Ephesians 2
New American Standard Bible
Made Alive in Christ
2 And [a]you [b]were (A)dead [c]in your offenses and sins, 2 in which you (B)previously walked according to the [d]course of (C)this world, according to (D)the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in (E)the [e]sons of disobedience. 3 Among them [f]we too all (F)previously lived in (G)the lusts of our flesh, [g]indulging the desires of the flesh and of the [h]mind, and were (H)by nature (I)children of wrath, (J)just as the rest. 4 But God, being (K)rich in mercy, because of (L)His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were (M)dead [i]in our wrongdoings, made us alive together [j]with Christ ((N)by grace you have been saved), 6 and (O)raised us up with Him, and (P)seated us with Him in (Q)the heavenly places in (R)Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the ages to come He might show the [k]boundless (S)riches of His grace in (T)kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For (U)by grace you have been saved (V)through faith; and [l]this is not of yourselves, it is (W)the gift of God; 9 (X)not a result of works, so that (Y)no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, (Z)created in (AA)Christ Jesus for (AB)good works, which God (AC)prepared beforehand so that we would (AD)walk in them.
11 Therefore remember that (AE)previously (AF)you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “(AG)Uncircumcision” by the so-called “(AH)Circumcision” which is performed in the flesh by human hands— 12 remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, [m](AI)excluded from [n]the people of Israel, and strangers to (AJ)the covenants of the promise, having (AK)no hope and (AL)without God in the world. 13 But now in (AM)Christ Jesus you who (AN)previously were (AO)far away [o]have (AP)been brought near [p](AQ)by the blood of Christ. 14 For He Himself is (AR)our peace, (AS)who made both groups into one and broke down the [q]barrier of the dividing wall, 15 [r]by (AT)abolishing [s]in His flesh the hostility, which is (AU)the Law composed of commandments expressed in ordinances, so that in Himself He might [t](AV)make the two (AW)one new person, in this way establishing (AX)peace; 16 and that He might (AY)reconcile them both in (AZ)one body to God through the cross, [u]by it having (BA)put to death the hostility. 17 And (BB)He came and preached (BC)peace to you who were (BD)far away, and peace to those who were (BE)near; 18 for through Him we both have (BF)our access in (BG)one Spirit to (BH)the Father. 19 So then you are no longer (BI)strangers and foreigners, but you are (BJ)fellow citizens with the [v]saints, and are of (BK)God’s household, 20 having been (BL)built on (BM)the foundation of (BN)the apostles and prophets, (BO)Christ Jesus Himself being the (BP)cornerstone, 21 (BQ)in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into (BR)a holy [w]temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being (BS)built together into a (BT)dwelling of God in the Spirit.
Footnotes
- Ephesians 2:1 I.e., Gentile believers
- Ephesians 2:1 Lit being
- Ephesians 2:1 Or by reason of
- Ephesians 2:2 Lit age
- Ephesians 2:2 I.e., people opposed to God
- Ephesians 2:3 I.e., Jewish believers
- Ephesians 2:3 Lit doing
- Ephesians 2:3 Lit thoughts
- Ephesians 2:5 Or by reason of
- Ephesians 2:5 Two early mss in Christ
- Ephesians 2:7 Lit surpassing
- Ephesians 2:8 I.e., this salvation
- Ephesians 2:12 Or alienated
- Ephesians 2:12 Or citizenship in Israel
- Ephesians 2:13 Lit became; or were made
- Ephesians 2:13 Or in
- Ephesians 2:14 Lit the dividing wall of the barrier
- Ephesians 2:15 Or the hostility, by abolishing in His flesh the Law
- Ephesians 2:15 I.e., by His death
- Ephesians 2:15 Lit create
- Ephesians 2:16 Or in Himself
- Ephesians 2:19 Lit holy ones; i.e., God’s people
- Ephesians 2:21 Or sanctuary
Ephesians 2
Easy-to-Read Version
From Death to Life
2 In the past you were spiritually dead because of your sins and the things you did against God. 2 Yes, in the past your lives were full of those sins. You lived the way the world lives, following the ruler of the evil powers[a] that are above the earth. That same spirit is now working in those who refuse to obey God. 3 In the past all of us lived like that, trying to please our sinful selves. We did all the things our bodies and minds wanted. Like everyone else in the world, we deserved to suffer God’s anger just because of the way we were.
4 But God is rich in mercy, and he loved us very much. 5 We were spiritually dead because of all we had done against him. But he gave us new life together with Christ. (You have been saved by God’s grace.) 6 Yes, it is because we are a part of Christ Jesus that God raised us from death and seated us together with him in the heavenly places. 7 God did this so that his kindness to us who belong to Christ Jesus would clearly show for all time to come the amazing richness of his grace.
8 I mean that you have been saved by grace because you believed. You did not save yourselves; it was a gift from God. 9 You are not saved by the things you have done, so there is nothing to boast about. 10 God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us new people so that we would spend our lives doing the good things he had already planned for us to do.
One in Christ
11 You were not born as Jews. You are the people the Jews call “uncircumcised.[b]” Those Jews who call you “uncircumcised” call themselves “circumcised.” (Their circumcision is only something they themselves do to their bodies.) 12 Remember that in the past you were without Christ. You were not citizens of Israel, and you did not know about the agreements[c] with the promises that God made to his people. You had no hope, and you did not know God. 13 Yes, at one time you were far away from God, but now in Christ Jesus, you are brought near to him. You are brought near to God through the blood sacrifice of Christ.
14 Christ is the reason we are now at peace. He made us Jews and you who are not Jews one people. We were separated by a wall of hate that stood between us, but Christ broke down that wall. By giving his own body, 15 Christ ended the law with its many commands and rules. His purpose was to make the two groups become one in him. By doing this he would make peace. 16 Through the cross Christ ended the hate between the two groups. And after they became one body, he wanted to bring them both back to God. He did this with his death on the cross. 17 Christ came and brought the message of peace to you non-Jews who were far away from God. And he brought that message of peace to those who were near to God. 18 Yes, through Christ we all have the right to come to the Father in one Spirit.
19 So now you non-Jewish people are not visitors or strangers, but you are citizens together with God’s holy people. You belong to God’s family. 20 You believers are like a building that God owns. That building was built on the foundation that the apostles and prophets prepared. Christ Jesus himself is the most important stone[d] in that building. 21 The whole building is joined together in Christ, and he makes it grow and become a holy temple[e] in the Lord. 22 And in Christ you are being built together with his other people. You are being made into a place where God lives through the Spirit.
Footnotes
- Ephesians 2:2 ruler of the evil powers See “Satan” in the Word List.
- Ephesians 2:11 uncircumcised People not having the mark of circumcision like the Jews have.
- Ephesians 2:12 agreements The agreements with special promises that God gave at various times to people in the Old Testament. See “agreement” in the Word List.
- Ephesians 2:20 most important stone Literally, “cornerstone.” The first and most important stone in a building.
- Ephesians 2:21 temple God’s house—the place where God’s people worship him. Here, it means that believers are the spiritual temple where God lives.
Ephesians 2
King James Version
2 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.
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