1 ¶ And he has made you alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins,

At one time you were dead because of your sins.

2 i n which in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the will of the prince of the power of this air, the spirit that now works in the sons of disobedience,

You followed the sinful ways of the world and obeyed the leader of the power of darkness. He is the devil who is now working in the people who do not obey God.

3 a mong whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind and were by nature the children of wrath, even as all the others.

At one time all of us lived to please our old selves. We gave in to what our bodies and minds wanted. We were sinful from birth like all other people and would suffer from the anger of God.

4 ¶ But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great charity with which he loved us,

But God had so much loving-kindness. He loved us with such a great love.

5 e ven as we were dead in sins, he has made us alive together with the Christ (by whose grace ye are saved)

Even when we were dead because of our sins, He made us alive by what Christ did for us. You have been saved from the punishment of sin by His loving-favor.

6 a nd has raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

God raised us up from death when He raised up Christ Jesus. He has given us a place with Christ in the heavens.

7 T hat in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

He did this to show us through all the time to come the great riches of His loving-favor. He has shown us His kindness through Christ Jesus.

8 F or by grace are ye saved through faith and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God,

For by His loving-favor you have been saved from the punishment of sin through faith. It is not by anything you have done. It is a gift of God.

9 N ot of works, lest any man should boast.

It is not given to you because you worked for it. If you could work for it, you would be proud.

10 F or we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God has prepared that we should walk in them.

We are His work. He has made us to belong to Christ Jesus so we can work for Him. He planned that we should do this. Followers Now Become the Body of Christ

11 ¶ Therefore remember that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who were called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh, which is made by hands,

Do not forget that at one time you did not know God. The Jews, who had gone through the religious act of becoming a Jew by man’s hands, said you were people who do not know God.

12 t hat at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world,

You were living without Christ then. The Jewish people who belonged to God had nothing to do with you. The promises He gave to them were not for you. You had nothing in this world to hope for. You were without God.

13 b ut now in Christ Jesus ye who at another time were far off are made near by the blood of the Christ.

But now you belong to Christ Jesus. At one time you were far away from God. Now you have been brought close to Him. Christ did this for you when He gave His blood on the cross.

14 ¶ For he is our peace, who of both has made one, breaking down the middle wall of separation,

We have peace because of Christ. He has made the Jews and those who are not Jews one people. He broke down the wall that divided them.

15 a bolishing in his flesh the enmity, which was the law of commandments in the order of rites, to edify in himself the two in one new man, making peace,

He stopped the fighting between them by His death on the cross. He put an end to the Law. Then He made of the two people one new kind of people like Himself. In this way, He made peace.

16 a nd to reconcile both with God by the cross in one body, having slain the enmity thereby;

He brought both groups together to God. Christ finished the fighting between them by His death on the cross.

17 a nd he came and preached peace unto you who were afar off and to those that were near.

Then Christ came and preached the Good News of peace to you who were far away from God. And He preached it to us who were near God.

18 F or through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.

Now all of us can go to the Father through Christ by way of the one Holy Spirit.

19 N ow therefore ye are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints and of the household of God,

From now on you are not strangers and people who are not citizens. You are citizens together with those who belong to God. You belong in God’s family.

20 a nd are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone,

This family is built on the teachings of the missionaries and the early preachers. Jesus Christ Himself is the cornerstone, which is the most important part of the building.

21 i n whom all the building fitly framed together grows unto a holy temple in the Lord,

Christ keeps this building together and it is growing into a holy building for the Lord.

22 i n whom ye also are being built together for the habitation of God in the Spirit.

You are also being put together as a part of this building because God lives in you by His Spirit.