Ephesians 2:1-10. What Does Paul Say?

Thank you for confirming that you do not believe Ezekiels vision of the dry bones coming to life. I had suspected that of you. Zekes vision is a vision of God calling sinners to eternal life. Please notice that they are dead. BTW, can you please help me see where mans “free will” comes into play here? The point of the vision to me is that they were dead (not mostly dead).

Seems to me like its pretty clear here that they are truly dead wouldn't you say? They did however respond to the call of God!

 

Sbg

What about Vs 5 in the same context. What does it say in the greek text?

 

But...God...

Why do you ignore such a great conjunction that contrasts our deadness and incapacity do anything?

But God...

Also, look at what God does by making us alive with Christ.
Compare 2:6 with 1:20-21.

This is all God's work, not our work. We have nothing in which to boast.

 

Matthew Henry Commentary


Eph 2:4-10

Here the apostle begins his account of the glorious change that was wrought in them by converting grace, where observe,

• I. By whom, and in what manner, it was brought about and effected.
  • 1. Negatively: Not of yourselves, v. 8. Our faith, our conversion, and our eternal salvation, are not the mere product of any natural abilities, nor of any merit of our own: Not of works, lest any man should boast, v. 9. These things are not brought to pass by any thing done by us, and therefore all boasting is excluded; he who glories must not glory in himself, but in the Lord. There is no room for any man's boasting of his own abilities and power; or as though he had done any thing that might deserve such immense favours from God.
  • 2. Positively: But God, who is rich in mercy, etc., v. 4. God himself is the author of this great and happy change, and his great love is the spring and fontal cause of it; hence he resolved to show mercy. Love is his inclination to do us good considered simply as creatures; mercy respects us as apostate and as miserable creatures. Observe, God's eternal love or good-will towards his creatures is the fountain whence all his mercies vouch-safed to us proceed; and that love of God is great love, and that mercy of his is rich mercy, inexpressibly great and inexhaustibly rich. And then by grace you are saved (v. 5), and by grace are you saved through faith-it is the gift of God, v. 8. Note, Every converted sinner is a saved sinner. Such are delivered from sin and wrath; they are brought into a state of salvation, and have a right given them by grace to eternal happiness. The grace that saves them is the free undeserved goodness and favour of God; and he saves them, not by the works of the law, but through faith in Christ Jesus, by means of which they come to partake of the great blessings of the gospel; and both that faith and that salvation on which it has so great an influence are the gift of God. The great objects of faith are made known by divine revelation, and made credible by the testimony and evidence which God hath given us; and that we believe to salvation and obtain salvation through faith is entirely owing to divine assistance and grace; God has ordered all so that the whole shall appear to be of grace. Observe,
• II. Wherein this change consists, in several particulars, answering to the misery of our natural state, some of which are enumerated in this section, and others are mentioned below.
  • 1. We who were dead are quickened (v. 5), we are saved from the death of sin and have a principle of spiritual life implanted in us. Grace in the soul is a new life in the soul. As death locks up the senses, seals up all the powers and faculties, so does a state of sin, as to any thing that is good. Grace unlocks and opens all, and enlarges the soul. Observe, A regenerate sinner becomes a living soul: he lives a life of sanctification, being born of God; and he lives in the sense of the law, being delivered from the guilt of sin by pardoning and justifying grace. He hath quickened us together with Christ. Our spiritual life results from our union with Christ; it is in him that we live: Because I live, you shall live also.
  • 2. We who were buried are raised up, v. 6. What remains yet to be done is here spoken of as though it were already past, though indeed we are raised up in virtue of our union with him whom God hath raised from the dead. When he raised Christ from the dead, he did in effect raise up all believers together with him, he being their common head; and when he placed him at his right hand in heavenly places, he advanced and glorified them in and with him, their raised and exalted head and forerunner.-And made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. This may be understood in another sense. Sinners roll themselves in the dust; sanctified souls sit in heavenly places, are raised above the world; the world is as nothing to them, compared with what it has been, and compared with what the other world is. Saints are not only Christ's freemen, but they are assessors with him; by the assistance of his grace they have ascended with him above this world to converse with another, and they live in the constant expectation of it. They are not only servants to the best of masters in the best work, but they are exalted to reign with him; they sit upon the throne with Christ, as he has sat down with his Father on his throne.
• III. Observe what is the great design and aim of God in producing and effecting this change: And this,
  • 1. With respect to others: That in the ages to come he might show, etc. (v. 7), that he might give a specimen and proof of his great goodness and mercy, for the encouragement of sinners in future time. Observe, The goodness of God in converting and saving sinners heretofore is a proper encouragement to others in after-time to hope in his grace and mercy, and to apply themselves to these. God having this in his design, poor sinners should take great encouragement from it. And what may we not hope for from such grace and kindness, from riches of grace, to which this change is owing? Through Christ Jesus, by and through whom God conveys all his favour and blessings to us.
  • 2. With respect to the regenerated sinners themselves: For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, etc., v. 10. It appears that all is of grace, because all our spiritual advantages are from God. We are his workmanship; he means in respect of the new creation; not only as men, but as saints. The new man is a new creature; and God is its Creator. It is a new birth, and we are born or begotten of his will. In Christ Jesus, that is, on the account of what he has done and suffered, and by the influence and operation of his blessed Spirit. Unto good works, etc. The apostle having before ascribed this change to divine grace in exclusion of works, lest he should seem thereby to discourage good works, he here observes that though the change is to be ascribed to nothing of that nature (for we are the workmanship of God), yet God, in his new creation, has designed and prepared us for good works: Created unto good works, with a design that we should be fruitful in them. Wherever God by his grace implants good principles, they are intended to be for good works. Which God hath before ordained, that is, decreed and appointed. Or, the words may be read, To which God hath before prepared us, that is, by blessing us with the knowledge of his will, and with the assistance of his Holy Spirit; and by producing such a change in us. That we should walk in them, or glorify God by an exemplary conversation and by our perseverance in holiness.

 

John Brown Commentary

B. Ephe 2:4-7 (NKJV) 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.

1. Remember "grace" is getting what we don't deserve, while "mercy" is = "not getting what we do deserve"!

a) We deserved death for our sins, but because of His great love with which He loved us, vs. 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ

(1) And that, without a doubt is "getting what we don't deserve = grace!!

2. In verse 6 Paul tells us what Jesus did and in verse 7 he tell us why He did it.

a) Jesus made us spiritually alive, when we were spiritually dead and gave us all the riches of heaven!

b) And the reason He did it, was so that He could show how "exceedingly" rich His grace is toward us because of His Son!

(1) And that will be an eternal testimony!!

C. Ephe 2:8-9 (NKJV) 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.

1. Our salvation comes as a result of our faith in Jesus Christ!

a) Instead of getting what we deserve (death), salvation is getting what we don't deserve! (forgiveness and eternity).

b) The "grace" that Paul speaks of here, nor even the "faith" to believe in Christ originated with us!

(1) It all comes from the heart of our Savior!

(2) If it wasn't a completely "free" gift then we would feel that we "earned" it somehow.

(3) And if we could earn it we would boast about it!

(4) This way, with God's plan, all we can do is love Him for doing what was impossible for us!

 

EXPOSITION BY C.H. SPURGEON

EPHESIANS 2

Verse 1. And you he hath quickened.

Is it so? Could the apostle say that to you, and to me?

1. Who were dead in trespasses and sins;

Look back to what you used to be, to the hole of the pit whence ye were digged: "You hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins."

2. Wherein in time past ye walked

With a terrible activity of spiritual death;

3. 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:

He makes them to be his forge. There he blows his coals, there he fabricates his instruments. Do you not hear the noise of the infernal bellows when "the children of disobedience: swear, and use unclean language? Ah, such were some of us; but we are cleansed! The evil spirit has been driven out, and he no more works in us.

3. 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.

You that now commune with God at the mercy-seat, you that are now his favoured children, and have received power to become the sons of God, you were once heirs of wrath: "By nature the children of wrath, even as others." Holy Scripture is not complimentary to unrenewed human nature. You may search it through and through to find a single flattering word to unregenerate man; but you will search in vain. This style of speech is left to those who scout divine inspiration. They draw their inspiration from another fount, from a desire to walk according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air. They can se flattering speeches in addressing the ungodly; but the Holy Ghost never does.

4, 5. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins,

God loved us even when we were dead in sins. His love does not depend upon what we are; it flows from his own heart. It is not love of something good in us; it is love of us because of everything good in him. Here you see the greatness of his grace, in that "he loved us, even when we were dead in sins."

5. Hath quickened us together with Christ,

Ah! That accounts for everything: "together with Christ." When we get "together with Christ", then are we made alive, then are we saved. Are you. my dear hearers, "quickened together with Christ"?

5-7. (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.

See how Paul's language grows and swells and rises as he proceeds! Just now, we read of "God, who is rich in mercy"; now the apostle speaks of "the exceeding riches of his grace", exceeding expression, exceeding comprehension, exceeding even sin itself, though that is all but infinite. "The exceeding riches of his grace" are infinity itself; but they all come to us "through Christ Jesus." Paul will speak of nothing good except that which comes "through Christ Jesus." This is the one conduit-pipe through which the streams of living water flow to the dead in sin; God's grace comes to us "Through Christ Jesus", and through him alone.

8. For by grace are ye saved through faith;

We have this expression, "by grace are ye saved," twice over in this chapter. Paul knew that he needed to repeat himself, or people would forget what he taught. At bottom, all the wanderings from the faith at the present day amount to this, salvation by works instead of salvation by grace. The battle of the Reformation has to be fought over again. Men are justified by grace through faith in Christ Jesus. All the enmity of natural men is against that truth. They want to be saved by their own morality, and all sorts of things that they put instead of salvation by grace through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

8, 9. And that not of yourselves: it is a gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.

"Oh!" said one to me just now, "the man who is saved by his own righteousness cannot do much in the line of praising." "No, my dear brother," I replied, "except he praises himself; and he can generally do that pretty well." Your self-made man usually worships his creator very earnestly; and your self-saved man glorifies him that saved him.

10. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus

Nothing without Christ Jesus, you see. The mark of the pierced hand is on everything: "We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus."

10. Unto Good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

God has decreed that he will have a holy people. This is his purpose, his ordinance, to which he will always stand. He will make it good. He will make sinful people holy, and disobedient people obedient to the faith.

 

When there are many words, transgression is inevitable.

“made us alive” is passive, whether English or Greek. God did it, we had no part in being “made alive”.

This is consistent with John 1 and John 3, that the children of God are born by the will of God.

peace to you

 

Commentary by A. R. FAUSSET
CHAPTER 2
Eph 2:1-22. GOD'S LOVE AND GRACE IN QUICKENING US, ONCE DEAD, THROUGH CHRIST. HIS PURPOSE IN DOING SO: EXHORTATION BASED ON OUR PRIVILEGES AS BUILT TOGETHER, AN HOLY TEMPLE, IN CHRIST, THROUGH THE SPIRIT.

1. And you--"You also," among those who have experienced His mighty power in enabling them to believe ( Eph 1:19-23 ).
hath he quickened--supplied from the Greek ( Eph 2:5 ).
dead--spiritually. ( Col 2:13 ). A living corpse: without the gracious presence of God's Spirit in the soul, and so unable to think, will, or do aught that is holy.
in trespasses. . . sins--in them, as the element in which the unbeliever is, and through which he is dead to the true life. Sin is the death of the soul. Isa 9:2Jhn 5:25, "dead" (spiritually), 1Ti 5:6. "Alienated from the life of God" ( Eph 4:18 ). Translate, as Greek, "in your trespasses," &c. "Trespass" in Greek, expresses a FALL or LAPSE, such as the transgression of Adam whereby he fell. "Sin." (Greek,"hamartia") implies innate corruption and ALIENATION from God (literally, erring of the mind from the rule of truth), exhibited in acts of sin (Greek, "hamartemata"). BENGEL, refers "trespasses" to the Jews who had the law, and yet revolted from it; "sins," to the Gentiles who know not God.

2. the course of this world--the career (literally, "the age," compare Gal 1:4 ), or present system of this world ( 1Cr 2:6, 12 3:18, 19, as opposed to "the world to come"): alien from God, and lying in the wicked one ( 1Jo 5:19 ). "The age" (which is something more external and ethical) regulates "the world" (which is something more external).
the prince of the power of the air--the unseen God who lies underneath guiding "the course of this world" ( 2Cr 4:4 ); ranging through the air around us: compare Mar 4:4, "fowls of the air" (Greek, "heaven") that is, ( Eph 2:15 ), "Satan" and his demons. Compare Eph 6:12 Jhn 12:31. Christ's ascension seems to have cast Satan out of heaven ( Rev 12:5, 9, 10, 12, 13 ), where he had been heretofore the accuser of the brethren ( Job 1:6-11 ). No longer able to accuse in heaventhose justified by Christ, the ascended Saviour ( Rom 8:33, 34 ), he assails them on earth with all trials and temptations; and "we live in an atmosphere poisonous and impregnated with deadly elements. But a mighty purification of the air will be effected by Christ's coming" [AUBERLEN], for Satan shall be bound ( Rev 12:12, 13, 15, 17 20:2, 3 ). "The power" is here used collectively for the "powers of the air"; in apposition with which "powers" stand the "spirits," comprehended in the singular, "the spirit," taken also collectively: the aggregate of the "seducing spirits" ( 1Ti 4:1 ) which "work now (still; not merely, as in your case, 'in time past') in the sons of disobedience" (a Hebraism: men who are not merely by accident disobedient, but who are essentially sons of disobedience itself: compare Mat 3:7 ), and of which Satan is here declared to be "the prince." The Greek does not allow "the spirit" to refer to Satan, "the prince" himself, but to "the powers of the air" of which he is prince. The powers of the air are the embodiment of that evil "spirit" which is the ruling principle of unbelievers, especially the heathen ( Act 26:18 ), as opposed to the spirit of the children of God ( Luk 4:33 ). The potency of that "spirit" is shown in the "disobedience" of the former. Compare Deu 32:20, "children in whom is no faith" ( Isa 30:9 57:4 ). They disobey the Gospel both in faith and practice ( 2Th 1:8 2Cr 2:12 ).

3. also we--that is, we also. Paul here joins himself in the same category with them, passing from the second person ( Eph 2:1, 2 ) to the first person here.
all--Jews and Gentiles.
our conversation--"our way of life" ( 2Cr 1:12 1Pe 1:18 ). This expression implies an outwardly more decorous course, than the open "walk" in gross sins on the part of the majority of Ephesians in times past, the Gentile portion of whom may be specially referred to in Eph 2:2. Paul and his Jewish countrymen, though outwardly more seemly than the Gentiles ( Act 26:4, 5, 18 ), had been essentially like them in living to the unrenewed flesh, without the Spirit of God.
fulfilling--Greek, doing.
mind--Greek, "our thoughts." Mental suggestions and purposes (independent of God), as distinguished from the blind impulses of "the flesh."
and were by nature--He intentionally breaks off the construction, substituting "and we were" for "and being," to mark emphatically his and their past state by nature, as contrasted with their present state by grace. Not merely is it, we had our way of life fulfilling our fleshly desires, and so being children of wrath; but we were by nature originally "children of wrath," and so consequently had our way of life fulfilling our fleshly desires. "Nature," in Greek, implies that which has grown in us as the peculiarity of our being, growing with our growth, and strengthening with our strength, as distinguished from that which has been wrought on us by mere external influences: what is inherent, not acquired ( Job 14:4 Psa 51:5 ). An incidental proof of the doctrine of original sin.
children of wrath--not merely "sons," as in the Greek, "sons of disobedience" ( Eph 2:2 ), but "children" by generation; not merely by adoption, as "sons" might be. The Greek order more emphatically marks this innate corruption: "Those who in their (very) nature are children of wrath"; Eph 2:5, "grace" is opposed to "nature" here; and salvation (implied in Eph 2:5, 8, "saved") to "wrath." Compare Article IX, Church of England Common Prayer Book. "Original sin (birth-sin), standeth not in the following of Adam, but is the fault and corruption of the nature of every man, naturally engendered of Adam [Christ was supernaturally conceived by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin], whereby man is very far gone from original righteousness, and is of his own nature inclined to evil; and therefore, in every person born into this world, it deserveth God's wrath and damnation." Paul shows that even the Jews, who boasted of their birth from Abraham, were by natural birth equally children of wrath as the Gentiles, whom the Jews despised on account of their birth from idolaters ( Rom 3:9 5:12-14 ). "Wrath abideth" on all who disobey the Gospel in faith and practice ( Jhn 3:36 ). The phrase, "children of wrath," is a Hebraism, that is, objects of God's wrath from childhood, in our natural state, as being born in the sin which God hates. So "son of death" ( 2Sa 12:5, Margin); "son of perdition" ( Jhn 17:12 2Th 2:3 ).
as others--Greek, "as the rest" of mankind are ( 1Th 4:13 ).

4. God, who is rich--Greek "(as) being rich in mercy."
for--that is, "because of His great love." This was the special ground of God's saving us; as "rich in mercy" (compare Eph 2:7 Eph 1:7 Rom 2:4 10:12 ) was the general ground. "Mercy takes away misery; love confers salvation" [BENGEL].

5. dead in sins--The best reading is in the Greek, "dead in our (literally, 'the') trespasses."
quickened--"vivified" spiritually, and consequences hereafter, corporally. There must be a spiritual resurrection of the soul before there can be a comfortable resurrection of the body [PEARSON] ( Jhn 11:25, 26 Rom 8:11 ).
together with Christ--The Head being seated at God's right hand, the body also sits there with Him [CHRYSOSTOM]. We are already seated there IN Him ("in Christ Jesus," Eph 2:6 ), and hereafter shall be seated by Him; IN Him already as in our Head, which is the ground of our hope; by Him hereafter, as by the conferring cause, when hope shall be swallowed up in fruition [PEARSON]. What God wrought in Christ, He wrought (by the very fact) in all united to Christ, and one with Him.
by grace ye are saved--Greek, "Ye are in a saved state." Not merely "ye are being saved," but ye "are passed from death unto life" ( Jhn 5:24 ). Salvation is to the Christian not a thing to be waited for hereafter, but already realized ( 1Jo 3:14 ). The parenthetic introduction of this clause here (compare Eph 2:8 ) is a burst of Paul's feeling, and in order to make the Ephesians feel that grace from first to last is the sole source of salvation; hence, too, he says "ye," not "we."

 

6. raised us up together--with Christ. The "raising up" presupposes previous quickening of Jesus in the tomb, and of us in the grave of our sins.
made us sit together--with Christ, namely, in His ascension. Believers are bodily in heaven in point of right, and virtually so in spirit, and have each their own place assigned there, which in due time they shall take possession of ( Phl 3:20, 21). He does not say, "on the right hand of God"; a prerogative reserved to Christ peculiarly; though they shall share His throne ( Rev 3:21 ).
in Christ Jesus--Our union with Him is the ground of our present spiritual, and future bodily, resurrection and ascension. "Christ Jesus" is the phrase mostly used in this Epistle, in which the office of the Christ, the Anointed Prophet, Priest and King, is the prominent thought; when the Person is prominent, "Jesus Christ" is the phrase used.

7. Greek, "That He might show forth (middle reflexive voice; for His own glory, Eph 1:6, 12, 14 ) in the ages which are coming on," that is, the blessed ages of the Gospel which supersede "the age (Greek, for 'course') of this world" ( Eph 2:2 ), and the past "ages" from which the mystery was hidden ( Col 1:26, 27 ). These good ages, though beginning with the first preaching of the Gospel, and thenceforth continually succeeding one another, are not consummated till the Lord's coming again (compare Eph 1:21 Hbr 6:5 ). The words, "coming on," do not exclude the time then present, but imply simply the ages following upon Christ's "raising them up together" spiritually ( Eph 2:6 ).
kindness--"benignity."
through Christ--rather, as Greek, "in Christ"; the same expression as is so often repeated, to mark that all our blessings center "IN HIM."

8. For--illustrating "the exceeding riches of His grace in kindness." Translate as in Eph 2:5, "Ye are in a saved state."
through faith--the effect of the power of Christ's resurrection ( Eph 1:19, 20Phl 3:10 ) whereby we are "raised together" with Him ( Eph 2:6 Col 2:12 ). Some of the oldest manuscripts read, "through your (literally, 'the') faith." The instrument or mean of salvation on the part of the person saved; Christ alone is the meritoriousagent.
and that--namely, the act of believing, or "faith." "Of yourselves" stands in opposition to, "it is the gift of God" ( Phl 1:29 ). "That which I have said, 'through faith,' I do not wish to be understood so as if I excepted faith itself from grace" [ESTIUS]. "God justifies the believing man, not for the worthiness of his belief, but for the worthiness of Him in whom he believes" [HOOKER]. The initiation, as well as the increase, of faith, is from the Spirit of God, not only by an external proposal of the word, but by internal illumination in the soul [PEARSON]. Yet "faith" cometh by the means which man must avail himself of, namely, "hearing the word of God" ( Rom 10:17 ), and prayer ( Luk 11:13 ), though the blessing is wholly of God ( 1Cr 3:6, 7 ).

9. Not of works--This clause stands in contrast to "by grace," as is confirmed by Rom 4:4, 5 11:6.
lest--rather, as Greek, "that no man should boast" ( Rom 3:27 4:2 ).

10. workmanship--literally, "a thing of His making"; "handiwork." Here the spiritual creation, not the physical, is referred to ( Eph 2:8, 9 ).
created--having been created ( Eph 4:24 Psa 102:18 Isa 43:21 2Cr 5:5, 17 ).
unto good works--"for good works." "Good works" cannot be performed until we are new "created unto" them. Paul never calls the works of the law "good works." We are not saved by, but created unto, good works.
before ordained--Greek, "before made ready" (compare Jhn 5:36 ). God marks out for each in His purposes beforehand, the particular good works, and the time and way which tie sees best. God both makes ready by His providence the opportunities for the works, and makes us ready for their performance ( Jhn 15:162Ti 2:21 ).
that we should walk in them--not "be saved" by them. Works do not justify, but the justified man works ( Gal 5:22-25 ).

 

As per our prior conversation, being “made alive” does not occur after repentance/faith but in response to intervention by Holy Spirit.

Your question concerning Luke 24 appears to be that since Jesus told them to “strive” or make every effort to enter by the narrow gate then those that heard must have been able to strive for salvation of their own free will.

Is that you question?

peace to you

 

I am in general agreement with your position, but Luke 13:24 (as elaborated elsewhere to Van) is not a legitimate passage to use for support. The verb ἀγωνίζομαι translates "strive, struggle, make an effort, fight." It is a misunderstanding to interpret the "kingdom of/from heaven" as eternal salvation instead of the promised millennial kingdom, which the Bible manifestly teaches not all resurrected Israelites will automatically enter. Eternal salvation is not something Jesus says we must strive to enter into, while entrance and possession in the millennial kingdom is very much predicated on living faith and obedience on the part of Old Testament saints.

 

My question is: Do you believe the command of God to strive for salvation necessarily means the ability to strive for salvation?

peace to you