“And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;”
My Notes
What Does Ephesians 2:20 Mean?
Paul describes the church as a building — constructed on a specific foundation. The foundation: the apostles and prophets. The chief cornerstone: Jesus Christ himself.
The cornerstone in ancient architecture was the stone that determined the alignment of the entire building. Every wall, every angle, every measurement was set by the cornerstone. Jesus is the stone that determines the shape of everything else.
"Built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets" means the church is built on the teaching and testimony of the apostles and Old Testament prophets. The foundation is not human tradition or contemporary opinion. It is apostolic doctrine.
The building metaphor continues (v.21-22): the whole building, fitly framed together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. The church is not finished. It is growing — being constructed, stone by stone, into a dwelling place of God.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What does it mean that Jesus is the 'chief corner stone' — the stone everything else aligns with?
- 2.How does the apostolic foundation differ from building on cultural trends or personal preference?
- 3.Where might your faith be built on something other than the apostles' teaching and Christ?
- 4.How is the church as a 'growing building' both encouraging and challenging?
Devotional
Built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone. The church has a foundation. It is not floating. It is not making it up as it goes. It is built on something specific.
The apostles and prophets — their teaching, their testimony, their witness to what God has said and done. That is the foundation. Not cultural trends. Not popular opinion. Not the latest spiritual innovation. The apostolic foundation.
Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone. The cornerstone determines the shape. Every wall must align with it. Every angle is measured from it. If the cornerstone is crooked, the whole building is crooked. Jesus is the stone that everything else lines up against.
The church is a building under construction. It is not finished. New stones are being added. The structure is growing. But the foundation was laid once — and the cornerstone is fixed.
What are you building on? If your faith is not aligned with the apostolic foundation and the cornerstone of Christ, the building will not hold. The foundation matters more than the decoration.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
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Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture