Ephesians 2:20
New International Version
built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.

New Living Translation
Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself.

English Standard Version
built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone,

Berean Standard Bible
built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone.

Berean Literal Bible
having been built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone,

King James Bible
And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

New King James Version
having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone,

New American Standard Bible
having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone,

NASB 1995
having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone,

NASB 1977
having been built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone,

Legacy Standard Bible
having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone,

Amplified Bible
having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the [chief] Cornerstone,

Christian Standard Bible
built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone.

American Standard Version
being built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief corner stone;

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And you are built up upon the foundation of the Apostles and of the Prophets, and he is The Head of The Corner of the building-Yeshua The Messiah.

Contemporary English Version
You are like a building with the apostles and prophets as the foundation and with Christ as the most important stone.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone:

English Revised Version
being built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief corner stone;

GOD'S WORD® Translation
You are built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets. Christ Jesus himself is the cornerstone.

Good News Translation
You, too, are built upon the foundation laid by the apostles and prophets, the cornerstone being Christ Jesus himself.

International Standard Version
having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, the Messiah Jesus himself being the cornerstone.

Literal Standard Version
being built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being chief corner-[stone],

Majority Standard Bible
built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Jesus Christ Himself as the cornerstone.

New American Bible
built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone.

NET Bible
because you have been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone.

New Revised Standard Version
built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone.

New Heart English Bible
being built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief cornerstone;

Webster's Bible Translation
And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone;

Weymouth New Testament
You are a building which has been reared on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, the cornerstone being Christ Jesus Himself,

World English Bible
being built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief cornerstone;

Young's Literal Translation
being built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being chief corner -stone,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
A Temple in the Lord
19Therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of God’s household, 20built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone. 21In Him the whole building is fitted together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord.…

Cross References
Psalm 118:22
The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.

Proverbs 9:1
Wisdom has built her house; she has carved out her seven pillars.

Isaiah 28:16
So this is what the Lord GOD says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; the one who believes will never be shaken.

Zechariah 10:4
The cornerstone will come from Judah, the tent peg from him, as well as the battle bow and every ruler together.

Matthew 16:18
And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.

Luke 20:17
But Jesus looked directly at them and said, "Then what is the meaning of that which is written: 'The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone'?

1 Corinthians 3:9
For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building.


Treasury of Scripture

And are built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

built.

Ephesians 4:12
For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

1 Peter 2:4,5
To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, …

the foundation.

Ephesians 4:11-13
And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; …

Isaiah 28:16
Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.

Matthew 16:18
And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Jesus.

Psalm 118:22
The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.

Isaiah 28:16
Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.

Matthew 21:42
Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?

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Ephesians 2
1. By comparing what we were by nature, with what we are by grace,
10. he declares that we are made for good works: and being brought near by Christ,
19. should not live as Gentiles and foreigners, but as citizens with the saints, and the family of God.














(20-22) In these verses there is a sudden change from a political to a physical metaphor, possibly suggested by the word "household." The metaphor itself, of the Church as "a building of God"--frequently used in the New Testament--reaches its full perfection in this passage. (1) It starts, of course, from the words of our Lord (Matthew 16:18), "On this rock I will build my Church;" but in the use of it sometimes the prominent idea is of the growth by addition of individual stones, sometimes of the complex unity of the building as a whole. (2) The former idea naturally occurs first, connecting itself, indeed, with the still more personal application of the metaphor to the "edification" of the individual to be a temple of God (found, for example, in 1Thessalonians 5:11; 1Corinthians 8:1; 1Corinthians 10:23; 1Corinthians 14:4; 2Corinthians 5:1; 2Corinthians 10:8). Thus in 1Corinthians 3:9, from "ye are God's building," St. Paul passes at once to the building of individual character on the one foundation; in 1Corinthians 14:4-5; 1Corinthians 14:12; 1Corinthians 14:26, the edification of the Church has reference to the effect of prophecy on individual souls; in 1Peter 2:5, the emphasis is still on the building up of "living stones" upon "a living stone." (Comp. Acts 20:32.) (3) In this Epistle the other idea--the idea of unity--is always prominent, though not exclusive of the other (as here and in Ephesians 4:12-16). But that this conception of unity is less absolute than that conveyed by the metaphor of the body will be seen by noting that it differs from it in three respects; first, that it carries with it the notion of a more distinct individuality in each stone; next, that it conveys (as in the "graffing in" of Romans 11:17) the idea of continual growth by accretion of individual souls drawn to Christ; lastly, that it depicts the Church as having more completely a distinct, though not a separate, existence from Him who dwells in it. (On this last point compare the metaphor of the spouse of Christ in Ephesians 5:25-33.) Hence it is naturally worked out with greater completeness in an Epistle which has so especially for its object the evolution of the doctrine of "the one Holy Catholic Church." . . . Verse 20. - Being built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets. A new figure, the third here introduced to denote the change - that of a temple, of which Christians are stones. There is no contrast in form in this figure, as in the other two; it just expresses directly the privilege attained. There is a real contrast, however, between the first three and the last three verses of the chapter - the lowest degradation expressed in the one, the highest elevation in the ether. Observe, the apostle passes, by association of ideas, from the household (ver. 19) to the house (ver. 20), from the domestics to the stones; but by a bold figure he gives life to the stones, otherwise we might be in the same region of lifelessness as in yore. 1-3. Two questions arise here.

1. About this foundation - In what sense is it "of the apostles and prophets"? Certainly not in the sense that they constituted the foundation; for, though this might be warranted grammatically, it would be untrue: "Other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 3:11). The best meaning seems to be, the foundation which the apostles and prophets laid, which they used for themselves and announced for others. But what was this foundation? Substantially that of 1 Corinthians 3:11; but the mention of Christ as chief Corner-stone at the end of the verse might at first seem to indicate that something different was meant by the foundation. But it is impossible to propose any suitable interpretation which would not make Christ the Foundation too.

2. Who are the prophets? We might naturally suppose the Old Testament prophets, but in that case they would probably have been mentioned before the apostles. In other passages of this Epistle "apostles and prophets" denote New Testament officers (Ephesians 3:5; Ephesians 4:11), and it is most suitable to regard that as the meaning. It was the privilege of the Ephesians to use the foundation on which stood the two highest bodies of officers in the new dispensation - the apostles and prophets; nothing better could be found. Jesus Christ himself being the chief Cornerstone. Not as opposed to the foundation, but in addition thereto. Jesus is really both, but there is a reason for specifying him as the chief Cornerstone; comp. Psalm 118:21, "The stone which the builders rejected is become the headstone of the corner;" i.e. the stone which, being placed in the corner, determined the lines of the whole building. The idea of foundation is that of support; the idea of the chief cornerstone is that of regulation, pattern-hood, producing assimilation. Jesus is not only the Origin, Foundation, Support of the Church, but he gives it its shape and form, he determines the place and the office of each stone, he gives life and character to each member.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
built
ἐποικοδομηθέντες (epoikodomēthentes)
Verb - Aorist Participle Passive - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 2026: To build upon (above) a foundation. From epi and oikodomeo; to build upon, i.e. to rear up.

on
ἐπὶ (epi)
Preposition
Strong's 1909: On, to, against, on the basis of, at.

the
τῷ (tō)
Article - Dative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

foundation
θεμελίῳ (themeliō)
Noun - Dative Neuter Singular
Strong's 2310: From a derivative of tithemi; something put down, i.e. A substruction.

of the
τῶν (tōn)
Article - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

apostles
ἀποστόλων (apostolōn)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 652: From apostello; a delegate; specially, an ambassador of the Gospel; officially a commissioner of Christ.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

prophets,
προφητῶν (prophētōn)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 4396: From a compound of pro and phemi; a foreteller; by analogy, an inspired speaker; by extension, a poet.

[with] Christ
Χριστοῦ (Christou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 5547: Anointed One; the Messiah, the Christ. From chrio; Anointed One, i.e. The Messiah, an epithet of Jesus.

Jesus
Ἰησοῦ (Iēsou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 2424: Of Hebrew origin; Jesus, the name of our Lord and two other Israelites.

Himself
αὐτοῦ (autou)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

as
ὄντος (ontos)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

[the] cornerstone.
ἀκρογωνιαίου (akrogōniaiou)
Adjective - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 204: In the corner (of a building); subst: corner-(stone). From akron and gonia; belonging to the extreme corner.


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NT Letters: Ephesians 2:20 Being built on the foundation (Ephes. Eph. Ep)
Ephesians 2:19
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