Ephesians Series: Ephesians 2:2e-The Sons of Disobedience

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.

The articular dative masculine plural form of the noun huios (υἱός) does not mean “the sons” but rather “the persons, the people, the members of the human race” since the word pertains to human beings without reference to gender.

It refers to members of the human race who are characterized by a particular way of living their lives.

It speaks of a particular category of human beings who are distinguished by a particular characteristic.

It denotes a particular kind or class of people with the implication of possessing certain derived characteristics.

Therefore, here in Ephesians 2:2, the noun huios (υἱός), “the members of the human race” is used of unrepentant, unregenerate sinners who are characterized as being disobedient to God who stand in contrast to regenerate humanity who are obeying God.

It also contains the figure of metonymy which means that these people are put for their lives.

The articular construction of this word is monadic, which indicates that this particular group of human beings are in a class by themselves in that they are characterized as being disobedient to God.

The noun apeitheia(ἀπείθεια), “disobedience” refers to those members of the human race who are unwilling or refuse to obey God’s authority as expressed in His Word.

In other words, it speaks of those members of the human race who are unrepentant, unregenerate sinners.

The articular construction of this noun is generic distinguishing this group of people characterized as disobedient to God with those who are characterized as being obedient to Him.

This word apeitheia(ἀπείθεια) functions as a descriptive genitive, which indicates these human beings are “characterized by” disobedience to God.

It is also the object of the preposition en (ἐν), which is expressing the idea that Satan is working in the lives of people who “exist in the state or condition of” being characterized as being disobedient to God.

This prepositional phrase en tois huiois tēs apeitheias (ἐν τοῖς υἱοῖς τῆς ἀπειθείας) is almost identical to the one which appears in Ephesians 5:6 and Colossians 3:6.

Namely, the prepositional phrase epi tous huious tēs apeitheias (ἐπὶ τοὺς υἱοὺς τῆς ἀπειθείας), “the people characterized by disobedience” which is a Semitic idiom and refers to the unregenerate and also appears in Ephesians 5:6.

Ephesians 2:2 mentions two of the church age believer’s great enemies, namely, the cosmic world system (John 16:33; 1 John 5:4; Ephesians 2:2) and Satan (1 Peter 5:8-9; Ephesians 6:12; John 16:11; Colossians 2:15; but note 1 John 2:13-14) who rules over it.

The third is mentioned in Ephesians 2:3, namely, the indwelling old Adamic sin nature (Rom. 7:15; 8:4-8, 13; Gal. 5:16-26).