Ephesians 3:8

Ephesians 3:8 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;
• New International Version (NIV)Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ,
• English Standard Version (ESV)To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,
• New King James Version (NKJV)To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,

Context of Ephesians 3:8

6to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel, 7of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of God’s grace which was given to me according to the working of His power. To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, 9and to enlighten all people as to what the plan of the mystery is which for ages has been hidden in God, who created all things; 10so that the multifaceted wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places.

Ephesians 3:8 word by word

ἐμοὶ τῷ ἐλαχιστοτέρῳ πάντων ἁγίων ἐδόθη ἡ χάρις αὕτη, τοῖς ἔθνεσιν εὐαγγελίσασθαι τὸ ἀνεξιχνίαστον πλοῦτος τοῦ ΧριστοῦRead the interlinear

• the veryἐλάχιστοςelachistos · leastG1646
• of allπᾶςpas · allG3956
• saintsἅγιοςhagios · holy: saintG40
• thisοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• graceχάριςcharis · graceG5485
• was givenδίδωμιdidōmi · to giveG1325
• preachεὐαγγελίζομαιeuaggelizō · to speak good newsG2097
• to the Gentilesἔθνοςethnos · GentilesG1484
• the unfathomableἀνεξιχνίαστοςanexichniastos · unsearchableG421
• richesπλοῦτοςploutos · richesG4149
• of ChristΧριστόςChristos · ChristG5547

Cross-references for Ephesians 3:8

• Proverbs 30:2I am certainly more stupid than any man, And I do not have the understanding of a man;
• Romans 12:10Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor,
• 1 Corinthians 15:9For I am the least of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
• Philippians 2:3Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility consider one another as more important than yourselves;
• 1 Timothy 1:13even though I was previously a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief;
• 1 Peter 5:5You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God is opposed to the proud, but He gives grace to the humble.
• 1 Chronicles 17:16Then King David came in and sat before the Lord, and said, “Who am I, Lord God, and what is my house that You have brought me this far?
• 1 Chronicles 29:14“But who am I and who are my people that we should be able to offer as generously as this? For all things come from You, and from Your hand we have given to You.
• Acts 5:41So they went on their way from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name.
• Romans 15:15But I have written very boldly to you on some points so as to remind you again, because of the grace that was given to me from God,
• Ephesians 3:2if indeed you have heard of the administration of God’s grace which was given to me for you;
• Galatians 1:16to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood,
• Galatians 2:8(for He who was at work for Peter in his apostleship to the circumcised was at work for me also to the Gentiles),
• 1 Timothy 2:7For this I was appointed as a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), as a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.
• 2 Timothy 1:11for which I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher.
• Ephesians 3:16that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner self,

Commentaries on Ephesians 3:8

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8Less than the least of all saints - ͅ ̔ . As the design of the apostle was to magnify the grace of Christ in the salvation of the world, he uses every precaution to prevent the eyes of the people from being turned to any thing but Christ crucified; and although he was obliged to speak of himself as the particular instrument which God had chosen to bring the Gentile world to the knowledge of the truth, yet he does it in such a manner as to show that the…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints - This is one of the class of expressions unique to Paul. The ordinary terms of language do not express the idea which he wishes to convey, and a word is therefore coined to convey an idea more emphatically; compare the notes at 2 Corinthians 4:17. The word used here - ̓́ elachistoteros- does not occur elsewhere in the New Testament. It is a comparative made from the superlative. Similar expressions are…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 8-12Verses 8-12 Those whom God advances to honourable employments, he makes low in their own eyes; and where God gives grace to be humble, there he gives all other needful grace. How highly he speaks of Jesus Christ; the unsearchable riches of Christ! Though many are not enriched with these riches; yet how great a favour to have them preached among us, and to have an offer of them! And if we are not enriched with them it is our own fault. The first creation…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8Paul thought he was the least deserving of all God's people because he once strongly persecuted believers (see 1 Corinthians 15:9; 1 Timothy 1:12–16). unsearchable riches of Christ: See Ephesians 1:3–14.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 88. am--Not merely was I in times past, but I still am the least worthy of so high an office (compare 1Ti 1:15, end). least of all saints--not merely "of all apostles" (1Co 15:9, 10). is--Greek, "has been given." among--omitted in the oldest manuscripts Translate, "to announce to the Gentiles the glad tidings of the unsearchable (Job 5:9) riches," namely, of Christ's grace (Ep 1:7; 2:7). Ro 11:33, "unsearchable" as a mine inexhaustible, whose treasures can…Read the comment

Topics related to Ephesians 3:8

• Gentiles
• Gospel
• Humility
• Jesus Continued
• Minister, Christian
• Salvation

In the dictionaries

• Christ
• Christ, Messiah
• Boldness
• Effectual
• Grace
• Ground
• Inner
• Mystery
• Purpose
• Revelation

Commentaries on Ephesians 3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings