What Does Ephesians 3:9 Mean in the King James?
And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The mystery is a shared reality, not a secret possession: what is hidden in God comes into view for everyone.
THE MEANING
What lies hidden in God is made visible for all people to perceive. Its fellowship is something held in common, centered in the one through whom all things are created. You are addressed as included in this shared reality, not kept outside a private secret.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
The verse undoes the belief that what is hidden in God belongs only to an inner circle: its movement is toward everyone seeing.
THE ROOT
κοινωνία
koinōnia
GROWS FROM
κοινων-
koinōn-
common, shared, held in participation
The Greek reading behind the KJV is κοινωνία (koinōnia, sharing in common); another textual reading is οἰκονομία (oikonomia, stewardship). Following the KJV wording, fellowship names the shared participation of the mystery: what is revealed is something people hold in common, not merely a secret they hear.
ALSO GROWS
koinos: common, shared
κοινός
This branch makes the shared nature of the mystery audible beneath “fellowship.”
koinōnos: partner, participant
κοινωνός
Fellowship gathers people who share in something, not merely people standing near one another.
φωτίσαι
phōtisai
GROWS FROM
φωτίζω (phōtizō), from the φωτ-/φωσ- light-word family
bring into light, illuminate
The action rendered “make … see” carries the sense of bringing into light. The verse moves from what has been hidden to what is illuminated for all to perceive.
ALSO GROWS
phōs: light
φῶς
Light makes visible what was previously out of view.
phōtismos: illumination, enlightening
φωτισμός
This branch makes the act of seeing more than receiving information: it is being brought into view.
ἀποκεκρυμμένου
apokekrymmenou
GROWS FROM
κρύπτω
kryptō
hide, keep out of view
“hid” in this verse is apokekrymmenou. The verse holds concealment and illumination together: what is hidden in God does not stay beyond sight. The mystery’s hiddenness describes what is brought into view, not a permanent exclusion.
ALSO GROWS
kryptos: hidden, concealed
κρυπτός
This branch names the condition from which the verse’s movement begins.
apokryptō: hide away, conceal
ἀποκρύπτω
The compound form under “hid” sharpens the sense of something kept out of view before it is made known.
THE PATTERN
What is held hidden is brought into view and made known across peoples.
He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad.Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:THE THREAD
That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:This verse spells out the shared reality that Ephesians 3:9 calls the fellowship of the mystery: Gentiles are fellow heirs, one body, and participants in the promise. What is made visible is a belonging in which the promise is held in common in Christ.
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