Ephesians 3:4

New Century Version

If you read what I wrote then, you can see that I truly understand the secret about the 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 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,

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 So I, Paul, am a prisoner of Christ Jesus for you who are not Jews. ² Surely you have heard that God gave me this work to tell you about his grace. ³ He let me know his secret by showing it to me. I have already written a little about this. ⁴ If you read what I wrote then, you can see that I truly understand the secret about the Christ. ⁵ 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. ⁶ This is that secret: that through the Good News those who are not Jews will share with the Jews in God's blessing. They belong to the same body, and they share together in the promise that God made in Christ Jesus. ⁷ By God's special gift of grace given to me through his power, I became a servant to tell that Good News. ⁸ I am the least important of all God's people, but God gave me this gift—to tell those who are not Jews the Good News about the riches of Christ, which are too great to understand fully. ⁹ And God gave me the work of telling all people about the plan for his secret, which has been hidden in him since the beginning of time. He is the One who created everything. ¹⁰ His purpose was that through the church all the rulers and powers in the heavenly world will now know God's wisdom, which has so many 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
Then the Lord God said to the woman, "How could you have done such a thing?" She answered, "The snake tricked me, so I ate the fruit."

Deuteronomy 29:19
These are the kind of people who hear these curses but bless themselves, thinking, "We will be safe even though we continue doing what we want to do." Those people may destroy all of your land, both wet and dry.

2 Kings 1:4
This is what the Lord says: ‘You will never get up from the bed you are lying on; you will die.'" Then Elijah left.

2 Kings 1:6
They said, "A man came to meet us. He said, ‘Go back to the king who sent you and tell him what the Lord says: "Why do you send messengers to ask questions of Baal-Zebub, god of Ekron? Is it because you think there is no God in Israel? You will never get up from the bed you are lying on; you will die."'"

2 Kings 1:16
Elijah told Ahaziah, "This is what the Lord says: ‘You have sent messengers to ask questions of Baal-Zebub, god of Ekron. Is it because you think there is no God in Israel to ask? Because of this, you will never get up from your bed; you will die.'"

2 Kings 8:10
Elisha said to Hazael, "Go and tell Ben-Hadad, ‘You will surely recover,' but the Lord has told me he will really die."

Psalms 10:11
The wicked think, "God has forgotten us. He doesn't see what is happening."

2 Corinthians 2:11
I did this so that Satan would not win anything from us, because we know very well what Satan's plans are.

2 Corinthians 11:3
But I am afraid that your minds will be led away from your true and pure following of Christ just as Eve was tricked by the snake with his evil ways.

1 Timothy 2:14
And Adam was not tricked, but the woman was tricked and became a sinner.

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.