1And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 2Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 3Among 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 others. 4But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 7That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 8For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
11Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; 12That 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: 13But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. 14For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; 15Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; 16And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: 17And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. 18For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. 19Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; 20And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; 21In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: 22In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
Oživljeni s Kristom
1I vi ste nekoć bili mrtvi zbog svojih prijestupa i grijeha. 2Živjeli ste poput ostaloga svijeta, u grijehu, poslušni Sotoni, vladaru zračnih prostora. Taj je duh na djelu u srcima onih koji odbijaju poslušati Božju riječ. 3Svi smo mi tako živjeli, udovoljavajući požudama tijela i prohtjevima svoje zle naravi. Po svojoj smo naravi bili predodređeni za Božji gnjev2:3 U grčkome: Po svojoj smo naravi bili djeca gnjeva… kao i ostali.
4Ali Bog je tako bogat milosrđem da nas je, zaradi velike ljubavi prema nama, 5iako smo bili mrtvi zbog svojih prijestupa, oživio s Kristom. Božjom ste milošću spašeni! 6Podignuo nas je od mrtvih i posjeo nas s Kristom u nebu zato što smo njegovi, 7da bi u predstojećim vjekovima pokazao neizmjerno bogatstvo svoje milosti svojom dobrotom prema nama u Kristu Isusu.
8Spašeni ste milošću, po vjeri. A i to je Božji dar. Nije vaša zasluga. 9Spasenje nije nagrada za dobra djela koja smo učinili, da se nitko ne može time hvaliti. 10Jer mi smo Božja stvorenja, stvoreni u Kristu Isusu da živimo čineći dobra djela koja je on za nas unaprijed pripremio.
Jedinstvo i mir u Kristu
11Ne zaboravite da ste vi pogani rođenjem bili izopćenici. Židovi, ponosni na svoje obrezanje—iako im je ono mijenjalo samo tijela, ali ne i srca—nazivali su vas “neobrezanima”. 12Tada ste živjeli daleko od Krista. Bili ste isključeni iz Božjega naroda, Izraela; bili ste tuđinci za koje nije vrijedio Savez obećanja; bili ste u svijetu bez Boga i bez nade. 13Ali sada pripadate Kristu Isusu. Iako ste nekada bili daleko od Boga, sada ste mu prišli blizu—po Kristovoj krvi.
14Jer sam je Krist sklopio mir između Židova i pogana učinivši nas sve jednim narodom. Srušio je zid neprijateljstva koji nas je dijelio. 15Učinio je nevaljanim cijeli sustav židovskih zakona da uspostavi mir, stvarajući u sebi od Židova i pogana jednoga, novog čovjeka. 16U jednom je Tijelu izmirio obje skupine s Bogom svojom smrću na križu, usmrtivši neprijateljstvo. 17Došao je “navijestiti mir” vama poganima koji ste bili daleko od njega i nama Židovima koji smo mu bili blizu. 18Sada svi mi, i Židovi i pogani, možemo pristupiti Ocu u jednomu, Svetom Duhu, zbog onoga što je Krist učinio za nas.
Gospodnji Hram
19Vi pogani sada više niste tuđinci ni pridošlice, nego sugrađani svetih i Božji ukućani. 20Božja ste građevina nazidana na temelju apostola i proroka, a zaglavni je kamen sam Isus Krist. 21U njemu je cijela građevina čvrsto povezana i raste u sveti Hram u Gospodinu. 22U njemu ste i vi pogani uzidani, dio ste građevine u kojoj Bog prebiva svojim Duhom.
