Ephesians 3:4 (DBY)

Passage

by which, in reading it, ye can understand my intelligence in the mystery of the Christ,)

Nearby Context

Ephesians 3:2 (if indeed ye have heard of the administration of the grace of God which has been given to me towards you,

Ephesians 3:3 that by revelation the mystery has been made known to me, (according as I have written before briefly,

Ephesians 3:4 by which, in reading it, ye can understand my intelligence in the mystery of the Christ,)

Ephesians 3:5 which in other generations has not been made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets in [the power of the] Spirit,

Ephesians 3:6 that [they who are of] the nations should be joint heirs, and a joint body, and joint partakers of [his] promise in Christ Jesus by the glad tidings;

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "reading", "understand", "intelligence", "mystery", and "christ". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "reading" and "understand", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 3's "that by revelation the mystery has been..." into verse 5's "which in other generations has not been...", so "reading" and "understand" 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 "reading" and "understand" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.