Ephesians 2–3

By Grace Through Faith

2And ^ayou He made alive, ^bwho were dead in trespasses and sins, ^2cin which you once walked according to the ¹course of this world, according to ^dthe prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in ^ethe sons of disobedience, ^3famong whom also we all once conducted ourselves in ^gthe lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and ^hwere by nature children of wrath, just as the others.

⁴But God, ⁱwho is rich in mercy, because of His ^jgreat love with which He loved us, ^5keven when we were dead in trespasses, ^lmade us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), ⁶and raised us up together, and made us sit together ^min the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ⁷that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in ⁿHis kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. ^8oFor by grace you have been saved ^pthrough faith, and that not of yourselves; ^qit is the gift of God, ⁹not of ^rworks, lest anyone should ^sboast. ¹⁰For we are ^tHis workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

Brought Near by His Blood

¹¹Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called ^uthe Circumcision made in the flesh by hands—¹²that at that time you 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. ¹³But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

Christ Our Peace

¹⁴For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, ¹⁵having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one ^vnew man from the two, thus making peace, ¹⁶and that He might ^wreconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby ^xputting to death the enmity. ¹⁷And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. ¹⁸For ^ythrough Him we both have access ^zby one Spirit to the Father.

Christ Our Cornerstone

¹⁹Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, ²⁰having been ^abuilt ^bon the foundation of the ^capostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being ^dthe chief cornerstone, ²¹in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into ^ea holy temple in the Lord, ^22fin whom you also are being built together for a ^gdwelling place of God in the Spirit.

The Mystery Revealed

3For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles—²if indeed you have heard of the ¹dispensation of the grace of God ^awhich was given to me for you, ^3bhow that by revelation ^cHe made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, ⁴by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), ⁵which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets: ⁶that the Gentiles ^dshould be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel, ^7eof which I became a minister ^faccording to the gift of the grace of God given to me by ^gthe effective working of His power.

Purpose of the Mystery

⁸To me, ^hwho am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles ⁱthe unsearchable riches of Christ, ⁹and to make all see what is the ²fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who ^jcreated all things ³through Jesus Christ; ^10kto the intent that now ^lthe ⁴manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church ^mto the ⁵principalities and powers in the heavenly places, ¹¹ⁿaccording to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, ¹²in whom we have boldness and access ^owith confidence through faith in Him. ^13pTherefore I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, ^qwhich is your glory.

Appreciation of the Mystery

¹⁴For this reason I bow my knees to the ^rFather ⁶of our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁵from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, ¹⁶that He would grant you, ^saccording to the riches of His glory, ^tto be strengthened with might through His Spirit in ^uthe inner man, ^17vthat Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, ^wbeing rooted and grounded in love, ^18xmay be able to comprehend with all the saints ^ywhat is the width and length and depth and height—¹⁹to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled ^zwith all the fullness of God.

²⁰Now ^ato Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly ^babove all that we ask or think, ^caccording to the power that works in us, ^21dto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.