EPHESIANS 2 V19-22

What we will be corporately

From aliens to citizens, from strangers to members, this is the language of Paul to describe the corporate position of all believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.   From no contact with God to full fellowship with God and His people whom He calls "saints".   Far from God now brought near, strangers now friends, having no rights in the things of God, to full citizen and family rights in common with all other believers, no matter our ethnic background.   Let us be clear, that what Paul is describing is the church, the body of Christ, including all believers from the day of Pentecost until the day Christ comes to receive them in accordance with His promise in John 14v3 and many other scriptures.   This includes all Jews who are believers, and all Gentiles from whatever nation on earth, whether alive or dead, and all those who are not yet come to the faith.   In essence it is "...the church of the first born, written in heaven" as stated in Hebrews 12v23.   Therefore we are not looking at any entity which exists on earth in the present day, but at something far grander than has ever been seen, but which will be seen, the greatest single body of people, forged into an unbreakable unit by the blood of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit of God.   It is my understanding that any present day representative of this glorious and perfect church should be in character as this thing of Divine perfection as far as is possible.   Note in verse 21, Paul views this Divine masterpiece as "growing unto an holy temple in the Lord".... it is a work in progress, but when complete, it will be an "habitation of God through the Spirit" (verse 22).   Every believer alive today is part of this, by virtue alone of their faith in the blood of Christ.  

He uses two metaphors to illustrate this......fellow citizens with the saints and fellow members of the household of God.   These terms are very important, and we do well to understand them.

• Fellow citizens with the saints       Cities were first built by Cain and his progeny when he "went out from the presence of the Lord."   Agriculture, engineering, and entertainment flourished, and although these were innocuous in themselves, they became the hallmark of man out of moral step with the Creator.   God had in mind a far greater city than man could build, but one which was in step with Himself.   Hebrews chapter 11verses 10&16 refers to this city as follows "...he (Abraham) looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God"...and "God has prepared for them a city."   This is what is meant by  "fellow citizens with the saints," the saints being the Old testament saints, those who have faith in God from Abel until the time of Christ.   Gentiles are now able to share in this planned city which God also promised the faithful.   The details of this city are recorded in Revelation 21v9 - 27, a vast, beautiful city, such as has never been seen before, comprising the saints of all ages.   One extract from the narrative says  "having the glory of God and her radiance was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal."  
• Fellow members of the household of God     No doubt Paul had in mind the magnificent temple of Artemis at Ephesus which had taken 220 years to build and was one of the wonders of the then known world.   What God is building in Christ is far greater and brings together the faithful of all ages.   He sees the church as a vast building and refers to its foundation, to its cornerstone, and to its individual stones.   He says the foundation is the combined framework of preaching and teaching by the apostles and prophets.   This term  "apostles and prophets" takes in the whole of New Testament revelation, as is made clear in chapter 3v5  "which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit."   The combined teaching of the apostles and prophets of the early church period became acceptable to all with faith in Jesus Christ and is now contained in the New Testament scriptures.   A similar phrase used by the Lord Jesus "the law and the prophets" describe the Old Testament scriptures.   We have now in Old & New Testaments the full revelation of God to man.   The new testament is the foundation upon which the church is built.   He refers also to the cornerstone of the building and says that this is Jesus Christ Himself.   The word used is "the extreme or foundation cornerstone"; the idea is that every individual stone in the building is aligned precisely to the cornerstone.   Without such an alignment, the building would be imperfect.   He then proceeds to the individual stones that make up the building which are the believers in Christ and He speaks of them as being "fitly framed together;" each one being individually crafted to take its place in the great building of God.  All of them crafted by Christ, and fitted in its proper place to become a holy temple in the Lord, which would become the dwelling place of God.   The word used for "temple" is "inner temple," the very holy of holies, the direct presence of God.  

The words of Dr. Constable are a very fitting epilogue to this chapter "I wonder if anything is more urgent today for the honour of Christ that the church should be, and be seen to be, what by God's purpose and Christ's sacrifice it already is........ a single new humanity, a model of human community, a family of reconciled people under God who love their Father and love each other, the evident dwelling place of God through the Spirit.   Only then will God get the glory due to His name."  It is highly unlikely, but not impossible, that any local church will, this side of eternity, reach the standard that is set here,  however we should not opt for a lower standard, considering all the resources at our disposal.   This is the thrust of the rest of the epistle.