Skip to main content

Ephesians 2:20: Built on the Foundation


Ephesians 2:20
[20] built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, (ESV)

In our verse today, Paul continues his description of this new identity that we all have in Jesus Christ.  Jews and Gentiles, through Christ, have become something brand new.  He likens us to a building.  He talks about how this building that we are becoming is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, and that Christ Jesus himself is the cornerstone.  Let's look at what that means together.

I love carpentry.  I have no natural-born skill for it.  I am not good at it.  But, I love to build things.  The most important aspect of building any kind of building is the foundation.  If the foundation is off, everything else will be off.  And in the midst of great storm or struggle, the building will not survive if the foundation was not built properly.

The foundation to this building that Paul speaks of is the teaching of the Word of God, through the apostles and prophets. The apostles were given the task of writing the New Testament Word of God.
The prophets were the ones who proclaimed it. We tend to only think of the word prophet in terms of fore-telling, but the most important role of prophet is forth-telling.

The Early Church understood the importance of the teaching of the New Testament Word of God, given by inspiration of the Holy Spirit. In Acts 2:42, it describes the Early Church by saying, “And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching . . .” The foundation for this building is the Word of God, particularly the teaching of the New Testament which reveals the new covenant in Christ Jesus. It is essential that we be founded on the teaching of the Word of God. Without that foundation, whatever we build will crumble.

The foundation is essential. The cornerstone is the next thing that Paul mentions, and it is even greater . . . Christ himself! “Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone.” He is the most important part of the foundation. He is the stone that all the others have to be connected to. If the cornerstone is off, everything is off. Jesus Christ is the chief cornerstone of our lives. If we use anything else, our lives will be drastically off.

God is building his Church.  It is a wonderful thing.  As you consider your involvement in the Church of Jesus Christ, make sure you recognize the foundation of the Apostles' teaching, and the cornerstone of Jesus Christ himself.  Everything needs to be connected properly or we will not stand the storms of life.



Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Romans 8:18: For I Consider That The Sufferings Of This Present Time Are Not Worth Comparing

Romans 8:18 [18] For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. (ESV) Perspective. What an important word. Let's be honest. We do not like the idea of suffering. We will do almost anything to avoid any kind of suffering. Some churches have gone so far as to preach against the idea of suffering, declaring it to not be a part of the true believer's life. Paul is not shy about the topic. Paul uses the sufferings of this present time as a means to consider the greater glory that awaits us. Perspective. Paul is not in any way attempting to diminish our suffering. A view toward eternity puts our suffering in a proper understanding. Yes, our suffering is terrible. In the grand scheme of eternity it is not even worth comparison. Maybe you are thinking that Paul does not know what he is talking about when it comes to suffering. In 2 Corinthians 11 Paul describes countless beatings, often near death,

Romans 11:24: For If You Were Cut From What Is By Nature A Wild Olive Tree, And Grafted, Contrary To Nature, Into A Cultivated Olive Tree . . .

Romans 11:24 [24] For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree. (ESV) We continue looking at the illustration of an olive tree. The root of the tree is the covenant relationship relationship of God with Abraham. Abraham's faith is what this spiritual tree is built on. The first branches would have been the faithful people of Israel, who like Abraham, placed their faith in God. They believed God, just like Abraham, and it was credited to them as righteousness. There were branches of the people of Israel who never placed their faith in God. Because these branches were not true followers of God they were broken off of the tree. Faith in God was the essential element that made the branches true branches of this spiritual tree. Some branches remained. Others, the faithless unbelievers, were removed. After Jesu

Romans 15:20-21: And Thus I Make It My Ambition To Preach The Gospel, Not Where Christ Has Already Been Named

Romans 15:20–21 [20] and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, [21] but as it is written, “Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.” (ESV) We need to be reminded continually that the message of the Gospel is intended to move all across the world. Jesus said that his followers were to preach the Gospel, starting in Jerusalem, and continue preaching the Gospel to the whole world. Christians have not always been good at delivering the Gospel message as far and as often as they should. In the first century church it took intense persecution to motivate the disciples in Jerusalem to bring the Gospel to Judea and Samaria. Once the disciples fled to new regions they shared the Gospel wherever they went. Would the disciples have preached the Gospel without the persecution? We may never know. Some probably would have stayed in their co