Ephesians 2

Ephesians two

About the members of the Ekklesia (Church)

After having outlined in Chapter 1 who and what the Ekklesia (Church) is and why and wherefore Yahuweh brought it into being, Paul now has a closer look at the people that make up the Ekklesia.

I will use a more amplified translation, paraphrasing the words by comparing their meaning with the context. In this way it might be more in the line of what Paul would have said to us, if he had been speaking our language in our time.
As explained in the study about Ephesians one, I will use the proper names of Yahuweh and Yeshua where applicable.
Verse 1:

"And you (at that time) being dead in your deviation from righteousness and truth and by missing the goal set before you"

The Hebrew word pesha and the Greek word paraptoma, usually translated as trespass, mean literally "side stepping from the way you should go."
The Hebrew word chata and the Greek word hamartia usually translated as sin, mean literally "missing the mark" and was used when an arrow mist it's target.
Dead in this context means not living the right way. Compare this with Proverbs 21:16 and Isaiah 59:9-10.
verse 2:

"In the way you then walked conforming to the world of the era, conforming to the principles of rulers in the atmosphere, the spirit which is now working in the sons who are not being persuaded"

The world in that era was mainly a heathen world with many Gods read about it in Acts 19. The rulers in the atmosphere were the occult powers who seem to be all around, Acts 19:19. Many of the magicians were unwilling to give up their practices.
Verse 3:

"Among whom all of us then went around in the cravings of our flesh, doing the pleasure of the flesh and of the imagination and were by nature children of violent emotion, like the rest of them"

The era of Paul's contemporaries was not much different from our era. The temptations were just in a different form but the carnal human cravings were the same.
Verse 4-5:

"But Yahuweh being abundant in goodwill towards the afflicted, because of His great affection in which He was fond of us.
Even us being dead in our deviation from righteousness and truth, has made us alive using the Messiah, by whose (Yahuweh's) grace you are saved."

When the Messiah was made alive after suffering death on our behalf, those who accepted Him were also made alive from being dead in Sin, having also obtained life eternal.
Compare 2Cor. 4:10-14, Romans Chapt.6 and Rom. 7:4-6.
Verse 6:

"And raising us together and seating us together in the Heavenly regions through the accomplishment of the Messiah Yeshua"

Although we are still on Earth in our earthly sinful bodies, in reality we are, as far as Yahuweh is concerned, already established in His Heaven.
Comp. 1John 3:2-3, Philip. 3:20-21, 2Cor. 5:5
Verse:7

"So that He might demonstrate in the times that are coming, the abundance of His grace that surpasses anything, through kindness towards us accomplished through the Messiah Yeshua"

The Greek word "en" translated as by or in, can be paraphrased as, accomplished through.
The text: "In times that are coming," can also be translated as "The worlds that are at hand". Taking this translation we can say that Yahuweh uses us, to show His love to the rest of His creation. Comp. Eph. 3:10.
This might be more realistic, because during the time between Paul and now, people did not seem to have taken much notice of this.On the other hand, Yahuweh in His total righteousness, has given His opponents time to show that their dealings with the Earth, could be beneficial to the creation. When their time is up, Luke 21:24; Romans 11:25, His opponents will be exposed as evil failures, but Yahuweh will have proven that His love has been beneficial to all. The next verse is one of the most important ones in the Bible. It explains the grace and kindness of YahuwehVerse 8-9:

"For by grace are you having been saved through faith; indeed this thing is not out of yourselves, it is a present from Yahuweh.
Not something that is worked for, lest a certain one should give himself the glory."

In my study about Ephesians one, I explained at verse 2 about grace. Grace is not an obligation, it is a kindness. However our faith, when looked at in righteousness, makes grace righteously obligatory. Therefore Yahuweh, being righteous, gives us His grace when we have faith in Him. But even our faith depends on Him, Luke 22:32 We can not earn grace by working for it, Romans 4:1-4 and 11:6. We obtain it by trust, Psalm 84:11-12.
Even in Old Testament times one could not be saved by strictly fulfilling the Torah. One was saved by trust in Yahuweh. All the offerings were only symbolic and pointed to the methods that Yahuweh would use to save us.
The glory belongs to Yahuweh and to nobody else! Verse 10:

For of Him, we are that which has been made, created through the Messiah Yeshua to do beneficial deeds, which were prepared before by Yahuweh so that by the same we should regulate our life.

The Ekklesia is in the eyes of Yahuweh a unity that belongs to Him, originating from Yeshua the Messiah and exists to do useful works. Works we only can do if we regulate our life accordingly. Not works adapted to our circumstances or to the times we live in. No Yahuweh sets them out before and they are in His Torah (teachings).

We only can accomplish these works through the Holy Spirit, which is Yahuweh working in us.

Verse 11:

"Therefore remember that at some time you were in the flesh, not belonging to the nation Israel, (You were) de ones called uncircumcision by the ones called circumcision in the flesh that was man made."

The Hebrew word goy and the Greek word ethnos, indicate a bunch of living beings that are grouped together. It is used for nations, but in Biblical fashion, it is usually used for other nations apart from Israel. These Goy, were usually called the uncircumcised by the Jews.
These people also included people from Jewish origin who became involved with the pagan world and rejected the Jewish faith.
Verse:12

"Because in that time you were without the Messiah being shut off from the Nation Israel also without a share in the covenant of promise, having no hope and without Yahuweh in the world."

After the world at large, had rejected the only true deity Yahuweh, did Yahuweh established via Abraham, Isaac and Jacob the nation Israel. With them He made covenants and them He gave promises and also the task to teach His Torah. Psalm 147:19-20; Romans 3:1-2; 9:4-5.
Consequently, the knowledge about Yahuweh and His ordinances was, since the giving of the Torah at Sinai, only available through the nation Israel.
Verse 13:

"At this time however, through the Messiah Yeshua, you that once were far removed have become related through the blood of the Messiah."

The Greek word eggus translated near or nigh, has as its Hebrew equivalent qarab related to qarowb which is used for a personal relationship or kinship .
The expression, "To bring nigh" (To bring into kinship), was used by the Rabbinate to indicate the making of a proselyte.
Taking into consideration Paul's training as a Rabbi and the context, we can say that according to him, we now are brought into a kinship relation with Israel.

We need this relationship with Israel and it's relation with the Torah. The Church has lost this relationship and hereby strayed away from the Torah and consequently are adhering to paganism.

Paul continues with this being one, in the following verses
Verse 14-15:

"For He is our peace who has made both one and done away with the partition that separated us, the cause of enmity. In His person having rendered idle the establishing of precepts in dogmas, in order that the two, through himself, he might create into one new being, making peace."

Many translations, probably steered by Church dogmas, are worded in such a way that it seems that the law was abolished by Yeshua. Especially in the NIV, but in others as well.
Nevertheless, we must look at the context. The context is, uniting with Israel from Paul's Rabbinical viewpoint. This proselytizing was subject to a whole lot of, mostly manmade, laws.
Paul says here that these precepts (manmade laws), have been nullified by Yeshua, in order that others can be united with the true Israel, through Yeshua. In other words, the previous Rabbinical requirements are no longer valid.
To see that this to the context related translation is valid, I shall paraphrase three of the main expressions used in this text. Nomos, usually translated law, is "anything that is established by custom." Entole is "Precepts or prescribed rules." Dogmasin does not really need any translation it's doctrine or dogma.

It might be good to linger for a moment on the Law.
The Law or rules to live by were given to Israel. Some rules were given explicit for the Temple service. But other rules are for the protection of the individual from himself and from others.
Other rules are set to remind us of Yahuweh and His plans, such as de division of the week and the yearly memorial feasts. All these teachings, the Torah, have to be passed on to others, by the nation Israel. However, some Jews have made a mockery of the law, through additions achieved by human reasoning. See Matt. 15:8-9 (Isa.29:13); Colos. 2:20-23; Titus 1:14.
This caricature of the law has been Satan inspired, to make Yahuweh's laws a laughing matter.
On the one hand this peculiar law has kept the Jewish identity in the Diaspora, but on the other hand it has made the law ridicules to other nations and Christians decided that it was peculiar to the Jews and therefore not for the Church.
From this point of view, they have interpreted the New Testament.
Nevertheless, when we read Colossians: 2, the context clearly indicates that Paul has those human additions in mind.
He did not abolish the Shabbat as the Church teaches. He denounced the extremities of some people in interpreting special days.

Although it seems that the Church and Judaism have built up the barrier again, what Yeshua accomplished will never be annulled. All we have to do, is look at the pure written Torah of Yahuweh and do away with dogmas based on human thought.

Verse 16:

"Indeed to bring back in harmony the one and the other, in one family unto Yahuweh, by the means of the (execution) stake, destroying the enmity through Himself"

This oneness is essential for the proper functioning of the Ekklesia, which is the family of the Messiah. Yeshua made this clear in John 17:20-23.
Paul writes about it to the Corinthians, 1Cor.12:13 and to the Galatians, Gal. 3:26-29. Read in connection with these texts, Romans Chapt. 9.
Verse 17:

"Also He came to bring the good news of peace to you who were far off and peace to those who are near"

Again Paul uses the rabbinical way of expression. Far off are those outside the Jewish religion and those near are the ones adhering to the Jewish religion.
Verse 18:

"Because through Him we have, both the one and the other, access through one spirit unto the Father"

In my study about Ephesians one, I explained at verse 3 about spirit and spiritual.
Verse 19:

"Therefore consequently you no longer are without a share or citizenship, but you are fellow citizens with those set apart for Yahuweh and belonging to the household of Yahuweh."

Verse 20:

"And are build on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, the corner foundation stone being Yeshua the Messiah Himself"

We see clearly that the Ekklesia is build on the Old and the New Testament. The Prophets are as essential as are the Apostles. Houses were built on a foundation but the start of the foundation was the corner stone. Other foundation stones were selected according to the way they fitted to the shape of the cornerstone.
Verse 21:

"Through Him the whole building process is fitted closely together, causing it to grow into a Holy of Holies, Holy with Yahuweh."

The Greek word naos, mostly translated as Temple, was used for the place in the pagan temples where the actual pagan image was situated. In the New Testament it is used for the Holy place and the Sanctuary called the Holy of Holies.

In Hebrew it is,: beit lidabiyr lekodesh hakadashiym,
which literally means,: House for the Oracle as Holy the Holies.