Ephesians 3:8 (ASV)

Passage

Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, was this grace given, to preach unto the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;

Nearby Context

Ephesians 3:6 [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,

Ephesians 3:7 whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of that grace of God which was given me according to the working of his power.

Ephesians 3:8 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, was this grace given, to preach unto the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;

Ephesians 3:9 and to make all men see what is the dispensation of the mystery which for ages hath been hid in God who created all things;

Ephesians 3:10 to the intent that now unto the principalities and the powers in the heavenly [places] might be made known through the church the manifold wisdom of God,

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "grace", "less", "than", "least", "saints", "given", "preach", and "gentiles". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "grace" and "less", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 7's "whereof I was made a minister according..." into verse 9's "and to make all men see what...", so "grace" and "less" belong inside that flow. In Ephesians context, the local focus is grace, union with Christ, the church, and new creation.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "grace" and "less" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.