Ephesians
Chapter 2
1 1 2 You were dead in your transgressions and sins 3
你们从前因著你们的过犯和罪恶是死的；
2 in which you once lived following the age of this world, 4 following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the disobedient.
那时你们生活在过犯罪恶中，跟随这世界的风气，顺从空中权能的首领，即现今在悖逆之子身上发生作用的恶神。
3 All of us once lived among them in the desires of our flesh, following the wishes of the flesh and the impulses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like the rest.
就连我们从前也都在这样环境中生活过，放纵肉身的私欲，照肉身和心意所喜好的行事，且生来就是义怒之子，和别人一样。
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of the great love he had for us,
然而富於慈悲的天主，因著他爱我们的大爱，
5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, brought us to life with Christ 5 (by grace you have been saved),
竟在我们因过犯死了的时候，使我们同基督一起生活──可见你们得救，是由於恩宠──
6 raised us up with him, and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus,
且使我们同他一起复活，在基督耶稣内使我们和他一同坐在天上，
7 that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
为将自己无限丰富的恩宠，即他在基督耶稣内，对我们所怀有的慈惠，显示给未来的世代。
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from you; it is the gift of God;
因为你们得救是由於恩宠，藉著信德，所以得救并不是出於你们自己，而是天主的恩惠；
9 it is not from works, so no one may boast.
不是出於功行，免得有人自夸。
10 For we are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for the good works that God has prepared in advance, that we should live in them.
原来我们是他的化工，是在基督耶稣内受造的，为行天主所预备的各种善工，叫我们在这些善工中度日。
11 6 Therefore, remember that at one time you, Gentiles in the flesh, called the uncircumcision by those called the circumcision, which is done in the flesh by human hands,
所以你们应该记得，你们从前生来本是外邦人，被那些称为受割损的人──割损本是人手在肉身上所行的──称为未受割损的人；
12 were at that time without Christ, alienated from the community of Israel 7 and strangers to the covenants of promise, without hope and without God in the world.
记得那时你们没有默西亚，与以色列社团隔绝，对恩许的盟约是局外人，在这世界上没有希望，没有天主。
13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have become near by the blood of Christ.
但是现今在基督耶稣内，你们从前远离天主的人，借著基督的血，成为亲近的了。
14 8 For he is our peace, he who made both one and broke down the dividing wall of enmity, through his flesh,
因为基督是我们的和平，他使双方合而为一；他以自己的肉身，拆毁了中间阻隔的墙壁，就是双方的仇恨，
15 abolishing the law with its commandments and legal claims, that he might create in himself one new person 9 in place of the two, thus establishing peace,
并废除了由规条命令所组成的法律，为把双方在自己身上造成一个新人，而成就和平。
16 and might reconcile both with God, in one body, through the cross, putting that enmity to death by it.
他以十字架诛灭了仇恨，也以十字架使双方合成一体，与天主和好。
17 He came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near,
所以他来，向你们远离的人传布了和平的福音，也向那亲近的人传布了和平，
18 for through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.
因为借著他，我们双方在一个圣神内，才得以进到父面前。
19 So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God,
所以你们已不再是外方人或旅客，而是圣徒的同胞，是天主的家人；
20 built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone. 10
已被建筑在宗徒和先知的基础上，而基督耶稣自己却是这建筑物的角石，
21 Through him the whole structure is held together and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord;
靠著他，整个建筑物结构紧凑，逐渐扩大，在主内成为一座圣殿；
22 in him you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
并且靠著他，你们也一同被建筑，因著圣神，成为天主的住所。
Footnotes(注解)
1 [1-22] The gospel of salvation (Eph 1:13) that God worked in Christ (Eph 1:20) is reiterated in terms of what God's great love (Eph 2:4), expressed in Christ, means for us. The passage sometimes addresses you, Gentiles (Eph 2:1-2, 8, 11-13, 19, 22), but other times speaks of all of us who believe (Eph 2:3-7, 10, 14, 18). In urging people to remember their grim past when they were dead in sins (Eph 2:1-3, 11-12) and what they are now in Christ (Eph 2:4-10, 13), the author sees both Jew and Gentile reconciled with God, now one new person, a new humanity, one body, the household of God, a temple and dwelling place of God's Spirit (Eph 2:15-16, 19-22). The presentation falls into two parts, the second stressing more the meaning for the church.
2 [1-10] The recipients of Paul's letter have experienced, in their redemption from transgressions and sins, the effect of Christ's supremacy over the power of the devil (Eph 2:1-2; cf Eph 6:11-12), who rules not from the netherworld but from the air between God in heaven and human beings on earth. Both Jew and Gentile have experienced, through Christ, God's free gift of salvation that already marks them for a future heavenly destiny (Eph 2:3-7). The language dead, raised us up, and seated us . . . in the heavens closely parallels Jesus' own passion and Easter experience. The terms in Eph 2:8-9 describe salvation in the way Paul elsewhere speaks of justification: by grace, through faith, the gift of God, not from works; cf Gal 2:16-21; Romans 3:24-28. Christians are a newly created people in Christ, fashioned by God for a life of goodness (Eph 2:10).
3 [1-7] These verses comprise one long sentence in Greek, the main verb coming in Eph 2:5, God brought us to life, the object you/us dead in . . . transgressions being repeated in Eph 2:1, 5; cf Col 2:13.
4 [2] Age of this world: or "aeon," a term found in gnostic thought, possibly synonymous with the rulers of this world, but also reflecting the Jewish idea of "two ages," this present evil age and "the age to come"; cf 1 Cor 3:19; 5:10; 7:31; Gal 1:4; Titus 2:12. The disobedient: literally, "the sons of disobedience," a Semitism as at Isaiah 30:9.
5 [5] Our relation through baptism with Christ, the risen Lord, is depicted in terms of realized eschatology, as already exaltation, though Eph 2:7 brings in the future aspect too.
6 [11-22] The Gentiles lacked Israel's messianic expectation, lacked the various covenants God made with Israel, lacked hope of salvation and knowledge of the true God (Eph 2:11-12); but through Christ all these religious barriers between Jew and Gentile have been transcended (Eph 2:13-14) by the abolition of the Mosaic covenant-law (Eph 2:15) for the sake of uniting Jew and Gentile into a single religious community (Eph 2:15-16), imbued with the same holy Spirit and worshiping the same Father (Eph 2:18). The Gentiles are now included in God's household (Eph 2:19) as it arises upon the foundation of apostles assisted by those endowed with the prophetic gift (Eph 3:5), the preachers of Christ (Eph 2:20; cf 1 Cor 12:28). With Christ as the capstone (Eph 2:20; cf Isaiah 28:16; Matthew 21:42), they are being built into the holy temple of God's people where the divine presence dwells (Eph 2:21-22).
7 [12] The community of Israel: or "commonwealth"; cf Eph 4:18. The covenants: cf Romans 9:4: with Abraham, with Moses, with David.
8 [14-16] The elaborate imagery here combines pictures of Christ as our peace (Isaiah 9:5), his crucifixion, the ending of the Mosaic law (cf Col 2:14), reconciliation (2 Cor 5:18-21), and the destruction of the dividing wall such as kept people from God in the temple or a barrier in the heavens.
9 [15] One new person: a corporate body, the Christian community, made up of Jews and Gentiles, replacing ancient divisions; cf Romans 1:16.
10 [20] Capstone: the Greek can also mean cornerstone or keystone.