2 Remember how you lived before. You did wrong things and bad things. As a result, you were dead in your spirits. 2 You lived in a bad way, like the people who belong to this world. You were obeying Satan, who rules the powerful spirits in the air. Those spirits are working now in everyone who refuses to obey God. 3 At one time, all of us lived like those people. We did whatever bad things our bodies wanted to do. If our thoughts made us want to do something, we did it. Because we were like that, God was angry with us. He should have punished us, just like everyone else.
4 But God is very good and kind! He loved us very much. 5 Because of our sins, we were dead in our spirits. But God gave us a new life, because we are united with Christ. Yes, God has saved you because he is so kind. 6 Also, God raised us up with Christ, so that we now sit with Christ in heaven. God has done this for us because we are united with Christ Jesus. 7 He wanted to show, for all future time, how very kind he is. He has helped us so much because of what Christ Jesus has done. 8 When you believed in Jesus, God saved you because he is very kind. You could not save yourselves, but that is God's gift to you. 9 He has not saved you as a result of any good things that you have done. So nobody has any reason to be proud about it. 10 It is God who has worked in us to make us what we are. He has given us a new life because we are united with Christ Jesus. He saved us so that now we can do good things in our lives. Those are good things that he has already prepared for us to do.
11 So you who were born as Gentiles should remember what you were like before. Jews insulted you because nobody has circumcised you. They themselves are proud that men have circumcised them as God's people. 12 At that time, you did not know about Christ, God's special Messiah. You did not belong to the nation of Israel's people. You did not know about the good things that God had promised to his people. You were living in this world with nothing good to hope for. You were living without God's help. 13 You were far away from God. But now, God has brought you near to himself, because you belong to Christ Jesus. That is possible because of Christ's death on the cross as a sacrifice.
14 It is Christ himself who has brought peace between Jews and Gentiles. He has brought those two groups together, to be one group. He has destroyed the things that made them separate. As a result, they are no longer enemies. 15 When his body died on the cross, Christ took away the power of the Jewish laws and rules. In that way, he made the two groups join together as one new group of people. As a result, he caused them to have peace. 16 As a single group, Christ brought Jews and Gentiles back to God. He stopped them from hating each other. He did this by his death on the cross.
17 When Christ came, he told people God's good news about peace. He told that message to you Gentiles, who were far away from God. He also told it to us Jews, who were near to God. [ a ] 18 Now we all have received the same Holy Spirit, because of what Christ has done for us. As a result, we can all come near to God the Father.
19 So now, you Gentiles are not strangers among God's people any more. You belong to the group of God's people that he rules. You belong to God's family, as all God's people do. 20 You are like a house that God is building for himself. God's apostles and his prophets are like the foundation under the house. Jesus Christ is like the most important stone in the house. 21 He makes the whole building stand together strongly. In that way, all God's people together become like a special house that belongs to the Lord. 22 Because you belong to Christ, God is building you all together to become his house. That is where God lives by his Spirit.
2 In the past you were spiritually dead because of your sins and the things you did against God. 2 Yes, in the past your lives were full of those sins. You lived the way the world lives, following the ruler of the evil powers [ a ] that are above the earth. That same spirit is now working in those who refuse to obey God. 3 In the past all of us lived like that, trying to please our sinful selves. We did all the things our bodies and minds wanted. Like everyone else in the world, we deserved to suffer God’s anger just because of the way we were.
4 But God is rich in mercy, and he loved us very much. 5 We were spiritually dead because of all we had done against him. But he gave us new life together with Christ. (You have been saved by God’s grace.) 6 Yes, it is because we are a part of Christ Jesus that God raised us from death and seated us together with him in the heavenly places. 7 God did this so that his kindness to us who belong to Christ Jesus would clearly show for all time to come the amazing richness of his grace.
8 I mean that you have been saved by grace because you believed. You did not save yourselves; it was a gift from God. 9 You are not saved by the things you have done, so there is nothing to boast about. 10 God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us new people so that we would spend our lives doing the good things he had already planned for us to do.
11 You were not born as Jews. You are the people the Jews call “uncircumcised. [ b ] ” Those Jews who call you “uncircumcised” call themselves “circumcised.” (Their circumcision is only something they themselves do to their bodies.) 12 Remember that in the past you were without Christ. You were not citizens of Israel, and you did not know about the agreements [ c ] with the promises that God made to his people. You had no hope, and you did not know God. 13 Yes, at one time you were far away from God, but now in Christ Jesus, you are brought near to him. You are brought near to God through the blood sacrifice of Christ.
14 Christ is the reason we are now at peace. He made us Jews and you who are not Jews one people. We were separated by a wall of hate that stood between us, but Christ broke down that wall. By giving his own body, 15 Christ ended the law with its many commands and rules. His purpose was to make the two groups become one in him. By doing this he would make peace. 16 Through the cross Christ ended the hate between the two groups. And after they became one body, he wanted to bring them both back to God. He did this with his death on the cross. 17 Christ came and brought the message of peace to you non-Jews who were far away from God. And he brought that message of peace to those who were near to God. 18 Yes, through Christ we all have the right to come to the Father in one Spirit.
19 So now you non-Jewish people are not visitors or strangers, but you are citizens together with God’s holy people. You belong to God’s family. 20 You believers are like a building that God owns. That building was built on the foundation that the apostles and prophets prepared. Christ Jesus himself is the most important stone [ d ] in that building. 21 The whole building is joined together in Christ, and he makes it grow and become a holy temple [ e ] in the Lord. 22 And in Christ you are being built together with his other people. You are being made into a place where God lives through the Spirit.
2 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
2 Wherein in time past ye walked 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:
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.
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
11 Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;
12 That at that time ye 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 ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:
17 And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.
18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
2 And [ a ] you [ b ] were ( A ) dead [ c ] in your offenses and sins, 2 in which you ( B ) previously walked according to the [ d ] course of ( C ) this world, according to ( D ) the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in ( E ) the [ e ] sons of disobedience. 3 Among them [ f ] we too all ( F ) previously lived in ( G ) the lusts of our flesh, [ g ] indulging the desires of the flesh and of the [ h ] mind, and were ( H ) by nature ( I ) children of wrath, ( J ) just as the rest. 4 But God, being ( K ) rich in mercy, because of ( L ) His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were ( M ) dead [ i ] in our wrongdoings, made us alive together [ j ] with Christ ( ( N ) by grace you have been saved), 6 and ( O ) raised us up with Him, and ( P ) seated us with Him in ( Q ) the heavenly places in ( R ) Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the ages to come He might show the [ k ] boundless ( S ) riches of His grace in ( T ) kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For ( U ) by grace you have been saved ( V ) through faith; and [ l ] this is not of yourselves, it is ( W ) the gift of God; 9 ( X ) not a result of works, so that ( Y ) no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, ( Z ) created in ( AA ) Christ Jesus for ( AB ) good works, which God ( AC ) prepared beforehand so that we would ( AD ) walk in them.
11 Therefore remember that ( AE ) previously ( AF ) you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “ ( AG ) Uncircumcision” by the so-called “ ( AH ) Circumcision” which is performed in the flesh by human hands— 12 remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, [ m ] ( AI ) excluded from [ n ] the people of Israel, and strangers to ( AJ ) the covenants of the promise, having ( AK ) no hope and ( AL ) without God in the world. 13 But now in ( AM ) Christ Jesus you who ( AN ) previously were ( AO ) far away [ o ] have ( AP ) been brought near [ p ] ( AQ ) by the blood of Christ. 14 For He Himself is ( AR ) our peace, ( AS ) who made both groups into one and broke down the [ q ] barrier of the dividing wall, 15 [ r ] by ( AT ) abolishing [ s ] in His flesh the hostility, which is ( AU ) the Law composed of commandments expressed in ordinances, so that in Himself He might [ t ] ( AV ) make the two ( AW ) one new person, in this way establishing ( AX ) peace; 16 and that He might ( AY ) reconcile them both in ( AZ ) one body to God through the cross, [ u ] by it having ( BA ) put to death the hostility. 17 And ( BB ) He came and preached ( BC ) peace to you who were ( BD ) far away, and peace to those who were ( BE ) near; 18 for through Him we both have ( BF ) our access in ( BG ) one Spirit to ( BH ) the Father. 19 So then you are no longer ( BI ) strangers and foreigners, but you are ( BJ ) fellow citizens with the [ v ] saints, and are of ( BK ) God’s household, 20 having been ( BL ) built on ( BM ) the foundation of ( BN ) the apostles and prophets, ( BO ) Christ Jesus Himself being the ( BP ) cornerstone, 21 ( BQ ) in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into ( BR ) a holy [ w ] temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being ( BS ) built together into a ( BT ) dwelling of God in the Spirit.
2 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, ( A ) 2 in which you used to live ( B ) when you followed the ways of this world ( C ) and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, ( D ) the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. ( E ) 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, ( F ) gratifying the cravings of our flesh [ a ] ( G ) and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, ( H ) God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions ( I ) —it is by grace you have been saved. ( J ) 6 And God raised us up with Christ ( K ) and seated us with him ( L ) in the heavenly realms ( M ) in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, ( N ) expressed in his kindness ( O ) to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace ( P ) you have been saved, ( Q ) through faith ( R ) —and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, ( S ) so that no one can boast. ( T ) 10 For we are God’s handiwork, ( U ) created ( V ) in Christ Jesus to do good works, ( W ) which God prepared in advance for us to do.
11 Therefore, remember that formerly ( X ) you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands) ( Y ) — 12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners ( Z ) to the covenants of the promise, ( AA ) without hope ( AB ) and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once ( AC ) were far away have been brought near ( AD ) by the blood of Christ. ( AE )
14 For he himself is our peace, ( AF ) who has made the two groups one ( AG ) and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by setting aside in his flesh ( AH ) the law with its commands and regulations. ( AI ) His purpose was to create in himself one ( AJ ) new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, ( AK ) by which he put to death their hostility. 17 He came and preached peace ( AL ) to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. ( AM ) 18 For through him we both have access ( AN ) to the Father ( AO ) by one Spirit. ( AP )
19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, ( AQ ) but fellow citizens ( AR ) with God’s people and also members of his household, ( AS ) 20 built ( AT ) on the foundation ( AU ) of the apostles and prophets, ( AV ) with Christ Jesus himself ( AW ) as the chief cornerstone. ( AX ) 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple ( AY ) in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. ( AZ )
