Ephesians 2:6 - Printer Friendly

ESV: and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

NIV: And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,

NASB: and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

CSB: He also raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus,

NLT: For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus.

KJV: And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

NKJV: and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

In addition to being made alive in Christ (Ephesians 2:5), God has "raised us up with him." We are now alive through the same power that brought Jesus back from the dead. In the future we will be seated alongside Christ in "the heavenly places." Interestingly, Paul speaks of this action as if it has already taken place. He assumes it is only a matter of time before it takes place. He held great confidence that those who have truly come to faith in Christ can anticipate future eternity with the Lord. Paul teaches elsewhere that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:37–39). First John 5:13 adds that God wants believers to know—to be confident—that we have eternal life.

The idea of "heavenly places" is mentioned only in Ephesians. Paul has already noted "heavenly places" in Ephesians 1:3 and 1:20. In Ephesians 3:10, he will speak of the wisdom of God now made known to those in the heavenly places. In Ephesians 6:12, Paul speaks of our battle being against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. The phrase speaks of more than just heaven, but rather the entire spiritual world beyond the known physical realm.

Ephesians 2:1–10 clearly explains the relationship between our lack of obedience, the grace of God, and our salvation. Those who are saved by Christ do not deserve this salvation. It is only by mercy, and by grace, that God chooses to forgive. In this section, Paul will repeat the claim that human effort has no impact on salvation whatsoever. No Christian can brag about their ''goodness,'' since we are saved entirely by the grace of God, not by our own good deeds.

Paul repeatedly emphasizes that salvation is accomplished on the basis of grace, through faith. Good works, human effort, and our best intentions will never be enough to earn salvation. Every person is marked with sin, both deliberate and accidental, and for this reason we deserve to be separated from God. Only through His mercy and grace can we be saved, leaving no room for bragging. This also means that all who are saved, Jew and Gentile alike, are part of the same spiritual family. There is no cause for hostility between believers; we are all unworthy, and all saved by the same kindness of God.

The first three chapters of Ephesians focus on doctrinal issues; the last three show how those principles should be applied in real life. Chapter 2 makes a pair of related points about our status as saved believers. First, salvation is entirely dependent on the grace of God, not human efforts. Second, this means all Christians are part of the same family, Jew and Gentile alike. This bridges chapter 1's explanation of God's awesome glory to chapter 3's discussion of God bringing His long-awaited plan into action.

Ephesians follows a theme common in Paul's writings: connecting theory with practice. In this book, however, he goes into greater depth before making the transition. As a letter meant to be read by more than just the believers at Ephesus, this is an important look at how Christian belief should translate into Christian action. The first three chapters lay out spiritual ideas, the last three chapters show how these truths should be applied in the life of a mature believer. Paul focuses heavily on love, the unity of the Christian church, and the incredible value of our salvation through Christ.