Ephesians 2 Study

Ephesians 2 study

Ephesians 2:1-22 (KJV) 

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

2 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:

3 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.

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

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

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

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

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

9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

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

11 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;

12 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:

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

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

15 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;

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Verse 1, Jesus quickens us when we are dead in trespasses and sins to become alive (born again). He does this through his very own Spirit (Holy Spirit).

Verse 2, this particular verse should humble us knowing that we once walked according to the ways of this world, according to the god (satan) of this world. It's the spirit of satan that now works in the children of disobedience whether an unbeliever or a professing Christian. For the unbeliever he walks in sin on a daily basis, primarily due to his unbelief which then manifest itself through the works of the flesh. For the professing Christian, disobedience manifest itself in the violation of Jehovah's Royal Law after being given the light that the Sabbath command is still binding. When a Christian, after being given the light of truth of the 4th commandment, disregards the Sabbath he has the spirit of satan working in him (Matthew 5:17-19).

Verse 3, again another humbling scripture. We once talked and walked in the desires of the flesh and the mind. By nature, as we had not been made alive by the Spirit of Christ prior to our conversion, we were children of wrath. So we cannot walk in pride, with the mindset that we now are better than unbelievers, as we once were their brothers and sisters of wrath. This should humble us in our evangelism efforts. Having the meekness of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ when giving them the good news.

Verse 4 and 5, we must always remember the great love and mercy of Jehovah God as he loved us even when we were dead in our sins. Brethen, Jehovah has that same love for the unbeliever that he had for you when you were in the world. This should keep us in a loving mindset to those in the world as we were once them. It was only Jehovah's tender mercies, love and kindness that brought us into His family. It was nothing of our own works. Jehovah has quickened all of us brethren together through His eternal Spirit with Christ His Son (The born again experience). Us being baptized to newness of life symbolizing Jesus being resurrected from the dead. We are saved by grace, which simultaneously is the power of God and unmerited favor of God. 

Verse 6, At the last trumpet, we will be raised together (dead in Christ first then those who are alive) to sit in heavenly places for a thousand years. We will judge the angels and the nations with Christ during this heavenly millennium. We will reign with King David (Jesus).

Verse 7, Jehovah in the ages of this world and in eternity will show the exceeding riches of His grace (unmerited favor and power) toward us through Christ Jesus His only-born Son.

Exceeding (Strongs Greek 5235) - huperballo which means "exceed, excel, to surpass in throwing, to throw over or beyond any living thing. To transcend, exceeding.

Wow! What a blessing and what a loving God we have! Our God is not a tyrant but a kind and mericful Sovereign King.

Verse 8 and 9, by the power and unmerited favor of Jehovah are we saved. Not by our own works or anything of ourselves. It is the free gift of Jehovah God. We cannot dare boast in anything we have done or anything that we are. It is solely Jehovah's grace through faith that saves us.

Faith  (Strongs Greek 4102) - "Pistis" which means believe, belief, fidelity, loyalty, conviction of the truth of anything, constancy of religious observance.

The power and unmerited favor of Jehovah, through conviction of the truth that He sent His Son Jesus to die as a ransom sacrifice for the world, is what saves us. Realizing this should keep us from getting haughty and thinking we are better than others.

Verse 10, we are the workmanship of Jehovah created in His Son Jesus Christ. We are the clay and Jehovah the potter. It's only by having faith in Jesus Christ that we can then be moldable by Jehovah.  As Jehovah's workmanship through His Son we are then to walk in good works. Grace of Jehovah first ,Faith in Christ second and then good works to bring glory to both the Father and the Son. Jehovah ordained that we should walk in good works before we even came to salvation. Good works are the fruit of a real conversion experience.

Verses 11,12, 13 and 14, we are reminded that at one time we were outside the family of faith as Gentiles, but now are grafted in the commonwealth of Israel which is now a spiritual kingdom. Jews today who refuse Christ as their Saviour, are only Jews of the flesh. We as believers in Christ Jesus are true Israel, as we are Jews inwardly. Remember, Paul said a true Jew is one who is so inwardly not outwardly. Should we boast in this? Of course not! Jews of the flesh still have the grace of Jehovah available to them if they accept the free gift of salvation. We (formerly Gentiles in the flesh) at one time had no hope, no partaker of the covenants of promise and were without Jehovah God. 

This should humble us to realize we were grafted into the olive tree of faith. The loving Jehovah had mercy on us as Gentiles and desired us for himself. It's through the precious blood of Jehovah's Son Jesus, that we now are brought close to the Almighty. Remember John 3:16, God sent His Son for the world not just the Jews. It is Jesus Christ that broke down the barrier between Jew and Gentile. Jesus is our peace! It's through him that we can go to Jehovah. Some today seek to build again, the wall of partition between Jew and Gentile. These are the Dispensationalists and Hebrew Roots who say Geo Political Israel is Jehovah's chosen people. They don't realize their error as they are trying to undo what our Saviour did at the stake. They are trying to reverse Jesus removing the division of Jew and Gentile. This is a pretty serious offense to our Lord Jesus Christ.

Verse 15, Jesus in his death abolished the OT sacrifical system with it's meat drink and burnt offerings including the holy days associated with these (law of commandments contained in ordinances) that at one time seperated Jew and Gentile. The 10 commandments of course are set apart and are still binding. At one time there was a wall of divsion and lack of peace between Jew and Gentile, however Christ sacrifice on the stake removed that. Now Jew and Gentile are made one new man in Christ Jesus.

Verse 16, Jesus reconciled both Jew and Gentile in one body by the torture stake. He slew the enmity that previously existed between both parties. Brethen, this is huge because today false teachers are trying to bring back the enmity between Gentiles and Jews. They say that Physical Geo Political Israel and ethnic Jews are Jehovah's chosen people still and that they have a separate promise and dispensation than the Christian Congregation. This is a deception of the enemy in these last days and it is evil at it's heart because they are going against what Jesus did at the stake and trying to reverse it's purpose. Satan works in many ways. The word of Jehovah contradicts clearly the rebuilding of a partition wall between the two classes. Those who preach or do this risk judgment. The Israel of God is the Christian Congregation made up of Jews and Gentiles and never to be separated. Only seeks to bring seperation due to national countries or ethnic groups.

Verse 17 and 18, the gospel was preached to the Jew and Gentile alike. Both parties now have access through Jesus Christ to the Father Jehovah by ONE Spirit (Holy Spirit). Did read that!!! It's only through Jesus Christ that either Jew or Gentile can have access to Jehovah God. National politics, being of a certain ethnic group or being a citizen of a country does not mean ANYTHING WHATSOEVER!!!!! Only faith in Jesus Christ our Lord will grant us fellowship with His Father the One true God. This is done by the Son''s and Father's own Spirit which is given to us when we become born again.

Verse 19-22, As Gentiles we were once foreigners to Jehovah's Kingdom, but now in Christ we are fellow citizens of Israel with Jewish believers. The apostles and prophets are the foundation of the Christian Congregation with Jesus Christ being the chief cornerstone. Organizations are never to take the place of either the foundation or the cornerstone. The whole building, being the Christian Congregation, is fitted together in Christ Jesus and grows into a Holy Temple in which the Spirit of Jehovah dwells.