Unified in Christ
Starting this section of Ephesians 2:11-22, we see that Paul begins to make a distinction between the Jews and the Gentiles. Many commentators believe that this has been Paul’s thinking in chapter 1, but Ephesians 2:11 is the first time that this has been clearly distinguished in this letter. However, this identification of the separation between the two groups belongs to the time in which they were both “dead in trespasses and sins” (2:1, 5). The parallels are apparent between 2:1-3 and 2:11-12. Paul is demonstrating that the uncircumcised (Gentiles) were not privy to the heightened revelation that the circumcised (Jews) had been given in the past (Rom 9:3-5). The purpose of Paul’s identification of the separation is to uphold the cross of Christ as the ultimate instrument of reconciliation (Eph 2:16) and Christ Jesus as the Great Reconciler of this prior racial hostility that was in their ranks. The blood of Christ has brought the Gentiles near (2:13) and the cross of Christ creates one New Man (2:16) where there had formerly been division between the two caused by the Law (2:15). This brand-new, unified assembly known as the Church is God’s household (2:19c), His holy temple (2:21c) being a “dwelling place” for God (2:22).
Ephesians 2:11-13
The purpose of Christ’s work for human salvation is not limited to the giving of new life to individual men and women, previously dead in sin, as the last section has described. Chapter 1 has given hints that it goes beyond this, and the present section now shows that it involves the bringing of those individuals, whatever their race or background, into unity in the people of God.
The cross of Jesus Christ contains multiplied effects upon every people group. In Paul’s mind, there are three classifications of people. He writes, “Give no offense either to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God;” (1 Cor 10:32). While both Jews and Greeks would be understood in the New Testament as being “unsaved” or “unregenerate,” the Church consists of a trans-national people who are unified by Jesus’ blood, regardless of their origin or background. This is the backdrop for Ephesians 2:11-22.
Paul begins in verse 11 with “therefore” (dio), a conjunction that automatically causes the studying saint to refer back to the previous point that Paul had been expressing. Just as we have seen the use of “for” (gar) in referring back to certain phrases or ideas that Paul has expressed, we see “therefore” as transitioning to a continuance (or progression) of thought in light of what has been previously stated; which seems to be the truth that at one time, the Gentiles were dead in their trespasses and sins (2:1, 5) and were living in accordance with the façade of this present world system whose orchestrator is the devil (2:2-3). God has stepped in and has made it possible for the Gentiles to be spiritually alive (2:4-5) through the offering of Christ, even though they had no previous history of intimate connection to YHWH and His divine revelation as the Jews had (Rom 9:3-5).
With verse 11, a clear distinction is made between the Jews and Gentile who may be the recipients of this cyclical letter. Paul turns his attention to the Gentiles, noting the distinctions in their previous history. The apostle’s use of “you” and speaking to their former lot is also a designation that Paul classifies as “in the flesh.” This has everything to do with who they were before coming to faith in Jesus Christ. Paul makes these opening distinctions by identifying the Gentiles as the “uncircumcision” and seems to use this designation because it is one that had been touted among the Jews in the first century as a pejorative term. This harkens back to David’s words when addressing the men of Israel in reference to Goliath when he says, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should taunt the armies of the living God?” David’s emphasis was upon Goliath’s lack of having any unconditional promises from the Creator. In David’s eyes, this made Goliath defenseless and easy prey. For the first century Jew, such slander was boisterous and self-serving, seeing that the Jews’ claims to piety were superficial and meaningless before God. The first century Jews were certainly not relying on YHWH to defeat their enemies and give them victory. Instead, the heritage of the promises had become an excuse for racism and hate.
What stands out about this shift in Paul’s address is that the previous truths of Ephesians 2:1-10 were not exclusively Jewish in nature. Nor were the truths in Ephesians 1:3-23. In fact, the opening salutation is addressed to those who are “saints” and “faithful in Christ Jesus” (Eph 1:1b), giving no indication of a separation in Paul’s line of thinking. Therefore, one may assume too much here, making a greater distinction than the apostle does. Instead, a more consistent take would be to see Paul turning his attention to the Gentiles because of their particularly destitute state throughout history where exposure to the truths of YHWH and His Person were virtually absent. Biblical record bears this out, with YHWH withdrawing Himself from the world at large in Genesis 1-11 and settling upon Abram, a man from Ur of the Chaldeans (Gen 11:27-32) and establishing a covenant with him which contains massive implications well into the Millennial Reign (Gen 12:1-3; 15:1-21; 17:2-19). This understanding would bring greater clarity to the use of “therefore,” seeing that the extents of God’s grace toward sinners is the chief theme, and this theme of grace is carried into the darkest of places. In other words, it is one thing to have God actively courting your people as He did the Jews and we would all consider this an act of grace, but it is another thing to have no courtship with the Creator, and yet He mercifully save you at His own expense. A spiritual poverty of this level (as will be seen in 2:12) only exemplifies the grace of God that much more (Luke 7:47)!
Paul is quick to note that those in the “circumcision” group (the Jews) are only considered such by a work of their hands (Acts 11:2) and not by the circumcision of the heart (Deut 10:16; 30:6; Jer 4:4; 9:25). Anyone with a Jewish background would have been jarred upon hearing this read aloud.
The metaphor of circumcision is now employed in reference to the heart. An uncircumcised heart is one which is, as it were, closed in and impervious to God’s incoming, just as an uncircumcised ear (Jer. 6:10) is one which hears imperfectly being covered over, and uncircumcised lips (Exod. 6:12, 30) are lips which speak incoherently because they are sealed wholly or in part. If that which hinders is cut away (the parallel with physical circumcision is obvious), then the circumcised heart becomes open and, being freed from hindering obstructions, it can become pliable and amenable to the direction of God. The result of such a circumcision will be submission to the will of God and the end of stubbornness. Nothing less befits the inscrutable, electing love of Yahweh. Indeed, without circumcision of the heart true fear of God and true love of God are both impossible.
Paul’s remark casts a blinding light on the hypocrisy of the Jewish elites who prided themselves in their version of law-keeping. Such an external commitment held no weight in the eyes of God due to their denial of the Messiah and their unregenerate nature. Markings, vows, and “good deeds” are only such that give the appearance of holiness and consecration but are considered a waste of time by the Almighty because they are not products of the Spirit. And if they are not products of the Spirit, they have no connection to grace. Concerning Paul’s point, Wood notes that,
As a Jew, however, he is quick to point out that the self-styled circumcisionists have nothing to boast about, since an external man-made mark in itself holds no spiritual significance. The real circumcision is of the heart (Gal 5:6). Circumcision used to be a token of the covenant, but its function ceased when redemption was finally accomplished in Christ.
This is certainly a contrast that fits perfectly with the work of God in making the Church His masterpiece, the new creation in Christ Jesus that has been given His good works to accomplish (Eph 2:10). One can sense the hostility that existed between Jews and Gentiles from reading this verse, as well as Paul’s sarcasm at the thought that something physical could possibly merit anything spiritual. However, he does not allow this to sway his communication regarding the previous state of the Gentiles.
In verse 12, Paul picks up his initial thought by repeating the word “remember” in reference to the Gentiles. “The Apostle Paul details the horrifying predicament confronting the Gentiles under the Old Covenant by summarizing five privileges that the people of Israel had which the Gentiles did not.” The Gentiles were the only race of people up until Genesis 12:1-3, where YHWH cuts an unconditional covenant with Abram in promising him a homeland, many offspring, and that through him would come a worldwide blessing. God chooses one man with which to start a nation of people that would uphold the Name of the Lord and serve as His earthly representatives of blessing. Ryrie notes that, “Until this dispensation, all mankind had been directly related to God’s governing principles. Now God marked out one family and one nation and in them made a representative test of all.” Thus, Paul’s address to the Gentiles here is for the purpose of stating a specific point: Even though you were in a destitute state and devoid of any relationship with YHWH, His Christ has paved a way to bring you into intimacy with Himself by His precious blood. The Gentiles simply did not have the great benefits of supernatural revelation as God had graciously given to the Jews (Rom 9:1-5). Seeing that they were now “in Christ,” this would convey the idea of an even greater privilege made available to them by God’s grace. It is important that we briefly unpack each one.
The first point mentioned is that the Gentiles were “separate from Christ.” Hoehner writes, “not only personally (true also of many Jews) but also in that they had no national hope of the Messiah.” It isn’t simply that Gentiles were spiritually “dead,” which is true of everyone apart from Christ regardless of their nationality. It was that they had no means of salvation before them. The Jews had the promise of a Messiah that resonated throughout the Old Testament writings (Gen 12:3, 7, 15; 49:10; 2 Sam 7:12-13; Isa 7:14; 53:1-12; Mic 5:2). As a people, Gentiles were in a truly deplorable state. “Separated” here means “without” or “apart.” MacPherson writes, “As Gentiles in the flesh, they were members of a community which followed a course of life that had no relation to Christ, and made no reference to Him. Their lives were lived apart from Christ.” When one thinks back to Egypt and God’s dealings with them, there has been much written about the relationship between the plagues that were cast upon the Egyptians and how each specific one faced down a false deity, a demon who had masqueraded as a sense of hope if works were performed correctly. Such demands were usually immoral, and being as such, were not an exhibition of grace. This was the only “salvation” that the Egyptians had, perpetuating a culture of unbelief, paganism, and works-based acceptance.
The second issue that Paul states is that the Gentiles were “excluded from the commonwealth of Israel.” Hoehner notes that the participle translated as “excluded” in the NASB occurs twice more in the New Testament (Eph 4:18; Col 1:21). Both instances speak of being separated from the life that God provides in Christ. Hoehner notes that “excluded” should be understood as “alienated from the citizenship that belongs to Israel.” “Commonwealth” is the word politiea meaning “a sociopolitical unit or body of citizens” according to BDAG’s choice of definitions. Ferris notes, “The commonwealth of Israel means a Jew was not just a descendant of Jacob, but also part of a covenant community, that which emerged from Egypt at the Exodus.”
Romans 9:3-5 may bring some clarity as to Paul’s meaning here.
For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh, who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons, and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the temple service and the promises, whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.
Having expounded upon the permanence of the love of God toward believer through Jesus Christ (Rom 8:38-39), a natural question could be assumed by the readers of Romans: “If God’s love is permanent, why is Israel not saved?” Reading Romans 9:1-5, Paul’s grief is evident. If it were possible (and Romans 8:38-39 shows that it is not), Paul would wish himself accursed for the sake of the of the salvation of Israel, his “kinsmen according to the flesh.” It was an absolute travesty to see Israel in AD 60-66 being largely in unbelief, having rejected their Messiah when they had been given so much revelation from YHWH. But what stands out for our purposes in Ephesians 2:12 is understanding the correlation between those blessings of revelation given to the Jews and the emphasis that Paul places in the formerly-destitute state of the Gentiles.
This notion of being a “commonwealth” signified special privileges and claims that had been placed upon them exclusively. For instance, the “adoption as sons” (Exod 4:22-23; Hos 11:1) carries significant weight seeing that “sonship” “evokes a sense of even more intimacy than either people or nation.” Merrill expounds on this, writing “The language of family connotes a kinship that transcends the normal relationship of a god and his nation. For Israel to be the Lord's firstborn son was to share consanguinity, if not in a literal or physical sense then at least in a profoundly theological sense.” This is nothing short of grace! In Deuteronomy 7:6-8 we read,
For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for His own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any of the peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but because the Lord loved you and kept the oath which He swore to your forefathers, the Lord brought you out by a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt (emphasis added).
Such gracious concessions are an act of love by the Creator. Not one soul, much less a nation of people on the face of the Earth were worthy of YHWH’s special attention. But praise God that the motivation to extend such grace with found within Himself and is not based upon one’s merit. So, too, did they have access to experiencing God’s glory like no one else (Exod 13:20-21; 14:13-31; 16:10), having sealed agreements (covenants-Gen 12:1-3; Deut 28:1-30:20; 2 Sam 7:8-16; Jer 31:31-34, which we will expounded upon in the appendix), the giving of the Mosaic Law (Exod 20:1-20), the temple services (Lev 1-9), the promises, which “are contained in the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings. They are general promises and include all promises regarding the first and second coming of Messiah as well as the Messianic Kingdom” Of course, “the fathers” speak of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and the Christ “according to the flesh” emphasizes the Abrahamic Covenant, as well as promoting the coming Messianic Reign. By themselves
One must not conclude that the goal for the Gentiles is to become part of the citizenship that belongs to Israel. Proselytizing is not the point here. We should also not make the grave interpretive mistake of assuming that Paul is pushing the idea that when Gentiles believe in Christ they become part of the “New Israel,” or “spiritual Israel,” which are terms that many Covenant theologians use in reference to the Church. The Church is a completely separate, trans-national entity, while Israel is a national people, chosen by God (Gen 12:1-3; Rom 11:1-2; 25-27). To mingle these two groups leads to theological and hermeneutical ruin, for it abandons the literal meaning of the text while disregarding the context in favor of a preformulated system. This ultimately leaves the basis of interpretation up to the interpreter rather than allowing for the text to unfold for itself in order to maintain the original author’s intent. Being Gentiles, they were certainly not Jews and therefore not part of how God had chosen to reveal Himself in the dispensations of Promise (Gen 12:1-3) and Law (Exod 20:1-17).
The next issue of deficiency with the Gentiles is that they were a people who were “strangers to the covenants of promise.” It is important to understand that when the Bible speaks of a covenant, it is speaking of a “contract.” This stipulates that there are terms of agreement between the parties involved that will result in a specified behavior or outcome based on at least one of the parties involved. When we speak of an “unconditional covenant/contract,” in the Scriptures, we are speaking of the Noahic, Abrahamic, Priestly, Davidic, and New Covenants, for all of them rest upon the faithfulness of God Himself and will not be broken by the actions of the human race. Henebury writes, “God had previously ‘determined’ what He was going to do through the Abrahamic covenant. It was to be something which could not change. Therefore, by swearing by Himself, He showed the immutability of the covenant.”
When we speak of a “conditional covenant/contract,” we are referring to the Mosaic Covenant, which is likened to a suzerainty-vassal treaty. The Mosaic Covenant is also commonly known as an “if-then” covenant due to the conditions that are in place regarding its fulfillment. For instance, in Deuteronomy 28:1, we see that blessing will be given to Israel “if you diligently obey the Lord your God, being careful to do all His commandments which I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth” (See also Exod 19:4-6). If Israel did not uphold the statutes of the Lord, Yahweh was no longer responsible to bless and protect the people of Israel because they had broken the covenant (contract- See 28:15-68).
The word “strangers” is xenos in the Greek and “a person belonging to a socio-political group other than the reference group—‘stranger, foreigner.’” Louw and Nida go on to write, “Terms for ‘stranger’ or ‘foreigner’ are often based upon geographical differences or upon lack of previous knowledge.” The subject at hand is the fact that “the covenants of promise” were not inclusive of, nor directed to the Gentiles. In addition, YHWH has not made a covenant with the Church. All of His dealings in unconditional contracts that are accompanied by an oath are between the Creator of all things and His chosen people, the Jews. As Ray explains, “This passage (Eph 2:12) does not state that Gentiles are now within the covenants of Israel, for the Church (the “one new man,” v. 15) never was a party to the covenants. No passage of Holy Writ mentions a covenant between God and the Church.” This is a point that should also be noted for those who confuse the Church with Israel. While there was one unconditional covenant that was made with Noah before the origination of the Jewish people (Gen 6:18; 8:20-22), we find that Paul’s emphasis concerns the covenants that were made starting with Abram. DeZago makes an excellent observation when he writes:
The Abrahamic Covenant serves as the backdrop for the entire biblical narrative. God
promised to make Abraham into a great nation, 12:2, as well as father of many nations, 17:5. God also promised to give Abraham a great name and, finally, that through Abraham there would be a great blessing, namely, that through Abraham all the nations of the earth would be blessed, 12:3. The unfolding of these promises from Genesis twelve through Revelation identifies the great nation as physical Israel who would occupy the land promised to Abraham, Genesis 13:14-15. The biblical narrative from Genesis twelve through Malachi presents the redemptive story as to how Israel developed (consider the implications beginning in Exodus 2:24).
The importance of the Abrahamic Covenant cannot be underestimated, for it is the foundational contract for the Davidic Covenant, Priestly Covenant, and the Palestinian Covenant, which will all find their fulfillment with the institution of the New Covenant; and by which all have their primary application to national Israel, just as Paul says in Ephesians 2:12. No, the Gentiles were truly a people who were without hope and “without God in the world” (Eph 2:12c)
While it is not the goal of this work to give a lengthy exposition of the Covenants of Israel, the subject is covered in APPENDIX…..
When reading this passage, one may ask, “Why would the apostle turn his letter to the former plight of the far-off Gentiles?” Kelly explains,
He wants us to know what was our condition. We have right to nothing; we have not the smallest claim upon God; we had no such prescriptive place conferred upon us as Israel had through the promises. They had a place even as unconverted men in the world; and the day is coming when, being converted, they will have a signally conspicuous position in the world, an earthly distinction and glory which never was and never will be our portion. Do not suppose that we shall not have far better, but we shall never have such a place on the earth. We shall have one with Christ over all things; but it will not be while we have our natural life here below. It is in the resurrection-state that the Church’s glory is destined to be brought out, in all its fulness, as far as manifested to the world.
God inserting Himself into the history of the Gentiles is an exceedingly gracious act! And with it, He put forth the means of creating a brand-new entity that unites Jew and Gentile together, causing them to abandon their former hostilities, affiliations, and biases, and giving them unparalleled acceptance and freedom, resulting from the work of His Son.
In verse 13, the barren canvas of Gentile history is washed over with the words “but now,” marking the present Church Dispensation as something different from what occurred before. Now, in the Dispensation of the Church, there is a location of complete acceptance and security before the holy God of all glory known as “in Christ Jesus!” As previously seen no less than 13 times in chapter 1, this astounding station of the believer is that of being “in” the Son of God, securely and completely. Our life is hidden with His in the Father (Col 3:3) and now, He IS our life (Col 3:4). It is within this new dispensation that the Gentile has been given a wide open door, should he respond to its invitation to enter, where previously the door was limited by God’s choosing (Exod 4:22-23; Deut 7:6) and by the recalcitrant and depraved choices of the Gentile nations (Gen 8:21; Lev 20:2; Deut 9:4-5).
This new joy that the Gentile finds in Ephesians 2:13 is that despite his or her history of “unprivileged revelation” in times past, the blood of Jesus Christ has now served the purpose of bringing him or her near, alongside the Jew, on equal footing within the sphere of “one new man” (Eph 2:15). Robertson translates this understanding as the Gentiles have been “made nigh.” The blood of Jesus Christ has both a restorative and transportive power. The blood brings Gentiles near (2:13), abolishes the Law (2:14-15), reconciles us all to God (2:16), and creates one new man in the Church (2:15). These are new revelations in the Church Dispensation. We must remember that the Gentiles did not have Leviticus 16 read to them periodically, so they were unaware of the Day of Atonement (Lev 16:29-34). They were unaware of the “mercy seat” (Lev 16:14), nor the need for a spotless lamb so that death would pass over them (Exod 12:2-7, 12-13). There was no history or oral tradition in speaking of a scapegoat (Lev 16:10) and another goat that was set aside for a sin offering (Lev 16:15). The Gentiles were unaware of YHWH and His righteous standards (Lev 20:7).
In looking to a point previously made, it is important to see that the idea that Paul is communicating is not one of the Gentile becoming a Jew, but that the blood of Christ has opened up the scope of salvation for everyone, regardless of the ethnicity that they hold, or the abundance (or lack) of previous revelation. We see this clearly in a passage like Hebrews 2:9:
But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone (emphasis added).
It is by God’s grace that the atonement of the Messiah has come to the Gentiles. C.H. Mackintosh writes, “By His precious atoning death He has met our entire condition as sinners. He has borne our sins, and put them away forever. He stood charged with all our sins—the sins of all who believe in His name.” The Scriptures proclaim that the atonement of Christ on the cross is universal in nature (John 1:29; Rom 5:18; 1 John 2:2). While the Jew may have had a greater span of revelation, they would still be considered as without justification apart from Jesus Christ and His atoning work. In fact, we will see that the themes contained within this section of Scripture are atonement, peace, and reconciliation; none of which are possible with the death and resurrection of Messiah the Prince (Dan 9:25).
Let us not become bashful about the blood. Jesus gave His life for us that He might give His life to us. The life of any living thing is in the blood (Gen 9:4-5; Lev 17:11). It is His selfless submission that has paid the price, bought the sinner, and brought him into liberty; making it possible only by His blood. He truly is the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29)! Does not Psalm 22 forecast His suffering on Calvary? Do they not pierce His hands and His feet (Psa 22:16b)? Do we not hear of His proclamation of love by His selfless death in Revelation? “Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood” (Rev 1:5). Have we not already been reminded of God’s great grace toward us in Ephesians 1:7 where we are reminded of the redemption that we have in His blood which has granted us the forgiveness of our sins? We must exalt the blood, tell others about the blood, rejoice in the blood, hold high the banner of the blood of God’s lamb! We must be about the blood because the blood has been all over us. He has not left one millimeter of our being or existence to question in regards of sin, new life, power from the Spirit, or an eternity alongside the King of glory because the blood has covered the debt owed, and the blood has covered the sinner who owed it.