Ephesians 2:5 Meaning and Explanation
“Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The Context of Ephesians 2:5
This verse is the heart of Paul's great reversal in Ephesians 2:1-10. It directly answers the description of spiritual death in verses 1-3, declaring the new life God gives in union with the risen Christ.
What Does Ephesians 2:5 Mean?
Paul states the human starting point bluntly: "dead in sins." The word is dead, a condition no person can cure in themselves, deeper than mere sickness or struggle. Yet into that deadness God speaks life. The verb "quickened" means to make alive, and Paul adds the crucial phrase "together with Christ." The believer's new life is bound up with the risen life of Jesus, never a separate, do-it-yourself project. As Christ was raised, so those joined to Him are raised with Him from spiritual death to spiritual life.
Then Paul interrupts his own sentence with a burst of summary: "(by grace ye are saved;)." The parenthesis reads almost like a shout he could not hold back. Grace (God's unearned favor) is the explanation for the whole rescue. The dead do not contribute to their own resurrection; life is given to them. This anchors the believer's confidence in God's gift rather than in personal strength. At the same time, the language of being made alive points forward: new life is meant to be lived. A person raised with Christ is brought into a new existence, and the chapter will soon describe the good works that flow from it. For now, the emphasis rests on the wonder that God grants life where there was only death, and that He does it freely.
Ephesians 2:5 in the Original Language
The Greek "sunezoopoiesen" (quickened together) combines "with" and "made alive," stressing that believers share Christ's resurrection life. "Charis" (grace) is God's freely given favor.
Bible Verses Related to Ephesians 2:5
“And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;”
- Colossians 2:13
“Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”
- Romans 6:4
“He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”
- John 5:24
How to Apply Ephesians 2:5 Today
Rest in the truth that your new life is bound to the living Christ. Because His life is the source, your standing does not rise and fall with your own strength.
Frequently Asked Questions About Ephesians 2:5
What does Ephesians 2:5 mean?
Paul states the human starting point bluntly: "dead in sins." The word is dead, a condition no person can cure in themselves, deeper than mere sickness or struggle. Yet into that deadness God speaks life. The verb "quickened" means to make alive, and Paul adds the crucial phrase "together with Christ." The believer's new life is bound up with the risen life of Jesus, never a separate, do-it-yourself project. As Christ was raised, so those joined to Him are raised with Him from spiritual death to spiritual life.
What is the context of Ephesians 2:5?
This verse is the heart of Paul's great reversal in Ephesians 2:1-10. It directly answers the description of spiritual death in verses 1-3, declaring the new life God gives in union with the risen Christ.
How can I apply Ephesians 2:5 today?
Rest in the truth that your new life is bound to the living Christ. Because His life is the source, your standing does not rise and fall with your own strength.