Ephesians 2
1 And you [did he quicken], when ye were dead through your trespasses and sins,
You yourselves were once dead because of your offences and sins.
2 wherein aforetime ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that now worketh in the sons of disobedience; (aiōn g165)
For at one time you lived in sin, following the ways of the world, in subjection to the Ruler of the Powers of the air — the Spirit who is still at work among the disobedient. (aiōn g165)
3 among whom we also all once lived 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: —
And it was among them that we all once lived our lives, indulging the cravings of our earthly nature, and carrying out the desires prompted by that earthly nature and by our own thoughts. Our very nature exposed us to the Divine Wrath, like the rest of mankind.
4 but God, being rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
Yet God, in his abundant compassion, and because of the great love with which he loved us,
5 even when we were dead through our trespasses, quickened us together with Christ (by grace have ye been saved),
even though we were ‘dead’ because of our offences, gave Life to us in giving Life to the Christ. (By God’s loving-kindness you have been saved.)
6 and raised us up with him, and made us to sit with him in the heavenly [places], in Christ Jesus:
And, through our union with Christ Jesus, God raised us with him, and caused us to sit with him on high,
7 that in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus: (aiōn g165)
in order that, by his goodness to us in Christ Jesus, he might display in the ages to come the boundless wealth of his loving-kindness. (aiōn g165)
8 for by grace have ye been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God:
For it is by God’s loving-kindness that you have been saved, through your faith. It is not due to yourselves; the gift is God’s.
9 not of works, that no man should glory.
It is not due to obedience to Law, lest any one should boast.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God afore prepared that we should walk in them.
For we are God’s handiwork, created, by our union with Christ Jesus, for the good actions in doing which God had pre-arranged that we should spend our lives.
11 Wherefore remember, that aforetime ye, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called Circumcision, in the flesh, made by hands;
Remember, therefore, that you were once Gentiles yourselves, as your bodies showed; you were called ‘The Uncircumcised’ by those who were called ‘The Circumcised’ — circumcised only by the hand of man!
12 that ye 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.
Remember that you were at that time far from Christ; you were shut out from the citizenship of Israel; you were strangers to the Covenants founded on God’s Promise; you were in the world without hope and without God.
13 But now in Christ Jesus ye that once were far off are made nigh in the blood of Christ.
But now, through your union with Christ Jesus, you who once were ‘far off’ have, by the shedding of the blood of the Christ, been brought ‘near.’
14 For he is our peace, who made both one, and brake down the middle wall of partition,
He it is who is our Peace. He made the two divisions of mankind one, broke down the barrier that separated them,
15 having abolished in his flesh the enmity, [even] the law of commandments [contained] in ordinances; that he might create in himself of the twain one new man, [so] making peace;
and in his human nature put an end to the cause of enmity between them — the Law with its injunctions and ordinances — in order to create, through union with himself, from Jew and Gentile, one New Man and thus make peace.
16 and might reconcile them both in one body unto God through the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:
And when, upon the cross, he had destroyed their mutual enmity, he sought by means of his cross to reconcile them both to God, united in one Body.
17 and he came and preached peace to you that were far off, and peace to them that were nigh:
He came with the Good News of peace for you who were ‘far off,’ and of peace for those who were ‘near’;
18 for through him we both have our access in one Spirit unto the Father.
for it is through him that we, the Jews and the Gentiles, united in the one Spirit, are now able to approach the Father.
19 So then ye are no more strangers and sojourners, but ye are fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God,
It follows, then, that you are no longer strangers and aliens, but are fellow-citizens with Christ’s People and members of God’s Household.
20 being built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief corner stone;
You have been built up upon the foundation laid by the Apostles and Prophets, Christ Jesus himself being ‘the corner-stone.’
21 in whom each several building, fitly framed together, groweth into a holy temple in the Lord;
United in him, every part of the building, closely joined together, will grow into a Temple, consecrated by its union with the Lord.
22 in whom ye also are builded together for a habitation of God in the Spirit.
And, through union in him, you also are being built up together, to be a dwelling-place for God through the Spirit.
