1И вас, мертвых по преступлениям и грехам вашим,2в которых вы некогда жили, по обычаю мира сего, по [воле] князя, господствующего в воздухе, духа, действующего ныне в сынах противления,3между которыми и мы все жили некогда по нашим плотским похотям, исполняя желания плоти и помыслов, и были по природе чадами гнева, как и прочие,4Бог, богатый милостью, по Своей великой любви, которою возлюбил нас,5и нас, мертвых по преступлениям, оживотворил со Христом, – благодатью вы спасены, –6и воскресил с Ним, и посадил на небесах во Христе Иисусе,7дабы явить в грядущих веках преизобильное богатство благодати Своей в благости к нам во Христе Иисусе.8Ибо благодатью вы спасены через веру, и сие не от вас, Божий дар:9не от дел, чтобы никто не хвалился.10Ибо мы – Его творение, созданы во Христе Иисусе на добрые дела, которые Бог предназначил нам исполнять.11Итак помните, что вы, некогда язычники по плоти, которых называли необрезанными так называемые обрезанные плотским [обрезанием], совершаемым руками,12что вы были в то время без Христа, отчуждены от общества Израильского, чужды заветов обетования, не имели надежды и были безбожники в мире.13А теперь во Христе Иисусе вы, бывшие некогда далеко, стали близки Кровию Христовою.14Ибо Он есть мир наш, соделавший из обоих одно и разрушивший стоявшую посреди преграду,15упразднив вражду Плотию Своею, а закон заповедей учением, дабы из двух создать в Себе Самом одного нового человека, устрояя мир,16и в одном теле примирить обоих с Богом посредством креста, убив вражду на нем.17И, придя, благовествовал мир вам, дальним и близким,18потому что через Него и те и другие имеем доступ к Отцу, в одном Духе.19Итак вы уже не чужие и не пришельцы, но сограждане святым и свои Богу,20быв утверждены на основании Апостолов и пророков, имея Самого Иисуса Христа краеугольным [камнем],21на котором все здание, слагаясь стройно, возрастает в святый храм в Господе,22на котором и вы устрояетесь в жилище Божие Духом.
1You were living in your sins and lawless ways. But in fact you were dead.2You used to live as sinners when you followed the ways of this world. You served the one who rules over the spiritual forces of evil. He is the spirit who is now at work in those who don’t obey God.3At one time we all lived among them. Our desires were controlled by sin. We tried to satisfy what they wanted us to do. We followed our desires and thoughts. God was angry with us as he was with everyone else. That’s because of the kind of people we all were.4But God loves us deeply. He is full of mercy.5So he gave us new life because of what Christ has done. He gave us life even when we were dead in sin. God’s grace has saved you.6God raised us up with Christ. He has seated us with him in his heavenly kingdom. That’s because we belong to Christ Jesus.7He has done it to show the riches of his grace for all time to come. His grace can’t be compared with anything else. He has shown it by being kind to us. He was kind to us because of what Christ Jesus has done.8God’s grace has saved you because of your faith in Christ. Your salvation doesn’t come from anything you do. It is God’s gift.9It is not based on anything you have done. No one can boast about earning it.10We are God’s creation. He created us to belong to Christ Jesus. Now we can do good works. Long ago God prepared these works for us to do.
God’s new family of Jews and Gentiles
11You who are not Jews by birth, here is what I want you to remember. You are called ‘uncircumcised’ by those who call themselves ‘circumcised’. But they have only been circumcised in their bodies by human hands.12Before you believed in Christ, you were separated from him. You were not considered to be citizens of Israel. You were not included in what the covenants promised. You were without hope and without God in the world.13At one time you were far away from God. But now you belong to Christ Jesus. He spilled his blood for you. This has brought you near to God.14Christ himself is our peace. He has made Jews and Gentiles into one group of people. He has destroyed the hatred that was like a wall between us.15Through his body on the cross, Christ set aside the law with all its commands and rules. He planned to create one new people out of Jews and Gentiles. He wanted to make peace between them.16He planned to bring both Jews and Gentiles back to God as one body. He planned to do this through the cross. On that cross, Christ put to death their hatred towards one another.17He came and preached peace to you who were far away. He also preached peace to those who were near.18Through Christ we both come to the Father by the power of one Holy Spirit.19So you are no longer outsiders and strangers. You are citizens together with God’s people. You are also members of God’s family.20You are a building that is built on the apostles and prophets. They are the foundation. Christ Jesus himself is the most important stone in the building.21The whole building is held together by him. It rises to become a holy temple because it belongs to the Lord.22And because you belong to him, you too are being built together. You are being made into a house where God lives through his Spirit.