COMMENTARY ON EPHESIANS CHAPTER TWO
COMMENTARY ON EPHESIANS Chapter TWO
Salvation by grace. 2:1-10.
“1 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 sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects 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 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 workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
In the first ten verses Paul presents the past, present, and future of the Christian
What we were in the past. 2:1-3.
What we are in the present. 2:4-6.
What we shall be in the future. 2:7-10.
THE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE OF THE CHRISTIAN
THE PAST – WHAT WE WERE
Ephesians 2:1-3
“And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.”
THE PRESENT – WHAT WE ARE!
Ephesians 2:4-6, 8-9
“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, … For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
FUTURE – WHAT WE WILL BE!
Ephesians 2:7-10
“…so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus…For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”
THE SIX ASPECTS OF THE CHRISTIAN’S SALVATION
THE PAST
Ephesians 2:1-3
“As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 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. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.”
THE PRESENT
Ephesians 2:4
“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,…”
INTO LIFE
Ephesians 2:5
“…even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),…”
WITH A PURPOSE
Ephesians 2:6-7
“…and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus….”
THROUGH FAITH
Ephesians 2:8-9
“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
THE FUTURE
Ephesians 2:10
“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”
We are first saved from sin. The wages of sin, or payment for them is death (Romans 6:23).
Man is spiritually dead because he is by nature sinful.
Man is alienated from God because of his sin (Ephesians 4:18).
Because he is dead to God, he is dead to spiritual life, truth, righteousness, inner peace and happiness, and ultimately to every other good thing.
Men apart from God are spiritual zombies, the walking dead who do not know they are dead. They go through the motions of life but they do not possess it.
They are not dead because they commit sin; they are dead because they are in sin.
You are not a liar because you tell a lie. You tell a lie because you are already a liar.
Trespasses “paraptoma” originally carried the idea of missing the mark, as when hunting with a bow and arrow. Then it came to represent missing or falling short of any gold, standard, or purpose. In the New Testament it is used 173 times to refer to sin.
Although mankind knew God they did not honor Him as God (Romans 1:21).
Just because all men apart from God are sinful does not mean that every person is equally corrupt and wicked. Twenty corpses on a battlefield might be in various states of decay, but they are all dead. Death manifests in many stages of decay, but death itself has no degrees.
As a state of being, a sphere of existence, sin has more to do with what is not done than with what is done. God’s standard is for men to be perfect just as He Himself is perfect (Matthew 5:48).
Analogy: Children standing on a creek bank try to jump over the creek. Though all try and have various successes of how far they can jump, none make it over to the other side without getting wet. Even though they all have some success at how far they jump, none of them make it to the other side. Man cannot be perfect and holy as God is without accepting Jesus Christ. No matter how much good they do, they can never match the holiness and perfection of God. (A mass murderer and a servant in a social cause both need salvation.) Men do good for those who do good for them or for personal gain and the feeling of serving, but this is not holy service nor perfection (Luke 6:33, Luke 11:13).
Ephesians 2:3, “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.” The world is ruled by Satan, (the prince) and the kingdom of the air is full of demonic spirits. Men are not free they are ruled by Satan and his demons.
Paul is trying to remind followers of Christ how they used to live. This reminds the Christians, and us today, how great God’s love is for He loved us when we were totally unlovable by normal standards. All men are under the judgment and wrath of God and depraved without hope. But because of God’s love and sacrifice of His Son can have eternal life.
“All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.”
Cravings or lusts “epithumai” refers to strong inclinations and desires of every sort, not simply sexual lust.
Desires “thelema” emphasizes strong willfulness, wanting and seeking something with great diligence.
PRESENT
Salvation Is By Love – Ephesians 2:4
“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,”
Salvation is from sin and by love. God’s mercy is “plousios”, rich overabounding, without measure, unlimited. Because He was rich in mercy and had great love for us He saves us.
John 15:13 – “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”
Salvation Is Into Life – Ephesians 2:5
“…made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions — it is by grace you have been saved.”
The spiritually dead person needs to be made alive and this is only possibly by God’s grace and the blood of Jesus. (Romans 6:1-7, 11-13)
Romans 6:4 – “We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.”
Colossians 3:1-3 – “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.”
Galatians 2:20 – “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
Salvation Is With A Purpose Ephesians 2:6-7
“And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 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.”
It is good to know that we are saved for a purpose. It is not just a meaningless act that is an end itself. It gives God glory and praise to save us, but He saves us so we can continue this act by becoming more like Christ, serving others, learning and putting into practice scripture and worshipping Him in all we do.
We will be seated with Christ in Heavenly places because we are a child of God and a member of His royal priesthood. This is a guaranteed promise and will take place. God saves us, but also will seat us to display His glory and show how rich and incomparable is His grace, which is expressed through His Son and His act on the cross.
“Ages to come” implies not just the future, but eternity!
Salvation Is Through Faith Ephesians 2:8-9
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.”
We do not earn our salvation. It is given to us through our faith. Even the faith that it takes to believe is not ours for God gives us the faith to believe. The faith, though it is ours, is primarily His as a gift to us out of His grace.
When a person has drowned and has stopped breathing, when someone breaths for them they can begin to breathe on their own. A person who is spiritually dead cannot even make a decision of faith unless God first breathes into him the breath of spiritual life. Faith is simply breathing the breath that God’s grace supplies.
2 Peter 1:1 – “Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours:”
Philippians 1:29 – ‘For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him,”
Salvation has nothing to do with human works. But works are important to the Christian for they demonstrate that he has been saved.
Romans 3:20 – “Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.”
Romans 4:4-5 – “Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. 5 However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness.”
Salvation Is Unto Good Works Ephesians 2:10
“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
No good works help us gain salvation, but good works are produced by salvation. They are evidence that salvation is present in the life of a person.
John 15:8 – “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”
There are works that are good but cannot save (Galatians 2:16).
There are works that are dead (Hebrews 6:1).
There are works and deeds that are evil (Romans 13:12, Galatians 5:19-21, Ephesians 5:11).
The same power that created us in Christ Jesus empowers us to do the good works for which He redeemed us. We are equipped for every good deed (2 Timothy 3:17). Christ died to bring to Himself a people zealous for good deeds (Titus 2:14). While we work out our salvation, God works in us to do works for His good pleasure (Philippians 2:12-13). James tells us that if there are no godly good works in our lives after we are saved there is doubt we are saved (James 2:17-26).
Ephesians 2:11 – 3:21
The Oneness of Jews and Gentiles in Christ in His Church – The Revelation of the Mystery
Ephesians 2:11-22
“11 Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (that done in the body by the hands of men) — 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 through the blood of Christ. 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in this 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 aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s 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.”
Men and women often strive to build barriers between each other. Whether it be by race, sex, culture, financial status or name people find some way to look down on others. Disunity between people has always been a heartache of God. The cause of all this strife is the sin that rules the souls of individuals. Christ came to save mankind and to heal this strive among His family in His church.
Ephesians 4:3-6 – “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit— just as you were called to one hope when you were called— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”
Alienation Apart from Christ
“11 Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (that done in the body by the hands of men) — 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.”
In many churches in the first century there was disunity between Jewish and Gentile believers because of the history of the Jewish faith. The mystery of the gospel includes the unification of not only Jewish and Gentile believers but other races and nations.
Paul here describes the former social and spiritual alienation of Jews and Gentiles, and then he describes their new spiritual unity in Jesus Christ.
This section begins with the word “therefore” indicating that the next line of thought regarding the new identity of these Gentile Christians is built on what Christ has done to give them life and eternal blessing.
There was SOCIAL ALIENATION between the Jews and Gentiles.
The Circumcisied & The UnCircumcisized.
There was SPIRITUAL ALIENATION between the Jews and Gentiles.
The Gentiles had no hope for a Messiah.
They were excluded from the nation of Israel.
They were without a covenant with God.
They were hopeless and had no hope.
They were without God in the world.
UNITY in Christ
“13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in this 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.”
“Far away” was a common Jewish term used in rabbinical writings to describe Gentiles.
Acts 2:39 – “The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off — for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
By removing our sin, Christ gives us peace with each other and access to God. Peace with God and with His People – Ephesians 2:14-17
Isaiah 9:6 – “ For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
The dividing wall alludes to the separation of the Court of the Gentiles from the rest of the Temple. Between that court and the Court of the Israelites was a sign that read, “No Gentile may enter within the barricade which surrounds the sanctuary and enclosure. Anyone who is caught doing so will have himself to blame for his ensuing death.”
God had originally separated Jews from Gentiles for the purpose of redeeming both groups, not for saving the Jews alone. He placed the Court of the Gentiles in the Temple for the very purpose of winning Gentiles to Himself.
The feasts, sacrifices, offerings, laws of cleanliness and purification, and all other such distinctive outward commandments for the unique separation of Israel from the nations was abolished.
“Apokatallasso” reconcile in verse 16 is a rich term which holds the idea of turning from hostility to friendship.
Colossians 1:19-20 – “For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.”
“The cross which slew Jesus slew also the hostility between man and God.” John Eadie, Scottish commentator.
Access to God
“18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.”
When we have Jesus Christ we also have access by the Spirit to the Father. The resources of the entire Trinity are ours the moment we receive Christ.
“Prosagoge” which is Greek for “access” is used only three times in the New Testament, in each case referring to the believer’s access to God.
Romans 5:1-2 – “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we a have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we b rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.”
Ephesians 3:12-13 – “12 in him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.”
In John 10 Jesus describes Himself as the Good Shepherd and the door to the sheepfold. A Palestinian shepherd brought his sheep into the pen at night or erected a temporary fence of stones, wood or mud if he was away from home. After he put the sheep inside, counted them carefully, and put oil on their wounds from briars or sharp rocks, he lay across the narrow opening that served as a door. The shepherd himself was the door. The only access into God’s presence, the only door into the sheepfold of His kingdom is through His Son.
Closing Summary
“19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s 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.”
Paul closes this chapter discussing the unity of the Body of Christ by giving THREE metaphors to illustrate it.
- Fellow Citizens – United in God’s Kingdom (2:19a)
- God’s Household – United in God’s Family (2:19b)
- A Holy Temple in the Lord – United in God’s Temple (2:20-22)
The foundation of the apostles and prophets refers to the divine revelation that they taught, which in its written form is the New Testament. The prophets spoke the word of God. The cornerstone is Christ Jesus.