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Ephesians 2 – Unity In Christ
Ephesians 2 – Unity In Christ
Brief review: The first 4 ½ chapters basically deal with the unity of the church to the praise of the glory of God’s grace. 1) ALL spiritual blessings for ALL believers are found in (relationship) to Christ. 2) ALL have sinned and hence ALL are saved by the mercy and grace of God. 2b) Therefore we are one body, one temple, one new man, fellow-heirs, fellow-citizens, fellow-family members. 3) Such was not revealed AS it is NOW revealed through Jesus. 4) THEREFORE, EACH of us are to be diligent to PRESERVE this unity that God has created.
But, back to chapter two. This chapter can be broken down into two parts. Part one shows how ALL have sinned and are saved in Jesus. Part two shows that these saved people are ONE in Christ, One new man, and are being built TOGETHER into ONE new temple.
The major problem has been that since the reformation, chapter 2 has been seen as teaching salvation by faith only. Almost any commentary that touches on a passage that teaches any form of obedience will immediately discount the necessity of such for salvation and will reference Eph. 2:8-9 as proof. In particular, this is done when writers are considering baptism.
Eph 2:1-3 - BOTH Gentiles and Jews were dead in sin.
Eph. 2:4-7- Both being dead in sin, God made them alive with Christ, and raised them up with Him.
Paul, also taught these three things in Romans 6:3–4 — 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
They were dead, they were raised up, and they were made alive. HERE though He says it is WHEN they were baptized. When they ‘obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine delivered unto them’, they were ‘then made free from sin’.
Paul again spoke of these three aspects of salvation in Col. 2:9-13(see quote below). They were dead in their trespasses, God made alive, AND being buried in baptism they were raised with Him. This also was ‘in faith’ - as Paul states in vs. 12 it was THROUGH faith in the powerful working of God.
While Ephesians tells us that our salvation is indeed by grace through faith, Romans and Colossians tell us WHEN that takes place. The fact that Ephesians 2 doesn’t explicitly mention baptism doesn’t mean that it is thereby not important. It doesn’t mention repentance either, but unless one repents he cannot be saved (Luke 13:3; Acts 2:38; Rom. 10:9-10).
Hugh DeLong
Colossians 2:9–13 — 9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. 11 In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,
