Ephesians 3:1

King James Version (KJV)

For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,

Translations

Ephesians 3:1 - Amplified Bible

FOR THIS reason [for the sake {and} on behalf of you Gentiles--

Ephesians 3:1 - American Standard Version

For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus in behalf of you Gentiles,--

Ephesians 3:1 - Bible in Basic English

For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles,

Ephesians 3:1 - Darby Bible

For this reason *I* Paul, prisoner of the Christ Jesus for you nations,

Ephesians 3:1 - English Standard Version

For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles–

Ephesians 3:1 - King James Version

For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,

Ephesians 3:1 - La Biblia de las Americas

Por esta causa yo, Pablo, prisionero de Cristo Jesùs por amor de vosotros los gentiles

Ephesians 3:1 - The Message

This is why I, Paul, am in jail for Christ, having taken up the cause of you outsiders, so-called. I take it that you’re familiar with the part I was given in God’s plan for including everybody. I got the inside story on this from God himself, as I just wrote you in brief.

Ephesians 3:1 - New American Standard Bible

For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles--

Ephesians 3:1 - Nueva Biblia Latinoamericana de Hoy

Por esta causa yo, Pablo, prisionero de Cristo Jesùs por amor de ustedes los Gentiles

Ephesians 3:1 - World English Bible

For this cause I, Paul, am the prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles,

Ephesians 3:1 - Young's Living Translation

For this cause, I Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you the nations,

Ephesians 3:1 - Additional Comments

Paul begins this chapter preparing to pray, but interrupts it with to explain about his ministry to the Gentiles. He then continues his prayer in verse 14.
Ephesians was probably written by Paul from Rome during Paul's first imprisonment (3:1; 4:1; 6:20), and probably soon after his arrival there in the year 62, four years after he had parted with the Ephesian elders at Miletus.
God does not have special care for those who are comfortable, nor does He have special disdain for those who are in trouble, as with Paul in prison. Those in dire circumstances might feel like God is farther away, or more angered at them, but that is not true. It is not circumstances that differentiates our relationship with God, but our sin. Never equate them Do not assume that dire circumstances indicates a higher dispensation towards sin - that is not true, as we see with Paul. Be careful about judging those in pain as Job's 3 friends did - they assumed it was Job's failures that placed Him in those circumstances, when it is clear it was His strong faith that did. Circumstances are never a determination of the quality of relationship with God. You certainly can find those in great circumstances that have little or no relationship with God.
Here in this chapter Paul is conveying the riches of God's truths. May we not let our own rough circumstances cause us to neglect others, even if these others may have contributed to the situation we are in. The more we focus on others, the more we lost sight of ourselves and any struggles we have. Paul even goes so far as to say his sufferings were so that others could be lifted up. His focus, as ours should be, is away from self, fully towards others.
May it actually be a special cause for joy and glorying when we suffer for others and for the gospel.

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