Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Ephesians 2:20

"being built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief corner stone;" — Ephesians 2:20 (ASV)

“Built” (GK 2224) allows Paul to develop a favorite metaphor of his. When the Gentiles became Christians, they were placed on a firm foundation. In 1 Corinthians 3:11 Paul calls Christ himself the foundation. Here, however, the apostles and prophets constitute the foundation as those who were closely associated with Christ in the establishment of the church. They were the witnesses of his resurrection appearances and the preachers of the good news. Filled with and guided by the Spirit, they had a unique role in establishing the church. Apostles and prophets head the list of leaders in the church set out in Eph 4:11 (cf. 1 Corinthians 12:28–30). The apostles included Paul himself (cf. comment on 1:1). The prophets were those of the new Israel, not the old. Christ is the “the chief cornerstone” (GK 214). This word refers to the capstone or binding stone that holds the whole structure together. It covered a right angle joining two walls. Often the royal name was inscribed on it. In the East it was considered even more important than the foundation.