x

Biblia Todo Logo
idiomas
Online Bible

«

Ephesians 2 - An Understandable Version (2005 edition)

1 And you [Gentiles] were once [spiritually] dead because of your shortcomings and sins.

2 You practiced such things when you lived according to the evil ways of this world, and according to the ruler of the [spiritual] powers of the air. [Note: This refers to Satan, whose influence permeates life around us]. He is the [evil] spirit who is now at work in people who are disobedient [to God].

3 All of us [Jews] also once lived among such people, fulfilling the improper cravings of our physical being and doing what our bodies and minds desired. In this natural [unconverted] state we were deserving of [God’s] wrath, just like the rest [of mankind].

4 But God, who has great love for us and abundant mercy [toward us],

5 restored [spiritual] life to us with Christ, even though we were [spiritually] dead because of our sins --- it is by God’s unearned favor that you have been saved.

6 God raised us up with Christ [See Col. 2:12] and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms [i.e., in the church. See 1:3] in [fellowship with] Christ Jesus.

7 This was so that, to future ages [of people on earth and in heaven], God could demonstrate the tremendous abundance of His unearned favor, expressed by His kindness to us in [fellowship with] Christ Jesus.

8 For you have been saved by God’s unearned favor, through [your] faith, and that [salvation] was not the result of your own doing; it was the gift from God.

9 It was not the result of your own [good] deeds [See Titus 3:5], so that no one could boast [about it].

10 For we [Christians] are the product of God’s workmanship, [re-] created in [fellowship with] Christ Jesus for [the purpose of] doing good deeds. God had previously determined that this should be our practice.

11 So, you Gentiles by birth should remember what you once were. You are called “Uncircumcision” by those who are called “Circumcision” [i.e., the Jews], (which refers to a physical procedure performed by people).

12 [Remember] that you were at that time without Christ; [you were] excluded from citizenship in the nation of Israel; [you were] foreigners regarding the Agreements of [God’s] promises. You had no hope and were without God in the world.

13 But now [that you are] in [fellowship with] Christ, you [Gentiles], who were once far away [from God], have been brought near [to Him] through the blood of Christ.

14 For Christ is [the source of] our peace. He made both [Jews and Gentiles] one people, and broke down the barrier wall of hostility that divided them,

15 by abolishing in His fleshly body the [entire Jewish] law of commandments contained in decrees. [This was] so that He could create in [unity with] Himself one new person [i.e., the church] out of the two peoples [i.e., Jews and Gentiles], thereby bringing about peace [between them].

16 [This was also intended] to reestablish harmony between both of these peoples and God in [this] one body, through [Christ’s death on] the cross. By doing this He put to death the hostility [between them].

17 And Christ came and preached peace to you [Gentiles], who were far away [from God], and peace to those [Jews] who were near [to Him].

18 For through Him we [Jews and Gentiles] both have access to the Father by means of one Holy Spirit.

19 So then, you [Gentiles] are no longer foreigners and aliens [i.e., to God’s promises. See verse 12], but you are fellow-citizens with the saints [i.e., God’s holy people], and are part of God’s family.

20 [You are] built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets [See I Cor. 12:28], with Christ Jesus Himself being the principal stone by which the entire building is aligned.

21 In [harmony with] Him the entire building [i.e., the church] is properly assembled, rising into a dedicated temple for the Lord. [See I Cor. 3:16-17].

22 In [harmony with] Him you people are also being constructed together into a place where God lives by His Spirit.

»
Follow us:




Advertisements