This chapter begins with Paul reminding us of four things.
1. They were spiritually dead, Ephesians 2:1.
2. They were subject to Satan, although this doesn’t have to be a conscious experience, Ephesians 2:2.
3. Bound by fleshly passions, Ephesians 2:3.
4. Being under condemnation, Ephesians 2:3.
Paul says they were dead spiritually, Ephesians 2:1 / 1 Timothy 5:6 / Revelation 3:1.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘There is a world of difference in being dead in sins, as here, and being dead to sin in Christ Jesus. Those in Christ are legally dead to sin, in the sense of being free of the penalty of it, through the death of Christ.’
Wiersbe, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The unbeliever is not sick; he is dead! He does not need resuscitation; he needs resurrection. All lost sinners are dead, and the only difference between one sinner and another is the state of decay.’
The word ‘transgressions’, Ephesians 2:1, in Greek is ‘paraptoma’, and it means a false step, a step aside. The word sins, Ephesians 2:1, in Greek is the word ‘harmatia’. They were ruled by Satan, hence why Paul uses the past tense, ‘used to live,’ Ephesians 2:2, which is ‘peripates’, in Greek and means how they behaved.
The word ‘world’, Ephesians 2:2, is ‘kosmos’ in Greek, and is normally used to speak about the present sinful order, John 8:38 / John 9:39 / John 12:25 / John 12:31 / John 17:11 / John 18:36.
The Prince or ruler, Ephesians 2:2, is the Greek word, ‘archon’, which means ruler of the world, John 14:13 / John 14:16. Which is an obvious reference to Satan, 2 Corinthians 4:4 / John 14:30 / John 16:11.
The words ‘the ruler of the kingdom of the air’ is speaking of Satan ruling, appearing to be ruling in the heavenly realms, but God will always have the upper hand.
He will allow the disobedient to operate under His authority as long as He wants, Ephesians 2:2. The ‘sons of disobedience’ refer to those who are walking in the ways of the world, unlike the Christian way of walking.
The word ‘cravings’, Ephesians 2:3, is the Greek word ‘epithumia’, and it means a strong desire, more often in a bad sense, but it can also be used in a good sense. The word ‘flesh’ is the Greek word ‘sarx’. We used to live like this; it felt good, so we did it. Our behaviour starts in our minds, and we shouldn’t live our lives with sinful thoughts.
‘Orge’ is the Greek word for wrath, Ephesians 2:3 / Ephesians 5:6 / Romans 1:18 / Colossians 3:6 / 1 Thessalonians 1:10 / John 3:36. The words ‘we are by nature deserving of wrath’ describe our state before we were born new.
There is no reference to the birth of parenthood in this passage, Ephesians 2:3. Some people use this verse to say that we inherit the sins from Adam, but it’s our decision to do what we do. We can either be sinful and let ourselves be ruled by Satan or God.
Barclay, in his commentary, says the following.
‘These first three verses have a description of life without Christ, the same being: 1. a life lived on the world’s standards and with the world’s values; 2. a life under the dictates of the prince of powers of the air; 3. a life of disobedience; 4. a life at the mercy of desire. ‘To succumb to that desire is inevitably to come to disaster.’ 5. a life that follows the desires of the flesh, and 6. a life which deserves only the wrath of God. To this list there should also be added: It is a life which follows the desires of the mind’, Ephesians 2:3. The unregenerated mind itself is at enmity with God; and the imaginations of it are a source of rebellion against God.’
Here’s the difference God makes.
1. He made us alive together with Christ, Ephesians 2:4-5 / Colossians 2:13.
2. He raised us up with Him, that is, buried and raised up with Him, Ephesians 2:6 / Romans 6:3-4.
3. He has placed us in the heavenly places and seated us with Him, Ephesians 2:6.
4. He will show the riches of His grace, Ephesians 2:7.
In Ephesians 2:4, the E.S.V. says ‘But God’, which means He changed everything. They laid Him in a tomb, ‘but God did this, Acts 13:29. They did this, but God did that.
All people who aren’t in Christ are in the same situation; they are in the same boat, but because we’ve obeyed the Gospel, we died like Him, were buried like Him and raised to a new life like Him, Ephesians 2:5 / Romans 4:17 / Romans 6:3-4.
Lipscomb, in his commentary, says the following concerning Ephesians 2:5.
‘We are already saved from our past sins, but we must continue faithful to the end; for the Saviour says, ‘Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee the crown of life’, Revelation 2:10.’
The word ‘dead’, Ephesians 2:5, is ‘nekros’ in Greek, and it means the body without the spirit is dead, James 2:26. Physical bodies die and rot, there they go from dust to dust, Genesis 3:19. Death is the separation of our spirit from God, hence we die spiritually.
How does He make us alive together with Christ? Ephesians 2:5. When we simply obey the Gospel in response to God’s loving act of grace. We’re raised with Christ to walk in the newness of life, Ephesians 2:6 / Romans 6:3-6 / Colossians 2:12 / Galatians 3:26-27. It’s God who makes us alive.
We were ‘raised up’, Ephesians 2:6, when we were raised from the grave of baptism to reign with Christ, Romans 5:17 / Romans 6:3-6 / Colossians 2:12-13. Without a burial, there can be no resurrection.
Constable, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Note that Ephesians 2:1-3 describe what we were in the past, Ephesians 2:4-6, what we are in the present, and Ephesians 2:7, what we shall be in the future.’
Since the arrival of Jesus, God’s expression of love to mankind through Jesus will be a continual witness of His kindness and grace, Ephesians 2:7 / Titus 3:4. God’s grace is like the sea, Ephesians 2:7.
If we try to empty the sea, we will soon discover it’s impossible, Romans 2:4 / Romans 11:22 / Titus 3:4-5. In Christ, we have a demonstration of His kindness, Ephesians 2:7.
The justice of God demonstrates that He has stretched His mercy to all those who seek Him by faith, Romans 9:23 / Romans 11:31-32 / Romans 15:9-12 / 1 Peter 1:3 / Titus 3:3-7.
Why has He stretched His mercy out to all who seek Him? Simply because of His great love for us, Ephesians 2:4 / John 3:16 / Romans 5:8 / Romans 8:39 / 2 Peter 3:9 / 1 John 4:9-10. Mercy isn’t given to us because of debt, but out of love and mercy. His mercy isn’t something that we merit according to law; it’s given out of love.
When we truly understand what God has done to bring us out of sin and how hopeless we were, it’s then that we begin to understand how much He loves us, John 3:16 / Romans 5:6-8.
He didn’t wait until we were kind of righteous to show us how much He loves us. He loved us even when we were still sinners, Romans 5:8. We’ve been made alive with Christ because of God’s grace, Ephesians 2:5, not because any of us deserve His grace or have earned it, Romans 5:6-10.
We must remember that grace, in and of itself, doesn’t save anyone; grace opens the way up for us to be saved, but we need other things to be saved. In Galatians 3:26-27, Paul mentions faith, and I’m sure that everyone would agree we need faith to be saved, Mark 16:16 / Galatians 2:16.
If I were to ask you if you repented of your sins before you became a Christian, what would you say? If you said yes, then you clearly weren’t saved by grace alone, were you? Luke 13:3 / Acts 2:38.
If I were to ask you if you confessed Christ as your Lord, what would you say? If you said yes, then you clearly weren’t saved by grace alone, were you? Romans 10:9.
Time and time again, I hear people say that we’re not saved by our works, and I totally agree with that, Titus 3:5, but this doesn’t mean, as some suggest, that all works, of every kind, are excluded from the salvation process.
Here’s a question: Is faith a work? Yes, yes and yes again, John 6:29. Notice that ‘believe is a work of God,’ not man. The expression ‘work of God’ means the works required and approved by God.
Here’s another question, is baptism a work? Yes, yes and yes again, Colossians 2:12. Notice again that ‘baptism is a work of God,’ not man. Baptism isn’t a work of human merit; it’s an act that has been commanded by God, Acts 10:48 / Acts 2:38. The resurrection, which happens when we come up out of the waters of baptism, is a work of God, not man’s, Romans 6:3-4.
I find it interesting that people claim that baptism is some kind of work of merit, but when I look at the salvation ‘process’ found within the Scriptures, I see that ‘believe’ is something a person has to do on their own because nobody else can believe for them, Mark 16:16.
I see that ‘repentance’ is something that a person has to do on their own because nobody else can repent for them, Acts 2:38. I see that ‘confessing Jesus as the Christ’ is something that a person has to do on their own because nobody else can confess for them, Romans 10:9. And yet, when it comes to ‘baptism’, this is something which has to be done for you! 1 Corinthians 12:13.
Are we saved by grace alone? Yes, yes and yes again! Are we saved by human merit? No, no and no again! Did we do anything to save ourselves? Well, yes and no! Yes, because Peter said, ‘Save yourselves,’ Acts 2:41. Well, how did we save ourselves? We go back to the question the Jews asked Peter, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’ Acts 2:37.
In Acts 16, we find the Philippian jailer asking the same question, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ Acts 16:30. Surely the word ‘do’ implies an action, something to be done.
So, we did do something to ‘save ourselves’, but at the same time, we didn’t do anything to ‘save ourselves’ because Jesus did it all for us. In other words, because of Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection, He made it possible for us to save ourselves.
That’s what grace does, grace opens the door for us to enter so that we can be saved. The question is, will we enter through that door to receive salvation? John 10:9 / John 14:6.
If I were to tell you I had a brand-new house built for you in London. It’s my free gift to you, but in order for you to own it, you must go to London. But as you make your way to London, you must get on three trains, one bus and a taxi, or I can’t give you this gift. Now imagine you accepted my free gift and you got on three trains, one bus and a taxi to London.
Did you earn that gift? No, it was my free gift to give. Did you have to do anything to receive that gift? Yes, you had to get on three trains, one bus and a taxi to London.
Would I have given you the free gift if you only used two trains, one bus and a taxi? No! Why? Because my instructions were for you to use three trains, one bus and a taxi.
Salvation can never be merited, it can never be earned, and it can never be deserved, Ephesians 2:8. Some say we’re saved through grace only, but this simply isn’t true, as God demands obedience too, James 2:14-26.
In 2 Kings 5:9-14, we see that Naaman has to immerse himself seven times in the River Jordan in order to be healed of his leprosy. God promised him that when he immerses himself seven times in the Jordan, he will be healed. It had nothing to do with earning his healing, Romans 5:5-8.
There’s nothing we can do which will provide salvation. What we do enables us to receive salvation, but we don’t earn it, and because we don’t earn it, we can’t boast about our good works, Ephesians 2:8-9.
If you fall off the boat and almost drown, and somebody throws you a rope and says take the rope and he pulls you in, you didn’t earn your salvation. You had to believe in the rope, that it would save you. Why grab the rope if you don’t believe it could save you?
In Ephesians 2:1-3, Paul reminds us of who we were and what we deserved and in Ephesians 2:4-10, Paul reminds us of everything God has done for us. He makes us alive, He raises us up, He seats us with Christ, He saves us, and He has good works for us to do.
When we think about our identity, we’re not only identified as Christians, we’re also identified as ‘God’s handiwork’, Ephesians 2:10. The KJV uses the word ‘workmanship’, which in Greek is the word ‘poiema’; this means that as Christians, we are God’s poetry in motion.
Think about what being God’s handiwork means! Allow those words to sink into your heart and mind! Imagine the God who created the heavens and the earth and everything within them, also created you!
The God who created the mountains and rivers, the God who created the whales and the ants, took special care to create you! He made us with His own hands and oversaw every detail, Psalm 139:13 / Psalm 139:15.
Unlike what the evolutionists teach us, God says we’re no accident; He purposely created every one of us. He did so because He loves us and wants us to have a relationship with Him. He created us so that we will be obedient to Him, praise Him for creating us and thank Him for everything He has done and continues to do for us.
In the art world, many people call their finished work a ‘masterpiece’, and they go on to sign it so that everyone knows who the artist was. In a sense, God calls us His ‘masterpiece’, and He proudly puts His signature on our lives. You can buy certain copies of that masterpiece, but the truth is, there’s only one original.
In the same way, when God created us, He created us as originals; there’s only one of you, you’re absolutely unique from everyone else. We all have different personalities, we all have different abilities, and we have different gifts and desires. God has constructed you to be something so useful and valuable to Him.
Although we recognise that God wonderfully created human beings, we need to remember that the text we’re dealing with is addressing Christians, Ephesians 2:10.
Only a Christian can do the good things that He has planned for them to do, only those who’ve been renewed in Christ can fulfil His purpose. The question is, what is His purpose for Christians?
Remember, we’ve been created not BY good works, but FOR good works, Ephesians 2:10. We’re not saved by works of merit, we’re not saved just to enjoy our salvation, we’re saved because God has work for us to do, He wants to work through us to achieve His purposes.
We don’t work for our salvation, we work because of our salvation, 1 Corinthians 15:10, motivated along out of thankfulness for God’s grace, 2 Corinthians 4:15.
Doing good works is very important to God, they not only reflect what’s in our hearts but it’s also the basis for which a Christian will be judged on the Day of Judgment, Matthew 7:20-23 / Matthew 25:31-36 / 2 Corinthians 5:10 / Titus 2:14.
As Christians, we have been created anew in Christ through our obedience to the Gospel, Romans 6:4-5. We recognise that we owe all that we are to God, who gives us a reason for transforming our thinking and lives, Romans 12:1-2.
It’s by God’s grace and through faith in Christ Jesus that we want to live our lives in accordance with God’s will, Romans 3:31. God prepared in advance that those who are saved should be addicted to good works. Remember, we were created not only with skill but for His purpose.
Good works don’t give us salvation, but they are the result of our salvation. Notice that God prepared these good works for us to do, way in advance. He’s already planned what He wants us to do with our lives.
The good works are all those things we practice and do as Christians. This would be things like regularly attending worship, praying regularly, studying His Word, giving of our money, material goods or time.
It would also include things like mission work, outreach, taking care of the needy in our society, the orphans, widows, homeless and oppressed, loving our neighbour, etc.
But there’s more to it than those good works listed above; the original text literally says this, ‘which God prepared in advance so that we might walk in them.’
Paul is saying that Christians must walk and live a lifestyle that reflects whose handiwork we are. The good works involve the whole of the Christian, all that we do by God’s grace for God’s purposes, Romans 12:1 / Colossians 3:17.
It’s important to get involved in all the good works I mentioned earlier, but Paul is indicating that our good works must also be reflected in our workplace, our classrooms, our homes, our hobbies and interests, etc.
What a wonderful thought it is to remind ourselves that we are indeed God’s masterpiece, created anew in Christ Jesus. The next time you feel down or discouraged, just remember who you are and who your Creator is.
You are indeed God’s handiwork, created uniquely and purposely for doing all those good deeds He prepared for you long before you were born or even born again, John 9:4.
Hoehner, in his commentary, says the following.
‘God has prepared a path of good works for believers, which He will perform in and through them as they walk by faith. This does not mean doing a work for God; instead, it is God performing His work in and through believers.’
Paul encourages them to remember, which points back to their old life. They were formerly far off, spiritually they are now one new man, no longer Jew or Gentile, Ephesians 2:11.
Some Jews thought that Gentiles were just fuel for hell, Acts 10:28 / John 18:28. The Jews had to be circumcised by law, Genesis 17:9-11, but Jesus demands a different kind of circumcision, circumcision which is from the heart, Romans 2:25-29 / 1 Corinthians 7:19 / Colossians 2:11-12 / Galatians 5:6 / Galatians 6:15.
They were ‘foreigners’, Ephesians 2:12, they had nothing to do with the covenant, they were outside the covenant and the promises of God and they had no hope.
Beare, in his commentary, says the following about the words without God in the world.
‘When Polycarp, the aged bishop of Smyrna, was led into the arena before a howling multitude clamouring for his death, the Roman Procurator took pity on his grey hairs and invited him to save his life by renouncing Christ and saying, ‘Away with the atheists.’ (The pagans called the Christians atheists.) But Polycarp waved his hands toward the bloodthirsty throng in the arena, and cried, ‘Away with the atheists!’ thus turning the word back upon those who used it.’
We were near to that which we were separated, Ephesians 2:13 / Isaiah 57:19-21. We now have hope and the promises apply to us, Acts 2:38-39, but we’re still not Jewish. The good news was first preached to the Jews, Romans 1:16. Everything in the preparations for the Gospel to come was Jewish.
Our spiritual roots go back to Israel. We are also children of Abraham because we are his seed; we would be blessed, Genesis 12:1-3. If you belong to Christ, you are Abraham’s offspring. All this is possible because of the blood of Christ, Ephesians 2:13 / Matthew 26:28 / Romans 5:9 / 1 Peter 1:18-19 / Revelation 1:15.
There are no longer any differences. He made the two into one man. He didn’t make Jews into Gentiles or Gentiles into Jews; He made one new creature.
Bock, in his commentary, says the following.
‘This new institution (the church) does not dissolve ethnic distinctions, but displays reconciliation, with every believer equally qualified to share in the benefits of salvation and peace that emerge from the uniting of Jews and Gentiles into a new living community.’
The word ‘new’, Ephesians 2:15, is ‘kainos’ or ‘neos’ in Greek, which implies something which has recently come into existence. ‘Neos’ is used for just new, something which formerly existed and ‘kainos’ is used for something new in terms of something which never existed before.
The words ‘destroying the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility,’ Ephesians 2:14, refer to the stone partition within the temple. It was a stone wall that divided the court of the Gentiles from the other courts of the Temple. It had inscriptions written on it which forbade foreigners from passing. The Gentiles weren’t allowed to pass this wall.
Paul brought Gentiles into the temple, and Paul was preaching everywhere to everyone, Acts 21:27-29. Jesus abolished the law, commandments and regulations, Ephesians 2:15, and as a result, we aren’t bound by the Mosaic law, Hebrews 8:8-13.
This doesn’t mean that God is no longer concerned about these laws, because all the important things are repeated later by Jesus and are still binding within the New Testament.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following concerning Ephesians 2:15.
‘The thought here is similar to that in Hebrews 10:20, where the new and living way is said to have been opened up through the veil, that is to say, his flesh’.
Now we live under Christ’s authority and law, Romans 7:12 / Matthew 5:17-20 / Romans 3:31. The barrier which divided the Jews from the Gentiles had now gone, and now there is no division anymore. We no longer have to become Jews to be reconciled with God and the Jews; we now find our unity in Christ, Ephesians 2:15-16.
We are now one man and the enmity are put to death, we are now in one body, Christ’s body, Ephesians 2:16. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near, Ephesians 2:17. As Jesus lived on earth, He preached peace, Isaiah 57:19-21, and we also preach now to people and Christ speaks now through us to others.
Notice in Ephesians 2:18 that Christ, the Holy Spirit and the Father are all named in it. The word access is ‘prosagoge’, Ephesians 2:18. We can’t just go and visit the King of England and expect to have a meeting with him; we first need an invitation to go to the King. In Christ, we now have an invitation to meet and speak with God in Christ, Ephesians 2:18 / Hebrews 4:14-16.
Taylor, in his commentary, says the following.
‘There are no less than three metaphors of unity in Ephesians 2:19-21, expressed as: 1. common citizenship, 2. membership in a single household, and 3. mutual parts of one holy temple.’
We are no longer strangers, the Greek word is ‘xenoi’ but members of God’s household, Ephesians 2:19. The Gentiles were no longer afar off, Ephesians 2:12-13, they are now fellow citizens with God’s people, the church, Ephesians 2:19 / Galatians 6:10 / Philippians 3:20 / 1 Timothy 3:15 / Hebrews 3:6 / 1 Peter 4:17, they are joint members of the body of Christ.
The church is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Ephesians 2:20, because of the work of inspiration by the Holy Spirit.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘There are five foundations of the Christian faith mentioned in the New Testament: Number 1. The foundational teaching is composed of the teachings of Christ delivered through the apostles and prophets of the new dispensation, Matthew 7:24-26. Number 2. The foundational fact is that Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God, Matthew 16:13-20. Number 3. The foundation person is Jesus Christ our Lord, 1 Corinthians 3:11. Number 4. The foundational personnel were made up of the apostles and prophets of the New Testament, as revealed here. Number 5. The foundational doctrines of Christianity (six of these) are enumerated in Hebrews 6:1-2.’
Through the inspiration of the apostles, all truth was revealed, Ephesians 3:1-5 / John 14:25-26 / John 16:13 / 1 Corinthians 3:10-11 / Revelation 21:14. It was through the inspired teaching of the prophets that the truth was taught to all the churches.
Stott, in his commentary, says the following.
‘In practical terms, this means that the church is built on the New Testament Scriptures.’
When people constructed buildings in the past, the first thing which was laid was the cornerstone, and it was from that stone that everything else was measured and aligned.
In the church today, Christ is the cornerstone, Ephesians 2:20. We focus on Him and align our lives with His words, Psalm 118:22 / Matthew 21:42 / Mark 12:10 / Luke 20:17 / Romans 9:33 / 1 Peter 2:6.
The whole church is continually being fitted together, Ephesians 2:21, according to the spiritual measurements that come from Jesus, John 15:1-9 / 1 Peter 2:5. We are being continuously being built up in the Spirit to be homes of God.
The apostles and prophets revealed and preached the truth but the foundation upon which the church stands is Jesus; without Christ, there can be no Christianity. It’s in Him that the members grow into the holy temple, Ephesians 2:21.
The word temple, Ephesians 2:21, in Greek is ‘naos’, and it speaks about the inner sanctuary, the whole temple. We are a dwelling place for God, we are a holy temple in which God resides, Ephesians 2:22 / 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 / 2 Corinthians 6:16.