3:17a

so that Christ may dwell in your hearts: There are different views about how this clause is related to 3:16.

(1) It is a second request that Paul prays for. So dwell is parallel with “strengthen,” that is, “I pray that God will strengthen you…and I pray that Christ may dwell….” For example,

I pray that Christ will live in your hearts (New Century Version)

(Good News Translation, New Century Version, New Living Translation (2004), Contemporary English Version)

(2) It is the purpose or result of what Paul prays in 3:16: “I pray that God will strengthen you…so that Christ will dwell….” For example,

so that Christ may live in your hearts

(Berean Standard Bible, New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible, NET Bible, New American Standard Bible, Revised English Bible)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), though both interpretations have strong support.

dwell in your hearts: The verb dwell has the meaning of “live permanently,” “settle down.”

in your hearts: In the New Testament, the word “heart” refers figuratively to the whole inner life of a person. It includes the mind, will, and emotions. You should use the expression in your language that refers to the inner part of man. In some languages people say ‘mind,’ ‘throat,’ ‘liver,’ or ‘stomach.’

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

Christ will make his home in your hearts (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
and I pray that Christ will make his home in your hearts (Good News Translation)
-or-

⌊I also pray⌋ that Christ may control your whole/inner being

3:17b

through faith: The phrase through faith means “because you believe in Christ.” See faith, Meaning 1 in the Glossary for more information.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

as you trust in him (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
because you believe in him
-or-
because of your faith (Contemporary English Version)

General Comment on 3:17a–b

In some languages, it may be natural to change the order of 17a–b. For example:

⌊I pray that⌋ 17b through your believing, 17a Christ would come and live in your inside stomachs.

3:17c

Some English versions add the words “And I pray that” here, and in 3:16a, to make the translation clearer. See how you translated this clause in 3:16a and then decide if it would be natural in your language to translate it here.

being rooted and grounded in love: The words rooted and grounded are both metaphors referring to “strength.” The word rooted refers to the roots of a tree holding the tree steady. The word grounded refers to the foundation of a house making the house firm. The roots of a tree hold the tree steady, and the foundation of a house makes the house established/firm. In the same way, love makes Christians strong.

When you translate these words you may need to:

• translate the meaning directly. For example:

love will make you strong and keep you from falling

• translate the metaphors as similes. For example:

love is like the roots which make a tree stand firm or like the foundation on which a house stands

Both possibilities are shown in the Display. You should choose the option that is most natural in your language.

in love: There is an interpretation issue here. Scholars do not agree about what Paul meant here. There are two possibilities:

(a) Paul wrote about both our love for God and our love for other people.

(b) Paul wrote about God’s love for us (as in 3:18–19b). (Contemporary English Version, New Living Translation (2004))

Both interpretations make sense. As we come to love God and others, and as we learn how much God loves us, that love makes our hearts strong. You may want to follow your national translation in deciding which interpretation to choose.

The Display follows interpretation (a). If you want to follow interpretation (b), you could say:

I pray that you will come to really know how much God loves you, so this will make you firm and keep you from falling.

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