We do not need to hold on to the A.V. translation here in the fear that a proof text for

universal sinfulness will be lost. We desire the truth, and we are sure that truth is one,

and no disagreement is possible between its parts or statements. When we read the

epistle to the Romans we are reading an epistle that specifically sets out to deal with the

question of sin. Trespass, offence, sin and sins meet us in that epistle continually,

occurring all told forty-nine times. In Ephesians we meet with "sins" once (Eph. 1: 7) and

trespasses twice (Eph. 2: 1 and 5). Romans is the foundation, Ephesians the temple

erected on it, and things that are essential to a foundation, may be intruders in the finished

building. We believe instead of harking back to our condition before salvation Paul is

revealing our state by grace, when he penned Eph. 2: 1. Here is a transcription of the

words of the original:

First let us observe that there is no word "in" (en) in the original, that is supplied by

the translators because of the presence of the dative case.  There is no reticence

noticeable elsewhere on the part of the Apostle in his employment of the preposition en

"in". Wherever its use is needed, the preposition is employed, and that repeatedly. It

occurs twenty-eight times in the first chapter of Ephesians, and is translated "at", "with",

"in" and "wherein", and twenty-eight times in the second chapter, where it is translated

"in", "among", "through", "at", "by", "whereas" and "thereby". The fact that Paul uses

this preposition so frequently, when set over against its absence from Eph. 2: 1 and 5 is

important.  When the doctrine, being dead IN sins is being stated in Scripture the

preposition en is used (John 8: 21, 24 and I Cor. 15: 17).  The only warrant for

supplying a preposition where it is not actually used is the presence of the dative case,

and this is often done by adding "to" or "at" and in some cases by "in". The dative case

is the "giving" case, for when we say "give me the book" we really mean "give TO me

the book". This is the one employed in Eph. 2: 1. We are, however, not left to our own

devices here, there is complete evidence in the Apostle's own writing to show that he was

telling the Ephesian believers that they were dead TO trespasses and sins, not dead IN

them. Here are some examples of the usage of the dative case in connection with death

and sin:

To the list we add Eph. 2: 1, reading:

Let us, for the sake of the truth, endure the horror that the following translations must

inspire in any grace-taught heart. If the A.V. of Eph. 2: 1 be accepted as the truth, then

let us read: