Ephesians 3:2

Ephesians 3:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:
• New International Version (NIV)Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you,
• English Standard Version (ESV)assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace that was given to me for you,
• New Living Translation (NLT)assuming, by the way, that you know God gave me the special responsibility of extending his grace to you Gentiles.

Context of Ephesians 3:2

1For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles— if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you, 3how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, 4by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ),

Ephesians 3:2 word by word

εἴ γε ἠκούσατε τὴν οἰκονομίαν τῆς χάριτος τοῦ θεοῦ τῆς δοθείσης μοι εἰς ὑμᾶςRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Ifεἴγεeige · if indeedG1489
• ye have heard ofἀκούωakouō · to hearG191
• the dispensationὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the dispensationοἰκονομίαoikonomia · managementG3622
• of the graceχάριςcharis · graceG5485
• of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• is givenδίδωμιdidōmi · to giveG1325
• meἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• toεἰςeis · towardG1519
• you-wardσύsu · youG4771

Cross-references for Ephesians 3:2

• Ephesians 4:21if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus:
• Galatians 1:13For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it.
• Colossians 1:4since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints;
• 2 Timothy 1:11to which I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.
• Ephesians 3:8To 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,
• Ephesians 4:7But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.
• Acts 9:15But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel.
• Acts 13:2As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”
• Acts 22:21Then He said to me, ‘Depart, for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles.’ ”
• Acts 26:17I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you,
• Romans 1:5Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name,
• Romans 11:13For I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry,
• Romans 12:3For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.
• Romans 15:15Nevertheless, brethren, I have written more boldly to you on some points, as reminding you, because of the grace given to me by God,
• 1 Corinthians 4:1Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.
• 1 Corinthians 9:17For if I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have been entrusted with a stewardship.

Commentaries on Ephesians 3:2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2If ye have heard of the dispensation - The compound particle , which is commonly translated if indeed, in several places means since indeed, seeing that, and should be translated so in this verse, and in several other places of the New Testament. Seeing ye have heard of the dispensation of God, which is given me to you-ward: this they had amply learned from the apostle during his stay at Ephesus, for he had not shunned to declare unto them the whole…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2If ye have heard - ̓́- Ei-ge“If at least, if indeed, if so be, spoken of what is taken for granted.” “Robinson;” compare 2 Corinthians 5:3; Galatians 3:4; Ephesians 4:21; Colossians 1:23, for the use of the particle. The particle here is not designed to express a doubt whether they had heard of it or not, for he takes it for granted that they had. Doddridge renders it, “since I well know you have heard,” etc. He had informed them of his being called to be…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2-13Paul pauses his thought in 3:1 to talk about his role in God's plan. When Paul first converted, God gave him the special task of sharing his grace with the gentiles (see Acts 9:15–16; 22:14–15, 21; 26:17–18; Romans 1:5; 11:13–14; 15:15–18; Galatians 1:15–16; 2:7–9; Colossians 1:25–27; 1 Timothy 2:7; 2 Timothy 4:17).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. If--The Greek does not imply doubt: "Assuming (what I know to be the fact, namely) that ye have heard," &c. "If, as I presume," The indicative in the Greek shows that no doubt is implied: "Seeing that doubtless," &c. He by this phrase delicately reminds them of their having heard from himself, and probably from others subsequently, the fact. See Introduction, showing that these words do not disprove the address of this Epistle to the Ephesians. Compare…Read the comment

Topics related to Ephesians 3:2

• Gentiles
• Gospel
• Salvation

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Boldness
• Dispensation
• Effectual
• Ephesians, Epistle to
• Ground
• Inner
• 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