Q. And, how can we be reconciled to one another? (Eph 2:11-12) The need for the reconciliation of Gentile and Jew. On the other side of that wall, the next court was reserved for Jewish women. Sin always causes alienation towards God and between people. If Paul was writing to the Ephesians from his imprisonment in Rome, they probably would have known about this barrier, even if they had never visited Jerusalem, because the incident that had led to Paul’s imprisonment involved one of their men. The key focus in this text is reconciliation. See 1 Samuel 17:26. Ephesians 2 is the second chapter of the Epistle to the Ephesians in the New Testament of the Christian Bible.Traditionally, it is believed to have been written by Apostle Paul while he was in prison in Rome (around AD 62), but more recently it has been suggested that it was written between AD 80 and 100 by another writer using Paul's name and style. What is the first of five conditions attributed to the Gentiles? 5:1), “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” So the basis for being reconciled to God is not anything that you do, but only by trusting in what Jesus did for you on the cross. They were separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, strangers to the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world. This includes members of your family. v. 18. Jesus Christ perfectly kept God’s law, not only externally, but also on the heart level. Eph. We need peace in our churches, which are supposed to be models of Christ’s love, but often are marked by division and strife. If they have been reconciled to God through faith in Christ and you have too, then you must do all that you can to be reconciled to them. However, even Israel’s light was a dim one at best, for God’s greater glory had not as yet been revealed in full. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Discipleship, Spiritual Growth, and Christian Living. 5. Are we second-class citizens after Jewish believers? There are considerable notes from a previous owner on most pages and considerable underlining but there is nothing that interferes with the reading of the text. (1) Christians are alive from the dead. Religious observance, even of the strictest kind, cannot save anyone. Print this “Remember you were formerly heathens, deemed ‘uncircumcised’ by those who call themselves ‘circumcised.’ However, this is merely a flesh mark made by human hands. g. How is it possible for their former circumstances to be radically changed? Christ’s Work of Reconciliation (Ephesians 2: 13-22) A. He paid the debt in full for all that believe in Him! You Are Heard. But Christ also preached peace to those who were near, the Jews. v. 12a. And finally, Gentile believers would no longer occupy the outer court, nor women excluded from God’s presence, nor men subjugated to a priestly caste for an audience with Almighty God (vv. d. Through what means alone can reconciliation take place? See 2 Corinthians 3:3, 7, 11; Galatians 3:19-25. c. What was God’s purpose in annulling the law (Torah)? But from a theological point of view, there were only two major divisions: Jews and Gentiles (2:11-12). Consult the Introduction. While the Jews were God’s chosen people because of His grace alone, not because of anything meritorious in them, they had become proud and had developed an intense hatred for the Gentiles. What do you say? a. What are the implications of this name for the Gentiles? 22:37-39). There are helpful walls, and there are harmful walls. Because Christian unity is such a big deal, is it sinful to form various denominations? Videos {{#signedIn}} {{/signedIn}} {{^signedIn}} Sign In; ... Free Reading Plans and Devotionals related to Ephesians 2:16. How about the Jews? There were the rich and the poor; free persons and slaves; men and women; Romans and barbarians; and so on. f. Who has access to the Father? Second, are you pursuing peace with your fellow believers? The reason that these stories often cause tears to well up in my eyes is that they are stories of reconciled relationships. Lloyd-Jones. 3. Ephesians 2:11-12 The Gospel and Racial Reconciliation Noted international evangelist Billy Graham stated: “Racial and ethnic hostility is the foremost social problem facing our world today.” This startling observation suggests that racism is more than just one of many problems in the world. When God rejected Cain’s sacrifice, he grew angry and murdered his brother. Jesus is the way! Reconciliation is his theme. Paul goes on to say (2:16) that through the cross, Christ put to death the enmity. Christ Himself is our peace. So even though we are prone toward conflict, even with other believers, the way toward peace is to have Christ reigning as Lord in each heart. Like the section found in Ephesians 2:1-10 where he taught that we were once dead and God brought us to life. 17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. Paul pictured the alienation between the Jews and Gentiles in his day as “the barrier of the dividing wall.” He was probably referring to a four-foot wall in the temple precincts that divided the Court of the Gentiles from where the rest of the Jews could worship. But they grossly underestimate the sin problem. Rulers want greater power and more territory because it feeds their pride. They shook the dust off their feet after traveling in Gentile territory before coming back to the Holy Land, so as not to defile the land. Introduction: In the ancient world there were many schemes in which to classify people. His root sin was pride. The testimony of the cross before a strife-torn world depends on it. Religious rituals won’t reconcile you to Him. So he begins with the problem at hand and then goes deeper to the foundational reconciliation with God that results in reconciliation between formerly hostile groups. In my opinion, the relationship between the Law and the believer is one of the most difficult subjects in the Bible, and I can only be brief! As John MacArthur put it (The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, Ephesians [Moody Press], p. 76), “Peace comes only when self dies, and the only place self truly dies is at the foot of Calvary.”. F. F. Bruce points out (The Epistles to the Colossians, to Philemon, and to the Ephesians [Eerdmans], pp. It has been said sarcastically that the church is the only army that shoots its own wounded. Ephesians 2 – God’s Way of Reconciliation A. Those are both relational commandments. He is Making One People (Ephesians 2:13-18) [13] But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. The Father testified of Jesus (Matt. Read the following verses and respond to the questions: a. c. What is their second state of affairs? Whether Jew or Gentile, the way into God’s presence is the same: it is through the cross of Christ. Ephesians 2:11-22: At the start of chapter 2 of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians [note we did Ephesians 3:1-13 yesterday, and the start of chapter 2 the day before], Paul described the beauty and power of the gospel. How could there be peace as long as all these distinctions remained? This led to a riot, which led to Paul’s imprisonment. By being multi-racial and multi-cultural, the church should demonstrate to the world this one new man, which Christ created through the cross. 2:12). But, how? Who is the chief cornerstone? They each are distinct persons and yet they are not three gods, but one God. At the cross, Jesus made full atonement for the sins of all humanity, therefore annulling in its entirety the old system of laws that marked divisions between Jews and Gentiles. 18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. Paul goes on to say that the gospel includes the reconciliation of Jews and Gentiles into one new humanity. Note three things from these verses: The source of the hostility between the Jews and Gentiles was sinful pride. Husbands and wives argue and fight because each one wants his or her way and is not willing to consider the other’s point of view. 10 – Ephesians 2:11-15 – Reconciliation. Thus Paul’s first point is that through the cross, Christ reconciled us all to one another. Lesson objective: To understand that the former world was divided into two hostile groups of Jews and Gentiles. Children rebel against their parents because they want their way. In this session, Voddie Baucham unpacks Ephesians 2:10-11 to show the sufficiency of Christ’s death on the cross to bring us near in perfect reconciliation. However, in God’s eternal plan and wisdom he made a way to eventually remove these barriers and allow full access to himself, not only for Jews but for Gentiles as well (vv. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture Quotations are from the New American Standard Bible, Updated Edition © The Lockman Foundation, Related Topics: Ecclesiology (The Church), Atonement, Forgiveness, Steve served as the pastor of Flagstaff Christian Fellowship from May, 1992 through his retirement in December, 2018. The Greek word translated “make” (NASB, 2:15) is literally, “create.” What Adam and Eve lost through sin in the original creation, Christ is recovering through the new man, the church, which is His new creation. The Sinai covenant emphasized these divisions (vv. 2. Outside the Temple there was a yard, called the court of the Gentiles, and a wall. Teenagers think that their parents don’t understand the younger generation. Key text: “For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. Ephesians 2 emphasizes the community of the Body, so I think the whole text is more fitting for a communal celebration. From 1977-1992 he was the pastor of Lake Gregory Community Church in Crestline, California. But Paul begins here with peace between formerly alienated people (2:14-15) and then goes to the underlying cause of this reconciliation, namely, reconciliation between those groups and God (2:16-18). 3:5-6), “circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless.” But, keep reading (3:7), “But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.” He goes on to emphasize that he did not stand before God in a righteousness of his own derived from the Law, but rather through the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith (3:9). making a reconciliation of the two in a body reconciled to God. Paul seemed to realize that sometimes peace is not fully attainable when he wrote (Rom. They would never eat with a Gentile. v. 20. Who are in the foundation? v. 14c. d. What are we built to become? Wyatt Ciesielka There are real walls, and there are symbolic walls. Sunday, January 10, 2021. But, remember, we at one time were also on the outside, humanly speaking, not knowing how to find our way in. Another barrier kept them from going any further in. Christ not only made peace, but He is our peace. 5:1). Perhaps his heart was burdened with the very real danger of the Jewish and Gentile wings of the church splitting into factions. On the wall at intervals was placed a warning for a Gentile not to enter further on the penalty of death. Praise God in Christ for his divine reconciliation and the inclusion of us all in calling forth a new humanity. And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, a. Christ has by His death done away with the law, in order to make the Jew and the Gentile into one new man (Ephesians 2:15), and (and consequently) so to accomplish the reconciliation of both with God, that they should as one body be reconciled with God through the cross, after He has slain thereon the enmity which hitherto existed between them. “For He Himself is our peace…” (2:14). Ephesians 2:15 "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;" Christ forever broke down (the Greek aorist tense signifies completed action), every dividing wall by; “abolished in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances”. He uses the word “peace” four times (2:14, 15, 17 [twice]). Epistles: Ephesians 2:11-22 – The Divine Reconciliation in Christ. Can you describe the architecture of this spiritual building? At the heart of all of these conflicts is sin. Why? But the world refuses to acknowledge this. What law is Paul referring to? In verse 17, Paul paraphrases Isaiah 57:19, “And He came and preached peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near.” By “you who were far away,” Paul means, the Gentiles. At the source of this new peace is that Christ has come to dwell in each heart, subduing our selfishness and pride. One is the story of Joseph and his brothers. There cannot be any lasting peace among sinners apart from the radical solution of the cross. What steps can the local church take to improve relationships among its own ranks? 3:28). Greek: nuni de en Christ o Iesou humeis hoi pote onte s makran egenethete eggus en to haimati tou Ch ristou.. Amplified: But now in Christ Jesus, you who once were [so] far away, through (by, in) the blood of Christ have been brought near. A Lasting Legacy: Choosing A Wife For Isaac (Gen. 24:1-67). 19-22). Paul chronicles his own religious credentials (Phil. In this verse, can you detect the Trinity at work in the reconciliation of humanity? a. 14-16). They were the strangers to the covenants of the promise (Eph. (Ephesians 2:12-16) ” Tom Donlon on July 1, 2015 at 7:28 pm said: Looking at some scriptures that relate to this topic it became apparent that being a “peacemaker” and following the commands to live in peace with each other … and to pursue peace …etc etc that this requires having a forgiving spirit … a kind spirit that wants to help all (or at least the people involved). If you are in Christ and I am in Christ, then He Himself becomes the source of peace between us. III. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of two, thus making peace” (Ephesians 2:14-15). And so the great problem of the human race is, how can we be reconciled to a holy God from whom we are estranged because of our sin and rebellion? Why? There are helpful walls, and there are harmful walls. A well-maintained wall surrounding a beautifully manicured garden is valuable and beneficial. Two faithful women in the Philippian church had some sort of conflict, which Paul was concerned about (Phil. See how easily the law becomes a barrier in Galatians 2:11-16, 21. We need peace between nations in this war-torn world. 2:15 with Matt. Yet that’s not all God does in the gospel. Q. 2:14-15), “For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, the enmity, by abolishing in His flesh the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace.”. Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh; who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands; that at that time you 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. First, and foremost, do you have a personal relationship with the Father because you have trusted in the blood of His Son Jesus to cover all of your sins? The second greatest is that we should love our neighbor as ourselves (Matt. v. 16. e. To whom was peace (the gospel) preached? This chapter contains an account, I. Why or why not? The dividing wall has been taken down (Ephesians 2:14), with the law of commandments abolished to make one new family (Ephesians 2:15), creating reconciliation and ending hostility (Ephesians 2:16). How can we work to restore demonstrable unity among genuine believers? 12:18), “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live at peace with all men.” He says (Rom. The logical way to deal with the topic would be to start with reconciliation with God and then go on to reconciliation on the human level. 1. He talks about Christ making the two groups into one, breaking down the wall between them, and creating the two into one new man. Peace can be found only in one place, in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, because He alone can deal with our inherent sin problem. 11 Therefore, ... (Ephesians 2:11-22, New International Version) Introduction. Ephesians 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ (NASB: Lockman). Happy New Year: Past, Present, and Future Perspectives. What was abolished in Christ’s “flesh” or his death? Also. What are the Gentiles called, and by whom? Two stories in the Bible evoke strong feelings in me every time I read them. 21 June 2020. What are the results of reconciliation as opposed to our previous condition as Gentiles? 4. Pride and selfishness account for everything from wars between nations to conflicts in our families. If you know the White House chief of staff, he can gain you access to the President. Paul makes three points here, which I can only touch on: This overlaps what he said in verse 15, but the focus shifts from our reconciliation to one another to our reconciliation with God. Do you think that there will ever be a true reconciliation between orthodox Jews and evangelical Christians within our lifetime? For example, many in our country say that if we had just used diplomacy with the Muslim extremists, we could have avoided war. Israel learned quickly of the need for barriers between themselves and God. We might compare it to the divide between whites and blacks in the South in our country, or to the conflict between the Shiite and Sunni Muslims in the Middle East. The Corinthian church was rife with conflicts and divisions. Paul has just rehearsed the sad plight of the Gentiles before Christ (2:11-12). This barrier in the temple symbolized the deep hostilities between the Jews and the Gentiles. A Simple Bible Study Resource Reconciliation (2:16) Normal Word for “Reconcile” (katallasso): to change from one condition to another; a change of attitude or relationship the word used of bringing together friends who have been estranged // William Barclay, The Letters to the Galatians and Ephesians, The New Daily Study Bible (Louisville, KY; London: Westminster John Knox Press, 2002), 134. Verse 18 is deliberately trinitarian, because the Trinity demonstrates perfectly the harmony and unity that we are to strive for in the church. Make sure your trust is in Christ alone! Jesus Christ changed this forevermore! 3:17), “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.” Because Jesus satisfied God’s righteous demands, through His death that paid our penalty, God offers complete reconciliation and peace to everyone who trusts in Jesus. There is so much to be grateful for when we can look subjectively from inside the comfort of God’s grace outward to a lost (unbelieving) world. He did this to create in Himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace Ephesians 3:6 But when sin entered the human race, it alienated Adam and Eve from God and from one another. The only way to know peace and reconciliation with the holy God is to be justified by faith (Rom. Of the glorious change that was wrought in them by converting grace and again . 14:19), “So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.” The Bible says that we must “seek peace and pursue it” (1 Pet. Even Gentile converts to Judaism had to keep their distance in the temple. It is a reality that we must walk in, but it has already been accomplished in Christ. When He saves us, we are “created in Christ Jesus” (2:10). So it goes! When Joseph reveals himself to his brothers, treats them kindly, and forgives them for the terrible thing that they had done in selling him into slavery, it is a moving testimony to the power of reconciled relationships. At the root of those hostilities was religious and ethnic pride on the part of the Jews. Sunday, January 10, 2021. Wyatt Ciesielka There are real walls, and there are symbolic walls. Ephesians 2 - NIV: As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. The priests alone could perform the sacrifices and ceremonies. They shook the dust off their feet aft… The Gentiles in general were left to grope in darkness and wallow without hope in their twisted pagan religions. Yet through Christ they have been "brought near" (Ephesians 2:13). They viewed them as uncircumcised dogs. Eph. Reconciliation - Ephesians 2:11 -22 Manifold Mystery - Ephesians 3 Unity of the Church - Ephesians 4:1-10 Building the Body - Ephesians 4:10-16 Old Man, New Man - Ephesians 4:17-32 Imitation of God - Ephesians 5:1-14 Wives, Submit Yourselves - Ephesians 5:15 – 33 Children and Slaves - Ephesians 6:1 – 9 Armor of God - Ephesians 6:10 – 24 The rich think that the poor are lazy and the poor think that the rich are greedy. v. 12e. It’s easy to discern Paul’s theme here. This is a rich and long reading. Now He reconciles this one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. So it is vital for the local church to display the peace of Christ in order to glorify Him before a world that only knows strife and conflict. In other words, this was God’s plan for the reconciliation of both Jews and Gentiles into one new people in Christ. 2:1-10). d. What is their third circumstance? Paul goes on to say that the gospel includes the reconciliation of Jews and Gentiles into one new humanity. Selfish pride is at the root of most of the anger that divides families. So, as Paul writes, because Christ bore the curse of the law on the cross (Gal. Paul's theme in this chapter continues to be the glorious blessings of the saved \"in Christ,\" as contrasted with their former state of being without any hope whatever. Peace with God comes only through the cross of Jesus Christ. Pride is at the heart of all racism and all sin. (The Greek word “Christ” means “Anointed one”). Through the cross, Christ brought Jews and Gentiles into one body, the one new man. He graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary (Th.M., 1976 in Bible exposition) and Califo... More, ishing in His flesh the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself. Chapter 2. Also. Jesus Christ gains us access to the God of the universe, who is a Father to us because of the cross! Epistles: Ephesians 2:11-22 – The Divine Reconciliation in Christ. Here Paul 1 focuses on the reconciliation of Jew and Gentile, which falls within God’s bigger move of reconciling humanity from sin and death to life. Later, when their father has died, the brothers fear that Joseph would inflict revenge that he had been withholding. The Temple in Jerusalem was itself a structure of several barriers. There are two obvious applications of these verses. “Access” means “introduction,” much as a common person would be introduced to the king through the king’s representative. What kind of temple is it? The Peace and Reconciliation of Ephesians 2:14 July / August 2018 . The practical implication of this is that there is no basis for dividing the church along racial lines, unless there is a language barrier that keeps us from worshiping together. Key text: “For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. Plans. Through the cross, Christ reconciled us all to one another and to God. 4:2-3). 3:19-24). v. 22. The "enmity" between man is put to death through the cross of Christ. When he finally saw him coming in the distance, the father felt compassion for him, ran to him, embraced him, kissed him, and joyously welcomed him back into the family. We don’t have to achieve racial reconciliation, it exists. v. 21. Who is the one keeping it together? After having dealt with individual salvation in the first 10 verses of this chapter, Paul begins to show his readers the results of that same salvation. Home. Because men and women are different, we are prone to conflict in our marriages. v. 19. He is saying. Jesus Christ broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, which created enmity between the Jews and the Gentiles. 10:32), the last embracing former Jews and Gentiles.” Thus the church is a new humanity or new race. 2:1-10). The book is is about God's way of reconciliation … Key text: “For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. But that last section, verses 8-10, seems good for individual reconciliation as well. This is a copy of "God's Way of Reconciliation, Studies in Ephesians Chapter 2" by D.M. v. 12c. The fact that Christ is our peace does not mean that peace happens automatically, even between sincere, godly believers. 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