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Ephesians 2:19-22
Paul has been reminding the Gentile believers in the assemblies of just what it was that the Lord had
delivered them from, and what their position is now, being in Christ.
It was in the flesh that they were the uncircumcised, lawless Gentiles, excluded from Gods nation, Israel,
without Christ and without hope. But in Christ, these Gentile believers are no longer in the flesh, but in the
Spirit (Rm 8:9).
As sons of Adam, they were born Gentiles, according to their earthly birth; but now, by faith, they have
been born of the Spirit as sons of God their heavenly birth, into a glorified body. And Gods sons are
neither Jew nor Gentile; they are all equally His sons.
Last week, we saw how Paul showed these Gentile assemblies that they were not just equal to their Jewish
brethren, they were actually one with them. The metaphor that Paul used was of the temple in Jerusalem,
with its middle wall of separation which prohibited the Gentiles from entering the outer courts of the
sanctuary.
In Christ, that wall has been figuratively torn down He fulfilled the ceremonial Law, rendering it obsolete,
so that it no longer separated the Jews from the Gentiles as a people. They were now one people; Christs
own special people (Titus 2:14).
And not only were Jew and Gentile reconciled to one another, they were both reconciled to God. Both Jew
and Gentile died out of that old creation in Adam with Christ, and have been raised up in the newness of
life in Him sons of God, in bodies of glory a new creation, the Body that is in Christ.
Because Christ through the cross has put away sin, which separates men from God, men who are in Christ
can now enter into the presence of the Father whomsoever believes, Jew or Gentile. This shows not just
the equality, but the unity of believers; with one another, and with God Himself.
As we continue in the next part of Pauls letter, well see that he continues to develop his metaphor of the
temple, as well as mixing in some additional metaphors as only Paul can. Paul loosely weaves together
three metaphors to illustrate the oneness that believers have by virtue of being in Christ.
As mentioned last time, Pauls specific purpose here was to encourage the Gentile believers to enter into
the freedom, equality and unity that they have with their Jewish brethren in Christ.
Lets read the next section together.
[Ephesians 2:19-22]
Paul is using three metaphors in this short passage (actually just one sentence) to describe the Gentiles
equality and unity in Christ can you see them?
In verse 20-22, we have a building that grows into a temple, a dwelling place of God; stones in the building
are implied. In verse 19, we have citizens permanent residents of a city or a kingdom. And also in verse
19, we have members of a household the household of God. Each of these metaphors is insufficient to
describe the equality and unity of believers in Christ, so Paul weaves them all together, to paint a fuller
picture.

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Lets go back and look at each part of the picture.

v. 19 Now therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners. Paul had used the same Greek word for
strangers in verse 12 above can you find it?
Paul was saying back there that the Gentiles, in the past, were aliens from the commonwealth of Israel
that is, they were estranged from Israel, at enmity with them and excluded from the nation the nation that
God had made for Himself. The LORD called the children of Israel His people (Ex 5:1, etc).
And Paul also said in verse 12 that the Gentiles were strangers this is the same word as v. 19 they did
not belong to the people of the covenants of promise again, an allusion to Israel, whose fathers had been
given by God the promises concerning Christ.
Paul is saying that for those Gentiles who have believed into Christ, they are no longer strangers. These
Gentiles have entered into the eternal covenant through the blood of Christ; they are no longer outsiders,
but insiders; they are included as part of the people of God.
And Paul says further that the Gentiles are no longer foreigners, which actually means sojourners.
Someone who sojourned in a country was just passing through; they did not have the rights of a permanent
resident, a citizen; they could have no possession in the land, no inheritance.
But these Gentiles have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies, by virtue of being in
Christ. These Gentiles have been begotten to a living hope to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled
and that does not fade away, which is reserved in heaven for them (1 Pet 1:3-4). These Gentiles are no
longer sojourners; they are citizens. They have a home.
But where is their home? Where is their citizenship? Not in the commonwealth of Israel; notice that Paul
does not repeat that here, when he speaks of being no longer strangers.
Actually, Paul doesnt say here where they have their citizenship, but in the letter that he will dictate shortly
to the church in Philippi, Paul says, our citizenship is in heaven (Phil 3:20). In heaven, there are no
foreigners sojourners every believer is a permanent resident, because he was born there; he has been
born from above (Jn 3:3).
Nor are there any second-class citizens in heaven. Notice that Paul not only says that the Gentile believers
are citizens he says that they are fellow citizens; citizens that are the equals of other citizens.
Who are these other citizens? What does it say? With the saints and members of the household of God.
The word member is not in the original Greek text; in the NKJV, the translators have introduced it. The
word actually means belonging to a certain household; of a household.
In addition, there is no definite article in the Greek before the word household. The Interlinear literally
renders it, fellow citizens of the saints and household of God. Who are these fellow citizens who are
saints of Gods household? The Jews, who have believed into Jesus.
Remember back in the beginning of his letter, Paul had said that we [that is, the Jews] who first hoped in
Christ should be to the praise of His glory; and then Paul went on to say, in Him [Christ] you also trusted,
after you heard the word of truth (Eph 1:12-13).

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The gospel of Christ is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes; for the Jew first and also
for the Gentile (Rm 1:16). This reflects how the gospel was preached; salvation was extended to the Jews
first, and after that, the Word went out from Jerusalem, to Judea, and Samaria, and then to the uttermost
parts of the earth where the Gentiles were.
What is a saint? One who is set apart or separated unto God. The LORD God had separated the nation of
Israel from all the other nations, to be a holy nation unto Him (Ex 19:6).
Israel was to be the household of God, belonging to Gods own family and the evidence in Scripture is
that they considered themselves to be so (Mt 21:33) but they have not yet become what God has purposed
for them.
What does it take to be a saint of the household of God; part of Gods holy family? It takes being born
again, as a child of God. Youve been born into Adams family; you must be born again to become a part of
Gods family.
And how are you born again? Through the Spirit; by faith, believing into Christ. And those Jews and
Gentiles who place their faith in Jesus, together become members of what Paul also calls the household
of the faith (Gal 6:10).
In the household of the faith, everyone has been born of God. They are all Gods children heirs of God,
and joint heirs with Christ (Rm 8:17). They all have equal access to their Father, through the Spirit of
Christ in them, and this Father does not play favorites!
There is no member of the Body of Christ who is superior to another; they all have the same birth. And
there is no member who is more privileged or better endowed than the other; they all receive the same
blessings of the Spirit. And there is no member that stands to inherit more than the other members; they
will all inherit a glorified body, like unto their Lords (Phil 3:21). Each member is unique, but each is a
child of God, who is treated equally by their Father.
The writer to the Hebrews also alluded to the household of the faith. Turn to Hebrews chapter 3. This was
a letter written to a Jewish assembly, most likely that which was in Jerusalem. As with all assemblies, there
was a mixture of those who truly believed, and those who merely professed to believe.
Because of persecution, those who had never truly believed were considering turning away from Christ,
and returning to their religious practices in Judaism including the Law of Moses (Heb 12). The writer to
the Hebrews seeks to show them that Christ is superior to the ceremonial Law, because His life and death
fulfilled it.
In this passage, the writer is making it clear that Christ was more glorious than Moses, to whom the Law
was given.
[Hebrews 3:1-6]
v. 1-2 The writer addresses them as holy brethren and partakers of the heavenly calling thats the high
calling of God in Christ Jesus (Phil 3:14, KJV), to be a glorified son of God. As mentioned, there are some
in the assembly that merely professed to believe, but the writer is exhorting them based on the claim that
they have made to Christ; this is what their mind should be.

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The writer calls Christ Jesus the Apostle and High Priest of our confession. KJV has profession, but
the writer is speaking of the holy brethren; those who are holy would have truly confessed that Jesus is the
Christ; they believe it, they dont merely profess it.
This is the only time that Jesus is called an Apostle. Do you remember what the Greek word apostle
means? One sent. Jesus was sent from heaven by God, for the purpose of showing forth the Father to men,
so that they could know God. In this sense, Jesus was an apostle; a sent one. The writer will later in his
letter develop the concept that Jesus fulfilled the office of the High Priest as seen in the ceremonial Law.
It was the Father who appointed Jesus as Apostle and High Priest; and Jesus was faithful to fulfill the work
the Father gave Him to do. Jesus came speaking the words of the Father, and doing the works of the Father,
so that God might be seen.
And Jesus always did the will of the Father, being obedient to death; even the death of the cross. It is in the
sacrifice of Jesus that we see the fulfillment of the office of High Priest: on the cross, Jesus was the offerer,
the priest, and the sacrifice for all the sins of the people. Jesus was faithful to the Father, who appointed
Him faithful unto death.
Notice that the writer then speaks of Moses, who was also faithful to Him who appointed him God. What
was Moses faithful in? In all His house.
Now, His does not refer to Moses house. Numbers 12:7 records the words of the LORD to Aaron and
Miriam. The LORD says that Moses is faithful in all My house. So His house refers to the LORDs
house.
What household of the LORD would this have been referring to? The nation of Israel. You see, from His
eternal perspective, the LORD already views Israel as His household, because He knows they will be one
day.
There are then two key households of the Lord spoken of in Scripture: the household of God (Eph 2:19) or
the faith (Gal 6:10), speaking of the true church; and the house of the LORD (Ps 118:26, Mt 24:45, Lk
12:42), which refers to Israel (future). As we continue this passage, well see that both of these houses are
mentioned.
v. 3-4 So the writer names a key figure for each the two houses: Moses, and Christ. Which figure was
more glorious? Christ. Why? What reason does the writer give? Because He who built the house has
more honor than the house.
In Scripture, to build a house is a Jewish idiom for bearing children; for generating life. When a house is
viewed in this figurative sense, which it is here, who ultimately is the builder of every house? Who brings
forth life? God does.
Here the writer is showing Christ to be worthy of more glory than the illustrious Moses (as the Jews saw
him), in that Christ is God, the Creator and giver of life; and Moses, illustrious though he may have been, is
just a creation.
The writer continues to compare the two.

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v. 5-6 Again, Christ can be seen to be superior to Moses. Remember the writer is making this point to
Jews, among whom Moses was highly esteemed. Both Moses and Christ were faithful to God, who
appointed them; Moses, faithful most of the time, Christ, entirely faithful.
Notice that the writer says Moses was faithful in all His house; hes part of the house; but Christ was
faithful over His own house; Hes the builder of the house.
Moses was merely a servant of God in the house of the LORD, ministering to Israel as the LORD commanded
him. It was through Moses that the LORD brought the children of Israel out of Egypt; but all that was
birthed through the Red Sea was the physical nation; dust seed; unregenerate men.
Through the obedience of Moses, the LORD preached the gospel to Israel again and again, in types and
symbols; but later the writer to the Hebrews will record that the word which Israel heard did not profit
them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it (Heb 4:2).
That testimony, of the gospel of Christ preached to Israel, and their unbelief, is recorded in the Pentateuch,
which both the Jews and the church retain in their Scriptures to this day a witness against unregenerate
Israel. This house of the LORD has yet to be built, for there are not yet any living stones (1 Pet 2:5); but the
foundation of the house has been laid, as we will discuss next time.
The writer then contrasts Moses to Christ, who was no mere servant, but the Son of God Himself. A son is
his fathers heir; this Son is the heir of all things (Heb 1:2). As the heir, the Son is over His own house
His Fathers house, the household of God.
Those in the Sons house are all regenerate sons of God both Jew and Gentile, who have joined
themselves to Christ through their faith, and in doing so, partake of His Life. This is the house that the Son
built and is building, which came out of His own body, through His death.
Notice the writers warning to his readers; they are Christs house, if they hold fast to their hope. One who
truly believes will persevere to the end.
[Return to Ephesians]
So we see that the household of God that Paul is writing about here is the household of Christ, the true
church. Both in terms of having the same citizenship and being of the same household, Paul is bringing out
the equality of the believing Gentiles with their Jewish brethren. Not only are the Jewish believers saints
of the household of God; the Gentile believers are equally so.
Now, as Paul continues to describe the building that is being built, he will emphasize the unity of the
Jewish and Gentile believers in Christ.
v. 20 The household of faith, Christs house, has been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets.
In Pauls writings, the apostles sent ones can either refer to the original twelve apostles that Jesus
appointed (or the Eleven, without Judas), or the term can be used more broadly to mean those who
ministered along with the apostles in Jerusalem and beyond.
Here Paul is using the broader meaning, which would include himself. The apostles were those sent out as
witnesses to Christ, preaching the gospel to both the Jews and the Gentiles.

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Prophets here refers to those in the church who were graced by the Holy Spirit with the charismata of
prophecy, as opposed to the OT prophets. The order of the words here suggests this apostles are listed
before prophets. Also, there is no definite article before prophets in the Greek, linking the two groups
together as a set apostles and prophets.
A prophet is one who speaks under the divine influence of God; he is Gods mouthpiece, so to speak.
Whereas the Lord appointed teachers in the assemblies to expound the Word of God, building precept upon
precept, prophets were used by the Lord more for the purpose of exhorting believers. Both the apostles
and the prophets were itinerant ministers, going from place to place, preaching the gospel, encouraging the
believers in the faith.
Now, in English, verse 20 can be taken to mean that the apostles and prophets were the foundation of the
household; the house was built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets; or it can mean that the
apostles and prophets personally laid the foundation; the house was built on the foundation of the apostles
and prophets that which they laid. In the Greek, the latter is implied by the grammar; they laid the
foundation of the house.
Paul wrote in a similar manner to the church at Corinth. Turn to First Corinthians chapter 3. Paul wrote of
the believers in Corinth as being Gods building (1 Cor 3:9).
[First Corinthians 3:10-11] The grace given to Paul by the Spirit was as apostle, prophet and teacher. How
did Paul lay the foundation in Corinth? He preached the gospel of Christ. Paul preached the gospel in
Corinth, and then others who came later, such as Apollos and Peter (Cephas; 1 Cor 1:12), built on what
Paul had taught (1 Cor 3:6).
The foundation for Gods building is always the fundamental doctrines concerning Gods Christ. That was
the doctrine of the apostles (Acts 2:42), which in turn was the doctrine of Jesus Himself (Lk 24:44-48).
Paul made this plain later in this letter. Turn to First Corinthians chapter 15. Some of the Corinthians were
saying that there is no resurrection of the dead (1 Cor 15:12), as taught by many of their Greek
philosophers.
Paul is about to drive home the point that the resurrection of Christ is a critical element of the gospel, and
that if Christ did not rise from the dead, their faith is in vain (1 Cor 15:17). Were just looking at what Paul
wrote to introduce his argument.
[First Corinthians 15:1-4]
v. 1-2 Notice the similarity of the admonition to that which the writer of Hebrews gave to that Jewish
assembly if you hold fast. Again, one who truly believes holds fast.
v. 3-4 Were going to break Paul in mid-sentence here; I just wanted you to see what Paul says about what
he preached in Corinth. As a wise master builder, Paul laid the only foundation that can be laid, which will
endure: Christ.
Christ died; Christ was buried; Christ rose again, fulfilling the Scriptures. Thats the essential doctrine of
Christ. It is the only foundation to Gods building that there can be. Men can build on many foundations,
but only when Christ is the foundation will the building endure; for that is a work of God; an eternal work.
[Return to Ephesians 2]

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So the foundation that the apostles and prophets laid for the household of the faith was the gospel of Christ.
Paul names Jesus Christ Himself as being the chief cornerstone of that foundation.
The Greek work Paul uses, akrogoniaios, translates literally as extreme corner from the Greek, means the
cornerstone which is the chief one. Chief communicates the idea that this is the first stone, the principal
stone; the key to the whole building. Stone is not really part of the word, but it is certainly implied. In
this context, akrogoniaios refers to the foundation cornerstone of any building; the first stone that is laid,
upon which the whole building is based.
Before the advent of modern cement foundations, the foundation of a building was composed of stones.
The cornerstone of the building the first stone had to be most carefully selected. The entire structure
was dependent upon it.
The cornerstone supported the building, so it had to be an exceptionally strong, proven stone. All the other
stones were aligned according to it, so that means it had to be perfectly squared in shape; and the
cornerstone also had to be precisely laid upon the earth, in order for the building to be completely secure.
Jesus Christ is the Cornerstone of the true church. He is a strong, proven stone; our Rock of salvation. Turn
to Matthew chapter 16. Jesus was inquiring of His disciples as to who men said that He is.
[Matthew 16:13-18]
v. 13-14 Men are still saying as much today, arent they? Many are willing to go so far as to make a
rational judgment in their minds and conclude that Jesus was a wise teacher, an exemplary man, even a
great prophet. And so He was. But if this is all that they are willing to know of Jesus, then they really
dont know who Jesus is.
v. 15-16 This is what men must know of Jesus, in order to be saved. They must know that Jesus is the
Christ the Anointed One of Israel the One whom God has appointed as the Savior of mankind. And
men must know that Jesus is Gods Son; and therefore God Himself, come in the flesh for in order to save
mankind, the Christ must die in their stead.
Simon Peter may have spoken what all the disciples believed, but in that it was Simon Peter who personally
stated his belief, Jesus commended him personally for it.
v. 17 Only the Spirit of God can make Christ known to a man, but the Spirit is willing to make that
revelation to anyone willing to see. Peter was willing. Notice Jesus called Peter by his given name and
surname: Simon Bar-Jonah, which means hearkening, of-dove; an apt description of Peter hearkening to
the Holy Spirits revelation of who Jesus is.
v. 18 Here Jesus is making a play on words. The name Peter, which Jesus gave to him when he first came
to Jesus, means stone Petros in the Greek. This is a stone which might be thrown, or easily moved; and
Scripture bears witness to this in Peters life, for a time.
The rock upon which Jesus will build His church is petra in the Greek, and it refers to a mass of rock, or
bedrock which is strong and unmovable. Jesus is referring to Himself as that strong, immovable Rock
upon which He will build His church.

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In the NT, Hades is the place which takes the soul of the unrighteous man after the man has died; Death
takes the body, and Hades takes the soul.
So strong is this Rock, Christ, that Hades is powerless to secure the souls of men who are built on Him
that is, the true church those who have placed their faith in Jesus as their Lord, and have been made
righteous in Him. Paul wrote, O Hades, where is your victory? (1 Cor 15:55). Christ prevailed over
Hades, on behalf of believers.
When a believer dies, where does his soul go? To Christ. Absent from the body present with the Lord
(2 Cor 5:8).
For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present
nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the
love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rm 8:38-39). Thats the Rock of our salvation our
strong, proven stone.
As mentioned, the cornerstone also had to be perfect in shape, with perfect form, in order for all the other
stones to fit together as a proper, solid, beautiful structure. Finally, the cornerstone had to be laid precisely,
as determined by the builder, in order for the building to be secure. These qualities speak to the perfection
of Christ in His character, and in the life that He lived, in conformance to the will of the Father.
Jesus was the perfect man; He was holy, harmless, undefiled (Heb 7:26). He was the lamb without blemish
and without spot (1 Pet 1:19). Thats the righteous character of Jesus; His intrinsic righteousness. In Him
is no sin (1 Jn 3:5).
And Jesus lived a life of perfect obedience to the will of the Father. All of the actions of Jesus were
righteous acts, which demonstrated His extrinsic righteousness; He did no sin (1 Pet 2:22).
Jesus was that grain of wheat that fell into the ground and died, to bring forth much grain (Jn 12:24); the
perfect Cornerstone, perfectly laid by the Father in death, in order to bring forth many sons of glory in the
resurrection of Life, Life everlasting, which the Son brought forth out of His death.
Thats the righteous perfection of the Cornerstone, Jesus Christ righteous character, worked out in
righteous acts, and all who are built on Him by faith become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Cor
5:21). They are eternally secure; because they are founded on the Rock (Lk 6:48).
We will be discussing the Cornerstone in more detail next week. What Paul is bringing out in this letter to
the assemblies is that as Gentile believers, they have been built with their Jewish brethren on the same
foundation, as part of the same building; they are one, in Christ; for that is something else that the
cornerstone does; it unifies the whole building. Now Paul wants to show them just what that building is.
v. 21-22 Paul initially characterized this building as the household of God, but now the household has
become the house itself the structure and that structure is what? A holy temple.
Now, Paul does not use the general word for temple here, which is hieron. Hieron describes the entire
temple complex. Instead, Paul uses the Greek word naos the term used especially for the inner sanctuary.
In the case of the temple which God had Solomon build, this was the place that was filled with the glory of
God (1 Ki 8:10-11), a visible sign of Gods presence among His people. This was the place where people
could come to meet God.

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And where is this place, today? Paul is saying that we are the temple; God dwells, permanently, in our
midst, through His Spirit. Believers are the point of contact between God and people who are outside the
sacred whom God desires to reach. We have become the place where people can see God; where they
can learn about God; where they can encounter God, for themselves. A holy temple; consecrated; set apart
unto God, for His use.
All buildings have a purpose. We are a building with purpose: our purpose is that as men see God in our
midst, they will be drawn to God, and they will desire God for themselves, and they will then be reconciled
to God just as we were.
What draws men? Beauty? This temple has the beauty of holiness (Ps 29:2), because it reflects Christ.
What else draws men? Order? The stones of this temple are fitted together; they are most carefully
joined; the construction is seamless; there are no divisions. Nothing is out of place, or defective, or
misshapen, or inappropriate (1 Cor 14:40); this temple is holy and without blemish (Eph 5:27).
What else draws men? Peace? The stones of this temple keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace
(Eph 4:3). The temple is Gods house of peace (Hag 2:9).
How about love? Thats the mortar, that joins the stones one to another (Jn 13:34-35, Gal 5:13). Thats
what makes the holy temple the magnificent structure that it is (1 Cor 13:13).
Thats the true church, built upon the Cornerstone, Christ; and as the Lord adds to His church daily those
who are being saved, each one is added as a living stone to the Lords temple and thats how it grows.
And it will continue to do so until the Lord completes it which will be soon very soon.
Paul ends with one final mention of the unity of the Gentile believers with their Jewish brethren they also
are being built together for Gods dwelling place His permanent home, in the Spirit. They are part of the
same temple, establish on the Cornerstone Christ.
Next week: Gen 28 and 35; Gen 49:22-26; Ex 17:1-7; Ps 78.