Ephesians 2:5 kjv

Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

Ephesians 2:5 nkjv

even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

Ephesians 2:5 niv

made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions?it is by grace you have been saved.

Ephesians 2:5 esv

even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ ? by grace you have been saved ?

Ephesians 2:5 nlt

that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God's grace that you have been saved!)

Ephesians 2 verses

Ephesians 2 5 Meaning

Ephesians 2:5 declares the profound truth of God's action in granting spiritual life to humanity, specifically at the point when they were spiritually dead due to their transgressions. It asserts that this vivification, or "making alive," occurs in union with Christ and is solely by God's unmerited favor and not by human effort. The verse highlights the radical shift from utter spiritual death to vibrant new life through divine grace.

Ephesians 2 5 Context

Ephesians chapter 2 begins by describing the bleak spiritual condition of humanity before Christ, portraying them as "dead in trespasses and sins," following the ways of the world and the "prince of the power of the air" (Eph 2:1-3). This depiction highlights the helplessness and deserving of divine wrath. Verse 4 then dramatically shifts to "But God," introducing God's abundant mercy and great love as the sole impetus for salvation. Ephesians 2:5, nestled between these statements, is the climactic declaration of God's act of vivification, making dead souls alive. It flows seamlessly into the following verses (Eph 2:6-7), which explain that believers are not only made alive but also raised and seated with Christ in the heavenly realms, demonstrating the full scope of their union with Him. The entire section from 2:1-10 is a cohesive argument for salvation being entirely by grace, through faith, and not by works, to the end that believers might live lives of good works prepared by God. Historically and culturally, this passage stands in stark contrast to prevailing pagan beliefs emphasizing human effort or adherence to rituals for spiritual enlightenment or divine favor. It also provides a foundational theological truth against any emerging Gnostic-like thought that might emphasize special knowledge over divine intervention.

Ephesians 2 5 Word analysis

• even when: This phrase underscores the precise moment and state in which God acted – when humanity was at its most desolate. It emphasizes that human unworthiness did not deter God's initiative, but rather, prompted His intervention. It highlights the depth of divine love that pursues even the "dead."
• we were dead: (Greek: nekrous ontas - νεκροὺς ὄντας). "Nekros" literally means a corpse, one who has ceased to live. The spiritual sense here is not sickness or dormancy, but complete absence of life in relation to God. It signifies separation from God, the source of true life, rendering individuals spiritually incapable and without hope of self-redemption. This term emphasizes the utter finality of the condition, a state requiring a resurrection-like act.
• in our trespasses: (Greek: tois paraptomasin - τοῖς παραπτώμασιν). "Paraptoma" refers to a falling aside, a deviation from the right path, a transgression, or an error. It describes specific wrongful acts, denoting moral failures where one stumbles or misses the mark established by God's holy standard. It indicates that humanity's spiritual death is not a passive state but a direct consequence of their active wrongdoing against God.
• made us alive together: (Greek: synezōopoiēsen - συνεζωοποίησεν). This powerful compound verb, "syn-" (together with) and "zōopoieō" (to make alive, quicken), denotes God's powerful, creative act. It’s a vivification, a imparting of new, divine life where there was none. The "together with" component is crucial, indicating that believers' new life is inextricably linked and synchronized with the resurrection life of Christ Himself. It implies a corporate action where God performs a shared vivification for all who believe, binding them into a collective spiritual reality.
• with Christ: (Greek: tō Christō - τῷ Χριστῷ). This phrase specifies the means and sphere of this vivification. The new life imparted is not merely an independent spiritual spark, but a participation in the resurrected life of Jesus the Messiah. Believers are not simply given "a" new life but are brought into union with "the" Life, Christ. This highlights the indissoluble spiritual bond and identity believers have with their Savior.
• by grace: (Greek: chariti - χάριτι). "Charis" signifies undeserved favor, unmerited kindness, a free gift from God. This prepositional phrase ("by grace") is absolutely fundamental, indicating the sole cause and method of salvation. It emphatically excludes any human merit, effort, or deservingness as a prerequisite for receiving this life. It underscores God's generous, unforced, and sovereign benevolence.
• you have been saved: (Greek: este sesōsmenoi - ἐστε σεσῳσμένοι). This uses a perfect passive participle of the verb sōzō (to save, deliver, preserve). The perfect tense indicates a completed action with ongoing, permanent results. The passive voice indicates that the action is done to the believer, by God; believers are the recipients, not the initiators or workers, of their salvation. The phrase declares salvation as a past, finished act by God, which secures the present and future state of the believer. It is a declared fact and an enduring reality.

Word Groups / Phrases analysis:

• "even when we were dead in our trespasses": This clause sets the initial, hopeless human condition as the background for God's redemptive act. It emphasizes that salvation originates not from human capacity or worthiness, but from God's character and power. Humanity was not merely ill, but truly "dead," highlighting the severity of the spiritual state and the impossibility of self-resuscitation.
• "made us alive together with Christ": This phrase details the glorious divine intervention. It underscores that spiritual life is not an individual attainment but a corporate reality in Christ. Believers participate in the very life and victory of Christ's resurrection. It is a direct impartation of divine life, mirroring Christ's resurrection, establishing an organic unity between believers and Him.
• "—by grace you have been saved—": This parenthetical phrase serves as an immediate, vital explanation of the how. It reiterates and powerfully summarizes the absolute principle of salvation, leaving no room for misunderstanding or alternative theories. It acts as a divine interjection, stressing that the miracle of life from death is exclusively God’s unmerited favor.

Ephesians 2 5 Bonus section

The concept of "spiritual death" presented here refutes the notion that humanity is merely morally weak or needs improvement; instead, it posits a state of utter inability and complete alienation from God, which only divine power can remedy. The parallel between physical death and spiritual death is direct and absolute, emphasizing the need for an equally absolute act of life-giving from God. The parenthetical statement, "by grace you have been saved," while seemingly a digression, functions as a powerful summary and re-affirmation, reinforcing the core theological principle. It is an explanatory exclamation point, emphasizing that the prior described acts are founded upon grace, not human performance or worthiness. This verse also implicitly lays the groundwork for the later unity of Jews and Gentiles (Eph 2:11ff), as all are shown to be equally dead in trespasses and equally reliant on God's singular grace for salvation.

Ephesians 2 5 Commentary

Ephesians 2:5 succinctly encapsulates the gospel's transformative power: God's initiative in raising spiritually deceased individuals to new life. Before God's intervention, humanity lay dead, separated from their Creator by their manifold transgressions. This was not merely sickness, but an utter incapacity for spiritual response or self-renewal. Yet, God, in His profound mercy and overflowing love (Eph 2:4), supernaturally infused life where none existed, and critically, He did this in union with Christ. This means our new life is a participation in Christ's resurrection, inextricably bound to His victory over sin and death. The parenthetical remark, "by grace you have been saved," underscores the radical nature of this act. It wasn't earned; it was freely given. This truth safeguards against any notion of human contribution to salvation, glorifying God as the sole Giver of life. It serves as the bedrock of Paul's entire argument regarding the unmerited nature of salvation.