From Death to Life

And you were dead(A) in your trespasses and sins in which you previously walked according to the ways of this world,(B) according to the ruler who exercises authority over the lower heavens,[a](C) the spirit(D) now working in the disobedient.[b] We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly(E) desires, carrying out the inclinations(F) of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath(G) as the others were also. But God, who is rich in mercy,(H) because of His great love(I) that He had for us,[c] made us alive(J) with the Messiah even though we were dead(K) in trespasses. You are saved by grace! Together with Christ Jesus He also raised us up and seated us in the heavens,(L) so that in the coming ages(M) He might display the immeasurable riches(N) of His grace through His kindness(O) to us in Christ Jesus. For you are saved by grace(P) through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift— not from works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are His creation, created(Q) in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time(R) so that we should walk in them.

Unity in Christ

11 So then, remember that at one time you were Gentiles in the flesh—called “the uncircumcised” by those called “the circumcised,”(S) which is done in the flesh by human hands.(T) 12 At that time you were without the Messiah, excluded from the citizenship of Israel, and foreigners to the covenants of the promise,(U) without hope(V) and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus, you who were far away have been brought near by the blood(W) of the Messiah. 14 For He is our peace, who made both groups one(X) and tore down the dividing wall of hostility. In His flesh, 15 He made of no effect the law consisting of commands and expressed in regulations, so that He might create(Y) in Himself one(Z) new man from the two, resulting in peace. 16 He did this so that He might reconcile both to God in one body(AA) through the cross and put the hostility to death by it.[d] 17 When the Messiah came, He proclaimed the good news(AB) of peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.(AC) 18 For through Him we both have access(AD) by one Spirit to the Father.(AE) 19 So then you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with the saints, and members of God’s household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets,(AF) with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone. 21 The whole building, being put together(AG) by Him, grows into a holy sanctuary in the Lord.(AH) 22 You also are being built together(AI) for God’s dwelling(AJ) in the Spirit.

Footnotes

  1. Ephesians 2:2 Lit ruler of the domain of the air
  2. Ephesians 2:2 Lit sons of disobedience
  3. Ephesians 2:4 Lit love with which He loved us
  4. Ephesians 2:16 Or death in Himself

And you being dead in your peysha’im and chatta’im,

In which you amol (formerly) fier zich (comported oneself), according to the course of the Olam Hazeh, according to the Sar of the authority of the air [the Samekh Mem, Hasatan, teivel, the devil], the ruach now working in the bnei haMeri (sons of Rebellion).

Among them we too all formerly conducted ourselves in the ta’avot of our basar, following the lusts of the flesh and of the machshavot (thoughts), and we were by nature Bnei Rogez (Sons of Anger) of Hashem, as also the rest.

But Hashem, being rich in rachamim (mercy), because of His ahavah harabba (great love) with which He loved us,

Even when we were dead in our peysha’im, He made us alive together with Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach (by the unmerited Chen v’Chesed Hashem you have been delivered in your personal Geulah and the Yeshu’at Eloheinu), [TEHILLIM 103:12]

And raised us up with Moshiach and seated us with Him in Shomayim in Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Yehoshua,

In order that, in the Olam HaBah, He might display the surpassing osher of the Chen v’Chesed Hashem of Him in chesed toward us in Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Yehoshua.

For by unmerited Chen v’Chesed Hashem you have been delivered from Hashem’s Mishpat (Judgment) and granted a share in the Geulah (Redemption), through emunah; and this is not [an einfal (intuitive idea)] of yourselves, it is a matnat Hashem (gift of G-d);

Not the result [of the zchus (merit)] of doing ma’asim (works) [Ac 15:1; Ga 5:3 4], so that before Hashem no man should be a ravrevan (boaster, braggart). [DEVARIM 9:5]

10 For we are His masterpiece, having been created in Moshiach Yehoshua for ma’asim tovim, which Hashem prepared beforehand, that the derech of our halakhah should be in them.[YESHAYAH 29:23; 42:7; 60:21;]

11 Therefore, have zikaron (remembrance) that formerly you, the Goyim in the flesh, who are called "arelim" (uncircumcised ones) by the ones being called "nimolim" (circumcised ones) which is a Bris Milah performed in the flesh by human hands

12 Have zikaron (remembrance) that you were at that time bazunder (unrelated and separate) from Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, having been alienated from the torat haEzrakhut (the citizenship) in the Am Brit, from Yisroel, being zarim (strangers) to the Beritot HaHavtacha, farloiren (lost) and having no tikvah (hope) and without G-d in the Olam Hazeh. [YESHAYAH 14:1; 65:1]

13 But now in Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Yehoshua, you, who formerly where in the outermost courts, have been brought near by the kapporah of the dahm of Moshiach.

14 For Moshiach himself is our shalom, who made the Shneym into Echad, having broken down in the basar of Moshiach the barrier of the Mechitzah (the dividing partition), the Soreg (barrier of the holy precinct in the Beis HaMikdash between Jews and non-Jews), the Eyvah (Enmity),

15 By annulling the chok (decree, law) of mishpatim in ordinances that the Shnaym He might create in Himself into Adam Chadash Echad (One New Humanity), arbitrating shalom,

16 And that Moshiach might bring the ritztzuy (reconciliation, cessation of enmity), reconciling to Hashem the Shnaym into one guf (body) [BERESHIS 47:18; TEHILLIM 16:9-10; IYOV 19:25-27; YESHAYAH 53:11] through the Moshiach’s Etz, having put to death the Eyvah by it.

17 And having come, Moshiach preached shalom to you, the ones in the outermost courts, and shalom to the ones near; [TEHILLIM 148:14; YESHAYAH 57:19]

18 Because through Moshiach we both have HaSha’ar laHashem (gate to approach G-d’s presence, access of the tzaddikim TEHILLIM 118:20) by one Ruach Hakodesh to Elohim HaAv.

19 Therefore, then, no longer are you zarim and aliens, but you are fellow citizens of the Kadoshim and bnei bayit members of the household of G-d,

20 Having been built upon the yesod (foundation) of the Shlichim and Nevi’im, Moshiach Yehoshua himself being the ROSH PINAH (TEHILLIM 118:22),

21 In whom all the binyan (edifice), being fitly joined together, grows into a Heikhal Kadosh b’Hashem;

22 In whom also you are being built together into a Mishkan of Hashem in the Ruach Hakodesh. [T.N. In this chapter Rav Sha’ul uses the courts of the Beis Hamikdash to teach the saving work of Moshiach.]