The Bible — World English Bible

Ephesians 2

In brief

Ephesians 2 describes what God has done for people who were spiritually dead: by grace and through faith, he has made them alive with Christ. Paul emphasizes that this salvation is a gift, not the fruit of works, but that it leads to good works prepared beforehand. In the second part, he shows that Christ has broken down the wall that separated Jews and Gentiles, to make one people, the household of God, with Jesus as the cornerstone.

The chapter in 5 parts

  1. v. 1-3Dead in our transgressions and sins
  2. v. 4-7But God, rich in mercy, makes us alive with Christ
  3. v. 8-10Saved by grace, through faith, for good works
  4. v. 11-18Christ breaks down the wall and reconciles in one body
  5. v. 19-22Fellow citizens of the saints and God's temple

1You were made alive when you were dead in transgressions and sins,

2in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the children of disobedience.

3We also all once lived among them in the lusts of our flesh, doing the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.

4But God, being rich in mercy, for his great love with which he loved us,

5even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—

6and raised us up with him, and made us to sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

7that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus;

8for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,

9not of works, that no one would boast.

10For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before that we would walk in them.

11Therefore remember that once you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “uncircumcision” by that which is called “circumcision” (in the flesh, made by hands),

12that you 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.

13But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off are made near in the blood of Christ.

14For he is our peace, who made both one, and broke down the middle wall of separation,

15having abolished in his flesh the hostility, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man of the two, making peace,

16and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, having killed the hostility through it.

17He came and preached peace to you who were far off and to those who were near.

18For through him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father.

19So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and of the household of God,

20being built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief cornerstone;

21in whom the whole building, fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord;

22in whom you also are built together for a habitation of God in the Spirit.

Key verses

Verse 4-5
But God, being rich in mercy, for his great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—

The text pivots with the words 'But God.' Out of love and mercy, he gives life to those who were dead, before any change on their part.

Verse 8-9
for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, that no one would boast.

Salvation is God's gift received through faith, not the result of works. Paul thus rules out all pride: what you receive is not deserved.

Verse 10
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before that we would walk in them.

We are God's workmanship, created in Christ for good works that he prepared beforehand. The believer is not saved to remain passive: he receives a vocation. The verse also gives meaning to ordinary life, lived in service of others.

Verse 14
For he is our peace, who made both one, and broke down the middle wall of separation,

Christ is our peace: he has made the two peoples one and has broken down the wall of separation. Reconciliation with God passes through reconciliation between persons.

Verse 19-20
So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and of the household of God, being built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief cornerstone;

Gentiles are no longer strangers but members of God's household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Jesus Christ as the cornerstone.

Bible verses to meditate on

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What the sermons say

Staying Amazed at What God Has Done (Ephesians 2)Stephane Guillet walks through Ephesians 2:1-10 and invites you to keep the sense of wonder: from the reality 'you were dead' to the pivot 'But God' to the good works prepared beforehand.Read the summary →Saved by Grace, Made for the Good Works God Already PreparedThis message dwells on verses 8 to 10: saved by grace alone, not by what you produce, for a purpose, to accomplish good works prepared beforehand.Read the summary →Reconciled Church: Find Your Place in ChristOn Ephesians 2:11-22, Stephane Guillet shows the church as the place where reconciliation becomes visible and poses two questions: who am I, and what is my place?Read the summary →

Frequently asked questions about Ephesians 2

What does it mean to be saved by grace, through faith?

Paul explains that salvation is a gift from God and not the fruit of works. Grace is God's undeserved favor; faith is the trust that receives it. Good works come next, as a consequence of new life. Christian traditions emphasize the role of faith and works differently, but this teaching is foundational for Protestants.

What does Ephesians 2:10 mean?

The verse affirms that we are God's workmanship, created in Jesus Christ for good works that God prepared beforehand, that we should do them. The believer is not saved to remain passive: he receives a vocation. The verse also gives meaning to ordinary life, lived in service of others.

What is the wall of separation in Ephesians 2?

Paul speaks of the wall that separated Jews and Gentiles, linked to the law and its precepts. By his death, Christ put an end to this hostility and made the two peoples one body reconciled to God. The text invites today to transcend divisions between believers of different cultures.

What is the cornerstone in Ephesians 2:20?

The cornerstone is the stone that gives alignment to the entire building. Paul says that Jesus Christ holds this place in God's house, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets. The church therefore stands by him, and each believer is like a living stone fitted into the whole.

Articles quoting Ephesians 2

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World English Bible translation — public domain.