The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Ephesians

⭑ Berean Study Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 2 -

(Colossians 2:6–23)

And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,

in which you used to walk when you conformed to the ways of this world and of the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit who is now at work in the sons of disobedience.

All of us also lived among them at one time, fulfilling the cravings of our flesh and indulging its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature children of wrath.

But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,

made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our trespasses. It is by grace you have been saved!

And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,

in order that in the coming ages He might display the surpassing riches of His grace, demonstrated by His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

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

not by works, so that no one can boast.

For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life.(a)

One in Christ

(Philippians 2:1–4)

Therefore remember that formerly you who are Gentiles in the flesh and called uncircumcised by the so-called circumcision (that done in the body by human hands)—

remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.

For He Himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has torn down the dividing wall of hostility

by abolishing in His flesh the law of commandments and decrees. He did this to create in Himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace

and reconciling both of them to God in one body through the cross, by which He extinguished their hostility.

He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.

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

Christ Our Cornerstone

(Isaiah 28:14–22; 1 Corinthians 3:10–15; 1 Peter 2:1–8)

Therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of God’s household,

built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone.

In Him the whole building is fitted together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord.

And in Him you too are being built together into a dwelling place for God in His Spirit.

Footnotes

(a)2:10 Literally which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

(Colossians 2:6–23)

You were made alive when you were dead in transgressions and sins,

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 children of disobedience.

We also all once lived among them in the lusts of our flesh, doing the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.

But God, being rich in mercy, for his great love with which he loved us,

even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—

and raised us up with him, and made us to sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus;

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

not of works, that no one would boast.

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before that we would walk in them.

One in Christ

(Philippians 2:1–4)

Therefore remember that once you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “uncircumcision” by that which is called “circumcision” (in the flesh, made by hands),

that you were at that time separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off are made near in the blood of Christ.

For he is our peace, who made both one, and broke down the middle wall of separation,

having abolished in his flesh the hostility, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man of the two, making peace,

and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, having killed the hostility through it.

He came and preached peace to you who were far off and to those who were near.

For through him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father.

Christ Our Cornerstone

(Isaiah 28:14–22; 1 Corinthians 3:10–15; 1 Peter 2:1–8)

So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and of the household of God,

being built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief cornerstone;

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

in whom you also are built together for a habitation of God in the Spirit.