Bible Commentaries

John Brown

Ephesians 2:1-3 (NKJV) And you [He] [made] [alive], who were dead in trespasses 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 sons of disobedience,

3among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.

1. The "you" Paul is making reference to in verse1 , is specifically the Gentiles!

a) But you will remember that when scripture refers to the Gentiles, it most always is symbolic of the unredeemed sinner!

(1) Ephesians 2:4-7 (NKJV) But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,

5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

6 and raised [us] up together, and made [us] sit together in the heavenly [places] in Christ Jesus,

7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in [His] kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

1. Remember "grace" is getting what we don"t deserve, while "mercy" is = "not getting what we do deserve"!

a) We deserved death for our sins, but because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ

(1) And that, without a doubt is "getting what we don"t deserve = grace!!

2. In verse6 Paul tells us what Jesus did and in verse7 he tell us why He did it.

a) Jesus made us spiritually alive, when we were spiritually dead and gave us all the riches of heaven!

b) And the reason He did it, was so that He could show how "exceedingly" rich His grace is toward us because of His Son!

(1) And that will be an eternal testimony!!

C. Ephesians 2:8 (NKJV) For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; [it] [is] the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.

1. Our salvation comes as a result of our faith in Jesus Christ!

a) Instead of getting what we deserve (death), salvation is getting what we don"t deserve! (forgiveness and eternity).

b) The "grace" that Paul speaks of here, nor even the "faith" to believe in Christ originated with us!

(1) It all comes from the heart of our Savior!

(2) If it wasn"t a completely "free" gift then we would feel that we "earned" it somehow.

(3) And if we could earn it we would boast about it!

(4) This way, with God's plan, all we can do is love Him for doing what was impossible for us!

D. Ephesians 2:10 (NKJV) For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

1. The word "workmanship" means = "a thing that has been made"

a) Matthew 5:16 (NKJV) "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

b) Colossians 1:10 (NKJV) that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing [Him], being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;

c) 1 Peter 2:12 (NKJV) having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by [your] good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.

E. Ephesians 2:11-12 (NKJV) Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh--who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands--

12that at that time you 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.

1. Paul reminds them that as Gentiles they were not only looked down upon by the Jews but they were without the promises given to Abraham and alienated from God entirely!

F. Ephesians 2:13-18 (NKJV) But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

14For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation,

15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, [that] [is], the law of commandments [contained] in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man [from] the two, [thus] making peace,

16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity.

17 (NKJV) And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near.

18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.

1. Jesus has made Jew and Gentile one!

a) The wall that existed in the Temple that separated the two races has been removed.

(1) It has been replaced with a bridge which is the cross of Christ!

(2) The two have become one spiritually!!

G. Ephesians 2:19-22 (NKJV) Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,

20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner[stone],

21in whom the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord,

22in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

1. After salvation we are "strangers" and "foreigners" in this world, but no longer in the household of God!

a) We become "citizens", "saints", and "members" of that household!!

2. And while Paul is on the subject of a building, he makes sure that we understand that Jesus is at the very foundation of it all!!

a) That the Apostles build upon the foundation that Jesus Himself laid with His own life.

(1) The cool part about this building that Paul refers to is that it is "alive!!!

(2) It is a living building as Christ lives in each and every one of us through His Holy Spirit.

(3) May we do "good works" and live in such a way as to bring honor and glory to One whom designed the greatest living building of all eternity- HIS CHURCH!

Watching a trapeze show is breathtaking. We wonder at the dexterity and timing. We gasp at near-misses. In most cases, there is a net underneath. When they fall, they jump up and bounce back to the trapeze. In Christ, we live on the trapeze. The whole world should be able to watch and say, "Look how they live, how they love one another. Look how well the husbands treat their wives. And aren"t they the best workers in the factories and offices, the best neighbors, the best students?" That is to live on the trapeze, being a show to the world. What happens when we slip? The net is surely there. The blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ, has provided forgiveness for ALL our trespasses. Both the net and the ability to stay on the trapeze are works of God's grace. Of course, we cannot be continually sleeping on the net, If that is the case, I doubt whether that person is a trapeze artist at all. Juan Carlos Ortiz.