<p>3:1<i> For this cause, I Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles</i>- The &quot;cause&quot; is that in the preceding verse, 2:22. There, Paul has taught that God is working through His Spirit so that He may indwell His people through the Spirit. When he finishes his parenthesis, he continues praying &quot;For this cause...&quot; that the Spirit will dwell in them richly (:14-19).</p><p>Understanding the way Paul breaks off into another theme and then resumes is the key to understanding some of the more difficult passages in his writings. Here we have a huge bracketed section, as it were: &quot;For this cause I, Paul <i>the prisoner of Jesus Christ</i>... &quot;; and then there is a parenthesis of 13 verses, until then he resumes: <i>For this cause</i> I bow my knees&quot; (Eph. 3:1,14). There are other examples in his letters: &quot;Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare <i>his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare, I say</i> at this time his righteousness&quot; (Rom. 3:25,26). &quot;But if I live in the flesh <i>this is the fruit of my labour... nevertheless to abide in the flesh</i> (this) is more needful for you&quot; (Phil. 1:22-24).</p><p>&quot;The prisoner&quot; suggests Paul wrote to them from prison in Rome. He feels that his imprisonment was for the sake of the Gentiles receiving the Gospel. And so it was; for it was Jewish fury and jealousy over this issue which led them to get him imprisoned. But we recall that he was sent to the Gentiles, and Peter to the Jews. So much could&nbsp;</p>