Ephesians Chapter Ephesians 2:1-10 OUTLINE: I. The former condition of Christians: Ephesians 2:1-3 II. God's rich mercy and love: Ephesians 2:4-7 Saved by grace through faith to serve: Ephesians 2:8-10 Remember what you once were: Ephesians 2:11-12 Access to God only through Christ: Ephesian... [ Continue Reading ]
“AND YOU DID HE MAKE ALIVE, WHEN YE WERE DEAD THROUGH YOUR TRESPASSES AND SINS” “You”: This includes Christians from. Gentile background. in Ephesians 2:3 Paul will include Christians from. Jewish background in the expression “we too”. “When Paul speaks of you, he is speaking of the Gentiles; when... [ Continue Reading ]
“wherein ye once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the powers of the air, of the spirit that now worketh in the sons of disobedience” “WHEREIN”: “In which” (NASV). “In the midst of which” (Gspd). In which sins and trespasses. “Trespasses and sins were the domai... [ Continue Reading ]
“among whom we also all once lived in the lust of our flesh, doing the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest” “AMONG WHOM WE ALSO”: “We all lived among them once” (Gspd). “Most probably, among the disobedient--we Jews also followed our course of... [ Continue Reading ]
“BUT GOD, BEING RICH IN MERCY, FOR HIS GREAT LOVE WHEREWITH HE LOVED US” “But God”: God took the initiative. Many people remain optimistic that man can deliver himself.. common belief is that mankind with his technology, education, and resources will one day solve all his social problems. Such is n... [ Continue Reading ]
“EVEN WHEN WE WERE DEAD THROUGH OUR TRESPASSES, MADE US ALIVE TOGETHER WITH CHRIST (BY GRACE HAVE YE BEEN SAVED)” “Even when we were dead”: Such love was demonstrated while we were yet sinners (Romans 5:8). “It is astounding that God would love mankind while every individual human being has rebelled... [ Continue Reading ]
“AND RAISED US UP WITH HIM, AND MADE US TO SIT WITH HIM IN THE HEAVENLY PLACES, IN CHRIST JESUS” “And raised us up with Him”: Here is another phrase that is used in reference to baptism (Romans 6:3; Colossians 2:12 “having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him”).... [ Continue Reading ]
“THAT IN THE AGES TO COME HE MIGHT SHOW THE EXCEEDING RICHES OF HIS GRACE IN KINDNESS TOWARD US IN CHRIST JESUS” “In the ages to come”: “Lit., the ages, those which are coming on” _(Vincent p. 376)._ “The timeless eons of eternity have come” _(Lenski p. 420)._ “He would have all future ages see” (Kn... [ Continue Reading ]
“for by grace have ye been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God” “FOR”: Such kindness is proof of God's unmerited favor. “God would have to be kind to offer pardon to one who openly violates His expressed word” _(Caldwell p. 80). _“By grace have ye been saved”: “Mor... [ Continue Reading ]
“NOT OF WORKS, THAT NO MAN SHOULD GLORY” “Not of works”: “Not won by works” (Con). “It has not been earned” (Gspd). “No amount of good works can make up for our evil works. Keeping the law most of the time does not remove the guilt of breaking the law some of the time” _(Boles p. 227)._ Even the co... [ Continue Reading ]
“FOR WE ARE HIS WORKMANSHIP, CREATED IN CHRIST JESUS FOR GOOD WORKS, WHICH GOD AFORE PREPARED THAT WE SHOULD WALK IN THEM” “We”: Those in Christ Jesus. “HIS WORKMANSHIP”: “His handiwork” (Alf). “For He has made us what we are” (Wms). Christians are not self-made individuals. Without God's instructio... [ Continue Reading ]
“WHEREFORE REMEMBER, THAT ONCE YE, THE GENTILES IN THE FLESH, WHO ARE CALLED UNCIRCUMCISION BY THAT WHICH IS CALLED CIRCUMCISION, IN THE FLESH, MADE BY HANDS” “Wherefore remember”: “Paul was asking them to apply the truths he had presented (Ephesians 2:1-10) to their own personal circumstances. It i... [ Continue Reading ]
“THAT YE WERE AT THAT TIME SEPARATE FROM CHRIST, ALIENATED FROM THE COMMONWEALTH OF ISRAEL, AND STRANGERS FROM THE COVENANTS OF THE PROMISE, HAVING NO HOPE AND WITHOUT GOD IN THE WORLD.” “Gentile Christians needed to remember five major conditions in which they formerly lived. They were Christ-less,... [ Continue Reading ]
“BUT NOW IN CHRIST JESUS YE THAT ONCE WERE FAR OFF ARE MADE NIGH IN THE BLOOD OF CHRIST” “In Christ Jesus”: Where all the spiritual blessings are found (Ephesians 1:3). Which was the result of faith and baptism (Galatians 3:26). “ONCE WERE FAR OFF”: “In William Hendriksen's summary they were ‘Christ... [ Continue Reading ]
“For He is our peace, who made both one, and brake down the middle wall of partition” “FOR”: “_ He_ is strongly emphatic. It is He, Christ Jesus, who shed His blood on the cross” _(Stott p. 98)._ “In. two-fold sense--not only has He reconciled His people to God through His death but He has reconcile... [ Continue Reading ]
“HAVING ABOLISHED IN THE FLESH THE ENMITY, EVEN THE LAW OF COMMANDMENTS CONTAINED IN ORDINANCES; THAT HE MIGHT CREATE IN HIMSELF OF THE TWO ONE NEW MAN, SO MAKING PEACE” “Having abolished”: To bring to nought, put away, make void, or render idle. “For He annulled the law with its rules and regulatio... [ Continue Reading ]
“AND MIGHT RECONCILE THEM BOTH IN ONE BODY UNTO GOD THROUGH THE CROSS, HAVING SLAIN THE ENMITY THEREBY” “Reconcile”: To reconcile fully. “THEM BOTH”: “Might reconcile back to God, back to Him where both belonged” _(Lenski p. 443)._ Seeing that God created mankind in the first place, it is only logic... [ Continue Reading ]
“AND HE CAME AND PREACHED PEACE TO YOU THAT WERE FAR OFF, AND PEACE TO THEM THAT WERE NIGH” “He came and preached peace”: This appears to be preaching which followed His cross, for it includes preaching to the Gentiles. “First He achieved it; then He announced it” _(Stott p. 103)._ This was the ful... [ Continue Reading ]
“for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit unto the Father” “THROUGH HIM”: Jesus Christ (John 14:6; Acts 4:12; Ephesians 2:13; Ephesians 2:15). “ACCESS”: Admission. “It was used in Greek society for the right to approach, as when. person received an introduction to the king” _(Boles p. 2... [ Continue Reading ]
“SO THEN YE ARE NO MORE STRANGERS AND SOJOURNERS, BUT YE ARE FELLOW-CITIZENS WITH THE SAINTS, AND OF THE HOUSEHOLD OF GOD” “So then”: “Paul begins his summing up---what is the result of Christ's achievement and announcement of peace?” _(Stott p. 104). _“No more”: Too often we complain about what we... [ Continue Reading ]
“BEING BUILT UPON THE FOUNDATION OF THE APOSTLES AND PROPHETS, CHRIST JESUS HIMSELF BEING THE CHIEF CORNER STONE” “Being built upon”: “You are. building which has been reared on the foundation” (Wey). “Firmly beneath you is the foundation” (Phi). “If the community is viewed as. building, the Gentile... [ Continue Reading ]
“IN WHOM EACH SEVERAL BUILDING, FITLY FRAMED TOGETHER, GROWETH INTO. HOLY TEMPLE IN THE LORD” “In whom”: In Christ. EACH SEVERAL BUILDING”: “The whole building” (NASV). “Every part of the building” (TCNT). “Through Him every part of the building is closely united” (Gspd). “FITLY FRAMED TOGETHER”: “... [ Continue Reading ]
“IN WHOM YE ALSO ARE BUILDED TOGETHER FOR. HABITATION OF GOD IN THE SPIRIT” “In whom”: Again notice the emphasis upon the three persons of the Godhead. Being "in Christ" is the same as being in the church, in the family of God, in the household of God, in the temple of God, in the kingdom of God, a... [ Continue Reading ]