Ephesians / Chapter 2

Ephesians 2

22 verses • SBL Greek New Testament

Translator's Introduction

What This Chapter Is About

Ephesians 2 moves from the cosmic heights of chapter 1 to the personal and corporate experience of salvation. The first section (vv. 1-10) describes humanity's condition — dead in trespasses, enslaved to the world, the flesh, and the devil — and God's response: making them alive with Christ, raising them with him, and seating them with him in the heavenly places. The pivot comes in verses 8-9, the definitive statement of grace-based salvation through faith. Verse 10 grounds the believer's new identity as God's 'workmanship, created for good works.' The second section (vv. 11-22) addresses the Jew-Gentile divide: Gentiles who were once excluded from the covenants of promise have been brought near through Christ's blood. Christ himself is their peace, breaking down the dividing wall of hostility, creating one new humanity, and reconciling both groups to God through the cross. The chapter climaxes with the image of the church as a holy temple, built on the foundation of apostles and prophets, with Christ as the cornerstone.

What Makes This Chapter Remarkable

Verses 8-9 are among the most quoted verses in all of Scripture and the cornerstone of Reformation soteriology. The 'dividing wall of hostility' (v. 14) may allude to the physical barrier in the Jerusalem temple that separated the Court of the Gentiles from the inner courts — a wall with inscriptions threatening death to any Gentile who crossed it. The 'one new humanity' (v. 15) is a radical concept: God does not assimilate Gentiles into Israel or Jews into a Gentile church, but creates something entirely new. The temple imagery (vv. 19-22) presents the church as the new dwelling place of God — replacing the Jerusalem temple with a living structure.

Translation Friction

The phrase 'the law of commandments in ordinances' (v. 15) is debated: does Christ abolish the Mosaic law itself, or only the law as a barrier between Jews and Gentiles? The relationship between this text and Romans 3:31 ('we uphold the law') requires careful reading. The 'dividing wall' reference is historically specific — the temple barrier — but its theological application is broader.

Connections

The death-to-life movement (vv. 1-6) parallels Romans 6:1-11 and Colossians 2:13. Grace through faith (vv. 8-9) condenses the argument of Romans 3:21-28. The 'brought near' language (v. 13) echoes Isaiah 57:19. The temple imagery (vv. 19-22) connects to 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 and 1 Peter 2:4-5. The 'cornerstone' (v. 20) draws on Isaiah 28:16 and Psalm 118:22.

Ephesians 2:1

Καὶ ὑμᾶς ὄντας νεκροὺς τοῖς παραπτώμασιν καὶ ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις ὑμῶν,

And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,

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

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

The sentence that begins here does not reach its main verb until verse 5 ('made us alive'). The accusative hymas ('you') is the object held in suspension — 'you who were dead.' The word nekrous ('dead') is not metaphorical softening but a real theological claim: apart from God's intervention, the human condition is spiritual death. The plural paraptōmasin ('trespasses, false steps') and hamartiais ('sins, failures to hit the mark') describe two aspects of the same reality.

Ephesians 2:2

ἐν αἷς ποτε περιεπατήσατε κατὰ τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ κόσμου τούτου, κατὰ τὸν ἄρχοντα τῆς ἐξουσίας τοῦ ἀέρος, τοῦ πνεύματος τοῦ νῦν ἐνεργοῦντος ἐν τοῖς υἱοῖς τῆς ἀπειθείας·

Wherein in moment past you walked according to the course of this age, according to the prince of the authority of the air, the inner life that now worketh in genuine offspring of disobedience:.

KJV Wherein 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:

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

Three powers controlled the pre-Christian life: (1) ton aiōna tou kosmou toutou ('the age/course of this world') — the present evil age's value system; (2) ton archonta tēs exousias tou aeros ('the ruler of the power of the air') — a personal spiritual adversary; (3) the spirit (pneuma) at work in 'the children of disobedience' (tois huiois tēs apeitheias — a Hebraism meaning 'those characterized by disobedience'). The 'air' (aeros) was believed in ancient cosmology to be the domain of spiritual beings between earth and heaven.

Ephesians 2:3

ἐν οἷς καὶ ἡμεῖς πάντες ἀνεστράφημέν ποτε ἐν ταῖς ἐπιθυμίαις τῆς σαρκὸς ἡμῶν ποιοῦντες τὰ θελήματα τῆς σαρκὸς καὶ τῶν διανοιῶν, καὶ ἤμεθα τέκνα φύσει ὀργῆς ὡς καὶ οἱ λοιποί·

Among them we all also once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and we were by nature children of wrath, just like the rest of humanity.

KJV Among 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.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

The shift from 'you' (Gentiles, vv. 1-2) to 'we all' (hēmeis pantes, including Jewish believers) universalizes the indictment — everyone, Jew and Gentile alike, was in the same condition. The phrase tekna physei orgēs ('children by nature of wrath') means that this condition was not incidental but inherent — humanity's default state. The word orgēs ('wrath') refers to God's settled opposition to sin, not emotional anger. The universality ('just like the rest') prevents any Jewish claim to exemption.

Ephesians 2:4

ὁ δὲ θεὸς πλούσιος ὢν ἐν ἐλέει, διὰ τὴν πολλὴν ἀγάπην αὐτοῦ ἣν ἠγάπησεν ἡμᾶς,

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,

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

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

The two-word pivot ho de theos ('but God') is among the most dramatic transitions in Scripture. After the comprehensive indictment of verses 1-3, the subject changes from human failure to divine initiative. God's mercy is not scarce but plousios ('rich, abundant, overflowing'). The motive is agapē — not human merit or potential but God's own love. The verb ēgapēsen ('he loved') is aorist, pointing to the definitive act of love in Christ.

Ephesians 2:5

καὶ ὄντας ἡμᾶς νεκροὺς τοῖς παραπτώμασιν συνεζωοποίησεν τῷ Χριστῷ — χάριτί ἐστε σεσῳσμένοι —

Not even when we were no longer alive in wrongdoings, has quickened us together with Christ, (by grace you are saved;).

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

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

The main verb finally arrives: synezōopoiēsen ('made alive together with'). The syn- prefix ('together with') is the first of three 'co-' verbs (made alive with, raised with, seated with) that define the believer's participation in Christ's experience. The parenthetical chariti este sesōsmenoi ('by grace you have been saved') is a compressed version of verses 8-9, inserted as if Paul cannot wait to state the principle. The perfect participle sesōsmenoi ('having been saved and remaining saved') indicates a completed action with permanent results.

Ephesians 2:6

καὶ συνήγειρεν καὶ συνεκάθισεν ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ,

Has raised us up as one, and fashioned us take a seat together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:.

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

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

The second and third 'co-' verbs: synēgeiren ('raised together with') and synekathisen ('seated together with'). What happened to Christ (1:20) has happened to believers 'in Christ.' The present tense of the believer's existence is described in past tenses — they have already been raised and seated. This is 'realized eschatology': the believer's spiritual position is already in the heavenly places, even while they live on earth. The en Christō Iēsou ('in Christ Jesus') is the key — apart from Christ, none of this is real.

Ephesians 2:7

ἵνα ἐνδείξηται ἐν τοῖς αἰῶσιν τοῖς ἐπερχομένοις τὸ ὑπερβάλλον πλοῦτος τῆς χάριτος αὐτοῦ ἐν χρηστότητι ἐφ' ἡμᾶς ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ.

Indeed, that in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us by way of Christ Jesus.

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

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

The purpose of salvation extends into eternity: God saved us to put his grace on permanent display. The phrase en tois aiōsin tois eperchomenois ('in the ages that are coming upon us') indicates endless future ages — an infinite gallery in which redeemed humanity is the exhibit of divine grace. The verb endeixētai ('might display, might demonstrate, might prove') was used for putting evidence on display in a courtroom. The saved are God's evidence of grace.

Ephesians 2:8

τῇ γὰρ χάριτί ἐστε σεσῳσμένοι διὰ πίστεως· καὶ τοῦτο οὐκ ἐξ ὑμῶν, θεοῦ τὸ δῶρον·

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not from yourselves; it is the gift of God,

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

Notes & Key Terms 1 term

Key Terms

χάρις charis

"grace" — grace, favor, gift, kindness, gratitude

Unmerited divine favor. In this context, grace is the cause of salvation — God's free, unearned decision to save. The entire salvation-by-grace-through-faith arrangement is itself a gift.

Translator Notes

This verse is the compressed theological center of Ephesians and one of the most important soteriological statements in the New Testament. The dative tē chariti ('by grace') indicates the ground or basis. The prepositional phrase dia pisteōs ('through faith') indicates the means or channel. The phrase kai touto ouk ex hymōn ('and this not from yourselves') has been debated: what does 'this' (touto, neuter) refer to? Since both charis and pistis are feminine, touto likely refers to the entire salvific event — the grace-faith-salvation complex — rather than to faith alone. Theou to dōron ('God's gift') is emphatic by position: the gift belongs to God, not to human effort.

Ephesians 2:9

οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων, ἵνα μή τις καυχήσηται.

Indeed, not of works, lest any man should boast.

KJV Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

The negative ouk ex ergōn ('not from works') excludes human effort as the basis for salvation. The purpose clause hina mē tis kauchēsetai ('so that no one might boast') reveals the reason for the exclusion: salvation by works would create grounds for human pride. Grace eliminates boasting by making salvation entirely God's initiative. This echoes Romans 3:27 ('Where then is boasting? It is excluded.').

Ephesians 2:10

αὐτοῦ γάρ ἐσμεν ποίημα, κτισθέντες ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ ἐπὶ ἔργοις ἀγαθοῖς οἷς προητοίμασεν ὁ θεός, ἵνα ἐν αὐτοῖς περιπατήσωμεν.

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared in advance so that we would walk in them.

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

Notes & Key Terms 1 term

Key Terms

ποίημα poiēma

"workmanship" — thing made, creation, workmanship, masterpiece, work of art

From poieō ('to make, to create'). The word emphasizes God as the artisan and believers as the artwork. English 'poem' derives from this word. Salvation is God's creative act, not human achievement.

Translator Notes

The word poiēma ('workmanship, thing made, masterpiece') is from poieō ('to make') — we get 'poem' from this word. Believers are God's crafted work, his artistic creation. The verb ktisthentes ('having been created') is creation language — salvation is new creation, not self-improvement. Good works are the purpose (epi ergois agathois, 'for good works') but not the cause of salvation. The verb proētoimasen ('prepared beforehand, pre-arranged') indicates that even the good works were divinely planned — believers walk a path God laid out before they existed.

Ephesians 2:11

Διὸ μνημονεύετε ὅτι ποτὲ ὑμεῖς τὰ ἔθνη ἐν σαρκί, οἱ λεγόμενοι ἀκροβυστία ὑπὸ τῆς λεγομένης περιτομῆς ἐν σαρκὶ χειροποιήτου,

Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh — called "the uncircumcision" by what is called "the circumcision," which is performed in the flesh by human hands —

KJV Wherefore 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;

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

The section shifts from the individual experience of salvation (vv. 1-10) to its corporate, ethnic dimension: Jew-Gentile reconciliation. The verb mnēmoneuete ('remember') is an imperative — they must not forget where they came from. The labels 'uncircumcision' and 'circumcision' are introduced with double irony: both are 'called' (legomenoi) these names — they are conventional labels. The modifier cheiropoiētou ('made by hands') subtly relativizes physical circumcision — it is a human-made distinction (cf. 'not made by hands' in Colossians 2:11).

Ephesians 2:12

ὅτι ἦτε τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ χωρὶς Χριστοῦ, ἀπηλλοτριωμένοι τῆς πολιτείας τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ καὶ ξένοι τῶν διαθηκῶν τῆς ἐπαγγελίας, ἐλπίδα μὴ ἔχοντες καὶ ἄθεοι ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ.

That at that occasion you were apart from Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and apart from God in the world.

KJV 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:

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

Five deprivations are listed: (1) chōris Christou ('without Christ, separated from the Messiah'); (2) apēllotriōmenoi tēs politeias tou Israēl ('alienated from Israel's citizenship' — excluded from the covenant community); (3) xenoi tōn diathēkōn tēs epangelias ('strangers to the covenants of promise' — the plural 'covenants' likely includes the Abrahamic, Mosaic, and Davidic); (4) elpida mē echontes ('having no hope'); (5) atheoi en tō kosmō ('without God in the world' — atheoi means 'godless,' the only use of this word in the New Testament). The catalog moves from the theological (no Messiah) to the existential (no hope, no God).

Ephesians 2:13

νυνὶ δὲ ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ ὑμεῖς οἵ ποτε ὄντες μακρὰν ἐγενήθητε ἐγγὺς ἐν τῷ αἵματι τοῦ Χριστοῦ.

But now in Christ Jesus, you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

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

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

The pivot nyni de ('but now') parallels the 'but God' of verse 4. The far/near language (makran/engys) echoes Isaiah 57:19 ('Peace, peace, to the far and to the near'). In Jewish usage, 'those who are far' referred to Gentiles, 'those who are near' to Israel. The instrument of this approach is en tō haimati tou Christou ('by the blood of Christ') — Christ's sacrificial death removes the barrier. The verb egenēthēte ('you were made, you became') indicates a definitive change of status.
[TCR Cross-Reference] References Isaiah 57:19 — the TCR OT rendering of that text provides the Hebrew source and explains the translation decisions involved.

Ephesians 2:14

Αὐτὸς γάρ ἐστιν ἡ εἰρήνη ἡμῶν, ὁ ποιήσας τὰ ἀμφότερα ἓν καὶ τὸ μεσότοιχον τοῦ φραγμοῦ λύσας, τὴν ἔχθραν, ἐν τῇ σαρκὶ αὐτοῦ,

For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the dividing wall of hostility, in his flesh,

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

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

Christ is not merely the peacemaker but is himself hē eirēnē hēmōn ('our peace'). The phrase ta amphotera hen ('the two things one') refers to Jew and Gentile made into a single entity. The mesotoichon tou phragmou ('the middle wall of the partition/fence') likely alludes to the physical barrier in the Jerusalem temple — the soreg, a stone wall with inscriptions in Greek and Latin warning Gentiles that crossing it meant death. Archaeologists have recovered two of these inscriptions. Christ's body (en tē sarki autou) is the instrument of demolition. The word echthran ('hostility, enmity') is in apposition to 'the wall' — the wall is the hostility.

Ephesians 2:15

τὸν νόμον τῶν ἐντολῶν ἐν δόγμασιν καταργήσας, ἵνα τοὺς δύο κτίσῃ ἐν αὐτῷ εἰς ἕνα καινὸν ἄνθρωπον ποιῶν εἰρήνην

By his sacrifice he set aside the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create one new humanity out of two groups, making peace.

KJV Having 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;

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

The phrase ton nomon tōn entolōn en dogmasin ('the law of the commandments in/consisting of ordinances') specifies what was abolished: the law in its function as a barrier between Jew and Gentile — the specific regulations (dogmasin, 'decrees, ordinances') that separated the two communities. The verb katargēsas ('having rendered inoperative, having abolished') is strong. The purpose is creation: ktisē ('might create') — the same verb used for divine creation. The 'one new humanity' (hena kainon anthrōpon) is not Jews becoming Gentiles or Gentiles becoming Jews, but a new category entirely. The word kainos ('new in kind') indicates something unprecedented.

Ephesians 2:16

καὶ ἀποκαταλλάξῃ τοὺς ἀμφοτέρους ἐν ἑνὶ σώματι τῷ θεῷ διὰ τοῦ σταυροῦ, ἀποκτείνας τὴν ἔχθραν ἐν αὐτῷ.

That he might reconcile both to God in one body by the cross, after slain the enmity thereby:.

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

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

The verb apokatallaxē ('might fully reconcile') has the double prefix apo-kata- intensifying the reconciliation — thorough, complete restoration. The reconciliation is double: horizontal (Jew with Gentile, 'both') and vertical (both groups with God, tō theō). The instrument is the cross (dia tou staurou). The phrase apokteiras tēn echthran en autō ('having killed the enmity in/by it') is brilliantly paradoxical: on the cross, Christ was killed, but the enmity was the real casualty. The hostility died with Christ.

Ephesians 2:17

καὶ ἐλθὼν εὐηγγελίσατο εἰρήνην ὑμῖν τοῖς μακρὰν καὶ εἰρήνην τοῖς ἐγγύς·

And he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.

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

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

Paul echoes Isaiah 57:19 ('Peace, peace, to the far and to the near'). The repetition of eirēnēn ('peace') — once for each group — emphasizes that the same peace is offered to both. Christ's 'coming' (elthōn) may refer to his earthly ministry, his post-resurrection appearances, or his coming through the apostolic proclamation. The far/near categories of verse 13 return: Gentiles (far) and Jews (near) both receive the same gospel of peace.
[TCR Cross-Reference] Draws on Isaiah 57:19. Consult the TCR rendering of that passage for the underlying Hebrew and the rationale for key translation choices.

Ephesians 2:18

ὅτι δι' αὐτοῦ ἔχομεν τὴν προσαγωγὴν οἱ ἀμφότεροι ἐν ἑνὶ πνεύματι πρὸς τὸν πατέρα.

For by way of him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.

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

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

The verse is implicitly Trinitarian: through Christ (di' autou), in the Spirit (en heni pneumati), to the Father (pros ton patera). The word prosagōgē ('access, introduction, approach') was used for being formally introduced into the presence of a king. Both Jew and Gentile now have royal audience with the Father — through the same Christ, by the same Spirit. The word amphoteroi ('both') is emphatic: neither group has privileged access.

Ephesians 2:19

ἄρα οὖν οὐκέτι ἐστὲ ξένοι καὶ πάροικοι ἀλλὰ ἐστὲ συμπολῖται τῶν ἁγίων καὶ οἰκεῖοι τοῦ θεοῦ,

So then, you are no longer strangers and aliens, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of God's household,

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

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

The status change reverses verse 12: xenoi ('strangers') becomes sympolītai ('fellow citizens'); paroikoi ('resident aliens, sojourners without full rights') becomes oikeioi tou theou ('members of God's household, family members'). The movement is from outsider to insider, from excluded to integrated. The two images — citizenship and household — combine political and familial belonging.

Ephesians 2:20

ἐποικοδομηθέντες ἐπὶ τῷ θεμελίῳ τῶν ἀποστόλων καὶ προφητῶν, ὄντος ἀκρογωνιαίου αὐτοῦ Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ,

Are built upon the foundation of the messengers and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone.

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

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

The building metaphor begins. The themelion ('foundation') is 'of the apostles and prophets' — likely meaning the foundation that the apostles and prophets laid (their teaching), though some read it as the foundation consisting of the apostles and prophets themselves. The akrogōniaios ('cornerstone' or 'capstone') is the stone that determines the alignment of the entire structure. Whether this is a foundation cornerstone (setting the building's angle) or a capstone (crowning the arch) is debated; either way, Christ is the structurally decisive element.

Ephesians 2:21

ἐν ᾧ πᾶσα οἰκοδομὴ συναρμολογουμένη αὔξει εἰς ναὸν ἅγιον ἐν κυρίῳ,

In whom every one of the building fitly framed together groweth to an holy temple in the Lord:.

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

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

The verb synarmologoumenē ('being fitted together, being joined together') is an architectural term for precisely joining stones without mortar — each piece is cut to fit. The present tense indicates ongoing construction. The verb auxei ('grows') is striking — buildings do not normally grow. The mixture of architectural and organic metaphors (fitted structure that grows) suggests a living building. The goal is naon hagion ('a holy temple') — the church replaces the Jerusalem temple as God's dwelling place. The word naos (inner sanctuary) rather than hieron (whole temple complex) specifies the most sacred space.

Ephesians 2:22

ἐν ᾧ καὶ ὑμεῖς συνοικοδομεῖσθε εἰς κατοικητήριον τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν πνεύματι.

In whom you also are builded together for an habitation of God by way of the Spirit.

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

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

The verb synoikodomeisthe ('you are being built together') has the syn- prefix again — Gentile believers are co-built with Jewish believers into a single structure. The word katoikētērion ('dwelling place, permanent residence') is stronger than paroikia ('temporary lodging'). God does not visit this temple — he lives there. The phrase en pneumati ('by/in the Spirit') identifies the Spirit as the agent or atmosphere of this construction. The chapter ends where it began — with God's initiative — but the focus has shifted from individual salvation (vv. 1-10) to corporate, cosmic reconciliation (vv. 11-22).

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