Bible Commentaries
Ephesians 2

Verses 1-22

1 Compare the condition of the two classes with that of the individual believer in Romans 6:2. Such as have "died to sin" "together with Christ", "are vivified together with Him", and "are reckoning themselves to be dead, indeed, to sin" (Romans 6:8-11), so here the nations and some of the Jews, collectively, are dead to sins and offenses, and are roused conjointly and seated conjointly, in Christ.

5 We have not only been saved by grace, but salvation also introduces us into the sphere of grace's operation. Salvation calls for further favors of being vivified, and roused, and seated in Christ together with an election out of Israel. We are not risen with Christ, for rise refers particularly to the body.

7 The on-coming eons-themselves the scenes of the riches of God's grace-will be directed to God's favor lavished upon us as the supreme, transcendent achievement of His unassisted, unforced grace.

8 Salvation, in its beginning, is of faith, in order to accord with grace (Romans 4:16). As a state, or condition, it continues to preserve its gracious character. It is not of us; it is God's way of winning our favor. This is the force of the term "approach present," which was used of the corban, or approach offering (Leviticus 1:2; Leviticus 2:1; Leviticus 3:1,etc., Mark 7:11) .

PARTICIPATION-BELIEVERS

THE NEW HUMANITY

11 This section deals only with the place that believers among the nations occupied in flesh, as physically uncircumcised, in the era before this epistle was penned. It is a complete contrast to the place occupied by the nations, as set forth in Acts, not as presented in Paul's previous epistles. Physically only may it be said that they had been apart from Christ, aliens, having no expectation, without God. Trophimus, the Ephesian, would understand this, for when he was in Jerusalem the mere rumor that he had approached as near to the reputed dwelling place of God as a Jew caused the whole city to rise up against Paul who, they supposed, had brought him into the sanctuary. What Paul was accused of doing then, physically, he does now, in spirit, and far more, for we have free access to the Father's presence.

Joint Participation

14 The central wall of the barrier was the so-called "soreg", a stone wall, for a partition, with inscriptions which forbade any foreigner to go in under pain of death. One of these was recently unearthed with the following inscription:

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No alien is to enter within the balustrade and embankment about the sacred place. Whoever is caught will be responsible for his death, which will ensue.

15 The decrees issued from Jerusalem by the apostles (Acts 15:20; Acts 15:16; Acts 15:4) .

15 The enmity in His flesh is the national or race hatred between Jew and Gentile. In His flesh He confirmed the promises which gave primacy to the Jew. This was figured by the barrier which shut the aliens out of the sanctuary.

15 The new humanity is quite a distinct matter from the one body. It can be put on (Ephesians 4:24-25) and is in contrast with the old humanity (Ephesians 4:22) .

19 Here we have our relation to the saints of other economies defined. All saints, whatever their peculiar position, have three things in common. They all are under God's government; all belong to His family; all are His dwelling place. These do not define the blessings which are our special privileges, but those which we share with the saints of every other administration.