Made Alive in Christ
2 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh [In contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit.] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Jew and Gentile Reconciled Through Christ
11 Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)— 12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.
19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him, the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him, you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
NOTES:
2:1–22 The gospel of salvation (Eph 1:13) that God worked in
Christ (Eph 1:20) is reiterated in terms of what God’s great love (Eph 2:4),
expressed in Christ, means for us. The passage sometimes addresses you,
Gentiles (Eph 2:1–2, 8, 11–13, 19, 22), but other times speaks of all of us who
believe (Eph 2:3–7, 10, 14, 18). In urging people to remember their grim past
when they were dead in sins (Eph 2:1–3, 11–12) and what they are now in Christ
(Eph 2:4–10, 13), the author sees both Jew and Gentile reconciled with God, now
one new person, a new humanity, one body, the household of God, a temple and
dwelling place of God’s Spirit (Eph 2:15–16, 19–22). The presentation falls
into two parts, the second stressing more the meaning for the church.
2:1–10 The recipients of Paul’s letter have experienced, in
their redemption from transgressions and sins, the effect of Christ’s supremacy
over the power of the devil (Eph 2:1–2; cf. Eph 6:11–12), who rules not from
the netherworld but from the air between God in heaven and human beings on
earth. Both Jew and Gentile have experienced, through Christ, God’s free gift
of salvation that already marks them for a future heavenly destiny (Eph 2:3–7).
The language dead, raised us up, and seated us…in the heavens closely parallels
Jesus’ own passion and Easter experience. The terms in Eph 2:8–9 describe
salvation in the way Paul elsewhere speaks of justification: by grace, through
faith, the gift of God, not from works; cf. Gal 2:16–21; Rom 3:24–28.
Christians are a newly created people in Christ, fashioned by God for a life of
goodness (Eph 2:10).
2:1–7 These verses comprise one long sentence in Greek, the
main verb coming in Eph 2:5, God brought us to life, the object you/us dead
in…transgressions being repeated in Eph 2:1, 5; cf. Col 2:13.
2:2 Age of this world: or “aeon,” a term found in gnostic
thought, possibly synonymous with the rulers of this world, but also reflecting
the Jewish idea of “two ages,” this present evil age and “the age to come”; cf.
1 Cor 3:19; 5:10; 7:31; Gal 1:4; Ti 2:12. The disobedient: literally, “the sons
of disobedience,” a Semitism as at Is 30:9.
2:5 Our relation through baptism with Christ, the risen
Lord, is depicted in terms of realized eschatology, as already exaltation,
though Eph 2:7 brings in the future aspect too.
2:11–22 The Gentiles lacked Israel’s messianic expectation,
lacked the various covenants God made with Israel, lacked hope of salvation and
knowledge of the true God (Eph 2:11–12); but through Christ all these religious
barriers between Jew and Gentile have been transcended (Eph 2:13–14) by the
abolition of the Mosaic covenant-law (Eph 2:15) for the sake of uniting Jew and
Gentile into a single religious community (Eph 2:15–16), imbued with the same
holy Spirit and worshiping the same Father (Eph 2:18). The Gentiles are now
included in God’s household (Eph 2:19) as it arises upon the foundation of
apostles assisted by those endowed with the prophetic gift (Eph 3:5), the
preachers of Christ (Eph 2:20; cf. 1 Cor 12:28). With Christ as the capstone
(Eph 2:20; cf. Is 28:16; Mt 21:42), they are being built into the holy temple of
God’s people where the divine presence dwells (Eph 2:21–22).
2:12 The community of Israel: or “commonwealth”; cf. Eph
4:18. The covenants: cf. Rom 9:4: with Abraham, with Moses, with David.
2:14–16 The elaborate imagery here combines pictures of
Christ as our peace (Is 9:5), his crucifixion, the ending of the Mosaic law
(cf. Col 2:14), reconciliation (2 Cor 5:18–21), and the destruction of the
dividing wall such as kept people from God in the temple or a barrier in the
heavens.
2:15 One new person: a corporate body, the Christian
community, made up of Jews and Gentiles, replacing ancient divisions; cf. Rom
1:16.
2:20 Capstone: the Greek can also mean cornerstone or
keystone.
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