Ephesians 2:16

Ephesians 2:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:
• New International Version (NIV)and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.
• English Standard Version (ESV)and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.
• New King James Version (NKJV)and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity.

Context of Ephesians 2:16

14It is Christ himself who has brought peace between Jews and Gentiles. He has brought those two groups together, to be one group. He has destroyed the things that made them separate. As a result, they are no longer enemies. 15When his body died on the cross, Christ took away the power of the Jewish laws and rules. In that way, he made the two groups join together as one new group of people. As a result, he caused them to have peace. As a single group, Christ brought Jews and Gentiles back to God. He stopped them from hating each other. He did this by his death on the cross. 17When Christ came, he told people God's good news about peace. He told that message to you Gentiles, who were far away from God. He also told it to us Jews, who were near to God. 18Now we all have received the same Holy Spirit, because of what Christ has done for us. As a result, we can all come near to God the Father.

Ephesians 2:16 word by word

καὶ ἀποκαταλλάξῃ τοὺς ἀμφοτέρους ἐν ἑνὶ σώματι τῷ θεῷ διὰ τοῦ σταυροῦ ἀποκτείνας τὴν ἔχθραν ἐν αὐτῷ·Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• that heαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• might reconcileἀποκαταλλάσσωapokatallassō · to reconcileG604
• bothἀμφότεροςamphoteros · bothG297
• unto Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• oneεἷςheis · oneG1520
• bodyσῶμαsōma · bodyG4983
• byδιάdia · through/because ofG1223
• the crossσταυρόςstauros · crossG4716
• having slainἀποκτείνωapokteinō · to killG615
• the enmityἔχθραechthra · hostilityG2189

Cross-references for Ephesians 2:16

• Romans 5:10While we were still God's enemies, God's Son died on our behalf. As a result, we became God's friends. So, now that we are God's friends, his Son will certainly save us. Christ will save us because he is alive again.
• 2 Corinthians 5:18All this is what God does for us. Because of what Christ has done, God has brought us back to himself, as his friends. Now he wants us to bring other people to be his friends too. That is the job that he has given to us.
• Colossians 1:21As for you, you were far away from God at one time. You thought bad things and you did bad things. As a result, you were God's enemies.
• Ephesians 2:15When his body died on the cross, Christ took away the power of the Jewish laws and rules. In that way, he made the two groups join together as one new group of people. As a result, he caused them to have peace.
• Romans 6:6We know that God has caused our old nature to die with Christ on the cross. This happened so that God could make us free from the power of sin in our lives. We are no longer like slaves who have sin as their master.
• Romans 8:3The Law that God gave to Moses could not make us free like that. We were too weak to obey his Law because we are human. But God has done what his Law could not do. He sent his own Son to become a person like us. His human body was like the body of people who do wrong things. God's Son died as a sacrifice to take away the punishment for our sins. In that way, God destroyed the power of sin over people who are weak and human.
• Galatians 2:20Christ died on the cross on my behalf. It is like I died there with him. So I do not live my own life any more. Instead, Christ lives in me. The life that I live now in my body, I live because I trust what he has done for me. He has loved me so much that he died on my behalf.
• Colossians 2:14We are guilty of many wrong things that are against God's laws. But Christ died on the cross on our behalf. He paid the debt of our sins. It is like he has destroyed the list of all the debts that we should pay to God.
• 1 Peter 4:1Christ had trouble and pain while he lived in his human body. So you should prepare yourselves to have trouble and pain too. Think about it in the same way that Christ did. If someone has trouble and pain in his body, he stops doing wrong things.

Commentaries on Ephesians 2:16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16That he might reconcile both - in one body - That the Jews and Gentiles, believing on the Lord Jesus, might lay aside all their causes of contention, and become one spiritual body, or society of men, influenced by the Spirit, and acting according to the precepts of the Gospel. Having slain the enmity thereby - Having, by his death upon the cross, made reconciliation between God and man, and by his Spirit in their hearts removed the enmity of their fallen…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16And that he might reconcile both unto God - This was another of the effects of the work of redemption, and indeed the main effect. It was not merely to make them harmonious, but it was that both, who had been alienated from God, should be reconciled to “him.” This was a different effect from that of producing peace between themselves, though in some sense the one grew out of the other. They who are reconciled to God will be at peace with each other. They…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 14-18Verses 14-18 Jesus Christ made peace by the sacrifice of himself; in every sense Christ was their Peace, the author, centre, and substance of their being at peace with God, and of their union with the Jewish believers in one church. Through the person, sacrifice, and mediation of Christ, sinners are allowed to draw near to God as a Father, and are brought with acceptance into his presence, with their worship and services, under the teaching of the Holy…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 16Christ's death on the cross reconciles humans to God. It also reconciles Jews and Gentiles to each other.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1616. Translate, "might altogether reconcile them both in one body (the Church, Col 3:15) unto God through His cross." The Greek for "reconcile" (apocatalaxe), found only here and in Col 1:20, expresses not only a return to favor with one (catallage), but so to lay aside enmity that complete amity follows; to pass from enmity to complete reconciliation [Tittmann]. slain the enmity--namely, that had been between man and God; and so that between Jew and…Read the comment

Topics related to Ephesians 2:16

• Atonement
• Blood
• Catholicity
• Church
• Cross
• Fellowship
• God
• Jesus Continued
• Jesus, the Christ
• Peace
• Reconciliation

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Afar
• Alien
• Church
• Create
• Cross
• Death
• Desire
• Enmity

Commentaries on Ephesians 2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings