Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Ephesians 2:5

"even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace have ye been saved)," — Ephesians 2:5 (ASV)

The main verb of this extended sentence in the Greek does not emerge until this verse (see comment on v.1). Paul’s main point is that God “made us alive with [GK 5188] Christ” (cf. Colossians 2:15). This is the first of three verbs that describe what God has done in Christ for every Christian (the other two are in v.6). For those who were spiritually dead in transgressions, God gave new life together “with Christ.” This is not the language of mysticism but of fact. The life Christians now possess is an effect of which Christ’s resurrection was the cause.

Christ’s revivification was by an act of God’s power (cf. 1:19–20); the regeneration of believers is by an act of God’s “grace” (GK 5921; a bold, definitive assertion that is reiterated in v.8). Salvation is viewed retrospectively. The Ephesians are now in the position of having been saved.