Ephesians 2:1 Commentary and Bible Study

Paul’s sixth theme in this second chapter really weaves together all the topics considered in chapter 1 and reviews the conversion process. It is about how much we owe, and the objective is to increase our indebtedness and our commitment, and first he describes our state before conversion – the walking dead. We were dead in trespasses and sins: not entirely dead it turns out, because in verse 2 we are described as walking, and then in verse 3 we are seen to be manipulated by the enemy of souls. So we are dead, but not entirely, not physically dead. The mind is alive, the affections or the feelings are alive; the will is alive, the determining faculty; and also conscience is alive, well, almost alive. It is alive but it is ignored and it is bludgeoned into silence and it is semi-conscious, but it is alive technically. So there are four aspects of the soul that are alive. But spiritually we are dead – no spiritual sensitivity, no spiritual understanding, no spiritual interest. Why ‘trespasses and sins’? Two words describing different aspects of sin. Trespasses, literally deviations, and ‘sins’ means missing of the mark. This includes deviations, trespasses and, of course, sins, actual deeds. Inclinations, thoughts, desires for sin, the deeds themselves and the words. The sins we commit, the good things we fail to do, duties never carried out: the list of sins in thought, word and deed.As far as doing spiritual good, as far as having real love for God and readiness to obey him, as far as obeying and building for eternity is concerned, completely lifeless, completely dead, because of our sin. That is not to say that there isn’t some virtue in man. What a good thing, what an amazing kindness, that God has left in the human race some desire to do some right things, otherwise this world would destroy itself and be a living hell for us all. God has insisted that some decency and some goodness remains, otherwise we would have no language, no facility for gospel truth, no salvation; the whole world would have to be destroyed. So, yes, we can accomplish some things, but of course they are crushed under the weight of our sin. If we were to lay in the balance our virtues and our sins, why the balance would crash, because our sin is far, far higher than any virtue. This is often illustrated with reference to a corpse or a dead body. And should you be in the presence of one you knew who is now dead, laid out as a corpse, you would not speak to the person because he cannot hear. If he was not a believer, it would be too late to begin to tell him about the Gospel. And that state of deadness illustrates even a walking, living person whose mind is alive, but who is spiritually dead. He does not understand the gospel and is not interested; he might be polite, but does not want to hear your presentation of the gospel. There is no capacity to be moved or affected whatsoever when you talk of Christ and his death on Calvary and him suffering the eternal weight of punishment for sin in amazing love, purchasing the right to forgive all who come to him. And yet we still are responsible before God, and can technically understand that there is a Creator, and that Christ who is God has come into this world and suffered and died, and there is a way of redemption and we need him and his forgiveness. You can be judged for rejecting all these things, for living a life away from God. There is this need therefore to be given spiritual life right at the beginning of the conversion process.