October 11, 2017

The Chief Cornerstone

“Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.”  Eph. 2:19-20

Paul employs the analogy of a building as he informs the people of Ephesus, the Gentiles who have accepted Jesus and been born again, who they have become in Christ.  He begins by telling them they are now part of the family of God; no longer outsiders, but “fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.”  Paul then connects that household to a building, beginning in verse 20: “…having been built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.”

Paul is saying – believers are now part of this heavenly household; a household built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets.  He continues that the whole building is being fitly framed together to become a holy temple.  He then tells the Ephesians that they are also being built together for a dwelling place of God.  Let’s break down these three references to building:

• Built Upon:  literally meaning to build upon what exists; figuratively meaning to build up or edify;
• Building: meaning both the process of building and the product of building;
• Being Built Together: meaning to construct, compose and build together.

We can consider these statements as Jesus – the Master Builder (Carpenter) who did build, is building, and will build until all is built together according to His design and plan.  This family consists of both Jews and Gentiles as part of the family of God – the one new man.  The process of building is fitting us all together – edifying us and building us up so we know and take our rightful place in the house.  Building also means refining us and trimming us to the right size and shape so that we fit properly in the house.  This is done for our benefit, and for the benefit of the family in the house.  We are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.  As such, we are ready to receive in love the person on either side of us, as part of the family, part of the building, part of the temple. 

The believers at Ephesus, just like us, are part of that household that is built upon a foundation of the apostles and prophets.  We might think of that foundation as one of the “sent ones and spoken ones.”  The apostles were the sent ones of Christ – His ambassadors sent out into the world with the message (and power) of the gospel.  The prophets were the messengers who brought the spoken word and with it, laid a foundation.  These were the prophets of old.  Who is the cornerstone of this foundation?  Who connects the apostles and prophets?  Who is the most important piece of the foundation?  It is Jesus Christ Himself – the chief cornerstone.