Ephesians
Chapter
2
{Chapter
2 - Introduction to Surpassing Grace}
{Verses
1-10, The Grace Panorama}
{How
Grace found us - Verse 1-3; Grace Found Us Spiritually dead}
1~~And
you all {ALL believers}
being
{spiritually} 'deads'
{plural - 1 spiritual death per person}
in
the sphere of your transgressions
{violations of divine law - evil}
and
your sins {sins of cognizance}.
{Note: Paul's thought continues from Chapter 1.}
{Grace
found us under the Control of Satan}
2~~In
which sphere
{of spiritual death}
you
formerly
{as an unbeliever}
walked/'had
your manner of life'
according
to the era of this world/cosmos
according
to the 'supreme ruler'
of
the authority of the {lower} atmosphere {aer} . . .
the
'ruler of the spirit' {Satan}
which
is now operational
in
the sons of obstinacy.
{Note: Satan became the ruler of the earth replacing Adam after the fall. Aer is the Greek word for the approximately 90 miles of atmosphere closest to the earth. }
{Grace
Also Found Us under the Control of the Old Sin Nature}
3~~Among
whom also
we
formerly had our behavior pattern
in
the lusts of our flesh {Old Sin Nature};
continually
doing the desires {volitional activities}
of
the flesh {OSN}
and
the thoughts/mind {human viewpoint};
and
we kept on being
by
naturally inherited endowment
{the Sin of the Father - Adam's sin}
the
child under the authority of {divine} judgment/wrath,
as
also the rest
{of the human race was found by grace}.
{Note: We were born with an Old Sin Nature. Adam's sin is passed from father to child in each generation and therefore we are born spiritually dead (under the curse of "cherem"). By being born under condemnation, if we do not reach the age of accountability, God can forgive us and take us to heaven. Forgiveness can not come BEFORE condemnation!}
{Note: Grace found us ALL under the authority of Satan. Grace found us under the authority of the 'flesh'/ the control of the Old Sin Nature and helpless. But Grace will save us.}
{Verses
4-7 - How Grace Provided for Us}
4~~But,
in contrast {to you!},
The
God
{God the Father - Author of the Plan},
keeps
on being wealthy/rich
in
the sphere of mercy {grace in action},
because
of His great quantity of love {agape}
with
which He loves us.
{Note: God always has loved us in the past, loves us today, and will always love us! This is a dramatic aorist which in effect says ' He ALWAYS loved us . . . where were YOU???"}
{Strategic
Victory in the Angelic Conflict}
5~~Although
we all were {spiritual} dead
in
the sphere of our transgressions,
He
has made us alive . . .
together
in association with the Christ
{Positional Truth}
(by
means of grace
you have been completely
and permanently saved).
{Positional
Truth - In Union with Christ}
6~~And
{God the Holy Spirit}
has
both raised {us} up together
and
has made/caused us
to
sit together {with Him}
in
the heavenlies . . .
in
Christ Jesus.
{Exceeding
Riches/Wealth of His Grace - Phase III Grace in Eternity Future}
7~~For
the purpose that
in
the approaching ages
He
{God the Father}
might
demonstrate
His
surpassing grace riches
in
generosity upon/toward us . . .
in
Christ Jesus.
{How
Grace Saved Us - Efficacious Grace - Verses 8-9}
8-9~~
For you see,
by
'the grace'
you
have been completely and permanently saved . . .
through
faith . . .
even
this {salvation} . . .
{is}
definitely not
out
from the source of you all . .
the
free gift
is
from the source of The God . . . 9~~
not
out from the source of works . . .
that
no one should boast.
{Note: Efficacious means 'having the desired result' - being effective. The salvation work of Jesus Christ on the cross is called the 'efficacious grace'. He did all the work. All we do is the non-meritorious act of Faith in Him. The credit/glory goes to the object of faith.}
10~~OF
HIM . . .
FOR
YOU SEE . . .
WE
ARE HIS PRODUCTION/
'manufactured
article',
having
been created in Christ Jesus {Positional Truth}
for
the purpose
of
'divine good production'/works/achievements,
by
which The God
has
pre-fabricated
{made ready in eternity past}
that
in the sphere of them
{in SuperGrace and production of resultant Divine Good Production}
we
may walk/'pattern our lives'.
{Note: In eternity past, God had made ready our SuperGrace blessings and resultant divine good production that is possible in our lives IF from our free will we choose for His plan - to walk in His Way - using divine viewpoint - doctrines in our soul as guided by God the Holy Spirit.}
{Verses
11-17 - Grace and the Barrier. Transitional - Jew and Gentile}
11~~For
this reason
keep
on remembering,
{recall the doctrine resident in your soul}
that
you all . . .
in
times past . . .
{were}
Gentiles
in
the flesh
{physically born that way},
the
ones being called 'un-circumcism'
{derogatory phrase - foreskins of shame}
by
the ones being designated 'circumcision'
{the Jews}
in
the flesh . . .
accomplished
by human hands
{Jews considered themselves superior}.
{Note: This verse emphasizes the Jews distorting the true significance of circumcism in favor of false superiority over the Gentiles. The Jews were using superficial standards in thinking themselves superior to Gentiles.}
{Opposite
Point - Right Side of the Barrier - Right Standards}
12~~Remember
that . . .
at
that period of time
{as an unbeliever}
you
were separated from Christ {REAL issue},
having
been alienated
from
the ultimate source
of
the citizenship of Israel,
and
foreigners/aliens
from
the covenants of the {divine} promise
{of grace and blessings},
not
having future expectation
{absolute confidence in phase III} . . .
Godless
in the "devil's kingdom"/cosmos/world.
{Note: Paul is telling the Gentiles that the Jews who are judging them are using wrong standards, but for thousands of years the Jews have had something these Gentiles did not have! So, remember we are not that far from our ancestors who 'were barbarians almost hanging from trees! The Jews are a unique and superior race.}
{Means
of Reconciliation of Man to God}
13~~But,
in contrast,
at
the present time
{you
are} in Christ Jesus
{Positional Truth at the point of Salvation}
you
all . . .
the
ones being formerly far away
{on the wrong side of barrier}
have
become/'been brought' near . . .
by
means of the blood of Christ.
{Note: This is NOT literal blood of Christ. While still alive, He said 'It is finished'. The 'blood of Christ' is figurative blood - substitutionary and efficacious. It represents the spiritual death of Jesus Christ on the cross.}
{Removal
of the False Standards of Religion By Reconciliation}
14~~For
He Himself and only He Himself
{Jesus - the Unique One}
keeps
on being
our
harmony/tranquility/peace/unity/blessing . . .
the
One having made both
{Jew and Gentile} . . .
one
{no pseudo-distinctions},
and
having abolished/destroyed
the
middle/'dividing wall'
of
the partition/barrier.
{Note: This is the path to SuperGrace. When you truly understand that JESUS CHRIST keeps on being our source of blessing, of inner peace, of unity, and our source of tranquility.}
{Note: 'The middle wall of partition' is one of the best-attested records from the ancient world of class distinction and of racial distinction. It is actually a wall that the Jews built around the temple. Gentiles could be around the outer court but never past the middle wall. Why the 'middle' wall? Because the temple had walls. Then it also had an outer wall. So then the wall in between was called the middle wall. This was a visible difference between a Jew and a Gentile. The penalty for any Gentile going past the middle wall was death.}
15~~Having
abolished/'wiped out'
in
His flesh
the
state of enmity/alienation
{barrier between God and Man} . . .
the
law of the commandments
{codex 1 only - the Decalogue and moral commandments}
by
means of the ordinances
{codex 2 of Mosaic Law - shadows of Jesus Christ} . . .
with
the result that
He
{Jesus}
might
create {a new species}
in
Himself . . .
the
two
{the Jew and Gentile} . . .
resulting
in one
new
'in species'/'category of' man . . .
causing
peace/harmony/blessing/reconciliation.
16~~
And that
{continuing the new species concept},
He
might reconcile/'restore to favor'
'the
both'
{Jews and Gentiles}
to
The God . . .
in
one body/flesh . . .
through
the cross;
by
it {the cross} . . .
having
put to death
the
enmity
{barrier between God and sinful man}.
{*Note:
verse 17 is a Continuation of Verse 14}
17~~Also
{Jesus} having come . . .
He
communicated/preached/proclamation
the
'good news'/gospel'
of
reconciliation/peace
{fulfillment of Isaiah 57:19}
to
you . . .
the
far away ones {Gentiles}
-
to your advantage -
and
reconciliation/peace to you . . .
the
near ones {the Jews}.
{Verses
18-22, Grace and the Church}
18~~Because
{of reconciliation}
through
Him {Jesus}
we
'the both' {Jew and Gentile}
keep
having access/'freedom or right to enter'
by
means of one Spirit
{God the Holy Spirit}
face
to face with God the Father.
19~~Consequently,
therefore you {Gentiles}
keep
on being . . .
no
longer . . .
aliens
and foreigners
{'those who live beside us but not part of us'},
but
you keep on being fellow-citizens
of
the saints
and
'members of the Family'
or
'members of the dispensation'
from
the source of God.
20~~Having
been built/constructed
on
the 'foundation' . . .
by
means of the apostles and the prophets . . .
Christ
Jesus, Himself,
keeps
on being
the
'corner foundation stone'.
21~~In
the sphere of Whom {Jesus} . . .
an
entire building {the Church} . . .
in
the process of being perfectly constructed/'fitted together'
continues to grow . . .
resulting
in a holy temple
in
the Lord.
{Note: Each person who is saved is one more brick in the building of the Church. When all the bricks have been put in place, the church will be complete and the rapture will occur.}
{Positional
Sanctification of the Church}
22~~In
the sphere of Whom {Jesus}
you
also {all believers}
are
being constructed together . . .
resulting
in a permanent dwelling place
of
the God
{God owns the building!}
by
means of the Spirit.
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