Ephesians 3:3 (WEB)

Passage

how that by revelation the mystery was made known to me, as I wrote before in few words,

Nearby Context

Ephesians 3:1 For this cause I, Paul, am the prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles,

Ephesians 3:2 if it is so that you have heard of the administration of that grace of God which was given me toward you;

Ephesians 3:3 how that by revelation the mystery was made known to me, as I wrote before in few words,

Ephesians 3:4 by which, when you read, you can perceive my understanding in the mystery of Christ;

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

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "revelation", "mystery", "known", "wrote", "before", and "words". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "revelation" and "mystery", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 2's "if it is so that you have..." into verse 4's "by which when you read you can...", so "revelation" and "mystery" 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 "revelation" and "mystery" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.