Ephesians 2

From Death to Life

2And you were dead ^vin your trespasses and sins ²in which you previously walked according to the ways of this world, ^waccording to the ruler who exercises authority over the lower heavens, ^xythe spirit ^znow working in the disobedient. ^a3We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly ^bdesires, carrying out the inclinations ^cof our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath ^das the others were also. ⁴But God, who is rich in mercy, ^ebecause of His great love ^fthat He had for us, ^g5made us alive ^hwith the Messiah even though we were dead ⁱin trespasses. You are saved by grace! ⁶Together with Christ Jesus He also raised us up and seated us in the heavens, ^j7so that in the coming ages ^kHe might display the immeasurable riches ^lof His grace through His kindness ^mto us in Christ Jesus. ⁸For you are saved by grace ⁿthrough faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift— ⁹not from works, so that no one can boast. ¹⁰For we are His creation, created ^oin Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time ^pso that we should walk in them.

Unity in Christ

¹¹So then, remember that at one time you were Gentiles in the flesh—called “the uncircumcised” by those called “the circumcised,” ^qwhich is done in the flesh by human hands. ^r12At that time you were without the Messiah, excluded from the citizenship of Israel, and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, ^swithout hope ^tand without God in the world. ¹³But now in Christ Jesus, you who were far away have been brought near by the blood ^uof the Messiah. ¹⁴For He is our peace, who made both groups one ^vand tore down the dividing wall of hostility. In His flesh, ¹⁵He made of no effect the law consisting of commands and expressed in regulations, so that He might create ^win Himself one ^xnew man from the two, resulting in peace. ¹⁶He did this so that He might reconcile both to God in one body ^ythrough the cross and put the hostility to death by it. ^z17When the Messiah came, He proclaimed the good news ^aof peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. ^b18For through Him we both have access ^cby one Spirit to the Father. ^d19So then you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with the saints, and members of God’s household, ²⁰built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, ^ewith Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone. ²¹The whole building, being put together ^fby Him, grows into a holy sanctuary in the Lord. ^g22You also are being built together ^hfor God’s dwelling ⁱin the Spirit.