Ephesians 2:21
Ephesians 2:21 in Multiple Translations
In Him the whole building is fitted together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord.
In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
in whom each several building, fitly framed together, groweth into a holy temple in the Lord;
In whom all the building, rightly joined together, comes to be a holy house of God in the Lord;
In him the whole building is joined together, growing to form a holy temple for the Lord.
In whom all the building coupled together, groweth vnto an holy Temple in the Lord.
in whom all the building fitly framed together doth increase to an holy sanctuary in the Lord,
in whom the whole building, fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord;
In whom all the building fitly framed together, groweth to a holy temple in the Lord:
In whom all the building, being framed together, groweth up into an holy temple in the Lord.
just like a builder might join together all the parts of a building to make it a temple that people will dedicate to the Lord [MET], Christ is continually causing all of you who have a relationship with him to be united, in order that you will become one holy group.
Berean Amplified Bible — Ephesians 2:21
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Ephesians 2:21 Interlinear (Deep Study)
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Greek Word Reference — Ephesians 2:21
Study Notes — Ephesians 2:21
- Context
- Cross References
- Ephesians 2:21 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Ephesians 2:21
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Ephesians 2:21
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Ephesians 2:21
- Trapp's Commentary on Ephesians 2:21
- Ellicott's Commentary on Ephesians 2:21
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Ephesians 2:21
- Cambridge Bible on Ephesians 2:21
- Barnes' Notes on Ephesians 2:21
- Whedon's Commentary on Ephesians 2:21
- Sermons on Ephesians 2:21
Context — Christ Our Cornerstone
21In Him the whole building is fitted together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord.
22And in Him you too are being built together into a dwelling place for God in His Spirit.Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 Corinthians 3:16–17 | Do you not know that you yourselves are God’s temple, and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple. |
| 2 | 1 Corinthians 3:9 | For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building. |
| 3 | 2 Corinthians 6:16 | What agreement can exist between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people.” |
| 4 | Ephesians 4:13–16 | until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, as we mature to the full measure of the stature of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed about by the waves and carried around by every wind of teaching and by the clever cunning of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Christ Himself, who is the head. From Him the whole body, fitted and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love through the work of each individual part. |
| 5 | Hebrews 3:3–4 | For Jesus has been counted worthy of greater glory than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself. And every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything. |
| 6 | 1 Kings 6:7 | The temple was constructed using finished stones cut at the quarry, so that no hammer or chisel or any other iron tool was heard in the temple while it was being built. |
| 7 | Exodus 26:1–37 | “You are to construct the tabernacle itself with ten curtains of finely spun linen, each with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and cherubim skillfully worked into them. Each curtain shall be twenty-eight cubits long and four cubits wide —all curtains the same size. Five of the curtains are to be joined together, and the other five joined as well. Make loops of blue material on the edge of the end curtain in the first set, and do the same for the end curtain in the second set. Make fifty loops on one curtain and fifty loops on the end curtain of the second set, so that the loops line up opposite one another. Make fifty gold clasps as well, and join the curtains together with the clasps, so that the tabernacle will be a unit. You are to make curtains of goat hair for the tent over the tabernacle—eleven curtains in all. Each of the eleven curtains is to be the same size—thirty cubits long and four cubits wide. Join five of the curtains into one set and the other six into another. Then fold the sixth curtain over double at the front of the tent. Make fifty loops along the edge of the end curtain in the first set, and fifty loops along the edge of the corresponding curtain in the second set. Make fifty bronze clasps and put them through the loops to join the tent together as a unit. As for the overlap that remains of the tent curtains, the half curtain that is left over shall hang down over the back of the tabernacle. And the tent curtains will be a cubit longer on either side, and the excess will hang over the sides of the tabernacle to cover it. Also make a covering for the tent out of ram skins dyed red, and over that a covering of fine leather. You are to construct upright frames of acacia wood for the tabernacle. Each frame is to be ten cubits long and a cubit and a half wide. Two tenons must be connected to each other for each frame. Make all the frames of the tabernacle in this way. Construct twenty frames for the south side of the tabernacle, with forty silver bases under the twenty frames—two bases for each frame, one under each tenon. For the second side of the tabernacle, the north side, make twenty frames and forty silver bases—two bases under each frame. Make six frames for the rear of the tabernacle, the west side, and two frames for the two back corners of the tabernacle, coupled together from bottom to top and fitted into a single ring. These will serve as the two corners. So there are to be eight frames and sixteen silver bases—two under each frame. You are also to make five crossbars of acacia wood for the frames on one side of the tabernacle, five for those on the other side, and five for those on the rear side of the tabernacle, to the west. The central crossbar in the middle of the frames shall extend from one end to the other. Overlay the frames with gold and make gold rings to hold the crossbars. Also overlay the crossbars with gold. So you are to set up the tabernacle according to the pattern shown you on the mountain. Make a veil of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely spun linen, with cherubim skillfully worked into it. Hang it with gold hooks on four posts of acacia wood, overlaid with gold and standing on four silver bases. And hang the veil from the clasps and place the ark of the Testimony behind the veil. So the veil will separate the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. Put the mercy seat on the ark of the Testimony in the Most Holy Place. And place the table outside the veil on the north side of the tabernacle, and put the lampstand opposite the table, on the south side. For the entrance to the tent, you are to make a curtain embroidered with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely spun linen. Make five posts of acacia wood for the curtain, overlay them with gold hooks, and cast five bronze bases for them. |
| 8 | Ezekiel 42:12 | And corresponding to the doors of the chambers that were facing south, there was a door in front of the walkway that was parallel to the wall extending eastward. |
| 9 | Psalms 93:5 | Your testimonies are fully confirmed; holiness adorns Your house, O LORD, for all the days to come. |
| 10 | Ezekiel 40:1–42 | In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth day of the month—in the fourteenth year after Jerusalem had been struck down—on that very day the hand of the LORD was upon me, and He took me there. In visions of God He took me to the land of Israel and set me on a very high mountain, on whose southern slope was a structure that resembled a city. So He took me there, and I saw a man whose appearance was like bronze. He was standing in the gateway with a linen cord and a measuring rod in his hand. “Son of man,” he said to me, “look with your eyes, hear with your ears, and pay attention to everything I am going to show you, for that is why you have been brought here. Report to the house of Israel everything you see.” And I saw a wall surrounding the temple area. Now the length of the measuring rod in the man’s hand was six long cubits (each measuring a cubit and a handbreadth), and he measured the wall to be one rod thick and one rod high. Then he came to the gate facing east and climbed its steps. He measured the threshold of the gate to be one rod deep. Each gate chamber was one rod long and one rod wide, and there were five cubits between the gate chambers. The inner threshold of the gate by the portico facing inward was one rod deep. Then he measured the portico of the gateway inside; it was eight cubits deep, and its jambs were two cubits thick. And the portico of the gateway faced the temple. There were three gate chambers on each side of the east gate, each with the same measurements, and the gateposts on either side also had the same measurements. And he measured the width of the gateway entrance to be ten cubits, and its length was thirteen cubits. In front of each gate chamber was a wall one cubit high, and the gate chambers were six cubits square. Then he measured the gateway from the roof of one gate chamber to the roof of the opposite one; the distance was twenty-five cubits from doorway to doorway. Next he measured the gateposts to be sixty cubits high. The gateway extended around to the gatepost of the courtyard. And the distance from the entrance of the gateway to the far end of its inner portico was fifty cubits. The gate chambers and their side pillars had beveled windows all around the inside of the gateway. The porticos also had windows all around on the inside. Each side pillar was decorated with palm trees. Then he brought me into the outer court, and there were chambers and a pavement laid out all around the court. Thirty chambers faced the pavement, which flanked the gateways and corresponded to the length of the gates; this was the lower pavement. Then he measured the distance from the front of the lower gateway to the outside of the inner court; it was a hundred cubits on the east side as well as on the north. He also measured the length and width of the gateway of the outer court facing north. Its three gate chambers on each side, its side pillars, and its portico all had the same measurements as the first gate: fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. Its windows, portico, and palm trees had the same measurements as those of the gate facing east. Seven steps led up to it, with its portico opposite them. There was a gate to the inner court facing the north gate, just as there was on the east. He measured the distance from gateway to gateway to be a hundred cubits. Then he led me to the south side, and I saw a gateway facing south. He measured its side pillars and portico, and they had the same measurements as the others. Both the gateway and its portico had windows all around, like the other windows. It was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. Seven steps led up to it, and its portico was opposite them; it had palm trees on its side pillars, one on each side. The inner court also had a gate facing south, and he measured the distance from gateway to gateway toward the south to be a hundred cubits. Next he brought me into the inner court through the south gate, and he measured the south gate; it had the same measurements as the others. Its gate chambers, side pillars, and portico had the same measurements as the others. Both the gateway and its portico had windows all around; it was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. (The porticoes around the inner court were twenty-five cubits long and five cubits deep. ) Its portico faced the outer court, and its side pillars were decorated with palm trees. Eight steps led up to it. And he brought me to the inner court on the east side, and he measured the gateway; it had the same measurements as the others. Its gate chambers, side pillars, and portico had the same measurements as the others. Both the gateway and its portico had windows all around. It was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. Its portico faced the outer court, and its side pillars were decorated with palm trees on each side. Eight steps led up to it. Then he brought me to the north gate and measured it. It had the same measurements as the others, as did its gate chambers, side pillars, and portico. It also had windows all around. It was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. Its portico faced the outer court, and its side pillars were decorated with palm trees on each side. Eight steps led up to it. There was a chamber with a doorway by the portico in each of the inner gateways. There the burnt offering was to be washed. Inside the portico of the gateway were two tables on each side, on which the burnt offerings, sin offerings, and guilt offerings were to be slaughtered. Outside, as one goes up to the entrance of the north gateway, there were two tables on one side and two more tables on the other side of the gate’s portico. So there were four tables inside the gateway and four outside—eight tables in all—on which the sacrifices were to be slaughtered. There were also four tables of dressed stone for the burnt offering, each a cubit and a half long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit high. On these were placed the utensils used to slaughter the burnt offerings and the other sacrifices. |
Ephesians 2:21 Summary
[This verse means that Jesus is the one who brings all believers together, like a building with many parts, and helps us grow into a special place where God can live. As it says in 1 Corinthians 6:19, our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, and this verse reminds us that we are part of something much bigger than ourselves. We are being built together into a dwelling place for God, and this is a beautiful and amazing thing, as described in Ephesians 2:22. As we grow in faith, we can trust that Jesus is fitting us together with other believers into a holy temple, where God can live and work among us.]
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean for the whole building to be fitted together in Jesus Christ?
This means that Jesus is the unifying force behind the community of believers, holding us together as we grow in faith, as seen in Ephesians 4:16 where it says that the whole body is fitted and held together by every supporting ligament.
How can we, as believers, be part of a holy temple in the Lord?
As believers, we are part of the spiritual temple of God, with Jesus as the cornerstone, and we are being built together into a dwelling place for God, as described in 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 and Ephesians 2:22.
What role do the apostles and prophets play in the foundation of the building?
The apostles and prophets are the foundation of the building, with Jesus as the cornerstone, providing a solid base for the community of believers to grow and thrive, as mentioned in Ephesians 2:20.
How does this verse relate to our personal growth as believers?
As we grow in faith, we are being built together into a dwelling place for God, and this verse encourages us to focus on our unity in Jesus Christ, as seen in Ephesians 4:13, where we are called to attain to the unity of the faith.
Reflection Questions
- What does it mean for me to be part of a holy temple in the Lord, and how can I live out this reality in my daily life?
- How can I contribute to the growth and unity of the body of Christ, and what role do I play in the building of the temple?
- What are some ways that I can practically demonstrate my connection to the foundation of the apostles and prophets, and to Jesus as the cornerstone?
- How can I cultivate a deeper sense of unity with other believers, and what are some obstacles that might hinder this unity?
- What are some ways that I can allow Jesus to be the unifying force in my life, and to fit me together with other believers into a holy temple?
Gill's Exposition on Ephesians 2:21
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Ephesians 2:21
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Ephesians 2:21
Trapp's Commentary on Ephesians 2:21
Ellicott's Commentary on Ephesians 2:21
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Ephesians 2:21
Cambridge Bible on Ephesians 2:21
Barnes' Notes on Ephesians 2:21
Whedon's Commentary on Ephesians 2:21
Sermons on Ephesians 2:21
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
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(1 Peter - Part 6): rejoice...though now...ye Are in Heaviness by A.W. Tozer | In this sermon, the speaker discusses the four aspects of life that will be transformed when the earth is filled with the knowledge of the Lord. These aspects include the physical |
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The Local Church 1 - Part 4 by William MacDonald | This sermon emphasizes the importance of the local church reflecting the spiritual basis and conduct of the universal church. Each church is meant to be autonomous, self-ruling, se |
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The Mighty Presence of God - Part 2 (Cd Quality) by T. Austin-Sparks | In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of understanding God's ways and purposes in our lives. He acknowledges that there are things in us that need to be countered a |
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The Law of the Spirit by George Warnock | In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of obedience and timing in the work of God. He compares the precision of science in modern times to the flexibility of God's t |
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The Horizon of Divine Purpose - Part 4 by T. Austin-Sparks | In this sermon, the speaker shares an illustration of a bus journey with a fellow passenger who was trying to read a book but was unable to due to the unsettledness of the bus. The |
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Pilgrims Problems No. 12 the Great Tribulation by Willie Mullan | In this sermon, the preacher discusses the opening of the fourth seal in the book of Revelation. The fourth seal reveals a pale horse, symbolizing death, and hell follows with it. |
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Revival in the Book of Ezra - Part 1 by Roy Hession | In this sermon, the speaker discusses the concept of God's word being a living and active force. He questions why God would warn the people of Nineveh about their impending destruc |






