Ephesians 2:19-22
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The verse uses two distinct metaphors: "fellow citizens" from the world of cities and "household" from the world of families. This isn't just repetition; it highlights that believers gain both public rights and belonging within God's intimate family life, once excluded and now fully integrated.
So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Paul is concluding his explanation of how Christ abolished the division between Jews and Gentiles by establishing peace and making them one new humanity. He now directly addresses the Gentile believers, highlighting their transformed status from being outsiders to fully integrated members of God's community, emphasizing the profound security and belonging they now possess.
Ever felt like an outsider, looking in? The apostle Paul uses powerful imagery to describe the dramatic shift that happens when someone comes to faith in Christ.
Before Christ, Gentiles were considered 'strangers and aliens' – terms that carried real weight.
But here's the incredible turnaround: through Christ's work, breaking down the dividing wall (which we saw in the previous verses!), you are no longer defined by that distance. You've been brought into a new commonwealth, a new 'city' with full rights and belonging.
Beyond just citizenship, there's an even more intimate picture painted here. It's about belonging not just to a city, but to a family.
The second metaphor Paul uses is 'members of the household of God.' This shifts the focus from civic rights to familial connection.
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This means you have direct access to God the Father, not through intermediaries or because of your past merits, but because you are His own. You share in the spiritual inheritance and the ongoing life of God's family.
Who are these 'saints' you're now fellow citizens with? And what does that equality mean?
Paul doesn't just say you're citizens; he says you're 'fellow citizens with the saints.' This is crucial.
This unity isn't based on ethnicity or past religious standing, but solely on our shared identity in Christ. We are all equally part of God's holy nation and family through Him.
Understand the original words
xenos · Greek Noun
One who is not a member of a group or community, lacking rights and belonging. In Scripture, it often refers to those outside the covenant community of Israel.
paroikos · Greek Noun
People who reside in a foreign land without the rights or status of full citizenship. It denotes being an outsider or a temporary resident within a society.
sympolitēs · Greek Noun
Those who share equal rights, privileges, and duties within a kingdom or commonwealth. It signifies being a recognized member of God's kingdom with all the corresponding rights and identity.
hagios · Greek Noun
Those who are 'holy' or 'set apart' for God's use. It refers to all believers who have been sanctified by God through faith in Christ and are consecrated to His service.
oikeios · Greek Noun
The community of faith viewed as a family unit where God is the Father. It emphasizes intimate relationship, shared life, and mutual belonging among all members of the body of Christ.
themeliō · Greek Noun
The primary or foundational teaching/witness provided by God's messengers. It represents the historical and doctrinal basis upon which the Church is established.
akrogōniaios · Greek Noun
The chief stone of a building, essential for holding the structure together and ensuring alignment. It identifies Christ as the supreme, foundational figure upon whom the entire Church is built and sustained.
synarmologoumenē · Greek Participle
Refers to the harmonious assembly and interconnectedness of believers, emphasizing that the church is an organic, unified body rather than an inanimate organization. It signifies the functional and positional unity of believers as they rely on Christ.
auxei · Greek Verb
In a theological sense, this refers to the spiritual maturation and numerical expansion of the body of Christ. It denotes the process by which the church increasingly reflects the nature and life of Christ through the work of the Holy Spirit.
naon · Greek Noun
Designates a place set apart for the presence and worship of God. In the New Testament, it refers to the community of believers as the living habitation of God's presence, rather than a physical building.
katoikētērion · Greek Noun
Refers to a place where someone resides or settles. In this context, it emphasizes that the church is the established, permanent residence of God’s presence on earth, fulfilling the Old Testament promises of God dwelling among His people.
Pneumati · Greek Noun
Refers to the third person of the Trinity, the agent of regeneration, sanctification, and empowerment in the life of the believer and the church. He is the divine presence who indwells the collective body of believers, unifying and equipping them for God's purposes.
This passage highlights that believers, whether Jew or Gentile, become Abraham's spiritual seed, inheriting the promises. This directly supports the idea of being incorporated into God's people, moving beyond former outsider status.
Philippians 3:20It describes believers as having their citizenship in heaven, which parallels Ephesians 2:19's concept of being 'fellow citizens.' This shows the heavenly dimension of belonging to God's community.
Hebrews 11:16This verse speaks of believers looking forward to a heavenly country, a city prepared for them by God. This resonates with the idea of being fellow citizens and part of God's household, emphasizing the eternal nature of this belonging.
1 Peter 2:4-5Here, believers are called living stones built up into a spiritual house. This connects to the 'household of God' imagery, showing that belonging to God means being an active part of His dwelling place.
John 1:12This verse states that to all who received Jesus, he gave the right to become children of God. This foundational truth explains how outsiders become part of God's family, fulfilling the 'household of God' concept.
cambridgeEphesians 2:19: "Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;"
19 . Now therefore ye ] He now turns direct to the Gentile believers, and rejoicingly recounts to them the actual grandeur of their privileges in grace. no more ] as you once were. See on Ephesians 2:12 above. The finished work of Christ, realized by accepting faith, has entirely broken for them the old régime . strangers ] “to the covenants of the Promise;”…
vincentEphesians 2:19: "Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;"
Foreigners (πάροικοι)See on Luke 24:18. Rev., better, sojourners. Without rights of citizenship.
The verse uses two distinct metaphors: "fellow citizens" from the world of cities and "household" from the world of families. This isn't just repetition; it highlights that believers gain both public rights and belonging within God's intimate family life, once excluded and now fully integrated.
Paul is concluding his explanation of how Christ abolished the division between Jews and Gentiles by establishing peace and making them one new humanity. He now directly addresses the Gentile believers, highlighting their transformed status from being outsiders to fully integrated members of God's community, emphasizing the profound security and belonging they now possess.
Paul is concluding his explanation of how Christ abolished the division between Jews and Gentiles by establishing peace and making them one new humanity. He now directly addresses the Gentile believers, highlighting their transformed status from being outsiders to fully integrated members of God's community, emphasizing the profound security and belonging they now possess.
"So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the…" — The verse uses two distinct metaphors: "fellow citizens" from the world of cities and "household" from the world of families. This isn't just repetition; it highlights that believers gain both public…
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Last reviewed October 2026
