Eph 2 | ISV | STEP | God Has Brought Us from Death to Life You used to be dead because of your offenses and sins,

Ephesians 2

1 God Has Brought Us from Death to Life

You used to be dead because of your offenses and sins,John 5:24; Eph 2:5; 4:18; Col 2:13 2 in which you once lived according to the ways of this present world and according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now active in those who are disobedient. ^{▼▼Lit. the sons of disobedience}1Cor 6:11; Eph 4:22; 5:6; 6:12; Col 1:21; 3:; 1John 5:19 3 Indeed, all of us once behaved like ^{▼▼Or lived among} them in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of our flesh and senses. By nature we deserved wrath, ^{▼▼Lit. were children of wrath} just like everyone else.Ps 51:5; Rom 5:12, 14; Gal 5:16; Titus 3:3; 1Pet 4:3 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love for us ^{▼▼Lit. love with which he loved us}Rom 10:12; Eph 1:7 5 even when we were dead because of our offenses, made us alive together with ^{▼▼Other mss. read in} Christ (by grace you have been saved),Rom 5:6, 8, 10; 6:4-5; Eph 5:1; Col 2:12-13 6 raised us up with him, and seated us with him in the heavenly realm in Christ Jesus,Eph 1:20 7 so that in the coming ages he might display the limitless riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.Titus 3:4 8 For by such grace you have been saved through faith. This does not come from you; it is the gift of GodMatt 16:17; John 6:44, 65; Rom 3:24; 4:16; Eph 1:19; 2:5; Phil 1:29; 2Tim 1:9 9 and not the result of works, lest anyone boast.Rom 3:20, 27-28; 4:2; 9:11; 11:6; 1Cor 1:29-31; 2Tim 1:9; Titus 3:5 10 For we are his masterpiece, ^{▼▼Or workmanship} created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared long ago to be our way of life. ^{▼▼Lit. so that we might walk in them}Deut 32:6; Ps 100:3; Isa 19:25; 29:23; 44:21; John 3:3, 5; 1Cor 3:9; John 3:3, 5, 2Cor 5:5, 17; Eph 1:4; 4:24; Titus 2:14

11 All Believers Are One in ChristSo then, remember that at one time you were Gentiles by birth ^{▼▼Lit. in the flesh} and were called “the uncircumcision” by what is called “the circumcision” made in the flesh by hands.Rom 2:28-29; 1Cor 12:2; Eph 5:8; Col 1:21 12 At that time you were without Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel, ^{▼▼Or from the commonwealth of Israel} and strangers to the covenants of promise. You had no hope and were in the world without God.Ezek 13:9; John 10:16; Rom 9:4, 8; Gal 4:8; Eph 4:18; Col 1:21; Rom 9:4, 8, 1Thes 4:5, 13 13 But now, in Christ Jesus, you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.Acts 2:39; Gal 3:28; Eph 2:17

14 For it is he who is our peace. In his flesh he made both groups one by tearing down the wall of hostility that divided them. ^{▼▼Lit. the dividing wall of hostility}Mic 5:5; John 10:16; 16:33; Acts 10:36; Rom 5:1; Gal 3:28; Col 1:20 15 He rendered the law inoperative, along with its commandments and regulations, so that he might create in himself one new humanity from the two, thus making peace,2Cor 5:17; Gal 6:15; Eph 4:24; Col 1:22 16 and might reconcile both groups to God in one body through the cross, on which he killed the hostility.Rom 6:6; 8:3; Col 1:20-22; 2:14 17 He came and proclaimed peace for you who were far away and for you who were near.Ps 148:14; Isa 57:19; Zech 9:10; Acts 2:39; 10:36; Rom 5:1; Eph 5:13-14 18 For through him, both of us ^{▼▼I.e. both Jews and Gentiles} have access to the Father in ^{▼▼Or by} one Spirit.John 10:9; 14:6; Rom 5:2; 1Cor 12:13; Eph 3:12; 4:4; Heb 4:16; 10:19-20; 1Pet 3:18

19 That is why you are no longer strangers and foreigners but fellow citizens with the saints and members of God's household,Gal 6:10; Eph 3:15; Phil 3:20; Heb 12:22-23 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone. ^{▼▼Or capstone}Ps 118:22; Isa 28:16; Matt 16:18; 21:42; 1Cor 3:9-10; 12:28; Gal 2:9; Eph 4:11-12; 1Pet 2:4-5; Rev 21:14 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises into a holy sanctuary in the Lord.1Cor 3:17; 6:19; 2Cor 6:16; Eph 4:15-16 22 You, too, are being built in him along with the others into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.1Pet 2:5