Outline (BKC)
I. The Calling of the Church (chaps. 1–3)
A. Prologue (1:1–2)
B. Praise for God’s planned spiritual blessings (1:3–14)
C. Prayer for wisdom and revelation (1:15–23)
D. New position individually (2:1–10)
1. The old condition: dead to God (2:1–3)
2. The new position: alive in God (2:4–10)
1. Summary:(BKC)
Thus the main assertion in verses 1–7 is that God has made believers alive, raised them up, and seated them with Christ. All the other clauses in these verses are subordinate to this main assertion...Verses 1–3 depict the condition of unbelievers before God transformed them
2. Repeated:
A. "in" the old position
v. 1 you were dead in your offenses and sins
(BKC) The phrase “in your transgressions and sins” shows the sphere of the death, suggesting that sin has killed people (Rom. 5:12; 7:10; Col. 2:13) and they remain in that spiritually dead state
The danger of the old condition is also described by:
The plural of these two nouns signifies people’s repetitious involvement in sin and hence their state of unregeneration.
v.2 in which you formerly lived according to this world’s present path
v.3 among whom all of us also formerly lived out our lives in the cravings of our flesh
"in" the new position
v. 5 even though we were dead in offenses, made us alive together with (in) Christ-by (in) grace you are saved
v.6 seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus
v.7 his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus
B. We are formerly under a system and authority
v.2 the world's present path
(BKC) Unbelievers follow the lifestyles of other unbelievers; they experience the world’s peer pressure. “This world” (kosmos) is the satanically organized system that hates and opposes all that is godly
v.2b the ruler of the domain of the air, the ruler of the spirit
3. Reflection: From being trapped in the old condition, under the system, and authority, God made us alive in the new position. No one can save ourselves if God did not save us. Thank God!
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