by: Luke 2:26, Luke 2:27, John 14:26, John 16:13, Acts 10:19, Acts 10:20, Acts 10:28, 1 Corinthians 12:8-10

Reciprocal: Job 11:6 - show thee Isaiah 25:7 - he will Isaiah 52:15 - for Isaiah 55:5 - thou shalt Isaiah 64:4 - have not Daniel 2:22 - revealeth Matthew 12:18 - and he Matthew 13:35 - I will utter Matthew 16:17 - but Matthew 20:7 - Because Mark 13:11 - but John 15:15 - all Acts 2:39 - and to all Acts 10:45 - the Gentiles Acts 11:18 - hath Acts 15:32 - being Romans 1:1 - called Romans 12:6 - whether 1 Corinthians 2:10 - God Galatians 1:16 - reveal Galatians 3:28 - neither Ephesians 1:17 - revelation Ephesians 2:7 - in the Ephesians 2:13 - were 1 Timothy 2:6 - in 1 Timothy 3:16 - preached Titus 1:3 - manifested 2 Peter 1:1 - an apostle Revelation 18:20 - and ye Revelation 21:14 - and in

Cross-References

Genesis 3:2
The Woman said to the serpent, "Not at all. We can eat from the trees in the garden. It's only about the tree in the middle of the garden that God said, ‘Don't eat from it; don't even touch it or you'll die.'"

Genesis 3:6
When the Woman saw that the tree looked like good eating and realized what she would get out of it—she'd know everything!—she took and ate the fruit and then gave some to her husband, and he ate.

Genesis 3:7
Immediately the two of them did "see what's really going on"—saw themselves naked! They sewed fig leaves together as makeshift clothes for themselves.

Genesis 3:10
He said, "I heard you in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked. And I hid."

Genesis 3:13
"The serpent seduced me," she said, "and I ate."

Genesis 3:14
God told the serpent: "Because you've done this, you're cursed, cursed beyond all cattle and wild animals, Cursed to slink on your belly and eat dirt all your life. I'm declaring war between you and the Woman, between your offspring and hers. He'll wound your head, you'll wound his heel."

Genesis 3:22
God said, "The Man has become like one of us, capable of knowing everything, ranging from good to evil. What if he now should reach out and take fruit from the Tree-of-Life and eat, and live forever? Never—this cannot happen!"

Genesis 3:23
So God expelled them from the Garden of Eden and sent them to work the ground, the same dirt out of which they'd been made. He threw them out of the garden and stationed angel-cherubim and a revolving sword of fire east of it, guarding the path to the Tree-of-Life.

Exodus 5:2
Pharaoh said, "And who is God that I should listen to him and send Israel off? I know nothing of this so-called ‘ God ' and I'm certainly not going to send Israel off."

Exodus 20:7
No using the name of God, your God, in curses or silly banter; God won't put up with the irreverent use of his name.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Which in other ages was not made known unto, the sons of men,.... That is, which mystery of Christ, and of the Gospel, was not made known to men in general, nor so clearly as under the Gospel dispensation. Some hints were given of it to Adam, immediately after his fall; and the Gospel was before preached to Abraham, Moses, and David, and others knew something of it; and it was still more fully dispensed in the times of the prophet Isaiah, and other following prophets: but then the knowledge of it was not so extensive, nor so clear as now; it lay hid in types and shadows, in obscure prophecies and short hints. Moreover, this may have respect particularly to the calling of the Gentiles, as appears from the following words; this was, in some measure, made known, as that in Christ all the nations of the earth should be blessed; that when Shiloh came, to him should the gathering of the people be; that the Messiah should be an ensign of the people, and to him should the Gentiles seek; that he should be the covenant of the people, and a leader and a commander of them; and that there should be great flockings to him; but then this was not known to many, and the time, mode, and circumstances of it were but little understood, and comparatively speaking, it was not known: however, it was not so known,

as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the spirit. The apostles and prophets were the superior officers in the Gospel dispensation; the former design the twelve apostles of Christ, and the latter such who had the gift of interpreting the prophecies of the Old Testament, and of foretelling things to come, having received gifts from Christ to fit them for such offices, some apostles, some prophets; and to these a revelation was made of the mystery of the Gospel in general, and of the calling of the Gentiles in particular, by the Spirit, who searches the deep things of God, and reveals them, and leads into all truth; and who, by falling upon the Gentiles, as upon Cornelius and his family, and by the success which he gave to the Gospel in the Gentile world, made their calling clear and manifest. The Complutensian edition reads, "by the Holy Spirit"; and so the Arabic and Ethiopic versions.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Which in other ages - The great purposes of God in regard to the salvation of mankind were not revealed; see the notes at Romans 16:25.

And prophets - Those who exercised the office of a prophet or inspired teacher in the Christian church; see the notes at 1 Corinthians 12:1.

By the Spirit - This proves that those who exercised the office of prophet in the Christian church were inspired. They were persons endowed in this manner for the purpose of imparting to the newly formed churches the doctrines of the Christian system. There is no evidence that this was designed to be a permanent order of people in the church. They were necessary for settling the church on a permanent basis, in the absence of a full written revelation, and when the apostles were away. When the volume of revelation was finished, and the doctrines of the gospel were fully understood, the functions of the office ceased.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Ephesians 3:5. Which in other ages was not made known — That the calling of the Gentiles was made known by the prophets in different ages of the Jewish Church is exceedingly clear; but it certainly was not made known in that clear and precise manner in which it was now revealed by the Spirit unto the ministers of the New Testament: nor was it made known unto them at all, that the Gentiles should find salvation without coming under the yoke of the Mosaic law, and that the Jews themselves should be freed from that yoke of bondage; these were discoveries totally new, and now revealed for the first time by the Spirit of God.