Ephesians 2
| Ephesians 2 | |
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A fragment showing Ephesians 4:16-29 on recto side of Papyrus 49 from the third century.
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| Book | Epistle to the Ephesians |
| Bible part | New Testament |
| Order in the Bible part | 10 |
| Category | Pauline epistles |
Ephesians 2 is the second chapter of the Epistle to the Ephesians in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. It is authored by Paul the Apostle.It contains the well-known verse "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God."
This chapter can be grouped (with cross references to other parts of the Bible):
The verse describes that before being saved, converts were just as bad as those outside the faith - that they gave into their baser thoughts and impulses.
There is debate about the phrase "children of wrath". Some indicate it refers to Original Sin, in which God was angered by Adam and Eve for disobeying him. Others believe it refers to the descendants of Caine, who slew Abel in his anger and brought murder into the world.
Not as men only, but as Christians; not as creatures merely, but as new creatures; the work of grace upon the soul seems chiefly designed, which like a poem, as the word may be rendered, is a very curious work; the king's daughter is all glorious within, for this is an internal work, and is a good and excellent one; it is not indeed perfected at once, but is gradually carried on, till the finishing stroke is given to it by that hand which begun it; the author of it is God, it is not man's work; nor is it the work of ministers, no, nor of angels, but it is God's work: sometimes it is ascribed to the Spirit, who regenerates and sanctifies; and sometimes to the Son of God, who quickens whom he will; and sometimes to the Father, who reveals his Son, and draws men to him, and who seems to be meant here: the subjects of this divine operation, are the persons described in ( Ephesians 2:1-3 ) and include both Jews and Gentiles; and express the distinguishing grace of God, that they and not others, and who were by nature children of wrath as others, should be his workmanship: and this is mentioned to show, that salvation can not be by any works of men, since all their works are either wrought for them, or in them, by God; salvation is a work wrought for them without them; and sanctification is a work wrought in them by God, of his good pleasure; and all their good works are fruits of his grace, as follows:
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