Eph 2:19 Now therefore (ἄρα οὖν) no more (οὐκέτι) you are (ἐστὲ) strangers (ξένοι) and foreigners (καὶ πάροικοι), but rather (ἀλλὰ) fellow-citizens (συμπολῖται) of/with the saints, (τῶν ἁγίων, genitive) and (καὶ) a household (οἰκεῖοι) of the God; (τοῦ θεοῦ)
Eph 2:20 having been built (ἐποικοδομηθέντες, aorist passive participle) at-rest-upon the foundation (ἐπὶ τῷ θεμελίῳ, dative) of the apostles (τῶν ἀποστόλων) and of prophets, (καὶ προφητῶν) being ( ὄντος) the chief corner
stone (ἀκρογωνιαίου) of it (αὐτοῦ), of Jesus Christ (Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ)
Eph 2:21 In whom (ἐν ᾧ ) all (πᾶσα) the building (ἥ οἰκοδομὴ) being fitly framed together (συναρμολογουμένη, present passive participle) is growing (αὔξει) into (εἰς) a temple holy (ναὸν ἅγιον) in/by means of what characterises the Lord (ἐν κυρίῳ, anarthrous dative):
Eph 2:22 In whom (ἐν ᾧ ) also (καὶ) you (ὑμεῖς) are being builded together (συνοικοδομεῖσθε, present passive indicative) into/for an habitation (εἰς κατοικητήριον) of the God (τοῦ θεοῦ) at-rest-in/by means-of what characterises the Spirit ( ἐν πνεύματι, anarthrous dative).
My own paraphrase of the sense of the Greek -
Now therefore you are not still guest-friends in our homes, and citizens of neighbouring countries dwelling beside us within our country, but rather you are now fellow-citizens with the saints in the Kingdom of God, and members with us of God's household, after being built in place on the foundation of the apostles and of prophets of Jesus Christ, he being the chief cornerstone of it, i.e. of the foundation.
In Jesus Christ all the building, while being fitly framed together, is growing into a holy temple which is in conformity to the character of the Lord Jesus Christ, in whom you are being built together into a place for God to dwell in, a dwelling place that is in conformity to the character of the Spirit.
1. ἄρα is probably from
αἴρω (to draw, through the idea of drawing a conclusion). The conclusion drawn from what precedes is what follows.
2. ouketi means not
ouk still
eti. It indicates a change from a past state to a present state. It des not in itself infer that the past state will never recur. See it used here -
Mar 9:8 And suddenly, when they had looked round about, they saw no man any more (ouketi),
G3765 save Jesus only with themselves.
This does not mean they never saw anyone with Jesus ever again other than themselves. It means that in the present thay were not surrounded by badgering scholars as they had been earlier, but those had all left. We should beware of imbuing
ouketi elsewhere with a permanency that it does not actually imply. Such as -
Rev 10:6 And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time
no longer (ouketi):
3. There are three analogies made in this passage: sojourners in a foreign country becoming naturalised citizens in a country; neighbours to a particular household becoming members of that particular household; disparate building blocks in a temple that have been gathered and are still being gathered from off-site and are presently being assembled on a single foundation.
4. The foundation upon which this dwelling place for God that is being assembled, is the apostles and prophets of Jesus, with Jesus as the stone first laid to orientate and situate the entire building correctly according to the will of the Architect.
5. The anarthrous noun according to some may denote an indefinite instance of the noun e.g. growing into a holy temple ἐν κυρίῳ (anarthrous dative) in/by means of a lord. Or it may indicate that which is characteristic of the noun e.g. growing into a holy temple by means of what is characteristic of the Lord, i.e. by wisdom, love, kindness, joy. peace, patience, faithfulness etc.
Likewise, are being builded together into an habitation of the
only true God (τοῦ θεοῦ) by means of what characterises the Spirit ( ἐν πνεύματι, anarthrous dative), such as by exercising spiritual gifts, by glorifying Jesus in the world, by convicting the world of sin, righteousness and judgment. By these the stones are brought to the building site and added to the foundation.
6. What we can draw from Paul's first two chapters is that God's intention for the church is far broader than merely selecting individuals out of the world to populate the new earth, but to mold those individuals generation by generation into a cooperating unit who work together to be a family and to draw more people from every tribe and tongue and nation into that family, all participating on equal terms.
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