This last clause `fellowcitizens of the saints' must not be

misinterpreted as though the apostle would say:

`Once you were aliens from the citizenship of Israel, but now times

have changed and you are on an equality with Israel'.

There is no citizenship of Israel in view in the Prison Epistles.  The

citizenship of the Mystery is `far above all' or as Philippians 3:20 puts it:

`Our conversation (politeuma citizenship) is (not the verb "to be" but

"exists as a fact" huparcho) in heaven, out of which we look for the

When it can be proved that the Church of the One Body is looking for

the Saviour out of a city of Israel (for the words of Philippians 3:20 `out

of which' do not refer to `heaven' but to `citizenship'), then it will be

time enough to attempt to introduce either the translation `guest' for xenos

(Eph. 2:12) or Israel's citizenship into Ephesians 2:19.  Surely, as we

behold the marvels of grace expressed in the Selah of quickening love (Eph.

2:4) and in the Selah of alienation and access, our hearts are moved to

thanksgiving as we say:

`Selah, think of that, what a change grace has wrought'.