Ephesians 3:4 (GNV)

Passage

Whereby when ye reade, ye may knowe mine vnderstanding in the mysterie of Christ)

Nearby Context

Ephesians 3:2 If ye haue heard of the dispensation of the grace of God, which is giuen me to you warde,

Ephesians 3:3 That is, that God by reuelation hath shewed this mysterie vnto me (as I wrote aboue in fewe wordes,

Ephesians 3:4 Whereby when ye reade, ye may knowe mine vnderstanding in the mysterie of Christ)

Ephesians 3:5 Which in other ages was not opened vnto the sonnes of men, as it is nowe reueiled vnto his holy Apostles and Prophets by the Spirit,

Ephesians 3:6 That the Gentiles should be inheriters also, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the Gospel,

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "whereby", "reade", "knowe", "mine", "vnderstanding", "mysterie", and "christ". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "whereby" and "reade", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 3's "That is that God by reuelation hath..." into verse 5's "Which in other ages was not opened...", so "whereby" and "reade" 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 "whereby" and "reade" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.