Ephesians 3:4

Good News Translation

and if you will read what I have written, you can learn about my understanding of the secret of 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,

Contemporary English Version
As you read the letter, you will also find out how well I really do understand the mystery about 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,

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 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles, pray to God. ² Surely you have heard that God in his grace has given me this work to do for your good. ³ God revealed his secret plan and made it known to me. (I have written briefly about this, ⁴ and if you will read what I have written, you can learn about my understanding of the secret of Christ.) ⁵ 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. ⁶ The secret is that by means of the gospel the Gentiles have a part with the Jews in God's blessings; they are members of the same body and share in the promise that God made through Christ Jesus. ⁷ I was made a servant of the gospel by God's special gift, which he gave me through the working of his power. ⁸ I am less than the least of all God's people; yet God gave me this privilege of taking to the Gentiles the Good News about the infinite riches of Christ, ⁹ and of making all people see how God's secret plan is to be put into effect. God, who is the Creator of all things, kept his secret hidden through all the past ages, ¹⁰ in order that at the present time, by means of the church, the angelic rulers and powers in the heavenly world might learn of his wisdom in all its different forms.

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 asked the woman, "Why did you do this?" She replied, "The snake tricked me into eating it."

Deuteronomy 29:19
Make sure that there is no one here today who hears these solemn demands and yet convinces himself that all will be well with him, even if he stubbornly goes his own way. That would destroy all of you, good and evil alike.

2 Kings 1:4
Tell the king that the Lord says, ‘You will not recover from your injuries; you will die!'" Elijah did as the Lord commanded,

2 Kings 1:6
They answered, "We were met by a man who told us to come back and tell you that the Lord says to you, ‘Why are you sending messengers to consult Baalzebub, the god of Ekron? Is it because you think there is no god in Israel? You will not recover from your injuries; you will die!'"

2 Kings 1:16
and said to him, "This is what the Lord says: ‘Because you sent messengers to consult Baalzebub, the god of Ekron—as if there were no god in Israel to consult—you will not get well; you will die!'"

2 Kings 8:10
Elisha answered, "The Lord has revealed to me that he will die; but go to him and tell him that he will recover."

Psalms 10:11
The wicked say to themselves, "God doesn't care! He has closed his eyes and will never see me!"

2 Corinthians 2:11
in order to keep Satan from getting the upper hand over us; for we know what his plans are.

2 Corinthians 11:3
I am afraid that your minds will be corrupted and that you will abandon your full and pure devotion to Christ—in the same way that Eve was deceived by the snake's clever lies.

1 Timothy 2:14
And it was not Adam who was deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and broke God's law.

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.