Ephesians2
New Living Translation
1Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins.
2You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God.
3All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.
4But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much,
5that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!)
6For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus.
7So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.
8God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.
9Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.
10For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
11Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called “uncircumcised heathens” by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts.
12In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope.
13But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ.
14For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us.
15He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups.
16Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death.
17He brought this Good News of peace to you Gentiles who were far away from him, and peace to the Jews who were near.
18Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us.
19So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family.
20Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself.
21We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord.
22Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Ephesians 2.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: The riches of God's grace towards men, shown from their deplorable state by nature, and the happy change Divine grace makes in them. (1–10). The Ephesians called to reflect on their state of heathenism. (11–13). And the privileges and blessings of the gospel. (14–22).
vv1-10
Sin is the death of the soul. A man dead in trespasses and sins has no desire for spiritual pleasures. When we look upon a corpse, it gives an awful feeling. A never-dying spirit is now fled, and has left nothing but the ruins of a man. But if we viewed things aright, we should be far more affected by the thought of a dead soul, a lost, fallen spirit. A state of sin is a state of conformity to this world. Wicked men are slaves to Satan. Satan is the author of that proud, carnal disposition which there is in ungodly men; he rules in the hearts of men. From Scripture it is clear, that whether men have been most prone to sensual or to spiritual wickedness, all men, being naturally children of disobedience, are also by nature children of wrath. What reason have sinners, then, to seek earnestly for that grace which will make them, of children of wrath, children of God and heirs of glory! God's eternal love or good-will toward his creatures, is the fountain whence all his mercies flow to us; and that love of God is great love, and that mercy is rich mercy. And every converted sinner is a saved sinner; delivered from sin and wrath. The grace that saves is the free, undeserved goodness and favour of God; and he saves, not by the works of the law, but through faith in Christ Jesus. Grace in the soul is a new life in the soul. A regenerated sinner becomes a living soul; he lives a life of holiness, being born of God: he lives, being delivered from the guilt of sin, by pardoning and justifying grace. Sinners roll themselves in the dust; sanctified souls sit in heavenly places, are raised above this world, by Christ's grace. The goodness of God in converting and saving sinners heretofore, encourages others in after-time, to hope in his grace and mercy. Our faith, our conversion, and our eternal salvation, are not of works, lest any man should boast. These things are not brought to pass by any thing done by us, therefore all boasting is shut out. All is the free gift of God, and the effect of being quickened by his power. It was his purpose, to which he prepared us, by blessing us with the knowledge of his will, and his Holy Spirit producing such a change in us, that we should glorify God by our good conversation, and perseverance in holiness. None can from Scripture abuse this doctrine, or accuse it of any tendency to evil. All who do so, are without excuse.
vv11-13
Christ and his covenant are the foundation of all the Christian's hopes. A sad and terrible description is here; but who is able to remove himself out of it? Would that this were not a true description of many baptized in the name of Christ. Who can, without trembling, reflect upon the misery of a person, separated for ever from the people of God, cut off from the body of Christ, fallen from the covenant of promise, having no hope, no Saviour, and without any God but a God of vengeance, to all eternity? To have no part in Christ! What true Christian can hear this without horror? Salvation is far from the wicked; but God is a help at hand to his people; and this is by the sufferings and death of Christ.
vv14-18
Jesus Christ made peace by the sacrifice of himself; in every sense Christ was their Peace, the author, centre, and substance of their being at peace with God, and of their union with the Jewish believers in one church. Through the person, sacrifice, and mediation of Christ, sinners are allowed to draw near to God as a Father, and are brought with acceptance into his presence, with their worship and services, under the teaching of the Holy Spirit, as one with the Father and the Son. Christ purchased leave for us to come to God; and the Spirit gives a heart to come, and strength to come, and then grace to serve God acceptably.
Key Words
καί (kaí): and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words
ὑμᾶς (hymâs): you (as the objective of a verb or preposition)
ὤν (ṓn): being
νεκρός (nekrós): dead (literally or figuratively; also as noun)
παράπτωμα (paráptōma): a side-slip (lapse or deviation), i.e. (unintentional) error or (wilful) transgression
ἁμαρτία (hamartía): a sin (properly abstract)
ἐν (en): "in," at, (up-)on, by, etc.
ὅς (hós): the relatively (sometimes demonstrative) pronoun, who, which, what, that
ποτέ (poté): indefinite adverb, at some time, ever
περιπατέω (peripatéō): to tread all around, i.e. walk at large (especially as proof of ability); figuratively, to live, deport oneself, follow (as a companion or votary)
Cross References
Ephesians 2Direct parallel describing being dead in sins and quickened together with Christ.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
The Old Testament source for preaching peace to those far off and near.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, JFB
Parallels the blotting out of handwriting of ordinances and abolishing the enmity.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
The prophetic foundation for Christ as the chief cornerstone of the spiritual building.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
Reiterates that salvation is not by works of righteousness but by God's mercy.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Confirms that salvation by grace through faith excludes all human boasting.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
Defines being alienated from the life of God, matching the state of unbelieving Gentiles.
Supported by JFB
Believers built up as lively stones into a spiritual house and habitation of God.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Demonstrates God's great love in Christ dying for us while we were yet sinners.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Identifies Jesus as the prophesied Prince of Peace who is our peace.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Shows the breakdown of distinction between Jew and Gentile, making both one in Christ.
Supported by JFB