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The Letters · New Testament

Ephesians 2

Ephesians 2: from dead to alive and the wall broken down

General context

Paul tells the readers they were dead in trespasses and sins, walking according to the course of this world and the prince of the power of the air, and says he and others lived the same way and were by nature the children of wrath. The sentence turns on God, who is rich in mercy, and who made them alive with Christ while they were still dead, raised them up and seated them in heavenly places, so the ages to come could see the riches of his grace. Salvation, he says, is by grace through faith, not of yourselves, the gift of God and not of works, so no one can boast, though the readers are still called God's workmanship created for good works prepared beforehand. He then asks them to remember a second past. They were Gentiles in the flesh, called Uncircumcision by those called the Circumcision, without Christ, aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, strangers from the covenants of promise, with no hope and without God in the world. Now, he says, those once far off are brought near by the blood of Christ, who is himself their peace, who made both groups one, broke down the middle wall of partition, abolished the enmity in his flesh, and made of two one new man. Reconciliation is described as one body by the cross, with peace preached to those far off and near alike, and access to the Father by one Spirit. The chapter ends in building language: no longer strangers and foreigners but fellowcitizens and household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ as chief corner stone, growing into a holy temple through the Spirit.

Cited passages: Ephesians 2:1, Ephesians 2:2, Ephesians 2:3, Ephesians 2:4, Ephesians 2:5, Ephesians 2:6, Ephesians 2:7, Ephesians 2:8, Ephesians 2:9, Ephesians 2:10, Ephesians 2:11, Ephesians 2:12, Ephesians 2:13, Ephesians 2:14, Ephesians 2:15, Ephesians 2:16, Ephesians 2:17, Ephesians 2:18, Ephesians 2:19, Ephesians 2:20, Ephesians 2:21, Ephesians 2:22

Ephesians 2 (KJV)

1And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;

2Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

3Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

4But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,

5Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

6And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

7That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

8For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

9Not of works, lest any man should boast.

10For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

11Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;

12That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:

13But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

14For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;

15Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;

16And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:

17And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.

18For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.

19Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

20And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

21In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:

22In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

This page shows the King James Version. In the app, reading opens in the Berean Standard Bible unless you have chosen another translation. The reader includes five translations: the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), the King James Version (KJV), the World English Bible (WEB), the Bible in Basic English (BBE), and the American Standard Version (ASV). Search covers three of them: Berean Standard, King James, and World English. Basic English and American Standard readers search the King James words.

Historical context

The chapter distinguishes two groups by the names each uses for the other: the readers are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands. The second label is qualified in the same breath, so the chapter treats both names as descriptions people apply rather than as settled identities. It lists what the readers are said to have lacked before, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, without naming which covenants. The middle wall of partition is never described, and what was abolished is named only as the law of commandments contained in ordinances. The foundation is called the apostles and prophets without naming any of them. Nothing in the chapter is quoted from scripture, no place is named, and the preaching of peace to those far off and near is reported with no occasion, date or location attached.

Cited passages: Ephesians 2:11, Ephesians 2:12, Ephesians 2:14, Ephesians 2:15, Ephesians 2:17, Ephesians 2:19, Ephesians 2:20

Literary context

The chapter runs the same shape twice. Both halves open on a past condition, hold it for several verses, and then break it with a turn: But God, who is rich in mercy in the first, and But now in Christ Jesus in the second. The first past is moral, the second is social, and the same rescue answers both. Numbers do much of the work in the second half. Both, one, twain, one new man and both again press the point that two parties have become a single thing, and the word one appears in almost every verse of that stretch. An aside interrupts the first sentence to state the claim early, by grace ye are saved, and it comes back in full at verse 8. The closing image changes register entirely, from war and walls to construction, a building fitly framed together that is still growing.

Cited passages: Ephesians 2:1, Ephesians 2:4, Ephesians 2:5, Ephesians 2:8, Ephesians 2:13, Ephesians 2:14, Ephesians 2:15, Ephesians 2:16, Ephesians 2:18, Ephesians 2:21, Ephesians 2:22

Key moments

  1. Dead in trespasses (Ephesians 2:1). The chapter opens by naming the readers' former condition.
  2. But God, rich in mercy (Ephesians 2:4). The sentence turns on God's mercy and love.
  3. The gift, not of works (Ephesians 2:8). Salvation is stated as grace through faith and not from themselves.
  4. Without God in the world (Ephesians 2:12). The readers' former distance from Israel's covenants is spelled out.
  5. The middle wall broken (Ephesians 2:14). Christ is called their peace, who made both one.
  6. Built into a temple (Ephesians 2:21). The chapter closes with a building still growing into a holy temple.

For reflection

The chapter names the readers' old life bluntly and then says they were made alive while they were still dead in sins. What do you do with a change you did not start?

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