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Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Ephesians 2:14–22.
We have now come to the last part of the chapter, which contains an account of the great and mighty privileges that converted Jews and Gentiles both receive from Christ. The apostle here shows that those who were in a state of enmity are reconciled. Between the Jews and the Gentiles there had been a great enmity; so there is between God and every unregenerate man. Now Jesus Christ is our peace, Eph 2:14. He made peace by the sacrifice of himself; and came to reconcile, 1. Jews and Gentiles to each other. He made both one, by reconciling these two divisions of men, who were wont to malign, to hate, and to reproach each other before. He broke down the middle wall of partition, the ceremonial law, that made the great feud, and was the badge of the Jews' peculiarity, called the partition-wall by way of allusion to the partition in the temple, which separated the court of the Gentiles from that into which the Jews only had liberty to enter. Thus he abolished in his flesh the enmity, Eph 2:15. By his sufferings in the flesh, to took away the binding power of the ceremonial law (so removing that cause of enmity and distance between them), which is here called the law of commandments contained in ordinances, because it enjoined a multitude of external rites and ceremonies, and consisted of many institutions and appointments about the outward parts of divine worship. The legal ceremonies were abrogated by Christ, having their accomplishment in him. By taking these out of the way, he formed one church of believers, whether they had been Jews or Gentiles. Thus he made in himself of twain one new man. He framed both these parties into one new society, or body of God's people, uniting them to himself as their common head, they being renewed by the Holy Ghost, and now concurring in a new way of gospel worship, so making peace between these two parties, who were so much at variance before. 2. There is an enmity between God and sinners, whether Jews and Gentiles; and Christ came to slay that enmity, and to reconcile them both to God, Eph 2:16. Sin breeds a quarrel between God and men. Christ came to take up the quarrel, and to bring it to an end, by reconciling both Jew and Gentile, now collected and gathered into one body, to a provoked and an offended God: and this by the cross, or by the sacrifice of himself upon the cross, having slain the enmity thereby. He, being slain or sacrificed, slew the enmity that there was between God and poor sinners. The apostle proceeds to illustrate the great advantages which both parties gain by the mediation of our Lord Jesus Christ, Eph 2:17. Christ, who purchased peace on the cross, came, partly in his own person, as to the Jews, who are here said to have been nigh, and partly in his apostles, whom he commissioned to preach the gospel to the Gentiles, who are said to have been afar off, in the sense that has been given before. And preached peace, or published the terms of reconciliation with God and of eternal life. Note here, When the messengers of Christ deliver his truths, it is in effect the same as if he did it immediately himself. He is said to preach by them, insomuch that he who receiveth them receiveth him, and he who despiseth them (acting by virtue of his commission, and delivering his message) despiseth and rejecteth Christ himself. Now the effect of this peace is the free access which both Jews and Gentiles have unto God (Eph 2:18): For through him, in his name and by virtue of his mediation, we both have access or admission into the presence of God, who has become the common reconciled Father of both: the throne of grace is erected for us to come to, and liberty of approach to that throne is allowed us. Our access is by the Holy Spirit. Christ purchased for us leave to come to God, and the Spirit gives us a heart to come and strength to come, even grace to serve God acceptably. Observe, We draw nigh to God, through Jesus Christ, by the help of the Spirit. The Ephesians, upon their conversion, having such an access to God, as well as the Jews, and by the same Spirit, the apostle tells them, Now therefore you are no more strangers and foreigners, Eph 2:19. This he mentions by way of opposition to what he had observed of them in their heathenism: they were now no longer aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and no longer what the Jews were wont to account all the nations of the earth besides themselves (namely, strangers to God), but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God, that is, members of the church of Christ, and having a right to all the privileges of it. Observe here, 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 domestics, one of the family, a servant and a child in God's house. In Eph 2:20 the church is compared to a building. The apostles and prophets are the foundation of that building. They may be so called in a secondary sense, Christ himself being the primary foundation; but we are rather to understand it of the doctrine delivered by the prophets of the Old Testament and the apostles of the New. It follows, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone. In him both Jews and Gentiles meet, and constitute one church; and Christ supports the building by his strength: In whom all the building, fitly framed together, etc., Eph 2:21. All believers, of whom it consists, being united to Christ by faith, and among themselves by Christian charity, grow unto a holy temple, become a sacred society, in which there is much communion between God and his people, as in the temple, they worshipping and serving him, he manifesting himself unto them, they offering up spiritual sacrifices to God and he dispensing his blessings and favours to them. Thus the building, for the nature of it, is a temple, a holy temple; for the church is the place which God hath chosen to put his name there, and it becomes such a temple by grace and strength derived from himself - in the Lord. The universal church being built upon Christ as the foundation-stone, and united in Christ as the corner-stone, comes at length to be glorified in him as the top-stone: In whom you also are built together, etc., Eph 2:22. Observe, Not only the universal church is called the temple of God, but particular churches; and even every true believer is a living temple, is a habitation of God through the Spirit. God dwells in all believers now, they having become the temple of God through the operations of the blessed Spirit, and his dwelling with them now is an earnest of their dwelling together with him to eternity.
Historical interpretation
Historical Reception
4 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
All souls made spiritual through Christ are joined and built up into a holy temple, where God dwells. As Christ is in all and God in Christ, all are a temple of God through Christ.
He called this stone a cornerstone not merely because it is at the corner but because it is the first and most important stone. From it begins the foundation of the corner which joins and couples two things to make them one. Souls above already with Christ are united together with those that live in holiness and receive Christ in a mystery that is present. Souls below that are Christ’s, including those of the Gentiles, are also joined by that cornerstone, Jesus Christ.
Mark, how he knits it all together, and represents Him at one time, as holding down the whole body from above, and welding it together; at another time, as supporting the building from below, and being, as it were, a root, or base. And whereas he had used the expression, "He created in Himself of the twain one new man;" by this he clearly shows us, that by Himself Christ knits together the two walls: and again, that in Him it was created. And "He is the first-born," saith he, "of all creation," that is, He Himself supports all things.
Whether you speak of the roof, or of the walls, or of any other part whatsoever, He it is supports the whole. Thus he elsewhere calls Him a foundation. "For other foundations," saith he, "can no man lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ." "In whom each several building," he saith, "fitly framed together." Here he displays the perfectness of it, and indicates that one cannot otherwise have place in it, unless by living with great exactness.
It is maintained by some that the whole edifice built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets comprises not only human souls but also angelic powers, so that all equally will become the abode of God. They argue that it would be absurd if angels and all the blessed forces who serve God in heaven would have no part in this blessedness. For in this is a building, put together harmoniously, that is growing into a holy temple of God to be an abode of God in the Spirit.
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Summary
Ephesians 2:21 profoundly describes the Church not as a static institution but as a dynamic, living, and unified spiritual edifice. Built upon the foundational work of Christ and His apostles, this divine structure, composed of all believers, is continuously growing and being perfected. Its ultimate purpose is to become a sacred dwelling place, a holy temple, where God Himself resides and is glorified through the Lord Jesus Christ.
Context
Literary Context
This verse is deeply embedded within Paul's magnificent exposition on the reconciliation of Jews and Gentiles in Ephesians 2. Having detailed humanity's former alienation from God and the world-breaking peace achieved through Christ's sacrifice on the cross (2:11-18), Paul shifts to the glorious new reality. Verses 19-20 declare that believers, both Jew and Gentile, are no longer strangers but "fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God," built upon the "foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone." Ephesians 2:21 then seamlessly extends this architectural metaphor, detailing the ongoing construction and spiritual development of this unified, divine dwelling, culminating in the indwelling of God Himself in Ephesians 2:22.
Historical & Cultural Context
The imagery of a "temple" would have resonated powerfully with both Paul's Jewish and Gentile audiences in Ephesus. For Jews, the Temple in Jerusalem was the central place of God's presence, sacrifice, and worship, a physical structure of immense theological significance. For Gentiles, Ephesus itself was home to the magnificent Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, a symbol of civic and religious pride. Paul's radical redefinition of the temple as a spiritual, living entity composed of diverse believers would have been revolutionary. It challenged the notion that God's presence was confined to a physical building or limited to a single ethnic group, emphasizing instead a new, inclusive community where God's Spirit dwells. This understanding underscored the unity required among the diverse members of the Ephesian church, composed of former idolaters and devout Jews.
Key Themes
Ephesians 2:21 contributes significantly to several major themes in Ephesians. Firstly, it highlights the Unity of the Church, demonstrating how diverse individuals are "fitly framed together" into a cohesive whole, transcending previous ethnic and social divisions, a concept central to Paul's argument in Ephesians 2:14-18. Secondly, it develops the theme of the Church as God's Dwelling Place, portraying believers collectively as a "holy temple" where God's Spirit resides, a profound theological shift from the Old Testament physical temple. Thirdly, the verse emphasizes Spiritual Growth and Edification, as the building "groweth," signifying the continuous process of maturation and expansion of the body of Christ, a theme Paul returns to in Ephesians 4:15-16. Finally, the concept of becoming "an holy temple" underscores the Sanctification and Divine Purpose of the Church, set apart for God's glory and service, reflecting the broader call to live a life worthy of the calling found throughout the letter, particularly in Ephesians 4:1.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
Meaning architecture, a structure, or figuratively, confirmation and edification. In this context, it refers to the collective body of believers, the Church, being constructed as a spiritual edifice. It implies a process of continuous construction and strengthening, rather than a completed, static entity.
Meaning to render close-jointed together or to organize compactly. This powerful compound verb emphasizes the precise, harmonious, and interdependent connection of each individual part (believer) within the whole structure. It speaks to the divine design and the essential unity required for the stability and integrity of the spiritual building.
A primary verb meaning to grow or enlarge, either literally or figuratively. This word highlights the dynamic and organic nature of the Church. It is not a stagnant structure but a living entity that is constantly expanding, maturing, and increasing in spiritual vitality and size, both individually and corporately.
Verse Breakdown
"In whom"
This phrase, referring back to Jesus Christ as the "chief corner stone" in Ephesians 2:20, establishes Christ as the central figure and unifying principle of the entire spiritual construction. All growth, unity, and purpose derive from Him.
"all the building"
This refers to the universal Church, the collective body of all believers, both Jew and Gentile, who have been reconciled and brought near to God through Christ. It emphasizes the comprehensive nature of this spiritual edifice, encompassing every redeemed individual.
"fitly framed together"
This vivid imagery describes the precise and harmonious integration of every component (believer) within the Church. It signifies that each part has a specific, essential place and function, and that their proper connection ensures the stability, strength, and beauty of the whole. This is not a haphazard collection but a divinely organized structure.
"groweth"
This signifies the dynamic, ongoing, and organic process of the Church's development. It indicates a continuous increase in spiritual maturity, numerical expansion, and deepening of faith, implying that the Church is a living entity, not a finished project.
"unto an holy temple"
This reveals the ultimate purpose and destiny of the growing building. The Church is being perfected to become a sacred dwelling place, set apart for God's presence and worship. It is a spiritual temple, not made with hands, where God's Spirit truly dwells among His people.
"in the Lord"
This final phrase reiterates the absolute dependence of the Church's growth, holiness, and very existence on Jesus Christ. It is in union with Him, by His power, and for His glory that the Church fulfills its purpose as God's holy temple.
Literary Devices
Paul masterfully employs Architectural Imagery throughout this passage, likening the Church to a magnificent building. This central Metaphor of the "building" and "holy temple" effectively conveys the structural integrity, divine design, and sacred purpose of the Christian community. The phrase "fitly framed together" further elaborates on this imagery, emphasizing the precise and interdependent nature of each "living stone" (believer) within the whole. The use of Personification in "groweth" imbues the inanimate "building" with life and dynamism, highlighting the organic, continuous development of the Church. This combination of devices powerfully communicates the unity, vitality, and sacred identity of the body of Christ.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Ephesians 2:21 is a cornerstone for understanding the nature of the Church as God's new dwelling place. It signifies a profound theological shift from the Old Covenant, where God's presence was localized in a physical temple, to the New Covenant, where His Spirit indwells His people collectively. This "holy temple" is not merely a metaphor for individual believers, but for the corporate body of Christ, united in purpose and function. It underscores the reality that God's presence is now manifested through the unified life and worship of His redeemed community, a community that is continually being built up and sanctified by the Holy Spirit for His glory. This ongoing construction highlights God's active involvement in perfecting His Church, making it a fitting sanctuary for His divine presence.
Reflection and Application
Ephesians 2:21 calls every believer to a profound awareness of their individual and corporate identity within God's grand design. If the Church is a living, growing temple, then each one of us is an indispensable "living stone" (as 1 Peter 2:5 puts it). This truth should inspire us to actively participate in the Church's edification, recognizing that our personal spiritual growth and commitment to unity directly contribute to the health and effectiveness of the whole. It challenges us to live lives of increasing holiness, as befits a dwelling place for God's Spirit, and to embrace our interconnectedness, allowing our unique gifts and personalities to "fitly frame together" with others. The ongoing "growth" reminds us that the Church is not static; it is a dynamic movement, continually expanding in number and maturity, calling us to engage in discipleship, outreach, and service that contributes to this divine increase.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does "fitly framed together" mean for the church today?
"Fitly framed together" (Greek: synarmologéō) signifies that every member of the church is precisely and harmoniously integrated, like perfectly cut stones in a building. For the church today, this means that unity is not merely an ideal but an essential characteristic. Each believer, with their unique gifts, backgrounds, and personalities, has a specific and indispensable place and function within the body of Christ. It calls for intentional efforts to overcome divisions, embrace diversity, and work together in mutual submission and love, ensuring that the church operates as a cohesive, stable, and effective spiritual structure for God's glory, as described in Ephesians 4:16.
How does the church "grow" as a temple?
The church "groweth" (Greek: auxánō) in two primary ways. Firstly, it grows numerically as new believers are added to the body through evangelism and conversion, expanding the "building." Secondly, and perhaps more importantly in this context, it grows spiritually. This involves the individual maturation of believers in faith, knowledge, and Christlikeness, and the collective edification of the church through teaching, discipleship, and the exercise of spiritual gifts. This growth leads to increased holiness, unity, and effectiveness in fulfilling God's purposes, making the church a more fitting and vibrant dwelling place for the Holy Spirit, as Paul prays for the Ephesians' spiritual growth in Ephesians 3:16-19.
Is the "holy temple" a physical building or something else?
The "holy temple" in Ephesians 2:21 is not a physical building made of stone and mortar, but a spiritual reality. It refers to the collective body of believers, the Church, as the dwelling place of God's Spirit. In the Old Testament, God's presence was uniquely manifested in the physical Temple in Jerusalem. However, with the coming of Christ and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, God now dwells among and within His people, the Church. This spiritual temple is built of "living stones" (believers) and is continuously being constructed and sanctified by God Himself, as articulated in 1 Peter 2:5.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Ephesians 2:21 finds its ultimate fulfillment and meaning in Jesus Christ. He is not merely a component of this spiritual temple; He is its very essence and foundation. As the "chief corner stone" (as declared in Ephesians 2:20), Christ establishes the alignment and stability of the entire structure. It is "in whom" (Christ) that the building is "fitly framed together" and "groweth," signifying that all unity, cohesion, and spiritual vitality flow from His headship and life-giving power. The Church becomes a "holy temple" because of Christ's sanctifying work, His atoning sacrifice having cleansed and set apart His people for God's purposes (as seen in Ephesians 5:25-27). Furthermore, it is "in the Lord" that this temple exists and functions, underscoring His supreme authority and the truth that the Church's very identity and mission are inextricably bound to Him. Thus, the Church as God's dwelling place is entirely Christ-centered, a living monument to His redemptive work and ongoing presence through the Spirit (as promised in John 14:16-17).