Ephesians 2

Setting the scene

Who wrote it: Paul (debated)
Who it was for: Believers in Ephesus and nearby churches
What was happening: From death to life by grace, and from far off to near: one new people

Read the full background in the book overview

What’s happening

You were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit now working in the sons of disobedience, among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. "But God, being rich in mercy, for his great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with him, and made us to sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, that no one would boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we would walk in them." Then Paul turns to the Gentiles: remember that at one time you were separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. "For he is our peace, who made both one, and broke down the middle wall of partition, having abolished in the flesh the hostility, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man of the two, making peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, having killed the hostility thereby." He came and preached peace to those who were far off and to those who were near, for through him both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

Why the setting matters

The "dividing wall" in 2:14 may echo the stone barrier in the Jerusalem temple that kept Gentiles out of the inner courts; inscriptions on it threatened death to any Gentile who crossed (Acts 21:28-29). Paul says that wall has been taken down in Christ. Gentiles in the ancient world often felt they were outsiders to Israel's story, and Jewish believers often felt that Gentiles had to become Jews, which makes this chapter a statement of how both belong on the same footing. "The prince of the power of the air" is a reference to a ruler of the spiritual forces in the lower heavens, a figure usually identified with Satan; ancient people often thought of the air as the realm of spirits. The words "by grace you have been saved through faith... not of works" (2:8-9) are among the best known in the New Testament. Notice that the chapter does not end with works excluded but with works restored: believers are God's "workmanship" (poiēma, from which we get "poem"), created for good works. The "cornerstone" is Christ himself, echoing Isaiah 28:16 and Psalm 118:22.

Read Ephesians 2 (World English Bible)

Who’s in this chapter

Paul

Describes the old life and the new.

The Gentile believers

Once far off, now brought near.

The Jewish believers

Made one with the Gentiles.

The rulers and powers

"The prince of the power of the air."

Jesus

Our peace, who broke down the dividing wall and is the cornerstone.

Talk it through

Paul describes people as "dead" before God made them alive. How does that picture fit with the verse about grace and faith?
"It is the gift of God, not of works." And yet we are "created for good works." How do those two fit together?
The dividing wall was both physical and spiritual. What kinds of walls does Christ take down today?
Paul uses three pictures of the church: citizens, a household, and a temple. What does each add?

Read Ephesians 2

World English Bible

¹You were made alive when you were dead in transgressions and sins, ²in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the children of disobedience. ³We also all once lived among them in the lusts of our flesh, doing the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. ⁴But God, being rich in mercy, for his great love with which he loved us, ⁵even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— ⁶and raised us up with him, and made us to sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ⁷that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus; ⁸for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, ⁹not of works, that no one would boast. ¹⁰For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before that we would walk in them.

¹¹Therefore remember that once you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “uncircumcision” by that which is called “circumcision” (in the flesh, made by hands), ¹²that you were at that time separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world. ¹³But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off are made near in the blood of Christ. ¹⁴For he is our peace, who made both one, and broke down the middle wall of separation, ¹⁵having abolished in his flesh the hostility, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man of the two, making peace, ¹⁶and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, having killed the hostility through it. ¹⁷He came and preached peace to you who were far off and to those who were near. ¹⁸For through him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. ¹⁹So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and of the household of God, ²⁰being built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief cornerstone; ²¹in whom the whole building, fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord; ²²in whom you also are built together for a habitation of God in the Spirit.

Text: World English Bible, Public domain. About our sources

Key words

nekrós · dead
"Being dead through your trespasses and sins" (2:1, 2:5).
paráptōma · trespass, false step
"Dead through your trespasses" (2:1, 2:5).
hamartia · sin
"And sins" (2:1).
aiōn · age, era
"According to the age of this world" (2:2, 2:7).
archōn · ruler, prince
"The prince of the power of the air" (2:2).
sarx · flesh
"In the lusts of our flesh" (2:3, 2:11, 2:15).
epithymia · desire, craving, lust
"Fulfilling the desires of the flesh" (2:3).
orgē · wrath, anger
"By nature children of wrath" (2:3).
eleos · mercy
"But God, being rich in mercy" (2:4).
agapē · love
"For his great love with which he loved us" (2:4).
sōzō · to save, to heal, to make well
"By grace you have been saved" (2:5, 2:8).
charis · grace, favor
"By grace you have been saved through faith" (2:5, 2:7-8).
pistis · faith, trust
"Through faith" (2:8).
ergon · work, deed
"Not of works" and "for good works" (2:9-10).
kauchâomai · to boast, to take pride
"That no one would boast" (2:9).
poíēma · workmanship, what is made
"For we are his workmanship" (2:10).
akrobystía · uncircumcision, foreskin
"Called uncircumcision" (2:11).
peritomē · circumcision
"Called circumcision in the flesh" (2:11).
politeia · citizenship
"Alienated from the commonwealth of Israel" (2:12).
diathēkē · covenant, testament
"Strangers from the covenants of the promise" (2:12).
epangelia · promise
"The covenants of the promise" (2:12).
eirēnē · peace
"For he is our peace" (2:14-17).
mesótoichon · dividing wall
"Broke down the middle wall of partition" (2:14).
échthra · hostility, enmity
"Having abolished the hostility" (2:14, 2:16).
nomos · law
"The law of commandments contained in ordinances" (2:15).
dógma · decree, ordinance
"Contained in ordinances" (2:15).
stauros · cross
"To God through the cross" (2:16).
prosagōgḗ · access, introduction
"Have our access in one Spirit to the Father" (2:18).
xénos · stranger, foreigner, guest
"No longer strangers" (2:12, 2:19).
pároikos · foreigner, resident alien
"And foreigners" (2:19).
sympolítēs · fellow citizen
"Fellow citizens with the saints" (2:19).
themélios · foundation
"The foundation of the apostles and prophets" (2:20).
akrogōniaîos · cornerstone
"Christ Jesus himself being the chief cornerstone" (2:20).
synarmologéō · to fit together
"Being fitted together" (2:21).
naós · temple, sanctuary
"A holy temple in the Lord" (2:21).
katoikētḗrion · dwelling place
"A habitation of God in the Spirit" (2:22).
oikodomē · building up, edification
"The whole building" (2:21).
euangelizomai · to announce good news
"Preached peace" (2:17).
pneuma · spirit, breath, wind
"In one Spirit" (2:18, 2:22).

See all word studies

Cross-references

Romans 3:21-28, justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus
Isaiah 57:19, peace, peace, to the far and to the near
Isaiah 28:16, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation
Titus 3:4-7, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy

Also linked by other readers

Philippians 2:13, from Ephesians 2:10
Colossians 1:10, from Ephesians 2:10
Romans 3:22-26, from Ephesians 2:8

Ranked by reader votes: OpenBible.info Cross References, CC BY. About our sources