ESV Global Study Bible :: Footnotes for Ephesians 2

Eph. 2:1–10 Salvation by Grace through Faith. This section, like 1:3–14 and 1:15–23, is a single sentence in the original Greek. The main theme is that God gives his saving grace to Christians. There are two subsections: 2:1–3 and 2:4–10.

Eph. 2:1 you were dead. Human beings as sons and daughters of Adam enter the world spiritually dead. They have no inclination toward God. (Paul begins with this phrase then turns to other thoughts; he will return to this theme in v. 5.) trespasses. Violations of divine commandments. sins. Offenses against God in thought, word, or deed.

Eph. 2:2 prince . . . spirit. Satan dominates his human subjects. sons of disobedience. Compare “sons of this world” (Luke 16:8). They belong to the family of those who rebel against God.

Eph. 2:3 The sons and daughters of Adam have been born into a fallen state (by nature). They have earned God’s condemnation as children of wrath. Compare Ps. 51:5.

Eph. 2:5 when we were dead. Paul resumes his original thought from v. 1. made us alive. Since unsaved people are dead, they have to be made alive before they can believe. This is why salvation can only be by grace alone.

Eph. 2:6–7 raised us up with him. Because of Christ’s resurrection, those who believe in him are given new spiritual life. seated us with him in the heavenly places. God has allowed his people even now to share in a measure of Christ’s authority. He is seated at the right hand of God (see 1:20–22; 6:10–18).

Eph. 2:8 grace. God’s favor on those who have broken his law and sinned against him. God’s grace offers and secures salvation. saved. Delivered from God’s wrath at the final judgment (Rom. 5:9). The perfect tense of “have been saved” means that the Christian’s salvation is fully secured. through faith. Faith is confident trust and reliance upon Christ Jesus. this . . . is the gift of God. The pronoun “this” refers to the entire process of salvation by grace through faith; it is all a gift of God.

Eph. 2:9–10 Salvation is not by works. If it were, then those who are saved would get the glory. created . . . for good works. Salvation is not based on works, but the good works Christians do are the result of God’s new creation work in them.

Eph. 2:11–22 Unity and the Peace of Christ. Paul continues the new creation theme he introduced in v. 10. The focus shifts from God to Christ Jesus and his redemption. There are three subsections: vv. 11–15 and 16–18 and 19–22.

Eph. 2:11 the circumcision. That is, the Jews. To be called “uncircumcised” signified that one was a Gentile, outside the covenant people of God.

Eph. 2:12 To be separated from OT Israel was to be separated from Christ, because “salvation is from the Jews” (John 4:22; Rom. 9:4–5). strangers. See note on Eph. 2:19. In the OT, God redeemed people through his covenants of promise (compare Luke 1:72–73). The new covenant fulfills all God’s promises (2 Cor. 1:20; Heb. 8:6; 9:15). Note that Paul believed that all Gentiles apart from Christ were unsaved and without God.

Eph. 2:13 in Christ Jesus. The old division of all people into Jews or Gentiles/Greeks (Acts 14:1–5; 18:4; Rom. 3:9; 29; 9:24; 1 Cor. 1:22–24) has been changed. Now there is a new race in Christ: “the church of God” (1 Cor. 10:32). near. To have access to God (see Eph. 2:18). blood. Christ’s substitutionary death.

Eph. 2:14 peace. The state of friendship with God and with one another in the church. made us both one. That is, Jews and Gentiles. In his flesh refers to Christ’s death on the cross (see v. 16).

Eph. 2:15 law. The additional mention of commandments and ordinances identifies this as the Mosaic law, which included many commandments that served to separate Israel from the other nations. Thus the law was a “dividing wall” (v. 14) which Christ has abolished or rendered powerless both by fulfilling it and by removing believers from the law’s condemnation (see Matt. 5:17; Rom. 8:1; Heb. 9:11–14; 10:1–10). The result is a new man, denoting a new human race under the second Adam (Christ), in whose image the Christian is re-created (1 Cor. 15:45, 49; see also Eph. 4:24).

Eph. 2:16–18 On the cross, Christ put to death the hostility between Israel and the other nations. These verses describe the new, unified group being brought near to God. Paul describes Christ’s reconciliation very vividly as killing the hostility that stood in the way of peace with God. preached peace. Paul refers to Christ’s messianic ministry to the whole world both far and near, recalling Isa. 57:19. access. To draw near to God and to enjoy him forever in a new creation is both mankind’s greatest good and the ultimate accomplishment of Christ’s earthly work of redemption. one Spirit. See note on Eph. 4:4.

Eph. 2:19 Strangers (also v. 12) were foreigners with no rights or privileges (see Acts 16:20–23). Aliens were non-citizens who lived in the city and were given privileges as neighbors. Only citizens had full rights (see Acts 21:39).

Eph. 2:20 the foundation of the apostles and prophets. Some think “prophets” refers here to those in the early church who had the gift of prophecy (compare 3:5; 4:11); the apostles along with these prophets were “foundational” because they proclaimed God’s words, but their function has been replaced by the Bible. Others think the “prophets” here could be the OT prophets.

Eph. 2:21 All Christians everywhere are joined together as God’s holy temple. Belonging to the visible church is not optional for followers of Christ.