Ephesians Series: Ephesians 2:2b-The Recipients of Ephesians Lived According to the Standard of This Present Age Prior to Their Justification

Ephesians 2:1 Now, correspondingly, even though, each and every one of you as a corporate unit were spiritually dead ones because of your transgressions, in other words, because of your sins. 2 Each and every one of you formerly lived by means of these in agreement with the standard of the unregenerate people of this age, which is the production of the cosmic world system, in agreement with the standard of the sovereign ruler, namely the sovereign governmental authority ruling over the evil spirits residing in the earth’s atmosphere. Specifically the spirit who is presently working in the lives of those members of the human race who are characterized by disobedience. (Lecturer’s translation)

The contents of Ephesians 2:2 continues Paul’s thought from Ephesians 2:1 because both speak of the transgressions or sins committed against God by the recipients of the Ephesian epistle prior to their justification.

As we noted, in the latter, these pre-justification transgressions or sins were the reason why these Gentile Christians were spiritually dead, however, in the former, they are the means by which they lived their lives prior their justification.

Ephesians 2:2 contains a declarative statement which is modified three prepositional phrases.

The third prepositional phrase is modified by an appositional clause, which contains an articular participle, which is modified by a prepositional phrase.

The declarative statement en hais pote periepatēsate (ἐν αἷς ποτε περιεπατήσατε), “Each and every one of you formerly lived by means of these” refers to the lifestyle of the recipients of the Ephesian epistle prior to the Father declaring them justified by faith in His one and only Son, Jesus Christ.

The first prepositional phrase en hais (ἐν αἷς), “by means of these” is fronted in order to link the contents of Ephesians 2:1-2.

It indicates the means by which these Gentile Christians lived their lives prior to the Father declaring them justified through faith in His one and only Son, Jesus Christ.

It expresses the idea that these Gentile Christians lived their lives “by means of their transgressions” or in other words, “by means of their sins.”

The second prepositional phrase kata ton aiōna tou kosmou toutou (κατὰ τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ κόσμου τούτου), “in agreement with the standard of this age, which is the production of this cosmic world system” also modifies the declarative statement.

This is indicated by the fact that it reveals that the unregenerate lifestyle of these Gentile Christians was “in agreement with the standard of” the unregenerate people of this present age, which is the work of the cosmic world system.

The third prepositional phrase kata ton archonta tēs exousias tou aeros (κατὰ τὸν ἄρχοντα τῆς ἐξουσίας τοῦ ἀέρος), “in agreement with the standard of the sovereign ruler, namely the sovereign governmental authority ruling over the evil spirits residing in the earth’s atmosphere” advances upon the previous prepositional phrase.

This is indicated by the fact that the unregenerate lifestyle of the recipients of the Ephesian epistle was in agreement with the standard in which the sovereign governmental ruler of this cosmic world system lives, who is the ruler over the evil spirits residing in the earth’s atmosphere and thus planet earth itself.

Lastly, the appositional clause tou pneumatos tou nyn energountos en tois huiois tēs apeitheias (τοῦ πνεύματος τοῦ νῦν ἐνεργοῦντος ἐν τοῖς υἱοῖς τῆς ἀπειθείας), “Specifically the spirit who is presently working in the lives of those members of the human race who are characterized by disobedience” is modifying the third prepositional phrase.

It identifies or describes the sovereign ruler or sovereign governmental authority of the cosmic world system.

He is the spirit who during the present age is working in the lives of those members of the human race who are characterized by disobedience to God.

As we noted the second prepositional phrase kata ton aiōna tou kosmou toutou (κατὰ τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ κόσμου τούτου), “in agreement with the standard of the unregenerate people of this age, which is the production of this cosmic world system” also modifies the declarative statement.

This is indicated by the fac that it reveals that the unregenerate lifestyle of these Gentile Christians was in accordance with the standard in which the unregenerate people of this present age live, and which age is the work of the cosmic world system of Satan.

This standard is evil which is indicated by Galatians 1:4, in which Paul describes this present age as “evil.”

In its root essence, evil is independence from God, which originated in eternity past with Satan’s rebellion against God (Is. 14:12-14; Ezek. 28:12-19).

Satan sought to live his life independently of his creator and seeks to establish a kingdom independently of God and which rivals God’s kingdom.

As was the case when the word appeared in Ephesians 1:21, the noun aiōn (αἰών) here in Ephesians 2:2 pertains to a particular period of history which has some distinctive feature, which is distinguished from other periods of history.

However, the word does not retain the same referent here in Ephesians 2:2 as it did in Ephesians 1:21 where the word’s referent was “the last days,” which began with the First Advent of Jesus Christ and will end with the Second Advent of Christ.

Here in Ephesians 2:2, the referent of the noun aiōn (αἰών) is the period which began with the fall of Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden and will end with the Second Advent of Jesus Christ.

During this period of human history, Satan is the temporary god of this world (2 Cor. 4:4), with all of unregenerate humanity under his temporary rulership (1 John 5:19) and thus all the nations of the earth are temporarily under his rulership as well (Luke 4:5-7).

This period of human history will end with the Second Advent of Jesus Christ, which ushers in His millennial reign on planet earth.

The noun aiōn (αἰών) contains the figure of metonymy which means that this present age is put for the unregenerate people of this age, which is indicated by the fact that Paul in context is describing the unregenerate lifestyle of the recipients of the Ephesian epistle who we noted were Gentile Christians according to Ephesians 2:11.

The articular construction of the noun aiōn (αἰών) is “monadic” indicating that this present period of human history is unique or in a class all its own because it is the period of human history in which the citizens of planet earth are subjugated to Satan and his cosmic world system and is distinguished from Jesus Christ’s rulership over the earth during His millennial reign.

It implies that this particular age or period of human history contains certain characteristics, which distinguish it from other periods of human history such as the future millennial reign of Jesus Christ.

The noun aiōn (αἰών) is the object of the preposition kata (κατά), which functions as a marker of a standard indicating being in conformity or agreement with a particular standard.

In context, the word is used to mark a particular standard in which the recipients of the Ephesian epistle lived prior being declared justified by the Father through faith in His one and only Son, Jesus Christ.

So therefore, this prepositional phrase kata ton aiōna tou kosmou toutou (κατὰ τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ κόσμου τούτου) is expressing the idea that prior to their justification the recipients of the Ephesian epistle existed in the state of living their lives committing transgressions or sins against God “in agreement with the standard of” the unregenerate people of this present age.

This is why in Romans 12:2, Paul prohibits the Roman Christian community from conforming their behavior in accordance with the standards of this present age in which Satan is the ruler of the earth and his world system dominates and controls all of humanity.

Romans 12:1 Therefore, I appeal to each and every one of you spiritual brothers and sisters on the basis of the merciful acts produced by God the Father to offer your bodies as a sacrifice-alive, holy, extremely pleasing and beneficial to God the Father, which is your reasonable service. (Lecturer’s translation)

Romans 12:2 Consequently, do not conform your behavior in accordance with the standards of this age. On the contrary, permit yourselves to be transformed by renovating your mind in order that each and every one of you may discern what is, as an eternal spiritual truth, God the Father’s will, that which is good as well as extremely pleasing and in addition perfect. (Lecturer’s translation)