That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:
Parallel translations
- WEB that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of his promise in Christ Jesus through the Good News,
- BSB This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are fellow heirs, fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus.
- NKJV that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel,
- NASB to 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,
- NLT And this is God’s plan: Both Gentiles and Jews who believe the Good News share equally in the riches inherited by God’s children. Both are part of the same body, and both enjoy the promise of blessings because they belong to Christ Jesus.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The mystery is that Gentiles are fellow heirs, members, and partakers of the promise in Christ. It defines the content of the revealed mystery as Gentile inclusion.
Overview
Paul states the mystery plainly: through the gospel, Gentiles are 'fellow heirs, and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of his promise in Christ Jesus.' The threefold 'fellow' stresses full equality with believing Jews. This union of Jew and Gentile in one body is the heart of God's once-hidden, now-revealed plan.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- Gal 3:26–29For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
- Gal 3:14That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
- Rom 8:15–17For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
- 1 Jn 1:3That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
- 1 Jn 2:25And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.
- 1 Cor 12:27Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
- Gal 4:5–7To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
- Eph 2:13–22But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
- Col 2:19And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.
- Eph 5:30For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
- Eph 5:7Be not ye therefore partakers with them.
- 1 Cor 12:12For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
- Rom 12:4–5For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:
- Eph 4:15–16But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
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Christ at the center
Every spiritual blessing is 'in Christ,' the head over all things for the church, in whom Jew and Gentile are made one new man by his blood.
How Ephesians 3:6 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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