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Alright so we left off last week with verse 10 where Paul wrote:
Ephesians 2.11-end Part I
September 22nd 2019
Milk
Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Eph 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
At this point he seems to speak to Gentiles specifically, and says:
11 Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;
12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:
17 And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.
18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
Okay, Paul has reminded his readers that they are the workmanship of Christ, created to walk in good works and that this was the intention of God for His Children from the beginning.
Now he adds a wherefore saying:
11 Wherefore “remember,” (look back and recall your former lives prior to Christ – which is a really good thing to do every now and again because it helps bring perspective and appreciation for what God has done in our lives) Wherefore, remember that in past times you were Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;
Throughout scripture Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles will remind them where they came from.
Remember, it was an amazing mystery in his mind that the Gentiles would even be included in with the circumcised in the first place – I mean they were considered filthy and barbarous and beyond unclean and to even think that Holy God would allow them into the family of His children seems to at times floor Paul. As a result we find him reminding the Gentiles of where they once resided – outside the reach of God.
Speaking to the Gentiles Paul said in
1st Corinthians 12:2 Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led.
Ephesians 5:8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:
Colossians 1:21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled
Colossians 2:13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
When and if I ever begin to get critical of my life and walk, thinking that God has not blessed me like He should, I take a minute and do what Paul is doing here with His Gentile reader – I think back to life without Him living in me – and it very short order discover myself grateful.
Paul refers to them as Gentiles in the flesh, and where some commentators think he is referring to the fact that as Gentiles they were in the power and control of their flesh, I wonder if He is merely comparing the natural state of their flesh (non Jewish) with the state of the natural Jews.
And he goes on and describes them further, or reminds them that they were called “uncircumcision,” or “the uncircumcised” by “that or those called the Circumcision.”
To refer to someone as uncircumcised was very much the same as referring to someone being called, “the unbaptized,” in the 16th through the 19th centuries. Which was akin to saying that the person has not been properly and externally identified with Christ – which of course was a pejorative term used by the Jews dating all the way back to the Old Testament.
Of course, the baptism we hope people seek and experience is the baptism of the Holy Spirit which more than every will identify a person as Christ’s because they will be known by their love – but that is another story.
And speaking of circumcision and uncircumcision, remember too, that Paul makes it clear in Romans 2:28-29 that Jew and genuine Jews are not those circumcised in the flesh, for he says:
For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: but he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.
I think we can say the same thing about people and water baptism and true Christians:
For he is not a Christian, which is one outwardly; neither is that water baptism, which is outward in the flesh: but he is a Christian, which is one inwardly; and the baptism is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.
Here in Ephesians, Paul refers to the circumcision of the Jews made with hands, tying it to the flesh and that being the realm it relates to, as opposed to the circumcision of the heart which cannot possibly be made with hands, but only by the Spirit and therefore of God.
So Paul has reminded his gentile readers where they came from in verse 11, adding at verse 12:
12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
Of course, this was speaking to them then as most Gentiles today – perhaps many – have in fact heard of Christ.
But in that day and age, Christ was new even to Jews from which He came as the Messiah.
So Paul is speaking in general terms of the House of Israel, what is called the Commonwealth here in the King James, and whom Paul tells the Gentile that they were aliens to such, “strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope (but to go to the prison part of hell at death) and without God in the kosmos.
They had no knowledge of the Messiah. You had not heard of him and therefore they could not have received him.
Compared to the consolation and hope they presently had in and through Christ they were without any hope.
Bottom line – relative to God they were in a deplorable condition, alienated from the creator because they had nothing in place to atone for sin, therefore no assurance of any type of pardon and therefore no real relationship with the living God, or as Paul puts it, they “were without God in this world.”
We wonder looking back to those days – what was God doing! I mean Geez, he carved out a single nation out of one man – Abraham, made them His own, gave them a law, and a temple, and temporary propitiation via animal sacrifice, gave them prophets who spoke and moved by the Holy Spirit, promised them a Messiah whom He sent and who only came to them and all the rest of the world went to the covered place when they died because God didn’t include them in any of this?
Not fair. Bad God.
Not . . . so . . . fast.
First of all, we know that while all souls were separated from God – Jew and Gentile alike – by the covered place (until Christ), God THROUGH the Nation and all He worked through them and their Messiah Saved the World!! Including all who were without Him for the first 1500 years.
So instead of criticizing God it seems to me that God, deserves consummate praise. For whatever reason, He worked through the Nation and over the course of time but in the end, wrought about victory for all. So after reminding the Gentiles where they were and what they came from Paul says (at verse 13)
13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
But now in Christ Jesus – because of the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ – the hope for the world – “you who sometimes were far off,” you who were far away from God and His covenant people – are made nigh – you are both admitted into the family of God and to God himself HOW?
“By the blood of Christ.”
We know that the Jews anciently came near to the mercy-seat on which the symbol of the Divine presence rested by the blood that was offered in sacrifice.
Here Paul explains that in that day and age all are allowed to approach him with in and through the blood of His atonement or propitiation for sin.
And that the atonement is assigned by faith on His Son. Instead of there being an economy of One Nation, and One People Paul is explaining the mystery on how all peoples – every race, gender, and type – have been brought together to co-exist in the peace made possible, saying:
14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
Prior to Christ, the circumcised viewed the uncircumcised with distain. And the filthy Gentiles viewed the Jews as idiotic religionists.
There was even a wall in the Hebrew Temple that separated the Jewish quarters from the Gentile – and nothing could breach into the other side that did not belong.
Separation based on qualifications for worthiness will always lead to division and elements of warfare and Paul is trying to tell his audience that all of this was abolished in the propitiation of Christ through the union created in the worship of God together.
Prior to Christ the Gentiles were alienated and separate. They had different objects of worship; different religious rites; different views and feelings about God. And of course, the Jews regarded the Gentiles with hatred.
Now, Paul points out that they are at peace because God has received all by and through the shed blood of His Son and all are therefore invited to then worship the same God.
All depend on the same Savior, the same atonement, having the same hope and the same God looking forward to the same heaven.
In the end, the reconciliation brought by the shed blood of God’s only human Son has not only taken place with God but ought to
This is possible when alienated groups are presented with the same savior and the same God in the same heaven.
In the face of this great news, there ought to have been a spirit of peace pervading the hearts of believers at least!! At least! As the Good News, the GREAT News is that God has reconciled the world to Himself and believers should know and understand this – even if the rest of the world does not.
When a devout Muslim is hailing the praises of Mohommed, the Christian ought to embrace them and welcome the Good they possess as a step toward Christ the ultimate victor.
There ought to be peace coming from the prince of Peace who has had victory over all things rather than a continued division that existed under the pressures of the former system.
How could a Christian create division with people whom Christ has redeemed – and since He has redeemed the World, how and why would Christians divide and argue and split with others?
I realize here that Paul is talking about believers who were Jews and believers who were Gentiles in that age. That He has “made both one.”
But I strongly suggest that in our day and age the principle being described goes even farther.
Through Christ God has reconciled the world to himself as the blood of Christ, received by faith or not has made propitiation for sin reconciling the world to God and eliminating punishment once and for all.
Paul puts it this way in the next verse:
15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
Abolished means, “having put at end.” And end to what? Enmity – hatred. Through what means – “in His flesh!”
How? Hatred existed between the Jews and Gentiles, and in His flesh, Jesus – suffering for the sins of the world, abolished the need for the temple that separated Gentiles and Jews, and the need for animal sacrifice, and the need for external holiness like circumcision.
All because in and through His flesh He fulfilled it all – therefore the animus should have ended.
Because of this principle, I would suggest that ANY and EVERY external factor that serves to divide and cause hatred for or from others ought to remain at bay.
Water baptism in terms of mode and method ought never have become a divider. Nor external practices or doctrines that divide.
If Jesus put the enmity away through His flesh then the enmity ought not be erected again in the name of Jesus and righteousness and holiness.
There is really no reason on earth any reasonable thinking person ought to hate a Christian unless it is for being loving.
And all of this divisive stuff among believers should never have been included in competing faiths.
Instead, as Paul says in Galatians 6:15
“For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.”
Get the focus from that? All Christianity ought to be looking to is helping people become new creatures in Christ. The former man, like the former Law practiced by the Jews, was a divider, a complicator, a hater and an accuser. But
Ephesians 4:24 says
“that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”
Or as Paul describes in Colossians 2:13-15 saying:
“And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
Back in Ephesians 2 Paul says, “having abolished in his flesh.”
Now I want you to think about this now.
Ready?
Jesus was born of a woman, born under the law, the Word made FLESH.
Whom did He come to? The Nation of Israel (first) which is represented by the Law and the Prophets – which is epitomized by flesh.
Everything they were about related to the flesh. The outward. External rites, rituals, conformities, circumcisions, diets, touch not taste not.
What was put to death on that cross? His flesh – which was in perfect conformity to the Law. But in and through His flesh He
14 Blotted out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross.
The actual literal sacrifice of His fleshly body on that cross was a death of the Law as all the material ordinances that created enmity between Jews and Gentiles died in and through the death of His flesh, which represented all of material religion subject to rules and laws of touch not taste not!
Now, it gets a little difficult here because what rose from Jesus grave was still flesh. But this was an exception due to His
Needing to be seen of men AS the man put to death.
Needing to come back and be touched and felt.
The fact that He was going to return to take His bride.
But the rest of scripture makes it very clear that our resurrections and the bodies we receive from God will be spiritual.
It also makes clear that Jesus resurrection was a model for all who believe on Him to take up His cross, die with Him daily, and rise to new life lead of the Spirit and not to the former man.
The bottom line that the flesh that surrounded Jesus during His earthly life, when it died, represented the death of the Law and the Prophets and the things of that former economy and the ushering in of a faith or religion that reigns spiritually in people and from the heart.
15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
In other words He abolished the material physical items and edifices based in the Law that took the Jews and Gentiles and made them enemies, “for to make IN HIMSELF of two (sides or parties) one new man, therefore “making peace.”
He is the prince of peace, and peace ought to reign in the hearts and lives of ALL who are His.
This was what He accomplished in and through the death of his flesh!
Listen carefully again to how Paul put this:
15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
Most Christian teachers believe that Paul was talking about the “ceremonial law of the Jews which they so much prided themselves on and that this was the cause of the hostility existing between the Jews and the Gentiles.
Of course the Jews looked upon themselves as the favorites of Heaven and in possession of the knowledge of the only way of salvation which the Gentiles regarded with contempt – but I would suggest that all the law and ordinances were nailed to His cross because it is the Law and ordinances that cause people not participating to hate others – not just ceremonial laws.
When Christ fulfilled and completed all of it in and through His death peace ought to be the result.
The ONLY way peace can reign amidst people is for all the elements that are contrary to peace to be removed.
Those elements are always legally presented and demanded. The call to love is NOT one of them – but the call to continued obediences and ordinances is a call to war.
Just look around at the religious wars that have reigned and continue to reign.
The prince of peace and God’s means of using the flesh of the Prince of Peace has YET to be fully understood.
Some will say,
“well, we have to have some commandments. We do. Two of them – to have faith and to love.
All the rest a enemies to peace that ought to thrive among people who look to God and Christ – all the rest. God knew this and took care of it all through His Son.
Paul continues and adds something extremely important to what Jesus did through His flesh on the cross, saying:
16 And that he might reconcile both (Jew and Gentile) unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:
The first effect that Paul mentions in verse 15 is that by and through His flesh Jesus brought peace between the two (Jew and Gentile) by nailing the “law of commanments contained in ordinances” to His cross (or through His flesh).
Now he introduces us to another result of His offering His flesh – in fact this is the main effect as it not only brought peace between two hateful enemies but brought peace to those who had been alienated from God due to sin, reconciling all to God in one body.
His work was not just to make the world harmonious but to take those who had been alienated from God and reconcile them to Him.
It stands to reason – if and when someone is reconciled to God by virtue of the work of His Son that they are more likely inclined to be reconciled to each other.
But to be angry and God, and rebellious toward His righteousness and holiness and goodness, is to be at war with the universe, making peace an impossibility.
So long as the world is taught that God hates them, that He is angry with them, that they are all alienated from Him UNLESS they begin to perform elements of materially mandated religion, the world will be at war with itself.
This is why the solution to earthly troubles and unrest lies in the proclamation of the Great News – that God has taken care of all of it by and through Jesus.
This view brings all of the victory into view, which is described in 2nd Corinthians 5:18-19 where we read
“And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.”
And after writing:
16 And that he might reconcile both (Jew and Gentile) unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:
Paul adds
17 And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.
And came and preached peace to all – the Jews who were nigh and the Gentiles who were afar off from the truth.
This was the PEACE to be preached – to all. And he clarifies now, adding a major result of Jesus efficacious work, saying:
18 For through him (Jesus Christ) we both (Jews and Gentiles) have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
We have peace with God, we have peace with each other, by the offering of the Prince of Peace, and we all have “access by one spirit to the Father.”
From this passage we learn right off the bat the following:
We have access through Him – Jesus Christ.
John 10:9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
All people do – Jew and Gentile.
Galatians 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. Ga 3:29 And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
And it is by One Spirit – not the flesh.
1st Corinthians 12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
Ephesians 4:4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
To the Father.
John 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
At this point Paul begins to speak to the Gentile believers, and says
19 Now therefore (as a cumulative result of all that I have said) ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God
This was the mystery that this Epistle starts off addressing – how God predestined the Nation of Israel to get everything ready and then how he brought the Gentiles into the Kingdom where both sides would be one.
So NOW, Therefore, you gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners, but (instead you are) fellow-citizens with the Saints and of the actual household of GOD!
Now you are reckoned with the people of God, entitled to all that they were entitled to as you are not an outcast or alien.
They are part, as Ephesians 3:15 says, “Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,”
For 1500 plus years the Jews believed that they were everything to God and only those who embraced their ways and converted would be admitted into the heavenly host but here Paul makes it clear that they are no longer strangers or foreigners but “fellow-citizens.”
What he says next places what he says next in the context of what he says next.
He has been building a case for the Gentiles once being far away and alienated. At verse 19 he brings them into the full fellowship with the Jesus – full. And tells them that they are no longer outcasts.
And as people fully incorporated into the citizenship of Heaven, Paul adds to them then
20 And (YOU GENTILES) are (AUTOMATICALLY) built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
And we will continue on at this point next week.
Comments/Questions/Prayer
