Ephesians 2:20

20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.

Ephesians 2:20 in Other Translations

20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

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

20 Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself.

20 He used the apostles and prophets for the foundation. Now he's using you, fitting you in brick by brick, stone by stone, with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone

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

Ephesians 2:20 Meaning and Commentary

Ephesians 2:20

And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and
prophets
The prophets of the Old Testament, and the apostles of the New, who agree in laying ministerially the one and only foundation, Jesus Christ; for not the persons of the apostles and prophets, nor their doctrines merely, are here meant; but Christ who is contained in them, and who is the foundation on which the church, and all true believers are built: he is the foundation of the covenant of grace, of all the blessings and promises of it, of faith and hope, of peace, joy, and comfort, of salvation and eternal happiness; on this foundation the saints are built by Father, Son, and Spirit, as the efficient causes, and by the ministers of the Gospel as instruments: these lie in the same common quarry with the rest of mankind, and are singled out from thence by efficacious grace; they are broken and hewn by the word and ministers of it, as means; and are ministerially laid on Christ the foundation, and are built up thereon in faith and holiness; yea, private Christians are useful this way to build up one another:

Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
which cements and knits together angels and men, Jews and Gentiles, Old and New Testament saints, saints above, and saints below, saints on earth, in all ages and places, and of every denomination; and which is the beauty and glory, as well as the strength of the building, which keeps all together; and Christ is the chief, the headstone of the corner, and who is superior to angels and men. This phrase is used by the Jews to denote excellency in a person; so a wise scholar is called (hnyp Nba) , "a cornerstone"; ^F9 see ( Psalms 118:22 ) ( Isaiah 28:16 ) ( Zechariah 10:4 ) . It may be rendered, "the chief cornering-stone"; it being such an one that is a foundation stone, as well as a cornerstone; and reached unto, and lay at the bottom of, and supported the four corners of the building; for the foundation and corner stone in this spiritual building, is one and the same stone, Christ: it is said of the temple of Latona, at Buto, in Egypt, that it was made, (ex enov) (liyou) , "of one stone", as Herodotus ^F11 an eyewitness of it, attests.

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FOOTNOTES:

F9 Abot R. Nathan, c. 28.
F11 Euterpe, c. 155.

Ephesians 2:20 In-Context

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

19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household,

20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.

21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.

22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

Cross References

• 1. 1 Corinthians 3:9
• 2. Matthew 16:18; 1 Corinthians 3:10; Revelation 21:14
• 3. S Ephesians 4:11
• 4. 1 Corinthians 3:11
• 5. S Acts 4:11; 1 Peter 2:4-8