And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone. -- Ephesians 2:20 (KJV)
No stone in a building chooses its own angle. The mason begins at the corner, and every line takes its direction from there. Paul gives that place to Jesus.
He is writing about Gentiles who had been “far off” from Israel's covenants. Christ brought them near by His blood. He “hath made both one,” and through Him both Jew and Gentile have “access by one Spirit unto the Father.” The church in Ephesians 2 is not held together by a shared background. Its line is true because Christ Himself holds the corner.
The Line We Receive
Paul names the foundation too: the apostles and prophets. The church does not redraw itself around each generation's preferences. It receives the gospel, the doctrine, and the name already laid down, with Jesus governing the shape of the whole.
That settles a quiet question many believers carry. Our place in the church does not rest on how naturally we fit a room, how long our family has attended, or whether anyone notices what we do. God sets people into the structure He is raising. The question is whether our lives stay aligned with Christ.
Built Together
Verse 22 says, “ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.” Together is part of the design. A stone pulled away from the line cannot contribute what the builder intended, and a stone pressing against the corner only throws the next course farther out.
Where has personal preference begun to pull you out of line with Jesus or away from His people? Bring that place back to the cornerstone. Let His word set the angle again.
The mason keeps returning to the corner.
