Ephesians 3:2-10

New English Translation

Footnotes

1. Ephesians 3:2 sn If indeed. The author is not doubting whether his audience has heard, but is rather using provocative language (if indeed) to engage his audience in thinking about the magnificence of God’s grace. However, in English translation, the apodosis (“then”-clause) does not come until v. 13, leaving the protasis (“if”-clause) dangling. Eph 3:2-7 constitute one sentence in Greek.
2. Ephesians 3:2 tn Or “administration,” “dispensation,” “commission.”
3. Ephesians 3:3 tn Or “namely, that is.”
4. Ephesians 3:3 tn Or “divine secret” (see Eph 1:9).
5. Ephesians 3:3 tn Or “as I wrote above briefly.”sn As I wrote briefly may refer to the author’s brief discussion of the divine secret in 1:9.
6. Ephesians 3:4 tn Grk “which, when reading.”
7. Ephesians 3:4 tn Grk “you are able to.”
8. Ephesians 3:4 tn Or “secret.”
9. Ephesians 3:5 tn Verse 5 is a relative clause, subordinate to the thought of v. 4, but it is also parenthetical, interrupting the thought of vv. 4-6. This has been indicated by the parentheses in the translation.
10. Ephesians 3:5 tn Grk “the sons of men” (a Semitic idiom referring to human beings, hence, “people”).
11. Ephesians 3:5 tn Grk “other.”
12. Ephesians 3:5 tn Or “in.”
13. Ephesians 3:6 sn The phrase through the gospel is placed last in the sentence in Greek for emphasis. It has been moved forward for clarity.
14. Ephesians 3:6 tn Grk “and fellow members.”
15. Ephesians 3:7 tn Grk “of which I was made a minister,” “of which I became a servant.”
16. Ephesians 3:7 tn Grk “according to.”
17. Ephesians 3:7 sn On the exercise of his power see 1:19-20.
18. Ephesians 3:8 sn In Pauline writings saints means any true believer. Thus for Paul to view himself as less than the least of all the saints is to view himself as the most unworthy object of Christ’s redemption.
19. Ephesians 3:8 sn The parallel phrases to proclaim and to enlighten which follow indicate why God’s grace was manifested to Paul. Grace was not something just to be received, but to be shared with others (cf. Acts 13:47).
20. Ephesians 3:9 tn There is a possible causative nuance in the Greek verb, but this is difficult to convey in the translation.
21. Ephesians 3:9 tn Grk “what is the plan of the mystery.” Earlier the author had used οἰκονομία (oikonomia; here “plan”) to refer to his own “stewardship” (v. 2). But now he is speaking about the content of this mystery, not his own activity in relation to it.
22. Ephesians 3:9 tn Or “for eternity,” or perhaps “from the Aeons.” Cf. 2:2, 7.
23. Ephesians 3:9 tn Or perhaps “by God.” It is possible that ἐν (en) plus the dative here indicates agency, that is, that God has performed the action of hiding the mystery. However, this usage of the preposition ἐν is quite rare in the NT, and even though here it does follow a perfect passive verb as in the Classical idiom, it is more likely that a different nuance is intended.
24. Ephesians 3:10 tn Grk “that.” Verse 10 is a subordinate clause to the verb “enlighten” in v. 9.
25. Ephesians 3:10 tn Or “manifold wisdom,” “wisdom in its rich variety.”