Note 1 at Eph. 2:1: It is important to remember that the chapter and verse divisions were added to the Bible for reference purposes. They do not necessarily designate a change of thought. In this verse, Paul is continuing his thoughts about Christ being raised from the dead and given all dominion and power (Eph. 1:19-23). He is saying that we have been raised from the dead too, and share in all Christ's victory and authority.

Note 2 at Eph. 2:1: In the King James Version the phrase "hath he quickened" is in italics, indicating this phrase is not found in the original manuscripts. The phrase "hath quickened us" however is found in verse 5 and makes verse 1 in total agreement with the context.

Note 3 at Eph. 2:1: We see in this verse a description of all of us in time past as being "dead in trespasses and sins." When someone is dead he loses communication with those that are alive. There is a separation. Just as in physical death there is separation of the spirit from the body (Jas. 2:26), so in spiritual death a separation occurred between God and man. Man was no longer able to fellowship with God. There was a loss of spiritual life (Eph. 4:18) and communion with God.

This death (separation) took place in our spirit and resulted in death being passed on to our soul and physical body. The "dead" human spirit of a lost man still functions. It just functions independently of God. As Paul explains in verse 3, the lost human spirit actually became united to Satan so that we were "by nature the children of wrath."

God told Adam and Eve that in the day they ate of the forbidden fruit they would surely die. They didn't die physically that day, but they did die spiritually. Their spiritual death resulted in emotional misery all their days and eventually physical death 930 years later (Gen. 5:5). So death started in the spirit and eventually manifested itself in the physical. Likewise, our new life takes place in the spirit and eventually manifests itself in the physical, proportional to how much we renew our mind (see note 9 at Rom. 12:2, p. 826).