Commentaries:
People's Commentary (NT)
Ephesians 2:3
Among whom also we all had our conversation. In Ephesians 2:1,
the second person is used, meaning the Ephesians; here the person is
changed to the first. Meyer thinks that "ye" refers to Gentile
Christians; "we" to Paul and his Jewish brethren. The Gentile
Christians had been dead in trespasses and sins; nor had the Jewish
Christians differed in this respect.
Fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind. Not only
fleshly desires, but the impulses of a sinful mind, such as malice,
envy, pride, etc.
And were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. This
declares that "we", now Jewish Christians, were once, when in a state
of nature, under condemnation, just as the "others", the rest of the
world, or the Gentiles. Some have held that this passage teaches
innate, hereditary depravity. I am sure that this was not in the
apostle's mind. (1) Two classes are spoken of, "you" and "we", Gentiles
and Jews. (2) Both were equally sinful, the first "dead in trespasses
and in sins" (Ephesians 2:1), and the second "by nature the children of
wrath, even as the others". (3) The passage then simply affirms that
Jews and Gentiles alike, before conversion, were dead in trespasses and
sins, and under the divine condemnation. However, "by nature" is
supposed to teach that the depravity is innate, and that all "are born"
under the wrath of God. Such an interpretation would put the passage in
conflict with Paul's teaching elsewhere, and with that of Christ. For
instance, Matthew 18:3 19:14 are inconsistent with the view that little
children are born "under the wrath of God". Indeed, it is taught in
this passage that both classes have been brought into this state of
condemnation by walking in sin, not by their birth. But does not "by
nature" imply that they are born "children of wrath"? The word "phusis",
rendered "by nature", is found in Romans 2:14 1Co 11:14 Ga 2:15 4:8. In
only one of these passages can it refer to natural birth at all, and
there it refers to race (Galatians 2:15). In not one passage does it
describe what is innate. It does describe custom, practice, and
unconverted state. No one would say that the Gentiles, who "do by
nature the things of the law" (Romans 2:14), do so because it is
innate. It means that they do so without the revelation. In a similar
sense it is used here, and means that "we", as well as others, before
we were converted by the gospel, were dwelling in sin like others, and
were like them, "the children of wrath". The state of nature is the
unconverted state.
Other commentary entries containing this verse:
Luke 15:24
Ephesians 2:3
DISCLAIMER: Church of the Great God (CGG) provides these resources to aid the individual in studying the Bible. However, it is up to the individual to "prove all things, and hold fast to that which is good" (I Thessalonians 5:21). The content of these resources does not necessarily reflect the views of CGG. They are provided for information purposes only.
E-mail this page
