Berean Study Bible Alive with ChristHumanity’s natural condition is spiritual death—alienation from God because of sin. Though physically alive, people are unable to restore fellowship with God or overcome sin by their own effort. Col 2:13 When you were dead in your trespasses, God made you alive… in your trespasses Trespasses are personal violations of God’s commands. Each person bears responsibility for deliberate disobedience and for turning from the path God has set. Mat 6:14-15 For if you forgive men their trespasses,… and sins, Sins include both wrongful deeds and the fallen condition inherited from Adam. The Greek word hamartia means “missing the mark.” Together, trespasses and sins reveal the full extent of human separation from God and the need for the saving work of Christ. Jhn 8:24 That is why I told you that you would die in your sins.… in which you used to walk Before coming to Christ, the Ephesian believers lived in the sins described in the preceding verse. Their former conduct was not occasional failure but a settled way of life apart from God. Col 3:7 When you lived among them, you also used to walk… when you conformed to the ways of this world They followed the values, desires, and rebellion against God that marked the fallen world around them. Their lives reflected the course of a society opposed to God’s rule. Rom 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed… and of the ruler of the power of the air, Satan exercises real but limited authority in the present world and leads demonic forces in opposition to God. His influence stands behind humanity’s resistance to divine truth and righteousness. Jhn 12:31 Now judgment is upon this world; now the prince… the spirit who is now at work in the sons of disobedience. Satan continues to work among those who remain in rebellion against God, directing their lives toward disobedience. Believers were once part of this condition but have been delivered through Christ. Col 3:6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming… All of us also lived among them at one time, Paul includes himself and Jewish as well as Gentile believers in humanity’s former rebellion against God. Before salvation, believers shared the same sinful condition and way of life as those who remain apart from Christ. Tit 3:3 For at one time we too were foolish, disobedient, misled… fulfilling the cravings of our flesh Human nature, corrupted by sin, produces desires that oppose God’s will. These cravings govern conduct when people live without the renewing work of the Holy Spirit. Gal 5:16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not… and indulging its desires and thoughts. Sin involves outward actions as well as inward desires, plans, and attitudes. The fallen mind and heart cooperate in pursuing what is contrary to God. Rom 1:21-24 For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him… Like the rest, we were by nature children of wrath. Apart from Christ, all people stand under God’s righteous judgment because of sin. Through faith in Christ, those once under wrath are made God’s children and receive new life. Col 3:6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming… But because of His great love for us, God’s saving work begins in His own character, not in human merit. Though humanity stood dead in sin and under judgment, He set His love on those who could not rescue themselves. Jhn 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son… God, who is rich in mercy, His mercy is abundant and undeserved, withholding the judgment sinners deserve and providing forgiveness through Christ. God’s compassion does not overlook sin; it provides salvation through the death and resurrection of His Son. Tit 3:5 He saved us, not by the righteous deeds we had done… made us alive with Christ God united believers with the risen Christ, granting spiritual life where sin had brought death. In Ephesus, surrounded by pagan religion and the worship of Artemis, Christians were called to recognize that their new life came from God’s power, not from their former culture or religious practices. Rom 6:8-11 Now if we died with Christ, we believe… even when we were dead in our trespasses. Humanity’s condition was not merely weakness or ignorance but separation from God through sin. God acted before sinners could restore themselves, showing that salvation begins with His mercy toward those who had rebelled against Him. Col 2:13 When you were dead in your trespasses, God made you alive… It is by grace you have been saved! Salvation is God’s undeserved gift, given through Christ rather than earned by obedience, status, or human effort. God’s grace delivers believers from sin and establishes them in the new life He provides. Act 15:11 On the contrary, we believe it is through the grace… And God raised us up with Christ Believers who were spiritually dead in sin have been made alive through union with the risen Christ. Christ’s bodily resurrection guarantees their new life and marks a decisive change from condemnation and death to acceptance before God. Col 2:12 And having been buried with Him in baptism,… and seated us with Him Sharing Christ’s exalted position portrays the security, favor, and authority granted to those united with Him. Though believers still live in the world, their standing before God is tied to Christ’s completed victory and reigning authority. Rev 3:21 To the one who overcomes, I will grant the right… in the heavenly realms The heavenly realms are the sphere of Christ’s present rule and the unseen spiritual conflict surrounding God’s people. Believers belong to this heavenly kingdom even while awaiting the future resurrection of their bodies. Eph 1:20 which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him… in Christ Jesus, Every blessing described here rests on union with Jesus Christ. Through His death, resurrection, and ascension, believers receive a new identity, a secure place before God, and participation in His life. 1Co 1:30 It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus… in order that in the coming ages God’s saving work in believers has an eternal purpose. Beyond the present age, His plan will continue to reveal the fullness of what He has accomplished through Christ. Eph 1:21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion,… He might display the surpassing riches of His grace, The salvation of those once dead in sin shows grace beyond human measure. God’s mercy does not merely restore what was lost; it gives believers new life, a place with Christ, and an inheritance that will endure. Eph 1:7 In Him we have redemption through His blood,… demonstrated by His kindness to us God has made His grace visible through His merciful action toward those who deserved judgment. His kindness is seen in bringing sinners into His family and sustaining them as His people. Tit 3:4-5 But when the kindness of God our Savior… in Christ Jesus. Christ is the source and foundation of every blessing God gives. Through His death and resurrection, believers are united to Him and become the lasting evidence of God’s grace. Rom 3:24 and are justified freely by His grace through… For it is by grace you have been saved God’s saving work begins with His mercy toward sinners who could not rescue themselves from sin, judgment, and death. Salvation rests on His undeserved favor, fulfilled through Jesus Christ. Act 15:11 On the contrary, we believe it is through the grace… through faith, Faith receives God’s provision by trusting in Christ and His completed work on the cross. It is reliance on God’s promise rather than confidence in personal righteousness. Rom 5:1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith… and this not from yourselves; Neither salvation nor the standing it gives before God can be produced by human effort, religious practice, or moral achievement. Paul’s readers in Ephesus, surrounded by pagan worship and human-centered religion, were reminded that no one can claim credit before God. Rom 9:16 So then, it does not depend on man’s desire or effort… it is the gift of God, Eternal life is freely given by God through Christ. Because it is a gift, it cannot be earned, and it displays God’s love, mercy, and sovereign initiative in saving His people. Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God… not by works, Salvation cannot be earned by obedience to the Mosaic Law, religious ritual, moral effort, or any human achievement. Jews and Gentiles alike stand in need of God’s grace, received through faith rather than personal merit. Rom 4:4-5 Now the wages of the worker are not credited as a gift,… so that no one can boast. Because salvation is God’s gift, no one can claim credit before Him. Human pride is excluded, and all glory belongs to God, who saves through the humble, sacrificial work of Christ. Rom 3:27 Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded.… For we are God’s workmanship, Believers are the deliberate work of God, formed by His power and purpose. Salvation restores what sin has damaged, displaying God’s grace in those He has redeemed. Psa 100:3 Know that the LORD is God. It is He who made us,… created in Christ Jesus Union with Christ brings a real new beginning. Those who belong to Him receive a new identity and are made part of His redeemed people. 2Co 5:17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.… to do good works, Good works do not earn salvation; they follow salvation. They are the outward expression of a life changed by God and include faithful service, obedience, mercy, and love toward others. Mat 5:16 In the same way, let your light shine before men,… which God prepared in advance God’s saving purpose includes the manner in which His people are to live. He has appointed opportunities and responsibilities through which believers may serve Him. 2Ti 1:9 He has saved us and called us to a holy calling… as our way of life. Good works are to characterize the daily conduct of Christians, not merely occasional religious acts. In a hostile world, such a life bears witness to the reality of God’s transforming grace. Php 1:27 Nevertheless, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy…
One in ChristPaul calls Gentile believers to recall the condition from which Christ saved them. Their former alienation makes clear the greatness of God’s work in bringing them into His people. Deu 8:2 Remember that these forty years the LORD your God led you… that formerly you who are Gentiles in the flesh They were Gentiles by birth and stood outside Israel’s covenants, worship, and national privileges. Col 2:13 When you were dead in your trespasses, God made you alive… and called uncircumcised Jews commonly used this name for Gentiles, marking them as outside the covenant sign given to Abraham and his descendants. Gen 34:14 “We cannot do such a thing,” they said. “To give…”… by the so-called circumcision Those who bore the physical sign of circumcision often regarded themselves as separated from Gentiles, though outward identity alone did not guarantee faithfulness to God. Rom 2:28-29 A man is not a Jew because he is one outwardly,… (that done in the body by human hands)— Physical circumcision distinguished Jews from Gentiles, but it could not remove sin or reconcile anyone to God. Christ alone provides the spiritual cleansing and new identity needed by both Jew and Gentile. Col 2:11 In Him you were also circumcised, in the putting off… remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, Gentile believers had once lived apart from Israel’s promised Messiah and the salvation He would bring. Jhn 15:5 I am the vine and you are the branches… alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, They stood outside the people God had formed through Abraham and governed under His covenant. Exo 19:5-6 Now if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant,… and strangers to the covenants of the promise, The promises of blessing, redemption, and the coming King had been entrusted to Israel, while the nations remained outside their covenant privileges. Rom 9:4 The people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption as sons;… without hope Apart from God’s revealed promises, they possessed no certain expectation of deliverance from sin or death. 1Th 4:13 Brothers, we do not want you to be uninformed… and without God in the world. Though surrounded by idols and pagan worship, they did not know the living God or belong to Him. 1Th 4:5 not in lustful passion like the Gentiles… But now in Christ Jesus God has decisively changed the condition of those once separated from Him. Union with Christ gives believers a new identity and places them within the blessings secured by His death and resurrection. 2Co 5:17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.… you who once were far away Gentiles had lived outside Israel’s covenant privileges and without access to the worship and promises entrusted to God’s people. Their distance was spiritual as well as social, resulting from sin and separation from God. Isa 57:19 bringing praise to their lips. Peace, peace… have been brought near Through Christ, those formerly excluded are received into fellowship with God and His people. The barriers that marked Gentiles as outsiders no longer prevent their access to Him. 1Pe 3:18 For Christ also suffered for sins once for all,… through the blood of Christ. Christ’s sacrificial death accomplished this reconciliation. His blood fulfilled the purpose of the sacrifices under the old covenant and established the new covenant, providing forgiveness and peace with God. Heb 9:12 He did not enter by the blood of goats and calves,… For He Himself is our peace, Jesus Christ is the source and substance of peace between God and humanity and among those who belong to Him. His peace brings reconciliation where sin had produced separation and hostility. Mic 5:5 And He will be our peace when Assyria invades our land… who has made the two one Jews and Gentiles, formerly divided by covenantal distinctions and longstanding enmity, are united through Christ into one people. In Him, both share equal access to God and membership in His Church. Ezk 37:17-22 Then join them together into one stick… and has torn down the dividing wall of hostility Christ’s death removed the barriers that kept Gentiles apart from Israel, including the ceremonial regulations that marked Israel as distinct. The separation symbolized by the temple courts no longer stands, because Christ has ended the hostility and created one new people in Himself. Mrk 15:38 And the veil of the temple was torn in two… by abolishing in His flesh the law of commandments and decrees. Through His death, Christ fulfilled the Mosaic ordinances that distinguished Israel from the nations, including the ceremonial regulations that marked Jewish covenant life. These requirements had exposed the separation between Jews and Gentiles, but their purpose was completed in Him. God’s moral standards were not discarded; Christ fulfilled the Law and established the new covenant promised to His people. Col 2:14 having canceled the debt ascribed to us in the decrees… He did this to create in Himself one new man out of the two, Jews and Gentiles who believe in Christ are joined into one redeemed people, the Church. Their former ethnic and religious separation no longer determines their standing before God. In Christ, both share the same salvation, access to the Father, and identity as members of His body. Col 3:10-11 put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge… thus making peace Christ’s sacrifice brings peace with God by removing the guilt of sin and peace among believers by ending the hostility that once divided Jew and Gentile. This unity displays God’s purpose to gather His people under the reign of Christ. Col 1:20 and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things,… and reconciling both of them to God Jews and Gentiles alike are restored to God through Christ. Their former separation reflected humanity’s deeper alienation from God because of sin. 2Co 5:18-19 All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself… in one body Believers from every background are joined in the Church, the body of Christ. Ethnic distinctions no longer determine access to God or standing among His people. 1Co 12:12-13 The body is a unit, though it is composed of many parts… through the cross, Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross removed the barrier of sin and accomplished peace between God and those who believe in Him. Col 2:14-15 having canceled the debt ascribed to us in the decrees… by which He put to death their hostility. The cross ended the enmity that divided Jews and Gentiles and reconciled both to God, creating one people marked by peace rather than exclusion. Col 1:21-22 Once you were alienated from God and were hostile.… He came and preached peace Jesus Christ came as the promised Prince of Peace, proclaiming reconciliation with God through His saving work. The peace He offers is more than relief from conflict; it is restored fellowship with God for sinners who trust in Him. Act 10:36 He has sent this message to the people of Israel,… to you who were far away The Gentiles had stood outside Israel’s covenants and privileges, without the law, temple worship, or prophetic promises. Through Christ, they were brought near and included among God’s people. Act 2:39 This promise belongs to you and your children… and peace to those who were near. The Jewish people possessed the covenants, the law, and the promises, yet they also needed reconciliation with God. Christ’s message united Jews and Gentiles in the same peace, creating one people through faith in Him. Isa 57:19 bringing praise to their lips. Peace, peace… For through Him Jesus Christ alone brings sinners to God. By His death and resurrection, He removed the barrier of sin and established peace between God and those who believe. Rom 5:2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace… we both have access Jews and Gentiles stand on equal ground before God through Christ. The divisions that once marked them no longer determine who may belong to God’s people. Eph 3:12 In Him and through faith in Him we may enter God’s presence… to the Father Believers are brought into a real relationship with God as Father, no longer kept at a distance by guilt, law, or ethnic distinction. Jhn 20:17 “Do not cling to Me,” Jesus said, “for I have not yet…”… by one Spirit. The Holy Spirit gives all believers this same access and unites them as one people in Christ. 1Co 12:13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body…
Christ Our CornerstoneGentile believers had once stood outside Israel’s covenant privileges and lacked a place among God’s people. Through Christ’s death, the separation between Jew and Gentile has been removed. Those formerly alienated from God are no longer outsiders without standing or inheritance. 1Pe 2:11 Beloved, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles,… but fellow citizens with the saints Believers in Christ share full standing among God’s holy people. Their place in God’s kingdom does not rest on ancestry, nationality, or earthly status, but on union with Christ. Jew and Gentile alike belong to the same redeemed community. Php 3:20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly await… and members of God’s household, More than citizens of a kingdom, believers are received into God’s family. God is their Father, and they share a common life and inheritance with all who belong to Christ. The church is therefore not a collection of separate groups but the household in which God dwells among His people. 1Ti 3:15 so that you will know how each one must conduct himself… built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, The Church rests on the God-given witness and teaching delivered through the apostles and prophets. The prophets announced God’s redemptive purposes, and the apostles proclaimed their fulfillment in Jesus Christ, bearing authoritative witness to His death and resurrection. Their teaching established the doctrinal foundation of the early Church and continues to direct believers through Scripture. 2Pe 3:2 by recalling what was foretold by the holy prophets… with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone. Christ is the essential and governing foundation of the whole Church. He holds God’s people together, determines their true alignment, and gives the Church its life and identity. The apostles and prophets serve only in relation to Him; His person, authority, sacrificial death, and resurrection remain central to all that the Church is and believes. 1Pe 2:6-7 For it stands in Scripture: “See, I lay in Zion a stone,… In Him Union with Christ gives the church its life, identity, and unity. Col 2:6-7 Therefore, just as you have received Christ Jesus as Lord,… the whole building God is forming one people from Jews and Gentiles through faith in Christ. 1Pe 2:5 you also, like living stones, are being built… is fitted together Each believer is placed within God’s design, joined to the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ as the cornerstone. Eph 4:16 From Him the whole body, fitted and held together… and grows The church continues to increase as people are brought to faith and established in obedience. Col 2:19 He has lost connection to the head, from whom the body… into a holy temple No longer centered on a physical sanctuary in Jerusalem, God’s dwelling is now among His redeemed people by the Holy Spirit. 1Co 3:16-17 Do you not know that you yourselves are God’s temple…… in the Lord. Christ sustains, governs, and completes the church He has redeemed. Eph 6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. And in Him Christ is the foundation and center of the new people of God. Through His death and resurrection, He has created one united body from Jews and Gentiles. Col 2:6-7 Therefore, just as you have received Christ Jesus as Lord,… you too The Gentile believers in Ephesus, once separated from Israel’s covenant privileges, now share fully in God’s promises through faith in Christ. Rom 9:24 including us, whom He has called not only from the Jews… are being built together God is forming believers into one spiritual house, joining them to the apostles and prophets with Christ as the cornerstone. The work is ongoing as the church grows in unity and maturity. 1Pe 2:5 you also, like living stones, are being built… into a dwelling place for God God no longer confines His presence to the Jerusalem temple. He dwells among His redeemed people, who together form His holy temple. 2Co 6:16 What agreement can exist between the temple of God and idols… in His Spirit. The Holy Spirit makes God’s presence real within the church, setting believers apart and equipping them to serve under Christ’s rule. Rom 8:9 You, however, are controlled not by the flesh,… This is a draft of the Berean Study Bible. Please send all comments and recommendations to bereanstudybible@aol.com. Bible Hub |
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