Ephesians 3

For this cause I, Paul, am the prisoner of AL-MASIH ‘ISA1 on behalf of you non-Jews, 2if it is so that you have heard of the administration of that grace of God2 which was given me toward you; 3how that by revelation the mystery was made known to me, as I wrote before in few words, 4by which, when you read, you can perceive my understanding in the mystery of AL-MASIH3; 5which in other generations was not made known to the children of men, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit4; 6that the non-Jews are fellow heirs, and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of his promise in AL-MASIH ‘ISA through the Injil,5 7of which I was made a servant, according to the gift of that grace of God which was given me according to the working of his power. 

8To me, the very least of all saints, was this grace given, to preach to the nations the unsearchable riches of AL-MASIH, 9and to make all men see what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God, who created all things through ‘ISA AL-MASIH; 10to the intent that now through his congregation the manifold wisdom of God might be made known to the principalities and the powers in the heavenly places, 11according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in AL-MASIH ‘ISA our Lord; 12in whom we have boldness and access in confidence through our faith in him. 13Therefore I ask that you may not lose heart at my troubles for you, which are your glory.

14For this cause, I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord ‘ISA AL-MASIH, 15from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, that you may be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inward man; 17that AL-MASIH may dwell in your hearts through faith; to the end that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18may be strengthened to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19and to know AL-MASIH’s love which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 

20Now to him who is able to do much more abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21to him be the glory in the congregation and in AL-MASIH ‘ISA to all generations forever and ever. Amen.

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  1. 3:1 ‘ISA – The names ‘ISA (Arabic), ISHO (Syriac) and JESUS (Greek, IESOUS) are all derived from the Hebrew name YEHOSHUA, which means “YAHWEH saves.” (YAHWEH is God’s personal name revealed to Prophet Musa in the Taurat, Exodus 3:15 – God said moreover to Musa, “You shall tell Bani-Israel this, ‘YAHWEH, the God of your fathers, the God of Ibrahim, the God of Ishaq, and the God of Yaqub, has sent me to you.’ This is my Name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered to all generations.”) ↩︎
  2. 3:2 God, English translation of theos. It is the Greek equivalent of elohim and eloah (Hebrew) which are related to allah (Arabic) and alaha (Syriac), all of which translate as “God,” and refer to the one true God. ↩︎
  3. 3:4 AL-MASIH – an Arabic title equivalent to the Messiah (Hebrew) or Christ (Greek), all of which mean the Anointed One, that is, God’s Chosen One. In ancient times, divinely-appointed kings, priests and prophets were anointed with oil to signify their appointment to office. All of them point ahead to God’s ultimate Anointed One, the Messiah, AL-MASIH.  Al-Kitab unanimously points to ‘ISA Ibn Maryam as the only person worthy to bear the title AL-MASIH. He is the one whom God sent into this world to save people from sin, and to usher in God’s Kingdom at his Second Coming. ↩︎
  4. 3:5 Spirit, or Holy Spirit, or Spirit of God; not an angel, created being, nor an impersonal force, but the uncreated, eternal Spirit of God himself. The Spirit was present and active at the creation of heaven and earth (see Genesis 1:2), and today lives inside of every follower of ‘ISA AL-MASIH, empowering them to live in a way pleasing to God. ↩︎
  5. 3:6 Injil, this Arabic word is derived from Euangel (Greek) and means “good news” or “Gospel” (old English for ‘good news’). Depending on context, Injil can refer to, 
    1. the whole Christian New Testament containing 27 books, 
    2. the first 4 books of the New Testament, that is, the Injil according to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, or,
    3. the message or “good news” of forgiveness of sins through ‘ISA AL-MASIH, revealed in the holy Injil (or New Testament). ↩︎