1For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, 2If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: 3How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, 4Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) 5Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; 6That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: 7Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. 8Unto 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; 9And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: 10To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, 11According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: 12In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him. 13Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory. 14For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; 17That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 18May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
20Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, 21Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
Otkrivenje Božjega tajnog plana
1Ja, Pavao, utamničen sam za Isusa Krista zbog vas pogana. 2Kao što zacijelo znate, Bog mi je dao osobitu službu da vam naviještam njegovu milost. 3Kao što sam već ukratko opisao, Bog mi je objavio svoj tajni naum. 4Čitajući to, shvatit ćete da razumijem Otajstvo—Krista. 5Bog ga nije objavio prijašnjim naraštajima, ali sada ga je po Svetom Duhu objavio svojim svetim apostolima i prorocima.
6A tajna je u tome da će pogani, prema evanđelju, skupa sa Židovima biti subaštinicima, udovima istog Tijela i dionicima obećanja u Kristu Isusu. 7Bog mi je svojom milošću podario da tome evanđelju služim djelotvornošću njegove sile.
8Pomislite samo! Iako to nisam ničim zaslužio, iako sam najmanji među svim svetima, ipak sam izabran da drugim narodima prenesem Radosnu vijest o neiscrpnom bogatstvu koje imaju u Kristu; 9da svakome objasnim tajnu da je Bog Spasitelj i drugih naroda, onaj koji je sve stvorio i u tajnosti sve naumio još odavno, od samoga početka.
10Božja je svrha toga bila da pokaže svim Vrhovništvima i Vlastima na nebesima sve bogatstvo i raznolikost svoje mudrosti, koja će se očitovati u njegovoj Crkvi. 11Taj je svoj vječni naum ostvario u našemu Gospodinu Kristu Isusu.
12U njemu možemo s pouzdanjem, kroz vjeru, slobodno pristupiti Bogu. 13Nemojte zato, molim vas, klonuti zbog nevolja koje zaradi vas podnosim. Ponosite se njima!
Pavlova molitva za duhovnu silu
14Prigibam zato koljena pred Ocem, 15Stvoriteljem svega što je na nebesima i na zemlji.3:15 U grčkome: po kome svako očinstvo u nebesima i na zemlji ima ime. 16Molim se da vam iz svojega slavnog bogatstva dade da kroz Svetoga Duha ojačate svoje nutarnje biće, 17da Krist prebiva u vašim srcima po vjeri, da budete ukorijenjeni i utemeljeni u ljubavi, 18da možete potpuno razumjeti, kao i sva Božja djeca, duljinu, širinu, dubinu i visinu njegove ljubavi, 19da spoznate Kristovu ljubav, tako veliku da ju nikada nećete moći potpuno shvatiti. Tada ćete biti ispunjeni Božjom puninom.
20Neka je slava Bogu! Svojom silom koja djeluje u nama on može učiniti puno više nego što ga mi uopće možemo moliti ili zamisliti. 21Neka mu je slava u Crkvi i u Kristu Isusu kroz sve naraštaje i u vijeke vjekova!
