Ephesians 2 Bible study: Made alive, built together

The chapter opens, "You were made alive when you were dead in transgressions and sins," (2:1) "in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the children of disobedience." (2:2). Then 2:3 says We: "We also all once lived among them in the lusts of our flesh, doing the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest." (2:3). These notes say no more of the prince than 2:2 says, and don't say who we are (see the honest questions). Then the turn: "But God, being rich in mercy, for his great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—" (2:4-5) (tap alive together), "and raised us up with him, and made us to sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus," (2:6) (tap raised us up and sit) "that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus;" (2:7). Three things, each with him: made alive together with Christ, raised up with him, made to sit with him. In the Greek each of the three is one verb, and Strong's derives each from G4862, which it gives as "with or together", joined to another word. These notes give 2:1-7 as the WEB has them, say no more of dead (2:1, 2:5) or of by nature children of wrath (2:3) than the verses say, and apply the children of disobedience (2:2) to no one today.

1 Chronicles 22:9→leads toEphesians 2:14

"for his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quietness to Israel in his days" (22:9), and of that son, "He shall build a house for my name" (22:10). Here peace is shalom, the word Strong's derives Solomon's name from. (Earlier in 22:9, where the WEB has "a man of peace", the Hebrew is a man of rest, so this reading doesn't rest on that phrase.) Ephesians says to those who are "in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:13), "For he is our peace, who made both one, and broke down the middle wall of separation" (Ephesians 2:14), and of Christ, "in whom the whole building, fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord" (Ephesians 2:21). Ephesians doesn't cite 1 Chronicles 22, and no link between the Hebrew and Greek words is claimed, so setting the two side by side is a reading. Some see a likeness: in 22:9-10, peace and the building of God's house are promised together in David's son, and in Ephesians 2 both are found in Christ. Others read each on its own terms: 22:9 promises Solomon rest "from all his enemies all around" (22:9) and peace "to Israel in his days" (22:9), and Ephesians 2 speaks of peace preached "to you who were far off and to those who were near" (Ephesians 2:17).

συζωοποιέωsyzoopoieosay sood-zo-op-oy-EH-o

"even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ" (2:5): behind made us alive together is this one verb. Strong's derives it "from G4862 and G2227", and gives G4862 as "with or together". Ephesians has the verb only here (counted in RP2018, and in every edition TAGNT compares). The next verse has two more verbs Strong's derives from G4862 (tap raised us up and sit).