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2:1 And you hath he
quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
2:2 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: 2:3 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.
2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he
loved us, 2:5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us
together with
Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 2:6 And hath raised us
up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ
Jesus: 2:7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches
of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of
yourselves: it is the gift of God: 2:9 Not of works, lest any man
should boast.
2:10 For we are his
workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good
works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
2:11 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; 2:12 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: 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were
far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
2:14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down
the middle wall of partition between us; 2:15 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; 2:16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by
the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: 2:17 And came and preached
peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.
2:18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the
Father.
2:19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but
fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; 2:20 And
are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus
Christ himself being the chief corner stone; 2:21 In whom all the
building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the
Lord: 2:22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of
God through the Spirit.
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
back to:
Ephesians
Book: Ephesians
Chapter: 2
Overview:
The riches of
God's
Grace towards men, shown from their
deplorable state
By nature, and the happy change Divine
Grace
makes in them.
(1-10) The
Ephesians called to reflect
On their
state of heathenism.
(11-13) And the privileges and blessings of
the
Gospel.
(14-22)
1-10 Sin is the
Death of the soul. A
Man dead in trespasses and
sins has
No desire for spiritual pleasures. When we look upon a
corpse, it gives an awful feeling. A never-dying
Spirit is now
fled, and has left nothing but the ruins of a
Man. But if we
viewed things aright, we should be far more affected
By the
thought of a dead soul, a lost, fallen
Spirit. A state of
Sin is
a state of conformity to this world. Wicked men are slaves to
Satan.
Satan is the author of that proud,
Carnal disposition
which there is in ungodly men; he rules in the hearts of men.
From
Scripture it is clear, that whether men have been most
prone to sensual or to spiritual wickedness, all men, being
naturally children of disobedience, are also
By nature children
of wrath. What reason have sinners, then, to seek earnestly for
that
Grace which will make them, of children of wrath, children
of
God and heirs of
Glory!
God's eternal
Love or good-will
toward his creatures, is the
Fountain whence all his mercies
flow to us; and that
Love of
God is great
Love, and that
Mercy
is rich
Mercy. And every converted sinner is a saved sinner;
delivered from
Sin and wrath. The
Grace that saves is the free,
undeserved
Goodness and favour of
God; and he saves, not
By the
Works of the
Law, but through
Faith in
Christ Jesus.
Grace in
the soul is a new
Life in the soul. A regenerated sinner becomes
a living soul; he lives a
Life of
Holiness, being born of
God:
he lives, being delivered from the guilt of
Sin,
By pardoning
and justifying
Grace. Sinners
Roll themselves in the
Dust;
sanctified souls sit in heavenly places, are raised above this
world,
By Christ's
Grace. The
Goodness of God in converting and
saving sinners heretofore, encourages others in after-time, to
Hope in his
Grace and
Mercy. Our
Faith, our
Conversion, and our
eternal
Salvation, are not of
Works, lest any
Man should boast.
These things are not brought to pass
By any thing done
By us,
therefore all boasting is shut out. All is the free
Gift of
God,
and the effect of being quickened
By his power. It was his
purpose, to which he prepared us,
By blessing us with the
knowledge of his will, and his Holy
Spirit producing such a
change in us, that we should
Glorify God By our good
Conversation, and perseverance in
Holiness. None can from
Scripture abuse this doctrine, or accuse it of any tendency to
evil. All who do
So, are without excuse.
11-13 Christ and his
Covenant are the foundation of all the
Christian's hopes. A sad and terrible description is here; but
who is able to remove himself out of it? Would that this were
not a true description of many baptized in the name of
Christ.
Who can, without trembling, reflect upon the misery of a person,
separated for ever from the people of
God, cut off from the body
of
Christ, fallen from the
Covenant of promise, having
No Hope,
No Saviour, and without any
God but a
God of vengeance, to all
eternity? To have
No part in
Christ! What true
Christian can
hear this without horror?
Salvation is far from the wicked; but
God is a help at
Hand to his people; and this is
By the
sufferings and
Death of
Christ.
14-18 Jesus Christ made peace
By the
Sacrifice of himself; in
every sense
Christ was their Peace, the author, centre, and
substance of their being at peace with
God, and of their union
with the Jewish believers in one
Church. Through the person,
Sacrifice, and mediation of
Christ, sinners are allowed to draw
near to
God as a
Father, and are brought with acceptance into
his presence, with their
Worship and services, under the
teaching of the Holy
Spirit, as one with the
Father and the Son.
Christ purchased leave for us to come to
God; and the
Spirit
gives a
Heart to come, and strength to come, and then
Grace to
serve
God acceptably.
19-22 The
Church is compared to a
City, and every converted
sinner is free of it. It is also compared to a
House, and every
converted sinner is one of the family; a servant, and a
Child in
God's
House. The
Church is also compared to a
Building, founded
On the doctrine of
Christ; delivered
By the prophets of the Old
Testament, and the apostles of the New.
God dwells in all
believers now; they become the
Temple of
God through the working
of the blessed
Spirit. Let us then ask if our hopes are fixed
On
Christ, according to the doctrine of his
Word? Have we devoted
ourselves as holy temples to
God through him? Are we habitations
of
God By the
Spirit, are we spiritually-minded, and do we bring
forth the fruits of the
Spirit? Let us take heed not to grieve
the holy
Comforter. Let us desire his gracious presence, and his
influences upon our hearts. Let us seek to discharge the duties
allotted to us, to the
Glory of
God.