The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Ephesians

⭑ Catholic Public Domain :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 2 -

(Colossians 2:6–23)

And you were once dead in your sins and offenses,

in which you walked in times past, according to the age of this world, according to the prince of the power of this sky, the spirit who now works in the sons of distrust.(a)

And we too were all conversant in these things, in times past, by the desires of our flesh, acting according to the will of the flesh and according to our own thoughts. And so we were, by nature, sons of wrath, even like the others.

Yet still, God, who is rich in mercy, for the sake of his exceedingly great charity with which he loved us,

even when we were dead in our sins, has enlivened us together in Christ, by whose grace you have been saved.

And he has raised us up together, and he has caused us to sit down together in the heavens, in Christ Jesus,

so that he may display, in the ages soon to arrive, the abundant wealth of his grace, by his goodness toward us in Christ Jesus.

For by grace, you have been saved through faith. And this is not of yourselves, for it is a gift of God.

And this is not of works, so that no one may glory.(b)

For we are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for the good works which God has prepared and in which we should walk.

One in Christ

(Philippians 2:1–4)

Because of this, be mindful that, in times past, you were Gentiles in the flesh, and that you were called uncircumcised by those who are called circumcised in the flesh, something done by man,(c)

and that you were, in that time, without Christ, being foreign to the way of life of Israel, being visitors to the testament, having no hope of the promise, and being without God in this world.

But now, in Christ Jesus, you, who were in times past far away, have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

For he is our peace. He made the two into one, by dissolving the intermediate wall of separation, of opposition, by his flesh,

emptying the law of commandments by decree, so that he might join these two, in himself, into one new man, making peace

and reconciling both to God, in one body, through the cross, destroying this opposition in himself.

And upon arriving, he evangelized peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near.

For by him, we both have access, in the one Spirit, to the Father.

Christ Our Cornerstone

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

Now, therefore, you are no longer visitors and new arrivals. Instead, you are citizens among the saints in the household of God,

having been built upon the foundation of the Apostles and of the Prophets, with Jesus Christ himself as the preeminent cornerstone.

In him, all that has been built is framed together, rising up into a holy temple in the Lord.

In him, you also have been built together into a habitation of God in the Spirit.

Footnotes

(a)2:2 The word ‘aeris’ can refer to sky or atmosphere or to the elements of this world (air, fire, earth, water). The prince referred to is the devil, a spirit who works in those who reject faith and trust in God.(Conte)

(b)2:9 Not of works:as of our own growth, or from ourselves; but as from the grace of God.(Challoner)

(c)2:11 The implication of this last phrase is that circumcision itself is merely the work of human persons, by itself an external act and sign.(Conte)

(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.