The Summation of All Things in Christ

Studies in Ephesians with a Local Church Emphasis

Lesson 32 : The Present Position of Gentile Christians (2:19-20)

Imagery of the state: ‘you are fellow citizens with the saints’  –  Imagery of a household: ‘members of the household of God’  –  Imagery of a building: ‘built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus being the cornerstone’  –  The NT assembly was already ‘built’ prior to the Ephesian readers  –  The foundation is not Christ but the apostles and prophets (the importance of keeping metaphors in their context)  –  Note the foundation of the ecclesia is not Israel (contra Amillenialists)  –  The prophets were NT prophets  –  Apostles defined  –  In what way were the apostles and prophets the foundation of the church?  –  Is Jesus the ‘cornerstone’ or ‘capstone’