Ephesians 2:1-10

Chapter 2

Ephesians 2:1 

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,

Paul ends his discussion on Christ’s rule in heaven but continues his thoughts on being chosen by God and what that encompasses. Paul says they were dead in transgressions and sins. The word “dead” here gives a sense of being departed or a thing without life. Paul says they were dead in or because of transgression and sin. 

Transgression- paraptōma- to fall beside

Sin- hamartia- miss the mark, to wander

Both of these words bear the feeling of not being up to standard. There is a moral standard we are held to and each of us fails to meet it. We are separated from God when this happens and Jesus came to save us as Paul will explain. 

Ephesians 2:2

in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.

The English translation of this verse loses some implication and basic theology. Here it seems that Paul is saying they used to live in error because they followed the world and the ruler. However, in Greek it is most clear that Paul is saying they followed the world and the world followed the ruler of power, in other words, Satan. The world follows and walks according to its master, being the Satan, and even the Messiah makes reference to this. The “kingdom the air” is not a great translation as “power of the air of the spirit” is better.  

Paul then goes on to speak of how Satan is at work in the “sons of disobedience”. Those who choose to rebel against God have a power working inside them. This is not a trance like state but rather a solemn choice to follow the world, which is following its ruler for now. 

Ephesians 2:3

All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath.

Paul says they too, before Christ, lived among the world and among those who were disobedient. 

cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts

They lived in “desires of the flesh” and “did the wishes of body and mind”. In other words, they did whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted. 

we were by nature deserving of wrath

The natural consequence for being this way results in them being “children of anger” or “wrath”. Judgment is the only result waiting. 

Ephesians 2:4-5 

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.

The point of this passage is to certainly view our salvation as a gift from God. That is when Jesus died on the cross, the love of God was shining through the darkness of that event and we have now been made alive through Him when before we were dead. Much can get lost in translation but this passage in the original Greek wording and order brings out much about God’s love. 

The Greek is as follows, “But God rich being in mercy, because of his great love which he loved us”. This shows that God’s mercy comes from His love. His love is what drives his interactions with his creation, including us. God is “abounding” in mercy and it is flowing out of his love. 

The word love here is the ever-famous word for God’s love agapē. 

Because of his mercy, he made us alive with Jesus. The Greek does switch this verse 5, reviewing the dead in transgressions phrase, and then going into the “being made alive together with Christ” phrase. Paul uses this phrase “made us alive together” only one other time in his letters. There is a sense of oneness here that cannot be forgotten. Christ made us alive, gave us life, apart from our downfalls in or with Christ. This is the saving mercy and grace referred to here. 

Then Paul adds a little note, that because of what Christ did, we’ve been saved or rescued by grace. This is not the opposite of mercy or to be seen as a contradiction. Rather this is to be seen in connection with being made alive. God did not allow us to be lost in our transgressions (mercy) but allowed us to live in Jesus (grace). The two coincide and compliment each other and not in the least bit contrary.   

Ephesians 2:6-7

And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

Paul makes a connection now between us and Christ and gives light to the meaning of being made alive. When we are made alive, two things happen: we are raised and seated. We rise with Christ, that is to share in his resurrection. We also sit with him in heaven, that is to share in his rule and reign. 

God does this so he can display his transcending grace in goodness to us. In the coming ages, however many there may be, Paul says God does this for all believers in Jesus. 

Ephesians 2:8-9

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.   

This is where being made alive in Christ makes a connection for us. We are saved by grace, that is the gift God gave we did not deserve, in Jesus. Grace led to Jesus coming and dying, thus we are saved by Jesus only through faith. This makes it clear that salvation is made available by God but only made a reality through faith in the grace he sent, that is Jesus. 

Paul then makes sure he makes clear where this gift comes from. Jesus’ work came from God. Our own salvation is not from any business or work we do, but comes from God as a gift only. There is nothing we can do about our salvation so that we can bring glory to ourselves. “Boast”- “glory”. 

Ephesians 2:10

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. 

Handiwork- poiēma- that which is made

This is Paul’s whole point. We were made alive, we were saved by God all for a specific purpose. Paul motions that we are created in Jesus to do good things. We are saved, we are made alive, no longer held down by sin and death. We have been liberated so we can do good things. God planned this for us all along. The Greek points out that God prepared these works for us so we could “walk” in them. God made us in Jesus so we could walk in the good things he prepared for us.