Ephesians 2:20

being built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief cornerstone;

World English Bible
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Other translations

WEBBE

being built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief cornerstone;

BSB

built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone.

KJV

And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

ASV

being built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief corner stone;

BBE

Resting on the base of the Apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief keystone,

Original Greek

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ἐποικοδομηθέντες epoikodomēthentes having been built G2026 ἐπὶ epi upon G1909 τῷ tō the G3588 θεμελίῳ themeliō foundation G2310 τῶν tōn of the G3588 ἀποστόλων apostolōn apostles G652 καὶ kai and G2532 προφητῶν prophētōn prophets G4396 ὄντος ontos being G1510 ἀκρογωνιαίου akrogōniaiou [the] cornerstone G204 αὐτοῦ autou Himself G846 Χριστοῦ Christou Christ G5547 Ἰησοῦ Iēsou Jesus G2424

The early church

Observe how he blends all together, the Gentiles, the Jews, the Apostles, the Prophets, and Christ, and illustrates the union sometimes from the body, and sometimes from the building: "built," saith he, "upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets;" that is, the Apostles and Prophets are a foundation, and he places the Apostles first, though they are in order of time last, doubtless to represent and express this, that both the one and the other are alike a foundation, and that the whole is one building, and that there is one root. Consider, that the Gentiles have the Patriarchs as a foundation. He here speaks more strongly of that point than he does when he speaks of a "grafting in." There he rather attaches them on. Then he adds, that He who binds the whole together in Christ. For the chief corner-stone binds together both the walls, and the foundations.
John Chrysostom · d. 407Homilies on Ephesians

Commentary

Matthew Henry · Verses 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 blessed Spirit. Let us then ask if our hopes are fixed on Christ, according to the doctrine of his word? Have we devoted ourselves as holy temples to God through him? Are we habitations of God by the Spirit, are we spiritually-minded, and do we bring forth the fruits of the Spirit? Let us take heed not to grieve the holy Comforter. Let us desire his gracious presence, and his influences upon our hearts. Let us seek to discharge the duties allotted to us, to the glory of God.

Read Matthew Henry on Ephesians 2 →

Cross-references

15

People & places

Jesus

Topics

Jesus, The ChristChurchStonesHouseCornerstone

Cross-references: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. Hebrew and Greek data from STEPBible.org (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0. Library: sources.