Ephesians 2 — Clausal Layout (English)

independentparticipialrelativepurposecausecontentphrase modifierdashed = verbless / suspended

Flush-left = a main (independent) clause. Each dependent line begins directly beneath the word it attaches to in the line above — the anchor word is dotted-underlined, and lights up when you hover its dependent clause; each tag also names the attachment. A dashed border marks verbless, elliptical, or suspended lines. Where a long sentence's staircase runs wider than the page, the diagram scrolls sideways. (In print, or without JavaScript, lines fall back to stepped indent columns.)

Dead in trespasses — made alive with Christ 2:1–7

vv. 1–3 — the diagnosis: dead, walking with the world, children of wrath

And you —independent — anacoluthon — the object suspended until συνεζωοποίησεν (v. 5)

being dead in your trespasses and sins,participial — the former state — dead, not merely sick

in which you once walked according to the age of this world,relative — on ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις — the deadness was a walk

according to the ruler of the authority of the air,phrase modifier — the second norm — the unseen ruler behind the age

the spirit now at work in the sons of disobedience —phrase modifier — apposition to τὸν ἄρχοντα (loose concord) — the energizing spirit

among whom we also all once lived in the desires of our flesh,relative — on τοῖς υἱοῖς — Paul folds 'we all' into the indictment

doing the wishes of the flesh and of the thoughts,participial — manner — flesh and mind alike enlisted

and we were by nature children of wrath, like the rest as well.relative — coordinate finite in the ἐν οἷς clause — the verdict: by nature under wrath

vv. 4–7 — but God: mercy's verbs at last — made alive, raised, seated

But God,independent — the hinge — the subject suspended over its grounds, verb still to come

being rich in mercy,participial — causal — he acts because of who he is

because of his great lovecause — διά + accusative — the moving cause of συνεζωοποίησεν (v. 5)

with which he loved us,relative — on τὴν ἀγάπην — cognate accusative, 'loved with the love'

even while we were dead in trespasses,participial — concessive — v. 1 resumed with 'us': grace meets us at the point of death

he made us alive together with Christindependent — the long-delayed main verb — the first σύν-compound

— by grace you have been saved —independent — parenthesis — the thesis of vv. 8–9 breaks in

and raised us up togetherindependent — the second σύν-compound — co-resurrection

and seated us together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,independent — the third σύν-compound — co-enthronement (cf. 1:20)

so that in the coming ages he might display the surpassing riches of his gracepurpose — the goal of all three verbs — grace exhibited to the ages

in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.phrase modifier — the manner and locus of the display

By grace through faith — for good works 2:8–10

For by grace you have been saved through faith;independent — the parenthesis of v. 5 unfolded — grace the ground, faith the channel

and this not from yourselves —independent — neuter τοῦτο — the whole grace-faith salvation, not πίστις alone

it is the gift of God —phrase modifier — the positive counterpart — θεοῦ fronted: God's gift

not from works,phrase modifier — the denial doubled — source in works excluded

so that no one may boast.purpose — God's design in the exclusion — boasting foreclosed (cf. Rom 3:27)

For we are his workmanship,independent — the ground — αὐτοῦ fronted: his handiwork, not our own

created in Christ Jesus for good works,participial — the workmanship explained — new creation, aimed at works

which God prepared beforehand,relative — on ἔργοις (attracted οἷς) — works laid out in advance

that we should walk in them.purpose — the new walk — answering the old walk of v. 2

Then and now — far off, brought near 2:11–13

vv. 11–12 — then: Christless, stateless, covenantless, hopeless, godless

Therefore rememberindependent — the imperative — grace remembered against its dark background

that once you, the Gentiles in the flesh —content — the ὅτι clause suspended — its verb waits for the restated ὅτι of v. 12

those called 'uncircumcision' by the so-called 'circumcision,' made in the flesh by hands —participial — attributive — the taunt-names of the divide, both merely ἐν σαρκί

that you were at that time without Christ,content — the ὅτι restated — the suspended clause of v. 11 resumed with its verb

alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise,participial — the estrangement — no citizenship, no covenants

having no hope and without God in the world.participial — the climax of the privations — hopeless and ἄθεοι

v. 13 — now: brought near by the blood

But now, in Christ Jesus, youindependent — νυνὶ δέ — the great reversal; the subject held a moment

who once were far offrelative — on ὑμεῖς — 'far' and 'near' from Isa 57:19

have been brought near by the blood of Christ.independent — the clause's finite verb — nearness at the price of blood

He himself is our peace — the two made one 2:14–18

vv. 14–16 — the wall down: one new man, one body, through the cross

For he himself is our peace,independent — the thesis — not merely peacemaker: peace in person (cf. Mic 5:5)

who made both oneparticipial — attributive — expands Αὐτός: the two made one

and broke down the dividing wall of the partition,participial — coordinate — the barrier demolished

— the hostility — in his flesh,phrase modifier — apposition to τὸ μεσότοιχον — the wall is the hostility; ἐν τῇ σαρκί with the breaking

having abolished the law of commandments in decrees,participial — how the wall fell — ἐν δόγμασιν read with the law, not the abolishing

that he might create the two in himself into one new man,purpose — purpose 1 — a new creation, not a Gentile absorbed into a Jew

making peace,participial — attendant — the creating is itself peacemaking

and might reconcile both in one body to God through the cross,purpose — purpose 2 — coordinate with κτίσῃ: both reconciled Godward

having killed the hostility in himself.participial — means — ἐν αὐτῷ read 'in himself' rather than 'by it (the cross)'

vv. 17–18 — peace preached, access gained

And coming, he preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near;independent — Isa 57:19 with 52:7 — the peacemaker turned herald

for through him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father.cause — the proof of the peace — one access, one Spirit, one Father

The household and the temple 2:19–22

So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners,independent — the conclusion — the old labels of v. 12 revoked

but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,independent — the counter-assertion — citizenship and family

having been built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets,participial — the household becomes a house — founded on apostles and prophets

Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone,participial — genitive absolute — the ἀκρογωνιαῖος of Isa 28:16

in whom the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord,relative — on Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ — πᾶσα οἰκοδομή read 'the whole building' though anarthrous

in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.relative — on ἐν κυρίῳ — the readers themselves built in: God's dwelling ἐν πνεύματι

Analysis. The chapter opens with the boldest anacoluthon in Ephesians, and the layout lets it hang: Καὶ ὑμᾶς stands flush left as a dashed fragment — an accusative object with no verb — and everything of vv. 1–3 descends from it, the deadness unpacked by a coral relative chain that sinks through the age, the ruler, the spirit, and the sons of disobedience to the universal 'we were children of wrath.' Then ὁ δὲ θεός starts a second suspended column (subject, mercy, love), and only at συνεζωοποίησεν in v. 5 does a purple main verb finally appear to claim both columns at once — God's act arriving after the whole diagnosis has been read into the record. The dashed parenthesis χάριτί ἐστε σεσῳσμένοι breaks in beside it and becomes the thesis that vv. 8–10 unfold. Verses 14–16 are the peace-chain: one purple line, Αὐτὸς γάρ ἐστιν ἡ εἰρήνη ἡμῶν, carries two teal aorist participles (made one, broke the wall), a third participle (abolished the law), and a double amber ἵνα (create one new man, reconcile both to God), each purpose trailing its own peacemaking participle. Verses 19–22 convert citizenship into architecture: two flush-left assertions, then the building participles step down through foundation, cornerstone, and the paired ἐν ᾧ relatives of the growing temple. Cruxes the layout takes a side on: the neuter τοῦτο of v. 8 points to the whole grace-faith salvation, not to πίστις alone; τὴν ἔχθραν (v. 14) is read as apposition to τὸ μεσότοιχον — the wall is the hostility — with ἐν τῇ σαρκὶ αὐτοῦ construed with the breaking; ἐν δόγμασιν is taken with 'the law of commandments' (the law in its decrees), not as the instrument of abolition; ἐν αὐτῷ (v. 16) is read 'in himself,' not 'by the cross'; and πᾶσα οἰκοδομή (v. 21), though anarthrous, is rendered 'the whole building.'