Ephesians 3:12
in Ephesians 3In Him and through faith in Him we may enter God’s presence with boldness and confidence.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
in whom we have boldness and access in confidence through our faith in him.
KJV
In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.
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This verse in Ephesians 3
Commentary
11 notes on this verseIn whom we have boldness - By whom we, Gentiles, have την παρῥησιαν, this liberty of speech; so that we may say any thing by prayer and supplication, and την προσαγωγην, this introduction, into the Divine presence by faith in Christ. It is only in his name we can pray to God, and it is only by him that we can come to God; none can give us an introduction but Christ Jesus, and it is only for his sake that God will either hear or save us.
This site's exposition
according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord
on Ephesians 3:11-12
The eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord roots everything just described in a plan older than its execution, the same ground as the predestination language of chapter one without repeating that question here. Boldness and access with confidence pairs parrhesia, free and open speech, with prosagoge, the word for being led into a royal presence already used at 2:18. By the faith of him is read two ways, the believer's own faith directed toward Christ, or Christ's own faithfulness as the ground of the access, the genitive bearing either sense in Greek.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
"In whom we have," saith he, "boldness, and access in confidence through our faith in him." "Have access," not as prisoners, he says, nor yet, as persons candidates for pardon, nor as sinners; for, saith he, we have even "boldness with confidence," that is, accompanied with cheerful trust; arising from what source? through our faith in Him.
Nothing can give us such trust in God and purity of conscience … as the Word, the truth, the wisdom and the righteousness received in Christ.… One who thinks in an orderly manner now has the Word and reason as the content of his faith. One who can comprehend wisdom has wisdom as the content of his faith. One who understands truth has truth as the content of his faith. One who lives righteously now has righteousness as the content of his faith.
The Medieval Church2 voices
The effect of this source consists in a great fruit which comes to us from Christ. This is expressed at in whom we have assurance... Concerning this he does two things: First, he puts down the blessings we receive. Secondly, he designates through what we …
That all things came about through Christ is evident, he says, from the fact that He is the One who brought us. However, we were not brought as captives, nor as sinners, but we have boldness, and not simply so, but with hope and confidence. …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
By whom we have free access - Such as those petitioners have, who are introduced to the royal presence by some distinguished favourite. And boldness - Unrestrained liberty of speech, such as children use in addressing an indulgent father, when, without fear of offending, they disclose all their wants, and make known all their requests.
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-scripture
In whom we have boldness and access,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Translate, "our boldness and our access (Eph 2:18) in confidence through our faith in Him." ALFORD quotes as an instance, Ro 8:38, &c. "THE access" (Greek) implies the formal introduction into the presence of a monarch.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
We have boldness - The word used here - παῤῥησίαν parrēsian - means, properly, boldness of speaking; 2Co 7:4; Joh 7:26; Act 4:13, Act 4:29, Act 4:31. Here it seems to mean “freedom of utterance;” and the idea is, that we may come to God now in prayer with confidence through the Lord Jesus; see Heb 4:16. And access - see notes Eph 2:18. By the faith of him - By faith in him. The sense is, that we may now come confidently and boldly to the throne of grace for mercy in the name of the Redeemer. Boldness is not rashness; and faith is not presumption; but we may come without hesitating, and with an assurance that our prayers will be heard.
The words behind it
13 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| ᾧ | ho | whom | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| ἔχομεν | echomen | we have | G2192 → | 707 times |
| τὴν | ten | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| παρρησίαν | parresian | boldness | G3954 → | |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| προσαγωγὴν | prosagogen | access | G4318 → | |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| πεποιθήσει | pepoithesei | confidence | G4006 → | |
| διὰ | dia | through | G1223 → | 664 times |
| τῆς | tes | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| πίστεως | pisteos | faith | G4102 → | 242 times |
| αὐτοῦ. | autou | from Him. | G846 → | 5565 times |
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
ᾧwhom
hoG3739 →1405 times
ἔχομενwe have
echomenG2192 →707 times
τὴν<the>
tenG3588 →19766 times
παρρησίανboldness
parresianG3954 →
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
προσαγωγὴνaccess
prosagogenG4318 →
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
πεποιθήσειconfidence
pepoitheseiG4006 →
διὰthrough
diaG1223 →664 times
τῆςthe
tesG3588 →19766 times
πίστεωςfaith
pisteosG4102 →242 times
αὐτοῦ.from Him.
autouG846 →5565 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
6 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
John 14:6Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
it leads to
- Ephesians 2:18
For through Him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Acts 4:12
Salvation exists in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”
- John 10:9
I am the gate. If anyone enters through Me, he will be saved. He will come in and go out and find pasture.
- John 11:25–26
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me will live, even though he dies.
- John 1:4
In Him was life, and that life was the light of men.
- Ephesians 2:18
Through
Ephesians 2:18For through Him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 12:13
For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free, and we were all given one Spirit to drink.
- 1 Corinthians 12:13
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies2
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About Ephesians
This page draws on 11 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the New Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Ephesians 3:12; John Chrysostom, Homily on Ephesians 7; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Ephesians and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Ephesians.