Verse 20
Paul, third, compared the church to a temple. It rests on the foundation of the apostles and prophets. Evidently New Testament prophets are in view since the word "prophets" follows "apostles" (cf. Ephesians 3:5; Ephesians 4:11). These men constituted the foundation of the church since it was through them that God revealed and established the church.
"In practical terms this means that the church is built on the New Testament Scriptures." [Note: Stott, p. 107.]
When Paul wrote, the cornerstone was the crucial part of the foundation of a building. It was the stone with which the builder squared up every other stone, including the other foundation stones. [Note: Hoehner, "Ephesians," p. 627.]
"In the East it was considered to be even more important than the foundation." [Note: Wood, p. 42.]
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