Verse-by-Verse Commentary
The Book of Ephesians
Chapter 2: By Grace Through Faith
Ephesians 2 is the gospel of grace at its fullest. We were 'dead in trespasses and sins,' walking after 'the prince of the power of the air,' 'children of wrath.' 'But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ.' The heart of it is grace: 'by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.' Yet grace makes us God's own handiwork, 'his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works.' Then Paul turns to reconciliation: Gentiles who were 'far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ,' for 'he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition,' reconciling both 'unto God in one body by the cross.' So we are 'the household of God,' built into 'an holy temple in the Lord... an habitation of God through the Spirit.' The chapter shows us salvation by grace, peace through the cross, and the church as God's dwelling.
About This Commentary
This is a verse-by-verse study of Ephesians chapter 2. For each section you will find the KJV text, the Greek words that sharpen the meaning, plain explanation, and a Gospel Focus. Here Paul unfolds salvation by grace through faith, the peace Christ made by the cross, and the church built together as God's own dwelling. Every Scripture quotation is from the King James Version.
Setting the Stage
But God, Rich in Mercy
Dead in sins, we were made alive by grace.
By Grace Through Faith
Salvation is the gift of God, not of works.
He Is Our Peace
Christ made both one and reconciled us by the cross.
An Habitation of God
The church is built into a holy temple, God's dwelling by the Spirit.
By Grace Are Ye Saved Through Faith (Ephesians 2:1-10)
Dead in sin, we were made alive together with Christ by the rich mercy of God, saved by grace through faith as His own workmanship.
We Are His Workmanship
"And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 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: 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. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."
Word Study
"workmanship," Greek poiema (ποίημα). The word means a thing made, a work of craftsmanship, a masterpiece; from it comes our word "poem." "We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works." The saved person is God's own handiwork, His creation, fashioned by grace into something new and beautiful. Note what this excludes: if we are God's poiema, His workmanship, then salvation is His doing, not ours; we did not make ourselves, we were "created in Christ Jesus." And note the purpose: we are created "unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." Good works are not the root of salvation but its fruit; we are not saved by good works, but we are saved for them. Grace does not leave us as we were but makes us new, God's craftsmanship, designed to walk in the good works He prepared. So the very same passage that says "not of works, lest any man should boast" goes on to say we are made "unto good works." Salvation is entirely of grace, the gift of God, and it produces a new creation, His masterpiece, fashioned to display the good works of a life remade by Him.
Explanation
Paul paints the darkest possible backdrop — "dead in trespasses and sins," walking after the world and the devil, "children of wrath" — and then the two greatest words in the letter: "But God, who is rich in mercy... hath quickened us together with Christ." From death to life, raised and seated with Him "in heavenly places." The mechanism is unmistakable: "by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works." Yet grace does not end in idleness — we are "created in Christ Jesus unto good works," saved not by works but for them.
Gospel Focus
Paul paints our condition apart from Christ in the darkest colors. We were not merely sick or weak but "dead in trespasses and sins," spiritually lifeless, "walking according to the course of this world" and "the prince of the power of the air," the devil, whose spirit "worketh in the children of disobedience." We lived in "the lusts of our flesh" and were "by nature the children of wrath." That is the starting point: dead, enslaved, and under wrath, with no power to save ourselves. Then come two of the most glorious words in Scripture: "But God." Into that hopeless condition God stepped, "rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us," and "even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ." He made the spiritually dead alive, raised us, and "made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus," all to display "the exceeding riches of his grace." And Paul states the gospel with crystal clarity: "by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast." Every part of salvation is grace: the grace that saves, the faith that receives, all "the gift of God," so no one can boast. We do not contribute our works to earn it; we receive it as a free gift. Yet grace is not idle: "we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." Saved by grace, not by works, we are nonetheless saved for good works, made God's own handiwork to walk in the path He prepared. This is the heart of the gospel: dead sinners, by the rich mercy of God, made alive and saved by grace through faith, not by anything in themselves, and remade as God's masterpiece to display His grace forever.
He Is Our Peace (Ephesians 2:11-22)
Christ brought the far-off near by His blood, made Jew and Gentile one, and built them together into a holy temple, God's dwelling.
An Habitation of God Through the Spirit
"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; 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: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; 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; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit."
Word Study
"peace," Greek eirene (εἰρήνη). The word means peace, not merely the absence of conflict but wholeness, reconciliation, the restored relationship of those once at enmity. "He is our peace, who hath made both one." Notice Paul does not only say Christ made peace or gives peace; He is our peace. In His own person, by His cross, He reconciled the two great divisions of humanity, Jew and Gentile, "breaking down the middle wall of partition," and, deeper still, reconciled both "unto God in one body by the cross." The peace He made is twofold: peace between formerly hostile peoples, and peace between sinners and God. And it was made at terrible cost, "by the blood of Christ," "in his flesh," "by the cross," "having slain the enmity thereby." The enmity had to be put to death; Christ bore it in His own body. He who is our peace preached that peace "to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh," so that now "through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father." The one God, in Christ and by His one Spirit, brings the estranged home to Himself. Christ is our eirene, our peace, having made the far-off near and the enemies one, at peace with God and with one another.
Explanation
Once Gentiles were "aliens... strangers from the covenants... without God in the world" — but "now... are made nigh by the blood of Christ." Christ "is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition" between Jew and Gentile, creating "one new man" and reconciling both to God "in one body by the cross." The result is shared access: "through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father." No longer foreigners but "fellowcitizens" and family, the two peoples are built together into "an habitation of God through the Spirit" — the church as God's living temple.
Gospel Focus
Paul now turns from grace to reconciliation, urging the Gentile believers to "remember" what they once were. Apart from Christ they were "aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world", a bleak fivefold description of life outside Christ. "But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ." The blood that reconciles us to God also brings the outsider near. Then Paul lifts up Christ as the peacemaker: "he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us." The deep division between Jew and Gentile, symbolized by the barrier in the temple, has been demolished. Christ "abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances," the ceremonial law that separated the two, "to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace." He did not merely reconcile two groups to each other but "reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby." The cross killed the hostility, both between peoples and between sinners and God. So the risen Christ "came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh." And the result: "through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father." Here is the way of salvation, and the Apostolic understanding of God: it is "through him", through Christ, God manifest in flesh, "by one Spirit", the one Spirit of God, "unto the Father", the one God Himself. This is not three separate persons but the one God bringing us to Himself, in Christ and by His Spirit; the access is one, to the one God. And the result is a new people: "no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God." Paul closes with a soaring image of the church as a temple: "built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone," and growing "unto an holy temple in the Lord," "an habitation of God through the Spirit." The God who once dwelt in a temple of stone now dwells in His people; the church is His house, built on Christ the cornerstone, indwelt by His Spirit. In Christ our peace, the far-off are brought near, enemies are made one, and God makes His home among His people.
Chapter 2 in Review
Ephesians 2 sets the riches of grace against the ruin of sin. We were "dead in trespasses and sins," "children of wrath," helpless. "But God, who is rich in mercy... hath quickened us together with Christ," for "by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast." Saved by grace, we are "his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works." Then Paul unfolds reconciliation: those "far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ," for "he is our peace, who hath made both one," reconciling all "unto God in one body by the cross," so that "through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father." We are now "the household of God," built on "Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone," into "an holy temple in the Lord... an habitation of God through the Spirit."
For the Apostolic reader this chapter magnifies grace and the cross. Salvation is entirely God's gift: dead sinners made alive by His rich mercy, saved by grace through faith and not by works, remade as His own workmanship. No one can boast, for we contributed nothing but the need; God did it all in Christ. And the same cross that saves also reconciles, making peace between estranged peoples and, deeper, between sinners and God, for Christ Himself is our peace, who bore the enmity in His own flesh and slew it by the cross. Through Him, and by the one Spirit, we come to the one God, the Father; the access is one, to the one God who was in Christ and dwells in us by His Spirit. And the end of it all is that God makes His home among His people: the church, built on Christ the cornerstone, is His holy temple, His habitation by the Spirit. So rest wholly in grace, glory in the cross that made your peace, and rejoice that you are brought near, made one, and built together as the dwelling place of God.
- We were "dead in trespasses and sins," but God made us alive by mercy (2:1, 4-5).
- "By grace are ye saved through faith... it is the gift of God: not of works" (2:8-9).
- Saved by grace, we are "his workmanship, created... unto good works" (2:10).
- Those far off are "made nigh by the blood of Christ" (2:13).
- "He is our peace, who hath made both one" and reconciled us by the cross (2:14-16).
- The church is "an habitation of God through the Spirit" (2:22).
Questions for Reflection
- Do you see your salvation as entirely God's gift of grace, not your own works?
- As God's "workmanship," what good works has He prepared for you to walk in?
- How does the cross make peace, both with God and with others?
- What does it mean that the church is God's "habitation... through the Spirit"?
References & Sources
Scripture is quoted from the King James Version (KJV). Supporting passages are listed so every claim can be verified in its own setting. Dead in sins, made alive by grace: Ephesians 2:1-7; Colossians 2:13; John 5:24; Romans 6:23. Saved by grace through faith, not works: Ephesians 2:8-10; Romans 3:24; 4:4-5; Titus 3:5; 2 Timothy 1:9. Reconciled by the blood and cross; Christ our peace: Ephesians 2:11-18; Colossians 1:20-22; Isaiah 57:19; Romans 5:1; Micah 5:5. The church as God's temple: Ephesians 2:19-22; 1 Corinthians 3:16-17; 1 Peter 2:4-6; Isaiah 28:16. If anything here does not look right, a verse, a reference, or a wording, please tell us at info@FruitBearers.net. Thank you for helping us keep Bible Learning error free.
- Dead in sins, saved by grace through faith: Ephesians 2:1-10; Colossians 2:13; Titus 3:5.
- Made nigh by the blood; Christ our peace: Ephesians 2:11-18; Colossians 1:20-22; Romans 5:1.
- The household of God, a holy temple: Ephesians 2:19-22; 1 Corinthians 3:16-17; 1 Peter 2:4-6.