Ephesians 2:12

That 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: WITHOUT CHRIST, [ chooris (G5565), implying separation of the subject from the object] - 'separate from Christ:' having no part in Him: far from Him. A different word [ aneu (G427), implying absence of the object from the subject] would express, 'Christ was not present with you' (Tittmarsh). ALIENS - Greek, 'alienated from.' Not merely 'separated from.' The Israelites were cut off from the commonwealth of God, but it was as being self-righteous and unworthy, not as aliens and strangers. The 'alienated from' takes it for granted that the Gentiles, before they apostatized from the pr...

12._That at that time ye were without Christ. _He now declares that the Ephesians had been excluded, not only from the outward badge, but from everything necessary to the salvation and happiness of men. As Christ is the foundation of hope and of all the promises, he mentions, first of all, that they _were without Christ. _But for him that is without Christ, there remains nothing but destruction. On Him _the commonwealth of Israel _was founded; and in whom, but in Himself, could the people of God be collected into one holy society? A similar observation might be made as to _the tables of the promise _On one great promise made to Abraham all the others hang, and without it they lose all their value: “In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.” (Genesis 22:18.) Hence our apostle says el

11-13 Christ and his covenant are the foundation of all the Christian's hopes. A sad and terrible description is here; but who is able to remove himself out of it? Would that this were not a true description of many baptized in the name of Christ. Who can, without trembling, reflect upon the misery of a person, separated for ever from the people of God, cut off from the body of Christ, fallen from the covenant of promise, having no hope, no Saviour, and without any God but a God of vengeance, to all eternity? To have no part in Christ! What true Christian can hear this without horror? Salvation is far from the wicked; but God is a help at hand to his people; and this is by the sufferings and death of Christ....

Verse 12. _THAT AT THAT TIME YE WERE WITHOUT CHRIST_] Not only were not _Christians_, but had no knowledge of the _Christ_ or _Messiah_, and no title to the blessings which were to proceed from him. _ALIENS FROM THE COMMONWEALTH OF ISRAEL_] Ye were by your birth, idolatry, c., _alienated_ from the commonwealth of Israel-from the _civil_ and _religious privileges_ of the Jewish people. _STRANGERS FROM THE COVENANTS OF PROMISE_] Having no part in the _promise_ of the covenant made with Abraham, whether considered as relating to his _natural_ or _spiritual_ seed and no part in that of the covenant made at Horeb with the Israelites, when a holy law was given them, and God condescended to dwell among them, and to lead them to the promised land. _HAVING NO HOPE_] Either of the _pardon_ of _sin_ or of the _resurrection_ of the

YE WERE WITHOUT CHRIST - You were without the knowledge of the Messiah. You had not heard of him; of course you had not embraced him. You were living without any of the hopes and consolations which you now have, from having embraced him. The object of the apostle is to remind them of the deplorable condition in which they were by nature; and nothing would better express it than to say they were “without Christ,” or that they had no knowledge of a Saviour. They knew of no atonement for sin. They had no assurance of pardon. They had no well-founded hope of eternal life. They were in a state of darkness and condemnation, from which nothing but a knowledge of Christ could deliver them. All Christians may in like manner be reminded of the fact that, before their conversion, they were “without Christ.” Though they had heard of him, and were constantly under the instruction which reminded them...

EXPOSITION EPHESIANS 2:1 SPIRITUAL HISTORY OF THE EPHESIANS. This passage corresponds to Genesis 1:1. It is a history of creation, and we note the same great stages. 1. Chaos (Genesis 1:1). 2. The dawn—the Spirit of God moving on the face of the waters (Genesis 1:4). 3. The work of creation—in successive stages (Genesis 1:4-1)....

THAT AT THAT TIME YE WERE WITHOUT CHRIST,.... Or separate from him: they were chosen in him and were preserved in him, and were redeemed by him before; but they were without any knowledge of him, faith in him, love to him, communion with him, or subjection to him, his Gospel, government, laws, and ordinances; and particularly they were without any promises of him, or prophecies concerning him, which were peculiar to the Jews; hence the Messiah is called משיחא דישראל, "the Christ of Israel" w, and who as he was promised, so he was sent only to the lost sheep of the house, of Israel: hence it follows, BEING ALIENS FROM THE COMMONWEALTH OF ISRAEL; both from their civil and church state; the Gentiles might not dwell among them, nor have any dealings with them in things civil, unless they conformed to certain laws; nor might the Jews go into any, nor eat or converse with any, that were uncir...

Ephesians 2:1. _And you he hath quickened._ Is it so? Could the apostle say that to you, and to me? Ephesians 2:1. _Who were dead in trespasses and sins;_ Look back to what you used to be, to the hole of the pit whence ye were digged: «You hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins. Ephesians 2:2. _Wherein in time past ye walked_ With a terrible activity of spiritual death; Ephesians 2:2. 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:

WORLD Greek, "kosmos", means "mankind". (_ See Scofield) - (Matthew 4:8). _...

3. THE MYSTERY MADE KNOWN Chapter S 2:11-3:21 _ 1. The condition of the Gentiles (Ephesians 2:11)_ 2. But now in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:13) 3. The new and great relationship (Ephesians 2:19) 4. The Mystery made known and Paul's ministry (Ephesians 3:1) 5. The prayer (Ephesians 3:14) 6. The doxology (Ephesians 3:20) With the eleventh verse of the second chapter we reach a new divisio