Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
What does Ephesians 2:5 mean?
Sin is the death of the soul. A man dead in trespasses and sins has no desire for spiritual pleasures.
Key themes
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Keep this verse inside Ephesians 2:1-5 and alongside a few nearby related passages.
Commentary on Ephesians 2:5
The construction here is, "God, who is rich in mercy, on account of the great love which he bare unto us, even being dead in sin, hath quickened us," etc. It does not mean that he quickened us when we were dead in sin, but that he loved us then, and made provision for our salvation. It was love to the children of wrath; love to those who had no love to return to him; love to the alienated and the lost. That is true love - the sincerest and the purest benevolence - love, not like that of people, but such only as God bestows.
Key words
- by whose grace
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by whose grace. ... See Gill on Ephesians 2:1 .
- by whose grace
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by whose grace.
Context in Ephesians 2
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Ephesians 2 belongs to the early movement of the book, especially the section often described as blessing and new identity in Christ. Ephesians presents the church as Christ’s body and temple, chosen in grace, united across dividing walls, and called to mature holy life. Read this chapter with the wider themes of union with Christ, church, and grace in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.
Related topics
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Central texts on sin, grace, faith, Christ’s saving work, and the Bible’s announcement that salvation is received rather than achieved.
Key passages on God's unmerited favour, the grace of Christ, salvation by grace through faith, and how grace transforms the way believers live.