Verse by Verse

⁸ To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,

⁹ and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ;

less than the least (v.8) = lit. “more least”

unsearchable (v.8) = that which cannot be traced out — untraceable (in Scripture)

We challenge you to find these Pauline teachings in the Prophetic writings (Genesis through Acts 9 and James through Revelation): Israel set aside in unbelief; the Church, the Body of Christ made up of Jews and Gentiles without distinction; commission of reconciliation; salvation by grace through faith alone; terms of salvation — Christ’s death, burial and resurrection presented as good news; our spiritual baptism into Christ by the Holy Spirit; blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies; seated with Christ in the heavenlies; a heavenly hope and calling; the pretribulational rapture; etc. — Sadler, page 141.

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Observe, it was not simply hidden in the Bible, as though the Old Testament contained this message and we only needed to ferret it out. But it was hidden in God, and could not have been apprehended by man at all excepting by divine revelation. — Ironside, page 151.

riches of Christ (v.8) = wealth in Christ, wealth Christ has

make … see (v.9) = bring to light

all (v.9) — not in some texts

fellowship (v.9) = administration, stewardship, dispensation

beginning of the ages (v.9) — This mystery was formed before the ages of time began and kept secret since they started — until they were given to Paul.

through Jesus Christ (v.9) — not in the best manuscripts

⁶ that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel,

⁷ of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power.

should be (v.6) = in Greek, this reads “the Gentiles are”

of the same body (v.6) = “belonging jointly to the same body”

promises (v.6) — God’s promise to Himself

Christ (v.6) — the best manuscripts have “Christ Jesus”

Now what is this mystery which in other ages was hidden from the sons of men? We are told in verse 6: “That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs and of the same Body, and partakers of His promise in Christ by the gospel.” In what does this differ from the Old Testament declaration that God would bless the Gentiles through Israel? The great difference, I take it, is this: According to the Old Testament prophets the day is coming when Israel will be restored to covenant relationship with God and will be brought into a place of special blessing here on the earth, and the Gentile nations living at that time will be blessed with and in subjection to them. But the great truth for our age is, that God is now calling out a people for the heavens to be the Body of His Son throughout the ages to come, and through whom He will administer the affairs of a redeemed universe. This Body is composed of those who were once by nature Jews and others who were Gentiles, but who have both been brought into the new creation by a second birth and united to the Lord Himself by the Spirit, thus becoming one Body with Him and each other. It was this great truth that Paul was specially called to minster “according to the gift of the grace of God,” which had been bestowed upon him. The Holy Spirit effectually worked in and through him to bring lost sinners of the Gentiles into this wonderful place of privilege and inalienable blessing. — Ironside, page 149.

minister (v.7) = a servant seen in his activity, one who serves

the gift of the grace (v.7) = the gift consisting in the grace — the office of apostleship

The ministry of this Mystery was a gift to the Apostle Paul, not because of any merit in him, for it was a gift of grace; and that same grace furnished him with spiritual power adequate to the discharge of the ministry. Gift, grace and power are the important words in this verse. — Williams, page 924.

1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles —

² if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you,

³ how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already,

⁴ by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ),

⁵ which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets:

for this reason (v.1) — refers back to “building together of the saints” in Ephesians 2:20-22

prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles (v.1) — see Acts 22:21-22

for (v.1 — 2nd usage) = on behalf of the Gentiles and for their good

Although God had made a provision for the Gentiles to be saved through Israel in prophecy, a cursory reading of the Old Testament will produce this conclusion: No one was sent to the Gentiles. They were “strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world” (Ephesians 2:12). — Sadler, page 118.

if (v.2) = “if, indeed, as I may assume,” assuming that — They had heard it, and Paul was now reminding them.

dispensation (v.2) = lit. “law of the house” = oversight, management, administration

revelation (v.3) = lit. “an uncovering, a laying bare”

mystery (v.3) — a secret purpose of God which when uncovered is understood by the Spirit-taught believer — no other writer of Scripture — only Paul — mentions the Body of Christ

knowledge (v.4) = mental apprehension —  insight depending on judgment and inference

mystery of Christ (v.4) = mystery relating to Christ

other (v.5) = another of a different kind

ages (v.5) = the period covered by a generation of men, a generation

sons of men (v.5) = men, with the idea of generations — Paul is reinforcing the point that no humans knew these truths until they were revealed to Paul by God who knew them from the beginning

now (v.5) — as opposed to “other ages (earlier in this verse) — further evidence that the apostles and prophets were the apostles (Paul, Timothy, Titus) and prophets of grace, not the Old Testament prophets and 12 apostles of the kingdom — see Sadler’s comments on Ephesians 2:19-22

Spirit (v.5) — Paul received the mystery by direct revelation from the Lord Jesus Christ. The other apostles and prophets received it through the illumination of the Spirit. We also receive it by illumination of the Spirit through the writings of Paul.

¹⁹ Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,

²⁰ having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone,

²¹ in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord,

²² in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

now, therefore (v.19) — concluding the thoughts in vs.14-18 and drawing the conclusion

strangers (v.19) = alien, of a different quality or nature — those separated by natural or territorial demarcation

foreigners (v.19) = lit. “has a home alongside” — those separated by absence of civic privileges. The two terms, “strangers and foreigners” refer to all non-citizens.

building (v.21) — the Church, the Body of Christ

fitted (v.21) = to join closely together — “fitly framed” in the KJV — an architectural metaphor

temple (v.21) — the inner sanctuary, not the entire temple with its outbuildings.

I thought Sadler was excellent on this passage, so I’ve included a lot of what he says.

The term “now” used here by Paul signals that a significant dispensational change has taken place.

But now we are no more strangers but fellowcitizens with the saints. In essence the apostle is saying that the Ephesians were fellowcitizens with the other members of the Body of Christ, which is true of all those who have trusted Christ down to this very day.

Paul broadens the scope when he reveals that we are also numbered with the household of God. In this context the phrase “household of God” is a collective reference to all of the blood-washed saints from every age.

The apostle goes on to add that we are “built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets.” Exactly who were these apostles and prophets? Some insist that this refers to the 12 apostles and the Old Testament prophets.

If these were the apostles and prophets of the kingdom the order would be reversed, for in God’s Prophetic Program the prophets preceded the apostles, as seen in Luke 11:49.

We believe that these were the apostles and prophets of grace who preached Christ according to the revelation of the Mystery. Of course, Paul is the primary apostle of this dispensation, but there were those who also held this office in a secondary sense. When Paul wrote to those at Thessalonica about his ministry among them he states: “Nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others, when we might have been burdensome, as the APOSTLES of Christ” (1 Thessalonians 2:6). These apostles of Christ are identified for us by the Holy Spirit as being Paul, Silas and Timothy (1 Thessalonians 1:1).

In Paul’s epistles the order is always the same, apostles first, followed by the prophets, for this is the order in which they were given. (1 Corinthians 12:28; Ephesians 3:5; Ephesians 4:11).

So then, as members of the Body of Christ, we are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets of  grace who proclaimed the Lord of glory in His exaltation. Christ is the chief cornerstone which is synonymous with the foundation. It is the point of reference from which all measurements are taken. Thus, if we want to measure up to God’s standard today, we, too, must acknowledge Paul’s apostleship and message.

But it is equally important to recognize the connections between the two programs of God. For example, the Savior who shed His blood for Israel is the same Savior who died for our sins. The Spirit who indwelt the saints at Pentecost is the same Spirit who indwells believers in the age of grace. As we have seen, the members of the Body of Christ are also numbered with the household of God and therefore joined to the living temple which God planned and purposed before the foundation of the world. This helps to explain why Paul uses the metaphor of a ”temple” when speaking of us collectively (Ephesians 2:21).

 [Inside the Old Testament temple, separated from the Court of the Gentiles] we have the Holy Place, which represents all of those who have been saved under the Prophetic Program. The living stones that have been placed into this side of the structure rest on the sure foundation, which is Christ relative to His earthly ministry. This explains why Peter says to his readers: “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5). With the setting aside of the nation Israel in unbelief, God has temporarily discontinued the construction on this part of the building. He has, however, revealed another set of plans for a new addition to the structure.

A new masterbuilder, Paul, is summoned, through whom God reveals His secret purpose, which was hidden from ages and generations past. Consequently, Paul was very careful NOT to “build upon another mans’ [Peter’s] foundation” (Romans 15:20). Instead, he pours out a new section of foundation in his epistles, which is Jesus Christ according to His heavenly ministry (1 Corinthians 3:10-11).

It is interesting that the term “temple” used here by the apostle in Ephesians 2 is the Greek word Naos, which refers to the sanctuary, and in this context to a specific section of it called the Holy of Holies. In this holy sanctum dwelt the very presence of God Almighty. Only the High Priest was permitted to enter this area once a year on the Day of Atonement. Anyone else was under the sure sentence of death if they even dared to draw near. But now, through the blood of Christ, God dwells in our midst, thus we can “come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).

When Solomon constructed the temple in Jerusalem he commanded, “and they brought great stones, costly stones, and hewed stones, to lay the foundation of the house.” Solomon paid a king’s ransom to purchase the stones for his temple, but it is nothing to be compared with what it cost our Savior to purchase us from the quarry of sin. Every stone that was placed in Solomon’s temple was made ready before it was brought to the structure so that, “there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building” (1 Kings 6:7). These stones were cut to such precision at the quarry that when they were brought to the site each fit perfectly into its place without a sound. In like manner, the sound of the hammer was only heard on a hill called Calvary, as they drove nails into the hands and feet of our Lord. The living stones that were chiseled from His finished work are still being slipped quietly into the temple of God. We are perfect and complete in Him. — Sadler, pages 110-115.

¹⁴ For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation,

¹⁵ having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace,

¹⁶ and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity.

¹⁷ And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. 

¹⁸ For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.

He (v.14) — in Greek, it’s intensive — He Himself, He and no other, He in His own Person

made (v.14) = to join together that which is separated — (here) Jew and Gentile

middle wall of separation (v.14) — Christ has broken down the middle wall of partition, that is, the law with its animal sacrifices, feasts, baptisms, Sabbaths, etc. This wall stood tall and strong for over fifteen hundred years. It barred the Gentiles access to the true and living God. There was no place this was more acutely evident than the temple. The following inscription was recently unearthed from Herod’s temple in Jerusalem by archeologists:

No Gentile may enter the barricade which surrounds the Sanctuary and enclosure. Anyone who is caught doing so will have himself to blame for his ensuing death.

But now, we are free from the law. Christ has “abolished in His flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances” (v.15). Christ delivered us from the obligation of fulfilling the demands of the law as a condition of justification. He accomplished this by redeeming us from the curse of the law. The curse of the law was the pronouncement of “death” due to sin. But Christ who knew no sin was made a curse for us (Galatians 3:13). In other words, He died our death, freeing us from the bondage of the law.  — Sadler, pages 107-108.

Acts 21:28 —Crying out, “Men of Israel, help! This [Paul] is the man who teaches all men everywhere against the people, the law, and this place; and furthermore he also brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.”

abolished (v.15) = rendered inoperative

enmity (v.15) — referring (here) to the middle wall (v.14) between Jew and Gentile

new man (v.15) — not the individual believer but the Church, the Body of Christ — as in 1 Corinthians 12:12-13

The new creation and the new union have their ground and principle in Christ. What was contemplated, too, was not simply the making of one man where formerly there were two, but the making of one new man. The result was not that, though, the separation between them was removed, the Jew still remained Jew and the Gentile, still Gentile. It was something new, the old distinctions between Jew and Gentile being lost in a third order of “man” — the Christian man. The word “make” is not “to make,” but “to create.” The word “new” is not “new” in time but “new” in quality. The word “man” is not “a male individual,” but the generic, racial term, speaking of an individual, here of the new creation made up of male and female, the mystical body of Christ. — Wuest, page 76.

and (v.16) — continuing the thought in v.15 and extending it. — Now reconciliation to God is introduced — a reconciliation to a condition which had been lost — the unity of the human race before God brought in the Jew as a separate and distinct nation.

reconcile (v.16) = reconcile things that are at variance.

one body (v.16) — Ephesians 4:4; Colossians 3:15

having slain the enmity (v.16) — between (here) the sinner and God

came (v.17) = having come

preached (v.17) = lit. “brought good news”

This passage has troubled some …, insofar as it seems to imply that Christ preached this message during His earthly ministry. Of course, we know this could not have been the case since this truth was hidden. The answer lies in the fact that the revelation of the joint Body was to be manifested in due time through Paul’s gospel (1 Timothy 2:3-7 cf. Titus 1:1-3). So, it is through Paul’s message that Christ is making known that Jews and Gentiles are reconciled in one Body by the Cross. — Sadler, page 109.

you who were afar off (v.17) — Gentiles

those who were near (v.17) — Jews

Verse 18 is an appeal to the truth of what has just been stated based on experience. — The Spirit is witness to the truth that Jews and Gentiles are now one body. All three members of the Trinity are in view in this verse.

access (v.18) — used of those who secure for one an interview with a sovereign

In Christ’s baptism into death at Calvary all Jewish believers die, and cease therefore to be Jews, and, likewise, all Gentile believers die and cease to be Gentiles. They rise with Christ, and as one body — a new man — they are brought into a new creation — separated from the earth and placed in and with Christ in the heavenlies. There He as the Head and they as the members form the Church.

This purpose of God respecting the Church in the heavenlies and His counsel concerning Israel and the nations in the earth, do not conflict. All His promises made in the Scriptures to the Hebrew Church will most surely be fulfilled in the earth. The nations will be blessed with Israel as Israel. The distinction between Israel and the nations will be maintained; for Israel will be set at the head of the nations; and all together they will become the Kingdom and the power of Christ. But the Church’s home and hopes are heavenly. — Williams, page 922.

¹¹ Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh — who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands —

¹² that at that time you 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.

¹³ But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

therefore (v.11) — an indication that what is to come in the next passage is an application drawn from the preceding passage

Gentiles (v.11) = the Gentiles — marking them as a distinct class

flesh (v.11) — (here) the physical body — their uncircumcised bodies proclaim their position as Gentiles

uncircumcision (v.11) — a further definition of “the Gentiles in the flesh” — a name of contempt

This sentence also is introduced with reference to the poverty of the previous condition of these Godless, Christless Gentiles. The point seems to be that the inferiority in which they were held, and which was expressed by the contemptuous name Uncircumcision, meant all the more as it was fastened on them by those to whom, while proudly calling themselves the Circumcision, the distinction was nothing more than an outward, manual act performed on their bodies. The rite, when its spiritual significance and use are in view, is spoken of with honor by Paul (Romans 4:11). As a mere performance, a barrier between Jew and Gentile, a yoke imposed by the former on the latter, a thing made essential to salvation, he spoke of it in terms of scorn and repudiation. — Wuest, page 72.

Five distinctions of the former state of the Gentiles:

1. without Christ (v.12) — without Christ as Messiah — while the Jews were waiting and hoping for Christ, the Gentiles had no connection to Him — they had no covenant connection.

2. aliens from the commonwealth of Israel (v.12) — aliens = strangers, as contrasted with those who are at home. Commonwealth = state — the Gentiles had no part in the theocratic state of Israel.

3. strangers from the covenants of promise (v.12) — strangers = foreign to a thing, having no share in it. Covenants — those made with Abraham and the patriarchs, the Messianic promises

4. no hope (v.12) — no Messianic hope, but also no hope beyond this world

5. without God in the world (v.12) — without knowledge of the true God, and so without any God (Galatians 4:8). In the world — in this present evil world

now (v.13) — in contrast to that time

Christ Jesus (v.13) — His Messianic name and His personal name — the promised Messiah and the actual Savior

There is an old saying that applies to the Gentiles in time past: “You have no one to blame but yourself.” When “they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened … For this cause, God gave them up unto vile affections” (Romans 1:21, 26). Once this took place, God channeled His blessing through Abraham’s seed. Consequently, the nations came to be known as the Uncircumcision — Gentiles in the flesh. “In the flesh” does not speak of lineage, rather it points to the fact that they were uncircumcised. Insofar as the Gentiles were outside of the Abrahamic covenant, there was little hope of them ever being saved. Although religious circumcision did not guarantee salvation to a child of Abraham, it did show favor and opportunity.

The promise of the Messiah, who would deliver His people from their sins, was given to Israel. Christ sprang out of the tribe of Judah; He was a Jew who came unto His own (John 1:11). We did not have a redeemer; we were “without Christ, aliens from the commonwealth of Israel.” Since the covenants of promise find their fulfillment in Christ, we were homeless, strangers to the Theocracy. The Gentiles, as Gentiles, were not citizens of the kingdom, therefore we had no rights or privileges. — Sadler, pages 98-99

⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,

⁹ not of works, lest anyone should boast.

¹⁰ For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

grace (v.8) — the article in Greek points back to “grace” in v.5

have been saved (v.8) — tense indicates a past action with continuing results

that (v.8) — the fact of our being saved, our salvation. This isn’t referring to “faith.”

not of works (v.9) — The translation reads, “and this not out from you as a source, of God (it is) the gift.” That is, salvation is a gift of God. It does not find it source in man. Furthermore, this salvation is not “out of a source of works.” This explains salvation by grace. It is not produced by man nor earned by him. It is a gift from God with no strings tied to it. Paul presents the same truth in Romans 4:4-5 when speaking of the righteousness which God imputed to Abraham, where he says: “Now, to the one who works, his wages are not looked upon as a favor but as that which is justly or legally due. But to the one who does not work but believes on the One who justifies the impious, his faith is computed for righteousness.” — Wuest, pages 69-70

workmanship (v.10) = to do, to make, something that is made

The word translated “workmanship” is used only twice in the New Testament, here in Ephesians and in the first chapter of Romans where Paul is speaking of the testimony of creation. He says in verse 20, “For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.” In the original, one Greek word is translated here, “the things that are made.” That word is poiema. From it we get our English word “poem.” — Ironside, pages 115-116

for v.10) = with a view to. Good works are the object to which our salvation looked — not the cause of it.

walk (v.10) = to regulate one’s life, to conduct one’s self

in them (v.10) = in these (good works)

God’s purpose in the place which He gave to good works in His decree was that they should actually and habitually be done by us. His final object was to make good works the very element of our life, the domain in which our action should move. That this should be the nature of our walk is implied in our being His handiwork, made anew by Him in Christ; that the good works which are the divine aim of our life shall be realized, is implied in their being designed and made ready for us in God’s decree; and that they are of God’s originating, and not of our action and merit, is implied in the fact that we had ourselves to be made a new creation in Christ with a view to them. — Wuest, page 71.

⁴ But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,

⁵ even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

⁶ and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

⁷ that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

but (v.4) — in contrast to vs. 2-3

rich (v.4) = wealthy, abounding, abundantly supplied

love (v.4) = agape

dead (v.5) — Spiritual death is the state of the natural or unregenerate man as still in his sins (2:1), alienated from the life of God (4:18-19), and destitute of the Spirit (Romans 8:9). Prolonged beyond the death of the body, spiritual death is a state of eternal separation from God in conscious suffering. This is called “the second death” (Revelation 2:11; 20:6, 14). — Scofield, page 1274

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made us alive (v.5) — This takes us to Romans 6:3-4, “Or, do you not know that as many as were placed into Christ Jesus (by the Holy Spirit), into His death were placed. We were entombed therefore with Him through this aforementioned placing into His death, in order that just as there was raised up Christ out from amongst the dead ones through the glory of the Father, thus also as for us, in the newness of a life (imparted) we may order our behavior.” This newness of life is a new life imparted through our identification with Christ in His resurrection. Our identification with Christ in His death broke the power of indwelling sin. Our identification with Him in His resurrection resulted in the impartation of divine life. This is what Paul has reference to when he says, “We were made alive together with Him.” — Wuest, page 66

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Now comes the interjection, “by grace ye are saved” (v.5). We have here in the Greek what is called a periphrastic construction. This is used when the writer cannot get all of the details of action from one verbal form. So he uses two, a finite verb and a participle. The participle here is in the perfect tense, which tense speaks of an action that took place in past time and was completed in past time, having results existent in present time. The translation reads, “By grace have you been completely saved, with the present result that you are in a saved state of being.” The perfect tense speaks of the existence of finished results in present time. But Paul is not satisfied with showing the existence of finished results in present time. He wants to show the persistence of results through present time. So he uses the verb “to be” in the present tense which gives durative force to the finished results. Thus, the full translation is, “By grace you have been saved in past time completely, with the result that you are in a state of salvation which persists through present time.” The unending state of the believer in salvation could not have been put in stronger or clearer language. The finished results of the past act of salvation are always present with the reader. His present state of salvation is dependent upon one thing and one thing only, his past appropriation of the Lord Jesus as Savior. — Wuest, pages 66-67

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raised us up (v.6) — “Hath raised us up together” is sunegeiro — “raised us with Him” — that is, to life now, in a present spiritual sense. The sunegeiro expresses the definite idea of resurrection, and primarily that of physical resurrection. The introduction of this term and the following makes it not improbable that both ideas, that of the present moral resurrection and that of the future bodily resurrection were in Paul’s mind, and that he did not sharply distinguish between them, but thought of them as one great gift of life. — Wuest, page 67

sit (v.6) = enthrone

in Christ Jesus (v.6)  — not referring just to the sitting, but to the whole statement from v.4 on

the ages to come (v.7) = lit. “in the ages that are coming one upon another”

show (v.7) — tense indicates that the subject (here — God) acts in his own interest — for His own glory

toward (v.7) = upon

 “But God, who is rich in mercy.” Thankfully, God has taken the initiative to make a provision of salvation and bring mankind in contact with the gospel, which is the means through which the Spirit convicts the unsaved sinner (John 16:7-11; Ephesians 6:17 cf. Hebrews 4:12). We believe that the sovereignty of God and human responsibility are both essential in the salvation of any soul. So then, when the gospel of salvation is preached to an unregenerate soul, the Holy Spirit supernaturally pierces through the enmity of his heart, allowing the light of the glorious gospel to shine in (2 Corinthians 4:3-6). Once the sinner is under conviction, he is responsible to God to believe the terms of the gospel — that Christ died for his sins, was buried, and rose again the third day.

But can the natural man who is dead in trespasses and sins believe the gospel? Some ask, “How can a dead person believe?” To which we would respond, “How can a dead person be disobedient?” (Ephesians 2:2). Both answers necessitate the utilization of man’s intellect and will. We reject the notion that God imparts faith to the natural man thus, enabling him to believe. If this were true, it would completely eliminate the human responsibility, especially in regard to the unbeliever who would be condemned to the lake of fire for rejecting a gospel he could have never believed. The Scriptures declare: “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” Notice that faith comes by hearing the Word of God, not implantation.

Let’s go a step farther. Did Adam in a fallen state understand what God said to him in the garden? The record is clear that he most certainly did — the Word of God pierced straight through his stony heart of flesh. God created man as an intelligent, rational being who has the capacity to make decisions. Even though this image has been marred by sin, when the Spirit convicts a soul through the gospel, man has the ability and the responsibility to believe. Can he resist if he so chooses and reject the good news? He often does (see Acts 7:51).

“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)” (Ephesians 2:4-5). If all are dead in trespasses and sins, then it can also be said that the love of God and His righteousness extends to all. This is a recurring theme throughout the Pauline epistles.

“Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference” (Romans 3:22). God’s gracious provision is unto “all” which clearly indicates that redemption is unlimited. Christ died for the sins of the world. However, the Word of God declares that salvation, and subsequently the righteousness of God, is only conveyed “upon all them that believe.” — Sadler, pages 91-92.

1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins,

² in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,

³ among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.

and you (v.1) — referring back to chapter 1 and the power of God that raised Jesus from the dead

made alive (v.1) = to cause to live, to give life, to quicken — Interesting note: In Greek, the main verb doesn’t appear until v.5.

dead (v.1) —spiritually dead, separated from God and His life

Only the Son of God could speak life to the daughter of Jairus, to the young man of Nain, and to Lazarus. So we were dead, every one of us, we who are now saved. Some were deeply corrupted because of sin, others perhaps did not know so much of its vileness and corruption, but all alike were dead before God and needed new and divine life. — Ironside, page 101.

trespasses (v.1) = stepping out of line

sins (v.1) = missing the mark

Note the difference between the two expressions. Sinning is missing the mark. Trespass is the violation of a definite law. We see the sign, “No trespassing,” and know that that means that we cannot pass a certain boundary without being guilty of transgressing. You and I are guilty on both counts. We are sinners, for we have taken our own way; and we are trespassers, because we have actually transgressed what we know to be the revealed will of God; and so we are dead to God in our natural condition. — Ironside, page 101

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It was not physical death, although that is caused in the last analysis by sin. This state of death was linked with trespasses and sins in that it had to do with the moral and ethical part of the individual, his reason, will and emotions. He was living in a state of separation from God and His life in that the latter did not energize and control the reason, will and emotions of the person. These were very active, but were energized by the totally depraved nature. The word “trespasses” is the translation of paraptoma from parapipto, “to fall beside a person or thing, to slip aside, hence, to deviate from the right path, to turn aside, to wander.” Thus, in the word paraptoma, sin is looked upon as a lapse or deviation from truth or uprightness, a trespass, a misdeed. “Sins” is the rendering of hamartia from hamartano, “to miss the mark.” It was used in the Greek classics of a spearman missing the target at which he aimed the spear. It was used in the ethical terminology of the Greeks to mean “to fail of one’s purpose, to go wrong.” In the N.T., it speaks of sin as the act of a person failing to obey the Word of God, failing to measure up in his life to the will of God. Its use is excellently illustrated in Romans 3:28, “All have sinned (missed the mark), and at present come short of the glory of God.” The mark or target is the glory of God. Man was created to glorify God. His attempt, where the attempt is made, to live a life pleasing to God, falls short of the target, like a spear thrown by an athlete, falls short of the target at which it is thrown. — Wuest, page 60.

Verses 2 and 3 are an interruption of the thought in v.1 that is continued in v.4.

In which (v.2) — referring back to trespasses and sins

walked (v.2) = walked around, made one’s way, progressed, conducted one’s self. The tense indicates an overall view — the whole life of an unsaved person is nothing but sin — The unsaved order their behavior, regulate their lives within the sphere of trespasses and sins. (Wuest, page 61).

according to (v.2) = dominated by or controlled by

course of this world (v.2) — “Course” is aion, all that floating mass of thoughts, opinions, maxims, speculations, hopes, impulses, aims, aspirations, at any time current in the world, which it may be impossible to seize and accurately define, but which constitutes a most real and effective power, being the moral or immoral atmosphere which at every moment of our lives we inhale, again inevitably to exhale.

To distinguish the words, one could say that kosmos gives the over-all picture of mankind alienated from God during all history, and aion represents any distinct age or period of human history as marked out from another by particular characteristics. — Wuest, page 61

prince (v.2) = first in an order of persons or things

power (v.2) = authority — Wuest says this refers to demons. I’m not sure.

air (v.2) = the lower level of the atmosphere, the one in which we live

spirit (v.2) = one’s way of thinking and acting — (here) our evil tendency, the characteristic of the unsaved

now works (v.2) = to be operative

sons (v.2) — Huios, “sons” is a Hebrew idiom in which one calls a person having a peculiar quality, or subject to a peculiar evil, a son of that quality. The unsaved are called sons of disobedience in the sense that they have the character of being disobedient. — Wuest, page 63.

disobedience (v.2) = impersuadable, uncompliant

The Greek construction of verse 2 indicates that Satan is the leader of the authority of the lower atmosphere and the leader of the spirit that works in the unsaved.

among whom (v.3) — referring to the sons of disobedience in v.2 — not “in the midst of” but “numbered among whom”

conducted (v.3) = behaved — had our conversation (KJV)

lusts (v.3) = passionate longings, cravings

flesh (v.3) — our totally depraved old nature

mind (v.3) = the faculty of understanding, feeling and desiring — when plural, as here = the thoughts — evil thoughts

fulfilling (v.3) = to do, perform, accomplish — tense indicates habitual behavior

desires (v.3) = desires that come from the emotions rather than the reason

were (v.3) = continuous action or state of being

by nature (v.3) = innate, implanted by nature

children (v.3) = to give birth to — so we were sinners from birth

wrath (v.3) = God’s holy hatred of sin

By nature accords with children, implying what is innate. Wrath is God’s holy hatred of sin; His essential antagonism to everything evil (Romans 1:18). This holy displeasure of God with sin is not inconsistent with His love, but is the reaction of that love against the denial of its sovereign rights of responsive love. The term phusis (nature), though it may occasionally be applied to what is habitual or to character as developed, means properly what is innate, implanted in one by nature, and this with different shades of meaning (compare Romans 2:14; Galatians 2:15; Galatians 4:8). The clause means, therefore, that in their pre-Christian life those meant by the hemeis pantes (we all) were in the condition of subjection to the divine wrath; and that they were so not by deed merely, nor by circumstance, nor by passing into it, but by nature. Their universal sin has already been affirmed. This universal sin is now described as sin by nature. Beyond this, Paul does not go in this present passage. But the one is the explanation of the other. Universal sin implies a law of sinning, a sin that is of the nature; and this, again, is the explanation of the fact that all are under the divine wrath, for the divine wrath operates only where sin is. Here is the essential meaning of the doctrine of original sin. — Wuest, pages 64-65.

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This doctrine has suffered from many misconceptions, for the average person would define total depravity by saying that it means that man is as bad as he can be. However, if we adopt that as an acceptable definition, immediately our theology is brought into question because we know men who are not as bad as they can be. We know many men who are good men, kind men, generous men, moral men, men who contribute much in the home and in the community.

Rather, the doctrine of depravity says that man is as bad off as he can be. There is a vast difference between being as bad as he can be and being as bad off as he can be. The doctrine of depravity has to do, not with man’s estimation of man, but rather with God’s estimation of man … When we measure men by man, we can always find someone who is lower than we are on the moral or ethical scale, and the comparison gives us feeling of self-satisfaction. But the Scriptures do not measure men by man; they measure men by God who has created them. The creature is measured by the Creator and is found to be wanting. — Sadler, pages 90-91

Just a random thought I had while doing this study. We live in an age when it is enough to intend to achieve an outcome. We don’t have to actually achieve it to feel good about ourselves. For example, to enact laws “intended” to help the poor is honorable, regardless of whether any poor are actually helped.  On any issue, it is enough to sympathize with, to march in parade for, to agree with, or to protest for. As long as we’re seen to be on the side of some issue, we matter. Or we think we do.

I think that’s why so many people have a hard time with God. They want to be good. They do good things. They espouse causes that they believe are good. They think that should be good enough to make them good. They think that what they feel ought to count with God.

But God says that nothing we do is good enough. None of our sympathies or efforts match His standards. We all fall short. We are incapable of achieving the outcome of being saved by anything we do, say, or think. And and that makes people angry. They think God isn’t playing by the rules. But they forget that man has made those rules. The only rules that count are God’s rules, and His rules say we fail.

Only Christ has kept God’s rules, and it is only in Christ that we can meet God’s standards.

²⁰ which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,

²¹ far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.

²² And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church,

²³ which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

which (v.20) — referring back to God’s power in v.19

worked (v.20) = to be at work, put forth power

from the dead (v.20) = out from among the dead

principality (v.21) = a first one, a leader — angels

power (v.21) = delegated authority — again, angels

might (v.21) = power

dominion (v.21) = lordshp

This list encompasses both earthly and heavenly authorities, including evil spirits.

and every name that is named (v.21) = and in a word, every name — whatever a name can be given to

this age (v.21) — the present state of things

that which is to come (v.21) — the state of things in the future

put … under (v.22) = to put in subjection under one — a military term

church (v.22) = a body of called out individuals — the body of Christ — all those who are saved

which (v.23) = which is of such a nature as

body (v.23) — the word soma, which passes readily from its literal meaning into the figurative sense of a society, a number of men constituting a social or ethical union (compare Ephesians 4:4), is frequently applied in the N.T. epistles to the Church … as the mystical body of Christ, the fellowship of believers regarded as an organic spiritual unity in a living relation to Christ, subject to Him, animated by Him, and having His power operating in it. The relation between Christ and the Church, therefore, is not an external relation, or one simply of Superior and inferior, Sovereign and subject, but one of life and incorporation. The Church is not merely an institution ruled by Him as President, a Kingdom in which He is the Supreme Authority, or a vast company of men in moral sympathy with Him, but a Society which is in vital connection with Him, having the source of its life in Him, sustained and directed by His power, the instrument also by which He works. — Wuest, pages 56-57

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fulness (v.23) — That which has been filled; used of a ship inasmuch as it is filled (i.e., manned) with sailors, rowers and soldiers; in the N.T., the body of believers, as that which is filled with the presence, power, agency, riches of God and of Christ … the meaning being, that the Church, being the Body of Christ, is dwelt in and filled with God: it is His pleroma (fulness) in an especial manner — His fulness abides in it and is exemplified by it … The idea is that the Church is not only Christ’s body but that which is filled by Him. In Colossians 1:19 and Colossians 2:9, the whole pleroma or every plenitude of the Godhead, the very fulness of the Godhead, the totality of the divine powers and qualities, is said to be recognized as Framer and Governor of the world, and there is neither need nor place for any intermediate beings as agents in those works of creating, upholding and administering. Here the conception is that this plenitude of the divine powers and qualities which is in Christ is imparted by Him to His Church, so that the latter is pervaded by His presence, animated by His life, filled with His gifts and energies and graces. He is the sold Head of the universe, which is supplied by Him with all that is needed for its being and order. He is also the sole Head of the Church, which receives from Him what He Himself possesses, and is endowed by Him with all that it requires for the realization of its vocation. “The all things” is the whole system of things, made by Christ, and having in Him the ground of its being, its continuance, its order (Hebrews 1:3; Colossians 1:16-17; 1 Corinthians 8:6), “with all things,” the universe itself and all the things that make its fulness.” [Wuest’s translation] And all things He put in subjection under His feet, and Him He gave as Head over all things to the Church, which is of such a nature as to be His body, the fulness of the One who constantly is filling the all things with all things. — Wuest, pages 57-58