Ephesians 2:20

Ephesians 2:20 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
• New International Version (NIV)built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.
• English Standard Version (ESV)built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone,
• New King James Version (NKJV)having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone,

Context of Ephesians 2:20

18So Jewish and non-Jewish people can go to the Father in one Spirit. 19That is why you are no longer foreigners and outsiders but citizens together with God’s people and members of God’s family. You are built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets. Christ Jesus himself is the cornerstone. 21In him all the parts of the building fit together and grow into a holy temple in the Lord. 22Through him you, also, are being built in the Spirit together with others into a place where God lives.

Ephesians 2:20 word by word

ἐποικοδομηθέντες ἐπὶ τῷ θεμελίῳ τῶν ἀποστόλων καὶ προφητῶν, ὄντος ἀκρογωνιαίου αὐτοῦ Χριστοῦ ἸησοῦRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And are builtἐποικοδομέωepoikodomeō · to build up/uponG2026
• uponἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
• the foundationὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the foundationθεμέλιοςthemelios · foundationG2310
• of the apostlesἀπόστολοςapostolos · apostleG652
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• prophetsπροφήτηςprophētēs · prophetG4396
• JesusἸησοῦςIēsous · JesusG2424
• ChristΧριστόςChristos · ChristG5547
• himselfαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• beingεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• the chief cornerἀκρογωνιαῖοςakrogōniaios · cornerstoneG204

Cross-references for Ephesians 2:20

• Ephesians 4:12Their purpose is to prepare God’s people to serve and to build up the body of Christ.
• 1 Peter 2:4You are coming to Christ, the living stone who was rejected by humans but was chosen as precious by God.
• Ephesians 4:11He also gave apostles, prophets, missionaries, as well as pastors and teachers as gifts ⌞to his church⌟.
• Isaiah 28:16This is what the Almighty Lord says: I am going to lay a rock in Zion, a rock that has been tested, a precious cornerstone, a solid foundation. Whoever believes ⌞in him⌟ will not worry.
• Matthew 16:18You are Peter, and I can guarantee that on this rock I will build my church. And the gates of hell will not overpower it.
• 1 Corinthians 3:9We are God’s coworkers. You are God’s field. You are God’s building.
• 1 Corinthians 12:28In the church God has appointed first apostles, next prophets, third teachers, then those who perform miracles, then those who have the gift of healing, then those who help others, those who are managers, and those who can speak in a number of languages.
• Galatians 2:9James, Cephas, and John (who were recognized as the most important people) acknowledged that God had given me this special gift. So they shook hands with Barnabas and me, agreeing to be our partners. It was understood that we would work among the people who are not Jewish and they would work among Jewish people.
• Revelation 21:14The wall of the city had 12 foundations. The 12 names of the 12 apostles of the lamb were written on them.
• Psalms 118:22The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.
• Matthew 21:42Jesus asked them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. The Lord is responsible for this, and it is amazing for us to see’?
• Mark 12:10Have you never read the Scripture passage: ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.
• Luke 20:17Then Jesus looked straight at them and asked, “What, then, does this Scripture verse mean: ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone’?
• Acts 4:11He is the stone that the builders rejected, the stone that has become the cornerstone.
• 1 Peter 2:7This honor belongs to those who believe. But to those who don’t believe: “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,

Commentaries on Ephesians 2:20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20And are built upon the foundation - Following the same metaphor, comparing the Church of Christ to a city, and to the temple, the believing Ephesians are represented as parts of that building; the living stones out of which it is principally formed, 1 Peter 2:4, 1 Peter 2:5, having for foundation - the ground plan, specification, and principle on which it was builded, the doctrine taught by the prophets in the Old Testament, and the apostles in the New…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20And are built upon the foundation - The comparison of the church with a building, is common in the Scriptures: compare the notes at 1 Corinthians 3:9-10. The comparison was probably taken from the temple, and as that was an edifice of great beauty, expense, and sacredness, it was natural to compare the church with it. Besides, the temple was the sacred place where God dwelt on the earth; and as the church was the place where he delighted now to abide, it…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 19-22Verses 19-22 The church is compared to a city, and every converted sinner is free of it. It is also compared to a house, and every converted sinner is one of the family; a servant, and a child in God's house. The church is also compared to a building, founded on the doctrine of Christ; delivered by the prophets of the Old Testament, and the apostles of the New. God dwells in all believers now; they become the temple of God through the working of the…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 20Apostles are missionary evangelists sent by God. They travel to share the good news about Jesus with others. Here, the prophets seem to be from the New Testament, not the Old Testament (see 3:5; 4:11; see also 1 Corinthians 12:10, 28–29; 14:1–5, 22–24, 29–32, 39; compare Acts 13:1; 19:6; 21:9–10). In both the Old and New Testaments, prophets do not primarily predict the future. Instead, they are empowered to speak a message from God (see 1 Corinthians…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2020. Translate as Greek, "Built up upon," &c. (participle; having been built up upon; omit, therefore, "and are"). Compare 1Co 3:11, 12. The same image in Ep 3:18, recurs in his address to the Ephesian elders (Ac 20:32), and in his Epistle to Timothy at Ephesus (1Ti 3:15; 2Ti 2:19), naturally suggested by the splendid architecture of Diana's temple; the glory of the Christian temple is eternal and real, not mere idolatrous gaud. The image of a building is…Read the comment

Topics related to Ephesians 2:20

• Church
• Cornerstone
• Fellowship
• House
• Jesus Continued
• Righteous
• Stones

In the dictionaries

• Christ
• Jesus
• Christ, Messiah
• Jesus, Jesus Christ, Christ Jesus
• Corner-Stone
• Jesus Christ
• Afar
• Alien
• Church
• Corner

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