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
11 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 are fellow heirs
The mystery is named plainly: the Gentiles are fellow heirs, fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise. The three are Greek compounds built on the same syn- prefix. The promise is Israel's own, the commonwealth named at 2:12.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
The Gentiles are fellow heirs with Israel. Put more precisely, they are fellow heirs with Christ. … It is not that some possession is divided among us but that God himself in his fullness is our inheritance and possession.
What is this; "fellow-heirs, and fellow-partakers of the promise, and fellow-members of the body?" This last is the great thing, that they should be one body; this exceeding closeness of relation to Him. For that they were to be called indeed, that they knew, but that it was so great, as yet they knew not. This therefore he calls the mystery. "Of the promise." The Israelites were partakers, and the Gentiles also were fellow-partakers of the promise of God. "In Christ Jesus through the Gospel." That is, by His being sent unto them also, and by their believing; for it is not said they are fellow-heirs simply, but "through the Gospel." However, this indeed, is nothing so great, it is in fact a small thing, and it discloses to us another and greater thing, that not only men knew not this, but that neither Angels nor Archangels, nor any other created power, knew it. For it was a mystery, and was not revealed. "That ye can perceive," he saith, "my understanding." This alludes, perhaps, to what he said to them in the Acts, that he had some knowledge that the Gentiles also were called. This, he says, is his own knowledge, "the knowledge of the mystery," which he had mentioned, viz., "that Christ will in Himself make of the twain one new man." For by revelation he was instructed, both he and Peter, that they must not spurn the Gentiles; and this he states in his defence.
The Medieval Church2 voices
Consequently, when he states that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, he makes known what the sacrament is. In reference to it, it should be recognized that the Jews enjoyed three prerogatives with respect to the Gentiles. They had the promised inheritance: "For not through …
The mystery consists in the fact that the Gentiles became fellow heirs and fellow partakers of the promise of Israel. For the Israelites partook in the promise as a holy people; and the Gentiles, formerly unclean, became partakers with them of the same promise, but …
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.
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs,....
And this in Christ, being united to Christ, in whom all the promises are yea and amen; and by the gospel, that is, in the times of the gospel, as some understand it; or, by the gospel preached to them, which is the great instrument and means by which God works faith in Christ, as others.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
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:
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
That the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs - Fellow-heirs with the ancient people of God - the Jews - and entitled to the same privileges; see the Rom 8:17, note and Eph 2:13-18, note.
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
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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, 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 3:5-7; John Chrysostom, Homily on Ephesians 6; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; 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.