Ephesians 3:6
in Ephesians 3This 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
to wit, that the Gentiles are fellow-heirs, and fellow-members of the body, and fellow-partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel,
KJV
That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:
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This verse in Ephesians 3
Commentary
4 notes on this verseNow the meaning of fellow heirs is this: Just as there are many members in one body … and these, though in one body, have their differences and feel their own joy and grief in turn, so those who have believed in Christ, even if they have different gifts, are bonded together in the one body of Christ.
This site's exposition
the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body
The mystery's content is now named plainly: Gentiles as fellowheirs, of the same body, and partakers of the promise, three Greek compounds Paul builds on the same syn- prefix, joined-heirs, joined-body, joined-partakers. This is Gentiles brought into Israel's own promise in Christ, the commonwealth named at 2:12, not Israel dissolved into a replacement people; Romans 11 stands across the hall making the same point from the other direction. The gospel is named as the means, in Christ by the gospel, the ordinary preached word carrying what had been secret.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
That the gentiles are joint-heirs - Of God. And of the same body - Under Christ the head. And joint-partakers of his promise - The communion of the Holy Ghost.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs - This is the substance of that mystery which had been hidden from all ages, and which was now made known to the New Testament apostles and prophets, and more particularly to St. Paul. His promise in Christ - That the promise made to Abraham extended to the Gentiles, the apostle has largely proved in his Epistle to the Romans; and that it was to be fulfilled to them by and through Christ, he proves there also; and particularly in his Epistle to the Galatians, see Gal 3:
The words behind it
16 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| εἶναι | einai | being | G1511 → | 123 times |
| τὰ | ta | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἔθνη | ethne | Gentiles | G1484 → | 161 times |
| συγκληρονόμα | sugkleronoma | joint-heirs | G4789 → | |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| σύσσωμα | sussoma | a joint-body | G4954 → | |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| συμμέτοχα | summetocha | joint-partakers | G4830 → | |
| τῆς | tes | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἐπαγγελίας | epangelias | promise | G1860 → | 52 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| Χριστῷ | christo | Christ | G5547 → | 523 times |
| Ἰησοῦ | iesou | Jesus | G2424 → | 908 times |
| διὰ | dia | through | G1223 → | 664 times |
| τοῦ | tou | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| εὐαγγελίου, | euangeliou | gospel, | G2098 → | 73 times |
εἶναιbeing
einaiG1511 →123 times
τὰthe
taG3588 →19766 times
ἔθνηGentiles
ethneG1484 →161 times
συγκληρονόμαjoint-heirs
sugkleronomaG4789 →
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
σύσσωμαa joint-body
sussomaG4954 →
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
συμμέτοχαjoint-partakers
summetochaG4830 →
τῆςof the
tesG3588 →19766 times
ἐπαγγελίαςpromise
epangeliasG1860 →52 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
ΧριστῷChrist
christoG5547 →523 times
ἸησοῦJesus
iesouG2424 →908 times
διὰthrough
diaG1223 →664 times
τοῦthe
touG3588 →19766 times
εὐαγγελίου,gospel,
euangeliouG2098 →73 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 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
1 John 1:3We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And this fellowship of ours is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ.
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 1:9
God, who has called you into fellowship with His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.
- John 17:3
Now this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.
- John 17:21
that all of them may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I am in You. May they also be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.
- Acts 4:20
For we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”
- 1 Corinthians 1:9
Through
Galatians 3:14He redeemed us in order that the blessing promised to Abraham would come to the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.
it leads to
- Galatians 3:28–29
There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
- 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.
- Galatians 3:28–29
Through
1 John 2:25And this is the promise that He Himself made to us: eternal life.
it leads to
- John 10:28
I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them out of My hand.
- Titus 3:7
so that, having been justified by His grace, we would become heirs with the hope of eternal life.
- John 10:28
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies2
On this verse
On this chapter
About Ephesians
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Ephesians 3:5-7; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament and John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament.