Efesios 2:7-17

7 De modo que, en los tiempos futuros, Dios puede ponernos como ejemplos de la increíble riqueza de la gracia y la bondad que nos tuvo, como se ve en todo lo que ha hecho por nosotros, que estamos unidos a Cristo Jesús.

8 Dios los salvó por su gracia cuando creyeron. Ustedes no tienen ningún mérito en eso; es un regalo de Dios.

9 La salvación no es un premio por las cosas buenas que hayamos hecho, así que ninguno de nosotros puede jactarse de ser salvo.

10 Pues somos la obra maestra de Dios. Él nos creó de nuevo en Cristo Jesús, a fin de que hagamos las cosas buenas que preparó para nosotros tiempo atrás.

11 Unidad y paz por medio de Cristo
No olviden que ustedes, los gentiles,
antes estaban excluidos. Eran llamados «paganos incircuncisos» por los judíos, quienes estaban orgullosos de la circuncisión, aun cuando esa práctica solo afectaba su cuerpo, no su corazón.

12 En esos tiempos, ustedes vivían apartados de Cristo. No se les permitía ser ciudadanos de Israel, y no conocían las promesas del pacto que Dios había hecho con ellos. Ustedes vivían en este mundo sin Dios y sin esperanza,

13 pero ahora han sido unidos a Cristo Jesús. Antes estaban muy lejos de Dios, pero ahora fueron acercados por medio de la sangre de Cristo.

14 Pues Cristo mismo nos ha traído la paz. Él unió a judíos y a gentiles en un solo pueblo cuando, por medio de su cuerpo en la cruz, derribó el muro de hostilidad que nos separaba.

15 Lo logró al poner fin al sistema de leyes de mandamientos y ordenanzas. Hizo la paz entre judíos y gentiles al crear de los dos grupos un nuevo pueblo en él.

16 Cristo reconcilió a ambos grupos con Dios en un solo cuerpo por medio de su muerte en la cruz, y la hostilidad que había entre nosotros quedó destruida.

17 Cristo les trajo la Buena Noticia de paz tanto a ustedes, los gentiles, que estaban lejos de él, como a los judíos, que estaban cerca.

Efesios 2:7-17 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EPHESIANS 2

The design of the apostle in this chapter, is to magnify the riches of divine grace, in the effectual calling and salvation of sinners, by Christ Jesus; in order to which, he describes the sad estate they are in by nature, and before conversion, even God's elect among the Jews, and especially among the Gentiles; and then observes how peace is made for and between them both, by Christ the peacemaker; and the various privileges and blessings which both enjoy, in consequence of it: he begins with the Ephesians, and expresses the former state they were in by a death, which is ascribed to trespasses and sins, Eph 2:1, and represents their walk and conversation to have been according to the world, and after Satan; who is described by his dominion over other devils that dwell in the air, and by his influence upon disobedient men, Eph 2:2, and that it might not be thought that the case of these Gentile Ephesians was worse than others, the apostle observes of himself, and other saints among the Jews, that their conversation before conversion was among the men of the world, and so according to the course of it, as the Gentiles; and that it was a very carnal conversation they had spent, in fulfilling the desires and lusts of the flesh; and that they were as deserving of, and as liable to the wrath of God in themselves, as other persons, Eph 2:3, to which former state he opposes their present one; they were not now dead in sin, but were quickened; which is ascribed to God as the efficient cause, and to his rich mercy and great love as the moving cause; and to Christ as the meritorious and procuring cause, by whose grace they were saved, and in whom they were not only quickened, but raised, and made to sit together in heavenly places; and the final cause and end of all this was, to show forth the abundant grace and kindness of God, through Christ, Eph 2:4-7. The doctrine of salvation by grace, the apostle takes up again from Eph 2:5, and to the moving cause of salvation, the grace of God, he adds the means, or instrument by which it is received and enjoyed, which is faith; and that is denied to be owing to the power of men, but is said to be a gift of God Eph 2:8, and the end in view, in putting salvation upon the foot of grace and not works, is to prevent boasting in the creature, Eph 2:9, and that works cannot be the causes of salvation, either efficient, moving, or procuring, is evident; since though they are to be performed as being agreeable to the purposing, as well as commanding will of God, yet they are effects, both of the work of grace upon the soul in time, called a creation, and of the decrees of God from eternity, Eph 2:10, when the apostle goes on to put the Ephesians in mind of their former state in unregeneracy, with the same view as before, to magnify the grace of God, but in a different manner; not as common to them with the Jews, but as peculiar to them as Gentiles; as that they were had in contempt by the Jews, and were in a state of alienation, not only from them, but from God and Christ, and the enjoyment of various privileges, Eph 2:11,12, wherefore the grace of God was the more conspicuous in their present state of nearness both to God and his people, brought about by the blood of Christ, Eph 2:13, who, as the peacemaker, not only made peace by the blood of his cross between God and them, but between them and the true Israel of God among the Jews; which was done, partly by abolishing the ceremonial law, which occasioned enmity, and kept up a division among them, Eph 2:14-16, and partly by sending, and preaching the Gospel of peace to them both, Eph 2:17, and by opening a way of access for them both unto the Father through himself, under the direction and influence of the Spirit, Eph 2:18, from all which it appeared, that they were not in a state of distance and alienation as before, but all belonged to the same city and family, and were built on the same foundation, and were united together in the same corner stone, Jesus Christ, Eph 2:19,20, and as the apostle compares Christ to a foundation, and a corner stone, so the church of Christ, consisting of Jews and Gentiles, to a temple; which being fitly put together, becomes, an Holy One in the lord, and a suitable habitation for God through the Spirit, Eph 2:21,22.