Chapter 2

Ephesians Chapter 2 Summary

Ephesians 2:1 - His Promised Resurrection And you He made alive, being dead in trespasses and sins,

Truth to Learn Through faith, God’s awesome power will be displayed in resurrecting us to eternal life in

perfect bodies.

Behind the Words The words “He made alive” are not in the Greek text. They were inserted in the translation in

order to make the sense of these verses more clear. These words are drawn from verse five where

the apostle finishes this thought.

“Being” is from the Greek verb eimi, which is the verb of existence (to be). In some translations,

it is written as “who were,” but it is expressed here as a present participle. Thus, it should be

translated “being.”

“Dead” is translated from nekros, which is derived from nekus, meaning “a corpse.” So, nekros

refers to someone who is corpse-like; that is, “dead.”

The word “trespasses” is translated from the Greek noun paraptōma. This is made up of para,

meaning “beside” and a form of piptō, meaning “to fall” or “to land on.” Therefore, we see that

paraptōma means “to fall by the wayside.” Metaphorically, it refers to “an unintentional error.”

“Sins” is from the Greek noun hamartia. This is made up of the privative a, meaning “not” and a

form of the verb meiromai, which means “to get an allotment or a share.” Thus, hamartia means

“to not get a share of the prize,” that is, “to miss the mark.” Sin is missing the goal which God

has set for our lives. That goal, or mark, is complete righteousness.

Meaning Explained Even though the words “He made alive” are not in the original text, this is precisely the idea that

Paul is focusing on in the following verses. Paul has spent most of the latter half of the first

chapter of this letter focusing on God’s displayed power in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He

now shows how that power will also be displayed in our lives.

There are two kinds of life (and death) spoken of in the New Testament, physical and spiritual.

Physical life is what all humans experience from the moment of conception until we breathe our

last breath, our heart stops pumping, and our brain ceases to function. The bodies we have in this

physical life are frail and fragile. Spiritual life, on the other hand, is a condition in which God

has promised that after we die physically, He will resurrect us with a perfect physical body. That

perfect body will be neither fragile nor frail. The reason we are dead is outlined by Paul in the

book of Romans:

for all sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (Romans 3:23)

For the wages of sin is death … (Romans 6:23a)

One of the confusing issues in the New Testament is that the writers speak of the future as if it

were now. This is because God is not bound by time and to Him the future is now. Since we have

all sinned, we are all marked for physical death. Thus, in God’s record book, we are already

dead. Through faith, however, we become credited with righteousness and in God’s record book

we are already made alive, resurrected by His power.

Application If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you will be resurrected by God’s

power and you will live forever in His glorious presence.

Ephesians 2:2 - Who’s Your Master? in which you previously walked according to the course of this world, according to the

ruler of the authority of the air, of the spirit now working in the sons of disobedience,

Truth to Learn Christians are no longer under Satan’s authority. We are now in God’s family and under God’s

authority.

Behind the Words “Walked” is translated from the Greek verb peripateō. This is composed of peri, meaning

“around” and pateō (based on patos, meaning “a path”), which means “to walk.” Thus, peripateō

literally means “to walk around.” Metaphorically it refers to “how one lives one’s life.”

Aion is the Greek word translated “course.” Generally, this word refers to a timeframe, a period

of time, or an “age.” Here, however, it is used as a metonym referring to the people and customs

of the “world system.” [A metonym is a word or expression used as a substitute for something

else with which it is closely associated. For example, Washington is a metonym for the federal

government of the United States of America.]

The word “world” is from the Greek noun kosmos, which is indirectly based on the word

kolumbos, meaning “to tend or to take care of.” Kosmos refers to “an orderly arrangement” or “a

system of order.” It is the word from which we get our English word “cosmetics.” As it is used

here, kosmos refers to “the orderly arrangement or ‘system’ of this world.”

“Ruler” is translated from archon, which refers to someone who is “first in authority or power.”

The word “air” is aēr, which refers to “the lower atmosphere” or “the air surrounding the earth.”

The word “disobedience” is translated from the Greek word apeitheia, which is made up of a,

meaning “not” and peithō, meaning “to convince or persuade.” Thus, apeitheia refers to “those

who are not convinced” or “those who are not willing to be persuaded,” which by extension

means “those who do not obey God.”

Meaning Explained The first two words of this verse, “in which,” are a reference to “trespasses and sins,” mentioned

in the previous verse. So, Paul is saying that we Christians used to live our lives in a manner

characterized by trespasses and sins. He goes on further to say that we used to live our lives in

accordance with the ruler of the power (authority) of the atmosphere. This is a reference to Satan,

who Jesus referred to as “the ruler of this world” (see John 16:11).

But, Paul doesn’t stop there with his description of Satan. He tells us that he is a spirit being who

is currently at work in the unsaved people of this world (the sons of disbelief or the sons of

disobedience). As a spirit being, Satan is not only the ruler of the world system in which we live,

he also has access to the throne room of God in heaven. We know this from the book of Job,

where Satan is characterized as appearing before God:

Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the

LORD, and Satan also came among them. And the LORD said to Satan, "From where do

you come?" So Satan answered the LORD and said, "From going to and fro on the earth,

and from walking back and forth on it." (Job 1:6-7)

Satan will continue to have access to Heaven until he is cast out during the seven year

tribulation, as described in Revelation chapter twelve.

Application You were once controlled by your sins and by Satan, but that is no longer true. When you were

saved, you were placed into (baptized into) the body of Christ, where Jesus is now your Lord and

Master; therefore, you are no longer under Satan’s power and authority. Praise be to God!

Ephesians 2:3 - Wrath Avoidance among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, doing the

desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the

others.

Truth to Learn Before we were saved we were destined for God’s wrath.

Behind the Words The word “among” is translated from the Greek preposition en, meaning “in” or “among.”

“Conducted” is from the verb anastrephō. This is made up of ana, meaning “again” and strephō,

meaning “to turn.” So, literally it means “to turn again.” When used of a person it is a metaphor

meaning “to live one’s life.”

Epithumia is the Greek word translated “lusts.” It is made up of epi, meaning “over” or “above”

and a form of thumos, which refers to “a passion or desire of the mind.” Thus, epithumia refers

to “overly strong desires.”

The word “doing” is from the Greek verb poieō, meaning “to make” or “to do.” It is expressed

here as a present participle, so it means “doing.”

“Desires” is translated from thelēma which refers to “an act of determination.” So, it really

means more than “desires.” It means “those things which we decided to do.”

“Flesh” is from sarx, which literally refers to “the meat or flesh of a living creature.” This word

is commonly used to refer to the physical part of our existence as opposed to the spiritual part.

The word “mind” is translated from dianoia which refers to “deep thought” or “imagination.”

“Nature” is from the Greek word phusis, which is derived from the noun phuō, meaning “to

bring forth in birth.” It is used here as a metonym in reference to our natural inclination.

The word “wrath” is translated from orgē, which means “desire, strong emotion, anger, or

wrath.”

“Others” is from the Greek word loipos, which is from the verb leipō, meaning “to lack” or “to

leave something where it is.” In other words, it refers to “that which is left.” So, it could be

translated as “the remainder” or “the others.”

Meaning Explained In the previous verse Paul told us that before we became Christians we lived according to the

ways of the world system in which we live. Our behavior was influenced by Satan who controls

those who don’t believe in Christ.

What he tells us in today’s verse is that we used to live our lives controlled by the lusts of our

flesh. Another way of saying this is that we used to be controlled by our sin nature. In the book

of Romans, Paul calls it our “old man,” and he tells us that we used to be the slaves of sin:

knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be

nullified, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. (Romans 6:6)

Because we were controlled by our fleshly desires and our imagination, Paul says we were

children of wrath just like the rest of unsaved humanity. What he means is that before we were

saved, we were God’s enemies and subject to his wrath. Some Christians think of God as a

vengeful God, waiting for us to slip up so He can punish us. Other Christians don’t like to think

of God as vengeful and exhibiting wrath; they like to think of God as a God of love. He is both.

Those who receive Jesus Christ will one day experience God’s love completely, whereas those

who reject Jesus Christ will one day experience the full fury of God’s wrath.

… And He treads the winepress of the wine of the anger and wrath of Almighty God.

(Revelation 19:15c)

Application As a Christian you still have a sin nature, but you don’t have to be controlled by it. Instead, you

can submit your will to God and allow the Holy Spirit to control your life.

Ephesians 2:4 - Abundant Mercy But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,

Truth to Learn Because of God’s mercy we don’t get what we deserve. It’s not fair, it’s mercy!

Behind the Words The word “rich” is translated from plousios, which is the condition of having ploutos, meaning

“wealth or riches, in money or possession.” Figuratively, it means “to have an abundance of

something.”

“Mercy” is from the Greek noun eleos. This word refers to “sorrow over the misfortune of

others, which disposes a person to overlook personal offenses and to treat an offender better than

he or she deserves.” It is sometimes translated as “compassion.”

“Because of” is a translation of the Greek preposition dia, which means “through, either

positionally or instrumentally.” In the current verse it means that God’s mercy is a result of His

love.

The adjective “great” is from polus, meaning “much or many.” This is not a measure of size.

That would be the Greek word megas. Polus is a measure of quantity or magnitude.

The words “love” and “loved” are from the same root, agapē. This word refers to a kind of love

in which the lover is focused on that which will do the most good for the loved one. It is a self-

sacrificing love which places the good of the loved one above the good of self.

Meaning Explained In the past few verses the Apostle Paul has been describing how we were dead in sin before we

were saved. Our manner of life was controlled by Satan and his world system. We followed the

lusts of our flesh and we were deserving of the full weight of God’s wrath.

Here he goes on to describe how all that was changed. The instrument of our change, freedom

from the bondage of sin, was God, Himself. We know how rich our God is. In the fiftieth chapter

of Psalms we are told that he owns the cattle on a thousand hills (in the Old Testament wealth

was measured by how many animals you owned). Paul now tells us that His wealth is not just in

material things; He also has an abundance of mercy, that is, He is rich in mercy. Because of this

mercy, we Christians will not receive from God the wrath that we truly deserve. Instead, He will

be compassionate and merciful toward us.

This mercy that God shows to us is an outgrowth of His love. This love and mercy are so great

toward us that He forgives us of all our sins (past, present, and future). Throughout the Bible,

forgiveness means more than removal of blame. It includes completely forgetting the offending

act. In fact, in the book of Psalms, as a description of God’s forgiveness, we are told:

As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.

(Psalms 103:12)

We learn in Romans that the penalty for our sins is death. Instead of our death, however, God

gave up the life of His Son, who did not deserve death, as the ransom to set us free from death.

Because we Christians have accepted Christ’s blood as the payment for our sins, God has

forgiven, forgotten, and completely cast away our sinful acts.

Application The next time you complain to God that things are not fair, that you are not getting what you

deserve, remember that what you deserve is death and the wrath of God. However, because of

His mercy and His great love with which He loved us, He has forgiven our sins and has given us

eternal life. Our response to His mercy should be gratitude demonstrated by a life of submission

to Him. Let’s take a few minutes right now and thank God for His mercy. Let’s recommit to

serving Him out of a heart of gratitude.

Ephesians 2:5 - Undeserved Love And we being dead in trespasses, He made us alive together with Christ (by grace you are

saved),

Truth to Learn God loves us instead of giving us what we deserve.

Behind the Words The words “when we were” are translated from the verb eimi, which is the verb of being,

meaning “I exist.” It is expressed here in the first person plural (we exist), but it is written as a

present participle as well. Thus, the most literal translation of this is “we being.”

The words “dead in trespasses” are translated from the same two words (ontas nekrous)

translated that way in verse one of this chapter. Though verse one refers to “you” and this verse

refers to “we,” in both cases Paul is talking about Christians before we were saved.

“Made us alive together” is from an interesting Greek word. It is sudzōopoieō, a double

compound word made up of sun, meaning “together,” dzōon, meaning “to give life to,” and

poieō, meaning “to make.” Thus, this word literally means “to make alive together.”

“Grace” is translated from charis, meaning “favor, good will, or kindness, especially that which

causes joy and gratification.” When used of God’s grace toward us, since we don’t deserve it, it

is sometimes referred to as “unmerited favor.”

The word translated “saved” is sōdzō, which means “to deliver, to protect, or to save.” It is

expressed here as a perfect participle. The perfect tense in Greek indicates a past completed

action with an ongoing effect, where the emphasis is on the effect. So, the end of this verse could

be translated literally as “you are having been saved.”

Meaning Explained To understand this verse we must combine it with the previous verse:

But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, and we

being dead in trespasses, He made us alive together with Christ (by grace you are saved),

There are three significant things expressed here: a main idea, a parenthetical idea, and a great

theological truth.

Let’s start with the parenthetical idea. It is “because of His great love with which He loved us,

and we being dead in trespasses.” As we mentioned in yesterday’s verse study, the word

translated “love” is God’s self-sacrificing agape love. The amazing truth that we are told here is

that God loved us with this perfect love while we were sinners with a sentence of death on our

heads, who were living in violent opposition to Him. We were so unlovable that only God could

have loved us.

The main idea expressed in these two verses is: “But God, being rich in mercy… made us alive

together with Christ” In the previous verse we said “mercy” means to overlook personal offenses

and to treat an offender better than he or she deserves. While we were sinners, dead in trespasses,

in violent opposition to God, He overlooked our offenses and gave us eternal life in Jesus Christ!

The great theological truth expressed here is that we are saved by God’s grace. We will expand

on that in the next few verses.

Application Before you were saved you were a dead sinner, in violent opposition to God, not deserving

anything but God’s wrath. But - God loved you anyway! Can you say, “Thank you, God!”?

Ephesians 2:6 - Life, Resurrection, and a Seat and raised us up together, and seated us together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

Truth to Learn God’s grace produces in us life, resurrection, and a seat.

Behind the Words The words “raised us up together” are translated from a single Greek verb, sunegeirō. This is

made up of sun, meaning “together” and egeirō, meaning “to rise up” as one would rise from a

sleeping position to a standing position. Egeirō is the word used in the gospel accounts of God

resurrecting (raising up) Jesus from the dead. Thus, in today’s verse Paul says that God has

“raised us up together.”

“Seated us together” is translated from a single word as well. It is the verb sugkathidzō, which is

made up of sun, meaning “together” and kathidzō, meaning “to cause someone to sit.” Thus, Paul

says that God has “seated us together” or “made us sit together.” The Greek word for “us” does

not actually appear in this verse, but that idea is carried over from the previous verses.

“Heavenly places” is from epouranios, which we saw back in Ephesians 1:3. It is composed of

epi, meaning “on, above, or over” and a form of ouranos which refers to “heaven.” Epouranios

means “that which pertains to heaven” or “the heavenly realm.”

Meaning Explained Once again, to get the full impact of this verse we need to combine it with the previous two

verses. And, to make it a little more understandable, we will also remove the parenthetical

expressions. Then we have:

But God, being rich in mercy, … made us alive together with Christ … , and raised us up

together, and seated us together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

We can see from this that God who is rich is mercy did three things for us. First of all, He made

us alive. Next, He raised us up. And thirdly, He made us sit in the heavenly places. We pointed

out in the first verse of this chapter that the writers of the Bible sometimes describe an action

which will occur in the future as if it has already happened. The reason is that to God there is no

distinction of time, since He is everywhere (and everytime) present. So, even though these three

things will happen in the future, to God they have already occurred. Let’s look at these three

things individually.

He made us alive. In other words, God gave us spiritual life. One day our life on this earth will

end; we will die (physically), then we will face God’s judgment. Those who have rejected Christ

will be cast into the lake of fire. This is spiritual death, or the second death (Revelation 21:8).

Christians, on the other hand, will live eternally (spiritually and physically).

He raised us up. It wouldn’t do much good for us to have eternal life and be stuck in the grave.

Therefore, God raised us up; that is, God will resurrect our frail, earthly bodies and will turn

them into perfect, eternal, heavenly bodies.

He made us sit. We saw back in Ephesians 1:20 that Jesus has been resurrected and seated at the

right hand of the father. Only those with the highest honor are allowed to sit in the presence of

Almighty God. Jesus has that honor, and because of God’s great mercy, we will have that honor

as well.

Application When was the last time you thanked God for His mercy by which He promised you eternal life, a

perfect body, and the honor of sitting in His presence?

Ephesians 2:7 - Priceless Grace that in the ages coming He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness

toward us in Christ Jesus.

Truth to Learn God’s grace is priceless.

Behind the Words The word “ages” is from aiōn, which refers to a duration or continuance of time. As used here, it

refers to “an indefinitely long period of time.”

“Coming” is translated from eperchomai, which is composed or epi, meaning “on, upon, to, over,

or above” and erchomai, meaning “to come.” It is expressed as a present participle, so we could

translate this as “coming upon us.”

The Greek word translated “He might show” is endeiknumi, which is made up of en, meaning

“in” or “to” and deiknumi, meaning “to point out” or “to present for viewing.” We might

translate this word as “to showcase.” It is expressed here in the middle voice (action done by the

subject to the subject), so it could be translated as “He might showcase for himself.”

“Exceeding” is from the Greek verb huperballō, which is made up of huper (hyper), meaning

“above” or “beyond” and ballō, meaning “to throw.” Thus huperballō literally means “to throw

beyond,” that is, “to go beyond” or “to exceed.”

“Riches” is the translation of the Greek word ploutos, which refers to “wealth composed of

valuable things.”

The Greek word translated “kindness” is chrēstotēs, which is based on chrēstos, meaning

“usefulness” or “moral excellence.” Hence, chrēstotēs refers to “goodness” or “kindness.”

Meaning Explained In the previous verse we learned that our merciful God did three things for us: He made us alive,

He raised us up (resurrected us), and He caused us to sit in the heavenlies. Today’s verse

explains why God decided to do this for us. Well, actually He didn’t do it for us. He did it for His

own glory. Let me say that a little differently. God did not give us eternal life, raise us from the

dead, and seat us in His presence for our sake. He did it for Himself to showcase His glorious

grace.

According to the Apostle Paul, God did these things so that He could showcase, for Himself, the

exceedingly great value of His grace, so that He would receive glory and praise. What is the

value of grace? A couple of verses back we learned that God’s grace to us is undeserved “favor,

good will, or kindness, especially that which causes joy and gratification.” Why is it undeserved?

We are all sinners; that is, we are not righteous. And we know that the penalty for not being

righteous is God’s wrath and eternity in hell. But, as a result of God’s grace, we who have

accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior will not experience hell because we have been made

alive, resurrected, and seated in His presence.

So, let me ask again, “What is the value of grace?” There is not enough money in all the earth to

purchase eternal life, resurrection, and a seat in God’s presence. God’s grace is more valuable

than all we have or could ever possess. It is exceedingly valuable, and we can’t afford it.

Application No, we can’t afford God’s grace. That’s why He freely gives it to us, not because we deserve it,

but because we don’t. If we deserved it, it wouldn’t be grace; it would be something He owes us.

God doesn’t owe us anything, but He gave it to us anyway, simply because He wanted to show

how gracious and glorious He is!

I think it’s time once again to fall on our knees and thank God for His priceless grace. Thank you

Lord!

Ephesians 2:8 - God’s Gracious Gift For by grace you are saved through faith, and this not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,

Truth to Learn Salvation by grace, through faith, is God’s gift.

Behind the Words “Saved” is translated from the Greek verb sōdzō, meaning “to save, deliver, protect, or preserve

from danger.” It is expressed here in the perfect tense which indicates past, completed action

with an ongoing effect, where the emphasis is on the ongoing effect. Therefore this word means

“in the past you were saved and as a result you are now saved.”

The word “through” is from the Greek preposition dia. This word indicates either “motion

through” or “through the instrumentality of something.”

“Faith” is translated from pistis, meaning “faith or belief.” It is based on the verb peithō, which

means “to persuade or to win over.” Hence, pistis is the condition of having been convinced of a

truth so that the person now believes that truth.

The word translated “gift” is doron, which is derived from the verb didōmi, meaning “to give.”

Thus, doron refers to “a gift,” specifically “a sacrificial gift.”

Meaning Explained This is a very important verse with regard to our salvation, but there are some details that we

need to investigate completely. Biblical scholars and commentators make a strong statement

about the pronoun “this.” Some make the assertion that it is a direct reference to “faith.” Others

claim that it is a direct reference to “saved.” Still others say that it is a direct reference to

“grace.” Here’s the problem with all those claims. In Greek, any word modifying or referencing

another word must agree in number and gender with the word it modifies or references.

The word translated “this” is from the Greek word touto, which is a neuter form of houtos. The

nouns translated “grace” and “faith” are both feminine nouns, and the word translated “have

been saved” is a participle (a verbal adjective) which is masculine. Therefore, by standard rules

of Greek grammar, the word “this” cannot specifically reference any of these three words. It

must, therefore, be a reference to all three. In other words, Paul is saying “that which I have just

described is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.” This seems to corroborate what our Lord

said in John’s Gospel:

And He said, "Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been

granted to him by My Father." (John 6:65)

And, he told his twelve disciples:

You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear

fruit, (John 15:16)

This is in keeping with how Paul started out this letter:

just as He [the Father] chose us in Him [Christ] before the foundation of the world

(Ephesians 1:3)

This is a very touchy, and often contentious, concept among Christians today. In fact, it has

been this way since the first Century. For if we believe in election, then what of:

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that everyone believing

in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)

And it shall be that everyone who shall call on the name of the Lord will be saved. (Acts

2:21 – see also Joel 2:28-32)

To this One all the Prophets witness, so that through His name everyone believing into

Him will receive remission of sins. (Acts 10:43)

For everyone, whoever might call on the name of the Lord will be saved. (Romans 10:13

– see also Joel 2:32 which is quoted in this verse in Romans)

Whole chapters of theological treatises have been written to prove one or the other of these

positions and it would be inappropriate for me to try to explain it in one short daily

devotional study. Let me suffice it to say that we cannot fully understand the mind of God

who is not bound by either space or time, except to say that both salvation by election and

salvation by free will appear to conform with Biblical teaching.

Application Now, having said all that let me simply point out that this precious salvation is not something

that we have earned. We did not do anything in and of ourselves to obtain it. According to Paul

in today’s passage, salvation and the faith that procured it are a gift of God’s grace. They are a

gift which He freely gave to us, simply because He decided to give it. Thank you, God, for our

salvation through faith by your grace!

Ephesians 2:9 - Unearned and Secure not of works, that no one may boast.

Truth to Learn We didn’t do anything to earn our salvation.

Behind the Words “Not” is translated from the Greek particle ou, meaning “no or not.” It expresses direct and full

negation, independently and absolutely.

The word translated “works” is ergon, from which we get our English word ergonomics. Ergon

refers to “any work, deed, act, or action;” that is, it refers to “something done.” It is expressed

here in the genitive case, which implies “of” or “from.” But here it is coupled with ou by means

of the preposition ek, which means “out of” or “from.” Thus we could translate the first part of

this verse as “not as a result of something you do.”

“That” is from the Greek conjunction hina, meaning “to the end that” or “in order that.”

“No one” is translated from two Greek words, mē, which indicates a conditional negation and

tis, which is an indefinite pronoun meaning “something” or “anything.” It is variously translated

as “anyone, someone, or a certain one.” The combination of these two words can be translated as

“not anyone” or “no one.”

The words “may boast” are from the verb kauchaomai, meaning “to boast, glory, or exalt, either

in a good or a bad sense.” It is expressed in the subjunctive mood, indicating something that is

not happening but has the possibility or probability of happening.

Meaning Explained In order to get the full meaning of today’s verse, let’s look at it along with yesterday’s verse.

For by grace you are saved through faith, and this not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,

not of works, that no one may boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

In the preceding verses Paul has been talking about the incredible value of God’s grace. We saw

in verse seven that God’s purpose in salvation is to shine the spotlight on His marvelous grace.

Paul went on to point out in yesterday’s verse that our salvation is the result of this grace of God.

We also learned that His grace and our faith unto salvation are a gift to us from God. Now he

completes that thought.

Paul tells us that salvation is not the result of any action or actions taken on our part. If we did

something to gain this salvation, then it is not a gift; instead, it would be something that we

earned. Here’s what Paul says in the book of Romans about earning something as opposed to

receiving it as a gift:

Now to him who is working, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him

who is not working but believing on Him justifying the ungodly, his faith is accounted for

righteousness, (Romans 4:4-5)

This is a clear statement of the doctrine of election which goes hand-in-hand with the doctrine of

eternal security. If we did not do anything to earn this salvation which we count so precious, then

we cannot “un-earn” it. That is to say that if we didn’t do anything to earn it, we can’t do

anything to lose it, and God does not take away the gift of salvation.

Application The precious truth which we see in this verse is that we didn’t earn salvation, so we can’t lose it

once we have it – ever!

Ephesians 2:10 - Salvation and Works For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared

beforehand that we should walk in them.

Truth to Learn We were saved so that we can do good works.

Behind the Words The word translated “workmanship” is poiēma, which is derived from the verb poieō, meaning

“to make” or “to do.” It literally means “that which has been made” or “that which is done.”

“Created” is from ktidzō, meaning “to create” or “to produce from nothing.” In Homer’s writings

it is the verb used to indicate the founding of a city.

The words “good works” are from ergois agathois. Ergois is a form of ergon, which we saw in

the previous verse, meaning “any work, deed, act, or action.” Agathois is a form of agathos,

meaning “good, benevolent, useful;” in other words, “that which is of good character.”

“Prepared beforehand” is translated from a single Greek word, proetoimadzō. This is a

compound word made up of pro, meaning “before, in time or place” and hetoimadzō, meaning

“to make ready” or “to prepare.”

“Walk” is translated from peripateō. This is also a compound word composed of peri, meaning

“through or around” and pateō, meaning “to walk.” So, literally peripateō means “to walk

around” or “to walk through.” It is used metaphorically meaning “to walk through the pathways

of life.”

Meaning Explained In the preceding verses we learned some very important doctrinal truths:

We are saved by the grace of God, which He wants to showcase for all of eternity.

We are saved (declared righteous) through faith.

Our faith and our salvation are a gift of God.

We did not do anything to earn or deserve salvation.

These are such important truths, that verses eight and nine are often memorized. The problem

with memorizing individual verses is that we often miss what comes immediately before or after

them. For instance, most people know John 3:16. Do you know what it says in John 3:15 or

John 3:17?

In the verse preceding today’s verse Paul told us that salvation is not attained by works, so that

no one would be able to boast about it. God wants to boast about our gracious salvation and He

doesn’t want anyone else to be able to. If we did something to earn it, then we could boast, but

we didn’t, therefore we can’t. In today’s verse Paul tells us why: we are His workmanship. He

did the work of salvation for us!

Then, where do good works come in? Paul says that we are created in Christ Jesus. When we

were saved we became a new creation (see 2Corinthians 5:17) and the purpose of that new

creation is that we should do good works. Our good works are the evidence that we have become

a new creation. That was God’s plan from the beginning; we were saved so that we could walk in

good works. That’s precisely what James teaches us in the second chapter of his letter.

Application We are saved by faith and faith alone! We are not saved by doing good works. However, if you

are saved, then you will do good works as a result of that salvation. Do your actions give clear

evidence of your salvation?

Ephesians 2:11 - Spiritual Snobbery Therefore remember that you, previously Gentiles in the flesh—who are called

Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands—

Truth to Learn Spiritual snobbery should not exist in the life of any Christian, for we are saved by God’s grace.

Behind the Words The word “therefore” is translated from dio. This is a compound of dia, meaning “through –

indicating motion or causation” and hos, meaning “which.” So, it literally means “through

which,” but is usually translated as “therefore.”

“Remember” is from the Greek verb mnēmoneuō, from which we get our English word

mnemonic (a device to help you remember). This particular Greek word means “to recall to

one’s mind” or “to remember.”

“Gentiles” is translated from ethnos, which simply means “a race” or “a tribe;” specifically, a

foreign one. From the Jewish viewpoint, anyone of a foreign race (not a Jew) is a Gentile. In

Paul’s writing it sometimes refers to someone who is not a Jew, but usually means someone who

is not a believer.

We looked at the word translated “flesh” back in verse three. It is the word sarx, which literally

refers to “the flesh of a living creature.” This word is commonly used to refer to the physical part

of our existence as opposed to the spiritual part.

“Uncircumcision” is from akrobustia, which is made up of akron, meaning “the tip” and a form

of the verb buō, meaning “to cover.” It us a word that refers specifically to the foreskin of a

penis. Therefore, this word refers to someone who has not had his foreskin cut off. Since

circumcision was the sign of God’s ownership given to Abraham by God, Abraham’s

descendants often refer to non-Jews (Gentiles) as uncircumcised.

The word “Circumcision” is translated from peritomē, which is a compound word made up of

peri, meaning “around” and a form of the verb temnō, meaning “to cut off.” Hence, this word

refers to a circular cutting off of the foreskin.

Meaning Explained On first glance, one might think that Paul is suddenly changing the subject on this verse.

However, a rule of thumb in Bible study is “when you see a ‘therefore’ or a ‘wherefore,’ you

need to see what it is there for.”

Paul has been talking about God’s mercy and how by His grace we have been saved through

faith. In the past two verses he specifically pointed out that we are not saved by works, but that

good works should be the evidence of our salvation. He now contrasts this faith with the religion

of works that the Jews have been steeped in for millennia. The Jewish faith goes all the way back

to Abraham, who was saved by faith just as we are. As a result of his faith and God’s covenant

with him concerning a coming Messiah, Abraham was commanded to circumcise himself and

every male in his household (several hundred at that time).

Through the years, the Jews have held fast to circumcision as a sign of their religion and their

relationship with God. Because it is an indication in the flesh that they are God’s people, the

Jews look down on all uncircumcised foreigners and declare the gods of the uncircumcised to be

false gods. It is as if they built a wall between themselves and everyone else. But, in the coming

verses Paul will tell us that the wall has been broken down.

Application Lest we be too hard on the Jews for their spiritual snobbery, we Christians need to make sure that

we are not exhibiting the same attitude toward others. We are no better than the unsaved people

of the world. Apart from God’s grace, we would be destined for Hell just like they are. Thank

you, God, for your grace and for the faith to believe your promises.

Ephesians 2:12 - Without Hope? that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel

and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

Truth to Learn Through faith in Christ we are no longer without hope.

Behind the Words The word “without” is translated from the Greek word chōris, which means “without” or

“separated from.”

“Being aliens” is from the verb apallotrioō, which is made up of apo, meaning “from” or “apart

from” and allotrioō, meaning “to alienate” or “to separate from.” Thus, this word means “to be

completely separated from.”

“Commonwealth” is translated from politeia (from which we get our English word politics). It is

indirectly derived from polis, meaning “a city.” Politeia refers to a community or commonwealth

of citizens.

Xenos is the Greek word translated “strangers.” It refers to someone who is not a citizen of a

commonwealth.

The words “without God” are from atheos, which is made up of a, meaning “not” or “without”

and theos, which is the Greek word for “god.” Therefore, we see that atheos refers to someone

“without God” or “Godless.”

“Hope” is translated from the Greek word elpis, which refers to more than just a wish. It is “a

hope for something with the full expectation that it will happen.”

Meaning Explained In the previous verse Paul noted that before we were saved we were called “the uncircumcision”

by the Jews, because we were not part of the covenant that God made with them through

Abraham. Even though the Jewish faith had degenerated into a works oriented religion, they still

were the recipients of God’s covenant because they were descendants of Abraham.

Paul now expands on what he has just said. He tells us that before we were saved, we were

without Christ. That’s pretty obvious. But, he also tells us that we were not part of the political

entity called Israel either. The significance of this is that only Israel was privy to the covenant.

Now, we have to ask, what covenant is Paul talking about?

Shortly after the day of Pentecost, when the Spirit of God was poured out, Peter preached a

message to the Jews in the temple area. As part of that message, he said:

You are sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers,

saying to Abraham, “and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Acts

3:25)

This is the covenant referred to by Paul, the promise of a Messiah. Before the coming of Christ,

we were outside the commonwealth to whom the promise was made. Therefore, before Christ,

we were without hope and we were without God. We were alone in this world system.

Application Before we were saved, we were hopelessly lost and destined for eternal punishment in Hell. But

now, through faith in the blood of Christ, we have hope and the assurance that we will spend

eternity in God’s holy presence. There is hope for us!

Ephesians 2:13 - A New Covenant But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of

Christ.

Truth to Learn God has made a new covenant for us.

Behind the Words “Now” is translated from nuni, which is a strengthened form of nun, meaning “now.” The

strengthened form adds emphasis on the present.

“Once” is from the Greek word pote, which has several nuances of meaning and is used of both

the past and the future. It can mean “at some time,” “one time or another,” “when,” “formerly,”

or “at last.”

The Greek word translated “far off” is makran, which is derived from makros, meaning “long.”

Makran means “a great distance away.”

The words “have been brought” are from the verb ginomai, which means “to begin to be” or “to

come into existence.” Thus, Paul is really saying, “you … have become near.”

Meaning Explained Paul’s current train of thought began back in verse eleven where he reminded us that previously

we were Gentiles in the flesh and we were called “the uncircumcision” by the Jews. So what’s

the big deal about circumcision? Back in Genesis chapter fifteen, Abraham was declared to be

righteous because he believed God’s promise that the Messiah would be one of his descendants.

Fifteen years later (Genesis 17) he still had no children by his wife Sarah. At that time God

promised him again that He would be a father of many nations, telling him that in one year Sarah

would give birth to a son. He then made another covenant with Abraham, promising him that He

would be God to Abraham’s descendants and that He would give him and his descendants the

land of Canaan. This covenant required Abraham and his entire household to be circumcised.

The fact that we were not descendants of Abraham means that we aren’t part of the

Commonwealth of Israel. Therefore, we were not included in the promise of the coming Messiah

or the promise that Jehovah would be our God. And, as a result, as Paul said in verse twelve, we

were without hope. Now that Abraham’s descendant, the Messiah, has come and shed His blood

as payment for our sins, things have changed. We, who were aliens and far away from the

promises and covenants, have been brought near by a new covenant. Luke recorded the

following words of our Lord at the Last Supper:

This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you. (Luke 22:20)

In other words, by shedding His blood, he was making a new covenant. And, in the book of

Hebrews we are told:

In that He says, "a new covenant," He has made the first obsolete.” (Hebrews 8:13)

Because of this new covenant, sealed with Christ’s blood, we who were once far off have now

become near to God.

Application If you believe that the blood of Christ saved you from your sins, then God has declared you to be

righteous. Because you are righteous, you can stand (actually, we will sit) in His presence. All

who refuse to believe are unrighteous and can’t stand (or sit) in His presence; they will be cast

into the Lake of Fire, separated from God for all eternity. This is referred to as “the second

death.” Christians will not experience the second death. Instead, we will have life because of the

new covenant in His blood. Praise be to God!

Ephesians 2:14 - Peace Without Fences For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall

of separation,

Truth to Learn We now have access to God through the new covenant.

Behind the Words The word translated “peace” is eirēnē, which means “peace or tranquility.” The root of this word

is probably the verb eirō, which means “to join.” Hence, to be at peace with someone implies

that you are joined together with them for your mutual benefit. It does not simply imply a passive

act (that you leave each other alone) but an active one (that you join together with another person

to produce good).

“Both” is translated from amphoteros, which is an inclusive comparative form of the word

amphō, meaning “the two.” Therefore, amphoteros means “each of two” or “both.”

The words “broken down” are from the verb luō, which literally means “to loosen,” “to

dissolve,” or “to destroy.”

Mesotoichon (used only here in the New Testament) is the Greek word translated “middle wall.”

It is a compound word made up of mesos, meaning “middle” and toichos, which refers to the

wall of a building (a different word, teichos refers to the wall of a city). Thus, mesotoichon

literally refers to “an inner separating wall, as opposed to a protective wall.”

“Separation” is from phragmos, which is derived from the verb phrassō, meaning “to enclose

with a fence or a hedge.” Phragmos refers to a “fence intended to keep someone out.”

Meaning Explained In yesterday’s verse we learned that Gentiles were not included in the covenant made between

God and Abraham. But, we also learned that God abolished the old covenant and created a new

one, sealed with the blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Now we learn that because of this new covenant, He (Jesus) is our peace. Paul is not talking here

about the same personal sense of peace which he told the Philippian Christians about,

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving,

let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all

understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-

7)

The peace that Paul is talking about here is the peace between Jews and Gentiles. We are now

joined together in a special way. Paul explains this peace further by saying that both Jews and

Gentiles have been made one and that the partition separating us from one another has been

dissolved.

In the middle of the courtyard of the former Jewish Temple in Jerusalem, a special partition wall

divided the court of the Gentiles from the court of Israel. On that wall was an inscription

forbidding Gentiles from going any further. That wall was symbolic of the partition wall

separating Jews and Gentiles. However, the partition between us has now been demolished by

the new covenant through the blood of Jesus.

Application Mankind no longer has to practice all the ordinances of the Jewish faith in order to be children of

God. Through faith in the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ, we are cleansed of our sins and we are

adopted into His family.

Ephesians 2:15 - No Distinction in His flesh having done away with the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained

in ordinances, that He might create in Himself one new man from the two, making peace,

Truth to Learn In the church there is no distinction between races or sexes.

Behind the Words The word “flesh” is from sarx, which refers to “the flesh of a living creature in distinction from

that of a dead one.” This word is often used metaphorically in reference to the sensual part of a

person’s being. However, in today’s verse it is used to refer to the physical portion of Christ’s

body which was sacrificed as payment for our sins.

“Having done away with” is translated from the Greek verb katargeō. This is made up of kata,

used as an intensifier and the verb argeō, meaning “to be inactive” or “to be idle.” Thus,

katargeō means “to make something completely inactive,” “to abolish,” or “to do away with.”

The word “enmity” is from echthra, which refers to “hatred” or “hostility.” It is also used

metaphorically, as it is here, to refer to the cause for such hatred or hostility.

“Commandments” comes from the Greek noun entolē. This is derived from the verb entellomai,

meaning “to charge” or “to command.” It refers to “a charge” or “an edict” as from a public or

religious authority.

Dogma is the Greek word translated “ordinances.” It is derived from the verb dokeō, meaning “to

think.” Dogma actually refers to “an opinion, proposition, or conclusion,” not to “a firmly fixed

religious truth” as it is frequently used today.

Meaning Explained In yesterday’s verse Paul introduced us to the idea that Christ is the one who made peace

between the Jews and the Gentiles. He did so by destroying the partitioning wall between us. In

the Greek text the word translated enmity (echthra) immediately follows the words translated

“the middle wall of separation.” Being placed in apposition (side by side) like this indicates that

enmity further defines “the middle wall of separation” not “the law of commandments.” So, an

alternate translation of verses fourteen and fifteen might be:

For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall

of separation, even the enmity, by having deactivated in His flesh the law of

commandments contained in ordinances, that in Himself He might make the two into one

new man, making peace,

Now, what we learn here is that Christ completely fulfilled the Law, and then He offered up His

sinless life as the sacrificial lamb (completing the fulfillment of the law). In so doing, His

righteousness can now be credited to all who believe. Therefore, the enmity between Jews and

Gentiles, like the wall that separated us in the Temple court, has been destroyed. And, by fully

satisfying the law and offering Himself as the sacrificial lamb, He has deactivated the Law of

Moses.

In the book of Romans, Paul goes to great lengths to show that we are no longer bound by the

law, as slaves to it like the Jews were. Instead, we have a new master, God, who has purchased

our redemption and has adopted us as His children. Now that the enmity has been destroyed, we

are at peace with our Jewish brothers in Christ. Together we all make up the body of Christ and

we work together in serving God.

Application In the church, the body of Christ, there is no distinction between the races or the sexes as there

was in the Jewish faith. We are all one in Christ, co-equal servants of Almighty God.

Ephesians 2:16 - Deadly Reconciliation and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby

putting to death the enmity.

Truth to Learn We are reconciled to God because of Jesus Christ’s death.

Behind the Words “He might reconcile” is translated from the Greek verb apokatalassō. This is made up of apo,

meaning “from” or “away from,” kata, used as an intensifier, and allassō, meaning “to change.”

The word katalassō (without apo added) implies the setting up of a relationship of peace that did

not exist before. Apokatalassō, however, implies a restoration of a relationship which comes

from a dramatic change. In other words, it refers to restoring harmony or fellowship (which

existed previously) between two parties as a result of a dramatic change on the part of one of

them.

Amphoteros is the Greek word that is translated “both.” It refers to “both of two,” that is, “both

the one and the other.”

The word “body” is soma, which refers to “a body, either literally or figuratively.” In this case it

refers to the physical body of Jesus Christ.

“Cross” is from the Greek noun stauros, which is derived from the base of the verb histēmi,

meaning “to stand.” It refers to “a tree,” “a stake,” or “a cross” (something set upright) to which

criminals were tied or nailed as a form of execution.

The expression “putting to death” comes from the verb apokteinō, which is composed of apo,

meaning “from” or “away from” and the verb kteinō, meaning “to slay.” Thus, apokteinō means

“to kill” or “to put to death.”

Meaning Explained This verse really focuses on the Greek word apokatalassō, the reconciliation of mankind to God.

In other words, God has restored harmony and fellowship between us and Him as a result of a

change in our status. That change is from a condition of us being a condemned sinner to the

condition of us having the righteousness of Christ. But Paul makes a special point of declaring

that both Jews and Gentiles have been reconciled to God. Jews needed reconciliation because

they failed to keep the whole law. And Gentiles needed reconciliation as well because we were

estranged from God and His blessing.

This reconciliation took place in the physical body of Jesus Christ. As the second person of the

Godhead, Jesus is completely God. But, because He took on human form, that is, a physical

human body just like you and I have, subject to pain, suffering, and death, He is also completely

human. Because He became completely human and lived a life without sin, he was able to offer

up His human life in that body, through the pain and suffering of the cross, as the payment for

our sins.

At this point Paul employs one of his “play on words” for which he is noted. He tells us that

because of the death of His body, Jesus put to death the enmity, the hatred and hostility between

Jews and Gentiles. By His death, He reconciled both Jew and Gentile with God and put to death

the hostility between us.

Application In his letter to the Romans, Paul said:

For in that He died, He died to sin once for all; but in that He lives, He lives to God. So

also you count yourselves to be truly dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

(Romans 6:10-11)

If we are dead to sin then it cannot have mastery over us, and we can live our lives to God as a

result of the bodily death of Jesus Christ. So, now the question we all have to ask ourselves is,

“Do we consider ourselves to be dead to sin and alive to God?” Think about that for a few

minutes.

Ephesians 2:17 - His Mouth Peace And having come, He preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near.

Truth to Learn All Christians should be proclaiming peace with God through the gospel message of the

sacrificial death of Jesus Christ as payment for our sins.

Behind the Words The words “having come” are from the verb erchomai, which means “to come” or “to go.” It is

expressed as an aorist participle, thus we translate it as “having come.”

“Preached” is translated from euaggellidzō, which is a compound verb made up of eu, meaning

“good” or “well” and aggellō, which means “to proclaim.” Thus, this word literally means “to

proclaim the good news.” This is the word from which we get our English verb “to evangelize.”

“Peace” is translated from eirēnē, which means, as we saw back in verse fourteen, “to be at

peace with someone.” In the current verse, the best Greek manuscripts have the word eirēnē

appears twice. Therefore, the verse should be translated:

And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and peace to those who were

near.

The words “afar off” are from makran, which we saw back in verse thirteen. It means “a great

distance away.”

“Near” is translated from the Greek word engus, which is based on the verb agchō, meaning “to

squeeze.” Engus indicates that something is “nearby” or “close at hand.”

Meaning Explained The current verse indicates a direct fulfillment of the words of Isaiah:

“I create the fruit of the lips: Peace, peace to the ones far off and near,” Says the LORD,

“And I will heal him.” (Isaiah 57:19)

In verse fourteen we learned that Christ is our peace. In verse fifteen we learned that He made

peace between Jews and Gentiles. Now we learn that Christ proclaimed (or announced) peace,

both to those who were near and to those who were far away. In verse thirteen we learned that

Gentiles are the ones who were once far away. By inference, we know that “those who were

near” refers to the Jews.

There are a number of verses in the New Testament in which Jesus proclaimed peace, so it’s not

hard to understand what Paul means by saying that he proclaimed peace to those who were near.

But, we have to ask ourselves the question, “How did Jesus preach peace to those who were far

off?” For the key to the answer to this question let’s look at John’s gospel. He recorded this

statement that Jesus made to his disciples in the upper room after He was raised from the dead,

Therefore Jesus said to them again, "Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send

you." (John 20:21)

Jesus sent his disciples (and by extension, you and me) into the world to proclaim the gospel of

peace. That’s how He proclaims peace to those who are far off.

Application You and I are the means by which Jesus Christ is still proclaiming peace to those who are far off.

When was the last time you shared the Gospel message to people around you?

Ephesians 2:18 - Three In One For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.

Truth to Learn All three persons of the Godhead have a part in our salvation.

Behind the Words “Through” is translated from the Greek preposition dia, which indeed means “through.” As in

English, it can mean motion through something or it can refer to something as the instrument of

action, which is how it is used in the current verse.

The word translated “both” is amphoteros. This is the comparative form of amphi, meaning

“around.” It can mean either “each of two things” or “both of two things.”

“Access” is from prosagōgē, which is made up of pros, meaning “forward to” or “toward” and a

form of agō, which means “to lead” or “to bring.” So, literally, prosagōgē refers to “something

that has been brought near;” that is, “something or someone that has permission to draw near.”

The word “Spirit” is pneuma, which is derived from the verb pneō, which means “to breathe

hard” or “to blow.” Pneuma, therefore, refers to “a current of air” or, figuratively, “a spirit.”

Meaning Explained Before we get into this verse, let’s do a little review to properly set the stage for today’s verse.

Paul began his current train of thought back in verse eleven, where he reminded us that we

Gentiles were previously called “the uncircumcision” by the Jews. Because we were not

circumcised, we were excluded from the spiritual nation of Israel, which meant that we were not

included in the covenant of promise (that a Messiah would come and save Israel). Therefore, we

did not have a relationship with God and we were without hope of salvation.

In fact, Paul tells us that we were far away from God. Not only were we a long way away, but

there was a wall between us and the chosen nation of Israel so that we were prevented from

getting near to God. And – there was hostility between us and the children of Israel. At that time,

the only way for a person to get close to God was to adopt the Jewish faith and become

circumcised, thereby committing to be bound by all the requirements of the law.

God, in His infinite wisdom, however, has made a way for us to be at peace with our Jewish

brothers and to be at peace with God. Through the blood of Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten

Son, the wall has been broken down, we have peace with our Jewish brothers, and we have peace

with God. Jesus, who was completely man and completely God, lived a life without sin, perfectly

fulfilling the law. He is righteous! On the cross, Jesus offered up His perfect life as payment for

our sins. All who believe and accept that payment have their sins forgiven and are credited with

the righteousness of Christ. This is the Gospel message of peace.

Now, therefore, through Jesus Christ, both Jews and Gentiles have access to God the Father by

the indwelling work of the Holy Spirit.

Application

As you can see, all three persons of the Godhead have a part in our salvation. The Father called

us, The Son shed His blood for us, and the indwelling Holy Spirit gives us access. Thank you,

God, for a perfect plan of salvation.

Ephesians 2:19 - Household Members

So, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints

and members of the household of God,

Truth to Learn Christians are part of God’s household and will live with Him for eternity.

Behind the Words The word translated “So” is ara, which is an inferential particle. That is, it indicates that an

inference, or conclusion is being made. It is somewhat difficult to translate directly into English,

but is often translated as “now,” “then,” “so,” “in conclusion,” or “truly.”

“Therefore” is from another Greek inferential particle, oun. This word is most often translated

“therefore” or “certainly.”

The words “no longer” are translated from a single Greek word, ouketi. This is made up of ouk,

meaning “not” and eti which refers to a duration of time. It is most often translated as “yet” or

“still.” When these two words are combined they mean “not still” or “no longer.”

“Strangers” is the Greek word xenos, which we saw back in verse twelve. It refers to someone

who is “a stranger” or “an alien.”

Paroikos is the Greek word translated “foreigners.” It is made up of para, meaning “by, beside,

or near” and oikos, which refers to “a dwelling place” or “a house.” Thus, paroikos refers to

“someone who lives nearby,” that is, “someone who lives in a nearby foreign country.” The

strong implication here is that the foreigner is not of the household (see below).

“Fellow citizens” is translated from the Greek word sumpolitēs. This word is made up of sun,

meaning “together’ or “together with” and politēs (from which we get our English word

“politics”), meaning “citizen.”

Hagios is the word translated “saints.” The fundamental idea behind this word is “separation

from one thing and consecration to another.” Throughout the New Testament, this word is used

to refer to those who have been separated from the world (world system) and consecrated to

God.

The word “household” is from oikeios, which is derived from oikos, meaning “a house” or “a

household.” Thus, oikeios means “a member of a household.”

Meaning Explained As we saw above, the opening words of this verse indicate a conclusion is being drawn. In this

case, the two words ara oun, are best translated as “So then” or “so therefore” as we have in our

translation here. Some translations have this as “Now, therefore” which can be a little confusing.

Paul is not saying “Now” as opposed to “previously.” He is simply summarizing what he has

been teaching. This summary takes us back to verse twelve, where Paul said that we were “aliens

from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise.”

Paul has been teaching us about how the blood of Jesus Christ and faith in His death on the cross

as payment for our sins has broken down the dividing wall between the Gentiles and Jews. By

breaking down this wall, we are at peace with the Jews and with God, and we have access to God

the Father through the Holy Spirit. So, therefore …

We are no longer strangers from the covenants of promise and we are no longer foreigners from

the commonwealth of Israel. Instead, we are fellow citizens of a holy nation with all the saints.

“Saints” is a reference to all those whom God has declared righteous through faith, from the time

of Adam to the present day. And, not only are we fellow citizens of that holy nation, we are now

members of God’s household. That means that when we leave this life and “go home” it will be

to God’s home.

Application As Christians, we have so many precious promises that will help us endure this life of service to

God. One of the greatest promises, however, is that when this life is over, we will live with Him

in His home forever. What a blessing!

Ephesians 2:20 - Building Material having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself

being the chief cornerstone,

Truth to Learn Every Christian is part of God’s building.

Behind the Words The words “having been built on” are translated from epoikodomeō, which is a double compound

word made up of epi, meaning “upon,” oikos, which refers to “a dwelling place” or “a house,”

and demō, meaning “to build.” Thus, epoikodomeō literally means “to build a dwelling upon.” It

is expressed here as an aorist, passive, participle, so “having been built on” is a very accurate

translation of this word.

“Foundation” is from the Greek noun themelios. This word is derived from the verb tithēmi,

which means “to stand” or “to set in place.” Themelios, therefore, refers to something that has

been put down in place, like a foundation.

Apostolos is the Greek word translated “apostles.” This word is made up of apo, meaning “from”

or “away from” and a form of the verb stellō, meaning “to send.” Apostolos refers to someone

who is sent forth on a certain mission.

“Prophets” is translated from prophētēs, which is made up of pro, meaning “before, in time or

space” and phēmi, meaning “to tell.”

The words “chief cornerstone” come from akrogōniaios, which is made up of akron, meaning

“the extreme” or “the one on the end” and gōnia, which refers to “an angle” or “a corner.” So,

we see that akrogōniaios refers to the extreme corner. Metaphorically, it refers to the first corner

stone laid.

Meaning Explained In the previous verse Paul told us that we are no longer strangers from the covenants of promise

and we are no longer foreigners from the commonwealth of Israel. We are now fellow citizens of

a holy nation and members of God’s household. The word translated “household” is oikeios,

which usually refers to people who live and work under the master of the house, but it can also

refer to the things which make up the building as well. We see in the previous verse that Paul’s

meaning was “a person who is a member of the household.” In the current verse, however, he

twists the meaning of the word and now refers to us as part of the building itself. And, in the next

couple of verses Paul will twist the meaning a little further yet.

For now, Paul is telling us that not only are we part of God’s family, but we are part of his

building as well. The foundation of this building consists of Jesus Christ, as the first corner stone

as well as the apostles and prophets. At the time that Paul wrote this letter, buildings were built

differently than they are today. The foundation was not cement poured into forms; it consisted of

large square-cut stones laid next to each other. Sometimes there was a second or third course of

stones laid upon the first. The placement of the initial corner stone was the most critical because

it set the position for the entire structure. If it was not set level and oriented in the proper

direction, the entire building could suffer.

Jesus Christ was, Himself, the initial corner stone of this building, and He sets the position and

the basis for the remainder of the structure. The apostles and prophets (that is, New Testament

prophets) provide the remainder of the foundation of the building. Paul’s reference is probably to

the writings of these men of God. You and I are also part of the building and we depend on the

foundation for our stability.

Application There is no Christian who exists alone and apart from the rest of the church. We are all

interdependent and each one of us is needed to make the building whole.

Ephesians 2:21 - Temple Building in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord,

Truth to Learn Every Christian is part of the temple of God.

Behind the Words The words “the whole” are translated from a form of pas, which can mean “all” or “every.” So

this could be translated as “all the building” or “the whole building.”

“Building” is from the Greek word oikodomē, which is very similar to the word translated

“having been built on” in the previous verse. This word can refer either to “the act of building”

or to “the building” itself.

The verb sunarmologeō is translated here as “being fitted together.” This word is made up of

sun, meaning “together,” harmos “to join things together,” and legō, which means “to lay forth”

or “to say a word.” Putting these all together, we find that sunarmologeō means “to lay things

closely joined together,” as one would do with stones or bricks in building a structure. The word

is expressed here as a present participle, indicating that it is action that is continually taking

place.

The word “grows” is from auxanō, which means “to grow” or “to increase.” This word is

expressed in the present tense, indicative mood, which implies current continuous action.

“Temple” is translated from naos. This is derived from the verb naiō, meaning “to dwell.” Naos

refers to “a shrine” or “a temple” where a deity dwells. There is another word in Greek, often

translated “temple.” It is hieron, which refers to the entire temple area or temple grounds. Naos,

however, refers specifically to the central building in the temple area.

Meaning Explained In the Greek text there is no definite article associated with the word oikodomē, which introduces

some ambiguity as to whether Paul is talking about every believer being a holy temple, or the

whole church being a single, holy temple. However, since both “building” and “temple” are

singular Greek words and the following verse says that “you [plural] are being built together for

a dwelling place [singular] for God,” there is strong evidence that Paul is referring to the entire

church as the building.

Assuming that this is, in fact, what Paul was expressing, we are told here that the church, which

is composed of every believer from the beginning of time, is continually being built by God.

Each member of the church has a place in the building and is put in place joined closely together

with those around him or her. Later in this letter (Ephesians 4:12) Paul will refer to the church

as “the body of Christ.” Also. in his first letter to the Corinthians, he refers to the church as “the

body of Christ” (1 Corinthians 12:27). Since Paul uses both of these metaphors to refer to the

church universal, we can see that the church, whether a living body or a building, is continually

being built. And, we see from this verse, that the church is the central temple (dwelling place) of

God, Himself. We are all part of the body, and we are all part of the holy temple where God

lives.

Application Whether we consider the church to be the temple of God or the body of Christ, we each have a

part in it. Each and every Christian has an important function to perform. Are you performing

your function? Are you being used by God as part of the church? If not, you’re not fulfilling

God’s purpose for your life.

Ephesians 2:22 - Living Building Blocks in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

Truth to Learn Every Christian has a specific function within the temple of God.

Behind the Words The word “you” is translated from humeis, which is a second person plural pronoun (you-plural).

This is one area where the antiquated language of the original King James Version is helpful.

The words thee, thou, thy, and thine are second person singular pronouns, whereas you and your

are second person plural pronouns.

The words “are being built together” are from the Greek verb sunoikodomeō, which is made up

of sun, meaning “together,” oikos, which refers to “a dwelling place” or “a house,” and demō,

meaning “to build.” Therefore, sunoikodomeō, literally means “to build a dwelling place

together.” It is expressed here in the present tense (current action) and the passive voice (action

being done to the subject). It is also expressed as a plural verb.

“Into” is translated from the Greek word eis, meaning “into” or “unto.” The primary idea of this

word is of motion into a place or a thing. Sometimes, however, it is used to express motion to or

toward a place or thing.

“A dwelling place” is from katoikētērion, which is made up of kata, meaning “down” but

possibly used as an intensifier and oikētērion (a dwelling place). It refers to “a permanent

dwelling place.”

Meaning Explained At the time this letter was written, most houses were typically built with bricks. Temples,

however, were usually built out of blocks of stone. The stones in the temple were all properly

placed so as to form a complete structure to be a habitation for the Deity that was being

worshipped there. Paul is telling us that we are being built along with others as a dwelling place

for God.

There is some ambiguity introduced here, however, as to whom Paul was specifically referring.

The fact that he uses the second person plural pronoun (you-plural) and a plural verb means that

he is referring to a group of people who are being built together. In this verse He is not saying

that each individual believer is being built together with others. So, he can either mean that you

(members of the church at Ephesus, and by extension all believers) are being built together, or he

means that you (Gentiles) are being built together. Based on the context of verses nineteen

through this verse, it is most likely that he is talking about Gentiles.

What is clear is that Paul is talking about a temple that is being built. In the past few verses Paul

has been talking about the construction of a building and in verse twenty-one he made it clear

that he is talking about a temple. You may recall from our discussion of the word translated

“temple” that it refers to the dwelling place of a deity. In the current verse, Paul makes it clear

that he is talking about a temple which is the dwelling place of God. This temple consists of all

believers since the beginning of time.

Application The living temple of God, which Paul refers to here, is an intricately designed and constructed

building. We are each building blocks with specific talents and gifts to perform the function (or

functions) that God has intended for us. If we are not allowing God to utilize those specific

talents and gifts, then the temple is not as God designed it. Do you know what part of the temple

you are? If so, are you performing that function?