1 And to you did he give life, when you were dead through your wrongdoing and sins, 2 In which you were living in the past, after the ways of this present world, doing the pleasure of the lord of the power of the air, the spirit who is now working in those who go against the purpose of God; 3 Among whom we all at one time were living in the pleasures of our flesh, giving way to the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and the punishment of God was waiting for us even as for the rest. 4 But God, being full of mercy, through the great love which he had for us, 5 Even when we were dead through our sins, gave us life together with Christ (by grace you have salvation), 6 So that we came back from death with him, and are seated with him in the heavens, in Christ Jesus; 7 That in the time to come he might make clear the full wealth of his grace in his mercy to us in Christ Jesus: 8 Because by grace you have salvation through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is given by God: 9 Not by works, so that no man may take glory to himself. 10 For by his act we were given existence in Christ Jesus to do those good works which God before made ready for us so that we might do them. 11 For this reason keep it in mind that in the past you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are looked on as being outside the circumcision by those who have circumcision, in the flesh, made by hands; 12 That you were at that time without Christ, being cut off from any part in Israel's rights as a nation, having no part in God's agreement, having no hope, and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who at one time were far off are made near in the blood of Christ. 14 For he is our peace, who has made the two into one, and by whom the middle wall of division has been broken down, 15 Having in his flesh put an end to that which made the division between us, even the law with its rules and orders, so that he might make in himself, of the two, one new man, so making peace; 16 And that the two might come into agreement with God in one body through the cross, so putting an end to that division. 17 And he came preaching peace to you who were far off, and to those who were near; 18 Because through him the two of us are able to come near in one Spirit to the Father. 19 So then you are no longer as those who have no part or place in the kingdom of God, but you are numbered among the saints, and of the family of God, 20 Resting on the base of the Apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief keystone, 21 In whom all the building, rightly joined together, comes to be a holy house of God in the Lord; 22 In whom you, with the rest, are united together as a living-place of God in the Spirit.
Ephesians · Bible in Basic English
Ephesians 2 Bible in Basic English
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Cross references (22)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Colossians 2:13; Ephesians 2:5–6; Colossians 3:1–4; Romans 8:2; Ephesians 4:18
- 2 Ephesians 6:12; 1 John 5:19; Ephesians 2:3; John 12:31; Colossians 3:6–7
- 3 Titus 3:3; Galatians 5:16–24; Ephesians 4:22; 1 Peter 1:14; Romans 13:14
- 4 1 Peter 1:3; Ephesians 1:7; Titus 3:4–7; Psalm 86:15; Romans 5:8
- 5 Romans 3:24; Ephesians 2:8; Romans 5:10; Romans 5:8; Acts 15:11
- 6 Colossians 3:1–3; Ephesians 1:3; Colossians 2:12–13; Romans 6:4–5; John 17:21–26
- 7 1 Timothy 1:16–17; Titus 3:4; 2 Thessalonians 1:12; Ephesians 2:4; Isaiah 60:15
- 8 Romans 3:22–26; Ephesians 2:5; Romans 4:16; John 1:12–13; Romans 10:17
- 9 2 Timothy 1:9; Romans 11:6; Titus 3:3–5; Romans 9:16; 1 Corinthians 1:29–31
- 10 Philippians 2:13; Colossians 1:10; Hebrews 13:21; 2 Corinthians 5:17; 2 Corinthians 9:8
- 11 Colossians 2:11; Colossians 2:13; Colossians 3:11; Romans 2:28–29; Galatians 6:12
- 12 Galatians 4:8; Colossians 1:21; 1 Peter 1:3; Jeremiah 31:31–34; 1 Thessalonians 4:13
- 13 Acts 2:39; Colossians 1:20–22; Colossians 1:13–14; Ephesians 2:19–22; 1 Corinthians 6:11
- 14 Galatians 3:28; Colossians 3:15; Colossians 3:11; Ephesians 2:15; 1 Corinthians 12:12–13
- 15 Colossians 2:14; Galatians 3:10; Colossians 1:21–22; Hebrews 8:13; Galatians 6:15
- 16 Colossians 1:20–22; Romans 5:10; 2 Corinthians 5:18–21; Colossians 2:14; Galatians 2:20
- 17 Isaiah 57:19–21; Acts 10:36; Romans 5:1; Acts 2:39; Ephesians 2:13–14
- 18 Ephesians 3:12; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Romans 5:2; Ephesians 4:4; John 14:6
- 19 Philippians 3:20; 1 John 3:1; Galatians 6:10; Galatians 3:26–28; Ephesians 2:12
- 20 1 Peter 2:4–5; Isaiah 28:16; 1 Peter 2:7–8; Psalm 118:22; Ephesians 4:11–13
- 21 1 Corinthians 3:16–17; 1 Corinthians 3:9; 2 Corinthians 6:16; Ephesians 4:13–16; 1 Kings 6:7
- 22 1 Peter 2:4–5; 1 Corinthians 3:16; John 17:21–23; 1 John 4:16; John 14:17–23
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
… dead, having loosed the bands of the grave." "In whom, though now ye see Him not, ye believe, and believing, rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory;" into which joy many desire to enter, knowing that "by grace ye are saved, not of works," but by the will of God through Jesus Christ.
… and His subjection to death, he employs the name of Christ, as in that passage: "Destroy not him with thy meat for whom Christ died." And again: "But now, in Christ, ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ." And again: "Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a …
In Thy Church, therefore, O our God, according to Thy grace which Thou hast accorded unto it, since we are Thy workmanship created in good works, there are not only those who are spiritually set over, but those also who are spiritually subjected to those placed over them; for in this manner hast Thou made man, male and female, in …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)
… a hedge; as the prophet saith: "Thou hast broken down her hedge, so that all they which pass by the way do pluck off her grapes:" and, "I have set a hedge about it:" and Paul, "Having broken down the middle wall of the hedge." But others say, that the saying, "Why was the hedge broken up for thee?" was …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
For we are His workmanship, says the Apostle, created unto good works, which God afore prepared, that we should walk in them.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)