Ephesians 02(11–22)

Introduction

Back in chapter 1, Paul was praising God for all the spiritual blessings which he has poured out upon us in Christ Jesus. And he mentioned that God has made known to us the mystery of his will. And when we studied that passage I explained that when Paul uses the word ‘mystery’, he’s referring to something about our salvation which we would never know unless God revealed it to us. And so, what is the mystery of God’s will? What is this thing which we would never have known unless God made it known? It’s his plan to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, Jesus Christ.

That’s God’s will for the universe. And I said that when God made the world in the beginning, it was full of variety. It wasn’t all the same, but it was all different. When architects and builders today build a housing estate, the houses all look the same. There may be one or two different styles of houses, but mostly they look the same. But when God made the world, there was a rich variety. So, he didn’t make one kind of plant, but all kinds of plants. He didn’t make one kind of tree, but all kinds of trees. He didn’t make one kind of fish or bird or animal, but all kinds of fish and birds and animals. And he didn’t make one kind of human, but he made us different: he made us male and female. And not one of us is the same as the other, because he has given us all different abilities and skills and talents and interests. And different nations have been created with different histories and customs and practices and so on. And one of the reasons we like to go on holiday is to experience a different culture. We go on holiday and discover people who look different from us; and they dress differently from us; and they eat different food from us; and they live in different homes from us; and they do different things. And it’s interesting to discover these things about our fellow humans. God has filled the world with variety, with diversity. We’re not all the same. Instead of uniformity, there’s difference.

And yet within the diversity, there’s also unity. There’s unity throughout creation, because we all come from God. Although there’s all this diversity in the world, it all fits together because it all comes from God.

However, I also said that sin came into the world. And because of sin differences and diversity become opposition. They become divisions. We’ve divided from one another so that husbands and wives fall out with one another; and children rebel against their parents; the rich and powerful take advantage of the poor and weak; and the poor and the weak resent the rich and powerful; and whole countries go to war with one another. And as we’ve seen recently, when people leave one country and come to another, often they are met with suspicion and fear and hatred and with graffiti telling them to go home. Or people throw bricks through their windows to intimidate them. And so, because of sin, diversity and difference become opposition. Because of sin, we’re divided from one another. And this is not right.

But according to Paul in chapter 1, the mystery of God’s will is to bring all things together under Christ. That’s his plan for the heavens and the earth. When Christ comes again, he will restore order to the whole universe when every knee will bow before him and every tongue will confess that he is Lord. And in the new heavens and earth, where all of God’s people will live, there will be diversity, but there will also be unity. Everything and everyone will fit together under Christ and there will be no division or opposition, but only peace and unity and joy and happiness.

And it’s a mystery because if we just looked at the world the way it is now, we would never think it was possible or likely, because everywhere we look we see sin and misery and division and opposition and conflict. We can’t imagine a world without these things. But God has revealed to us that this is his plan for the universe; and this is what is going to happen.

And as I said when we were studying chapter 1, it begins now in the church. God unites together people who are very different from one another. He brings us together and unites us with one another through Christ. And when we go to another country, we always find a welcome when we go to church, because though we are very different from one another, we are united in Christ.

And that’s what today’s passage is about. In last week’s passage — verses 1 to 10 of Ephesians 2 — Paul explained what we were before God raised us to new life in Christ. And what were we? We were dead. And I explained that Paul wasn’t speaking metaphorically. He wasn’t saying it was ‘as if’ we were dead. He said we were dead. We weren’t physically dead, but we were spiritually dead and unable to respond in any way to God and his word. And just as a dead body will decay over time, so we — in our spiritual deadness — decayed, because a kind of moral rottenness took over us and our life without Christ was spoiled by transgressions and sins and we followed the ways of the world and of the devil and of our own fallen human nature with all its evil desires and inclinations and thoughts. And so, we were dead. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ. He raised us up to begin a new life with Christ.

And so, once we were spiritually dead, but God has given us new life with Christ. That was in last week’s passage. In this week’s passage, Paul says we were far from God and we were far from one another. We were separated from God and we were separated from one another. We were divided from God and we were divided from one another. But Christ has brought us together in himself to be one church. And so, he’s brought us together, even though we were once divided from one another. And through Christ we now have access to God the Father by one Spirit. And so, not only has Christ brought people together, despite their differences, but Christ has also brought us to God.

Verses 11 to 13

Let’s take a look at verses 11 to 13, where Paul is writing about the big division in those days which was the division between the Jews and the Gentiles. This was the big division, because, as far as the Jews were concerned, the whole world could be divided into Jews and Gentiles. And if you weren’t a Jew, then you were a Gentile.

And since Paul was writing to a church of Gentiles, he says about them in verse 11 that the Jews used to call them ‘the uncircumcised’. I believe that this is called ‘Othering’. ‘Othering’ is when you define other people according to how they are different from you. So, when you look at these other people, all you see is the thing that makes them different. And you can’t get past the difference. And you don’t want anything to do with them, because they’re different from you. You exclude them from your group, because, as far as you’re concerned, they belong to a different and inferior group. People do this in Northern Ireland whenever they believe that all you need to know about people is whether they’re Protestant or Catholic. Once you know which side they’re on, you don’t need to know anything else about them.

And as far as the Jews were concerned, one of the main things which made the Gentiles different from them was the fact that the Gentiles were uncircumcised. And so, the Jews labelled them ‘the uncircumcised’ and they excluded them because they were different.

And Paul mentions some of the other differences between the Jews and Gentiles. And because of these things, the Jews looked down on the Gentiles. They despised the Gentiles because the Gentiles didn’t have what they had.

What didn’t they have? They didn’t have Christ. That is to say, they didn’t have all the Old Testament promises about how God was going to send the Christ into the world to save them. And they weren’t part of Israel, because they couldn’t become a member of Israel unless they were circumcised. And they weren’t members of God’s covenant people. God made his covenant with Abraham and his descendants only. And as far as the Jews were concerned, the Gentiles didn’t know the true God or the hope God gives to his people. The Jews used to look down on the Gentiles, because the Gentiles didn’t have what the Jews had. And instead of seeing what they had in common, they regarded the Gentiles as different and as strange and they wanted nothing to do with them.

‘But now’ says Paul in verse 3. But now, you Gentiles who were once far away have been brought near in Christ Jesus. So, the Gentiles were once far away. Who were they far away from? They were far away from the Jews. But, of course, they were also far away from the true God because they didn’t know him or his salvation. Once they were far away, but now they have been brought near.

How have they been brought near? Paul says it was through the blood of Christ. And when Paul refers to the blood of Christ, he means the death of Christ as the sacrifice for our sins. Christ offered himself on the cross as the sacrifice to pay for all that we have done wrong and to cleanse us from our guilt. And by the sacrifice of himself on the cross, Christ has made peace for us with God.

Think of two nations at war with one another. But then they agree terms of peace. And once they’ve agreed terms of peace, they give up their hostility and become friends again. They trade with one another and they help one another. And because of our sin, there was hostility between God and us. We were divided from one another. But Christ has made peace between us by paying for our sins with his life. Once God was against us and we were liable to his wrath and curse. But Christ has made peace between us. And as a result, we have been brought near to God.

Verses 14 to 18

But we’ve also been brought near to one another. That’s what verses 14 to 18 are about.

Paul says in verse 14 that Christ himself is our peace. And the word ‘our’ is significant, because he doesn’t mean here that Christ is our peace with God. He means here that Christ is our peace with one another. Christ has made peace between different people like the Jews and Gentiles who were once enemies. He has brought us together. He has united us in himself.

And Paul goes on to say that Christ has made the two one. He has made believing Jews and believing Gentiles one. He has united them. He has brought them together. And he brought them together by destroying the barrier, or the dividing wall of hostility, which existed between them.

Some of the Bible scholars think that Paul has in mind the actual wall which existed in the temple in Jerusalem. So, the temple of Jerusalem was divided into separate courts. There was a court for the Gentiles; and there was one for Jewish women; and there was another one for Jewish men. The Gentile court was on the outside. Then there was the court for Jewish women. Then there was the court for Jewish men. And, of course, beyond that, there was the Holy Place where only the priests could go. And beyond that, there was the Most Holy Place where only the high priest could go. So, there were all these divisions in the temple. And a wall separated the court of the Gentiles from the rest of the temple. And there were signs warning the Gentiles on pain of death from crossing over the wall.

As I say, some Bible scholars think that Paul has that wall in his mind when he refers to Christ destroying the dividing wall of hostility. However, it’s more likely that he’s referring to the Old Testament law. The Old Testament law was the barrier. It was the dividing wall of hostility. And it’s more likely that Paul is referring to that, because he goes on to refer to the law with its commandments and regulations. And while the law is good because it came from God, it nevertheless became a source of hostility between the Jews and Gentiles, because it made the Jews proud and they looked down on the Gentiles who did not have the law. And they excluded the Gentiles because they didn’t have the law. And so, it became a dividing wall between them.

However, Christ has destroyed the barrier between them by abolishing the law with its commandments and regulations. How did he destroy the law? Paul says he did it in his flesh. Do you see that in verse 15? And he’s referring to Christ’s death again. Christ died in the flesh. And by his death, he destroyed the law and abolished it.

In what sense has Christ destroyed the law and abolished it? Think about what happened in the early days of the church as recorded for us in the book of Acts. In those days, some Jewish believers insisted that Gentile believers needed to be circumcised. They said that unless the Gentile believers were circumcised according to the law, they cannot be saved. In other words, if the believing Gentiles really want to join us, they have to become like us. While they remain different from us, they should be excluded from the church. And if they want to become a member of the church, they have to become like us by being circumcised.

Others weren’t so sure, because they believed that we’re saved by faith alone and that circumcision counts for nothing. We’re saved, not by circumcision, but by trusting in Christ who gave up his life on the cross to pay for our sins and who shed his blood to cleanse us of our guilt.

And so, the apostles and elders met together in Jerusalem to debate the issue. And in the end they decided that they shouldn’t make it difficult for Gentile believers. There are certain things they should avoid, but they don’t have to do all the things the law says, such as be circumcised, because we’re saved through faith in Christ and not by keeping the law. And that means that believing Gentiles should not be excluded from the church because they’re different from believing Jews.

And Paul goes on to say in the rest of verse 15 that Christ’s purpose in removing the hostility between them was to create in himself one new man or one new person out of the two. There’s the idea of unity again. He has taken these two separate groups — believing Jews and believing Gentiles — and he’s made them one. Think of a wedding. At the start of the wedding, you have two separate individuals: a man and a woman. But at the end of the wedding, you now have something new: the two separate individuals have become one couple. And because of Christ, believing Jews and believing Gentiles are brought together as one man. And when Paul refers to this one man, he’s referring to the church. The Lord Jesus has taken believing Jews and believing Gentiles and he’s united them together to form one church.

I’m not referring here to the church as an institution or as an organisation with a minister and kirk session and congregational committee and so on, because we have lots of those all over the world. I’m referring instead to the one, universal church which comprises all of God’s people throughout the world and throughout time. This one, universal church throughout the world and throughout time is made up of all kinds of people. But they all have one thing in common: they’re all trusting in Christ and him alone for salvation. Or to put it another way: they are all united with Christ by faith. And since they’re all united with Christ, then they’re all united with one another as well.

And each local congregation reflects the diversity of the one universal church, because we don’t have separate congregations for men and for women; or for young people and for old people; or for different nationalities; or for people of different colour; or for people who do different jobs; or for people who are rich or for people who are poor. No, every local church reflects the diversity of the one universal church; and they contain all kinds of people who are united together because of Christ.

And Paul continues to explain Christ’s purpose in verse 16. So, what was Christ’s purpose in removing the hostility between different believers? It was — in this one body, the universal church — to reconcile both of them together to God through the cross.

Paul can’t go very long without mentioning Christ’s death. He’s already mentioned Christ’s blood. Then he mentioned Christ’s flesh. Now he mentions the cross. Through the cross of Christ, we are reconciled to God. Once there was hostility between God and us and we were objects of his wrath, because all of us are sinners by birth and we sin against him continually and we’re liable to his wrath and curse. But now, through the cross of Christ, we’re reconciled to God. There’s peace between us.

And there’s peace between us, because by his death on the cross Christ has paid for our sins with his life. He took the blame for us. And by his death, he has cleansed us of our guilt. It’s been removed from us as far as the east is from the west. It’s no longer attached to us.

And this peace is not for one group only, but it’s for all who believe. It’s for people like the Gentiles to whom Paul was writing, who were once far away. And it’s for people like Paul and his fellow Jews, who were once near. It’s for both of them together, because they’ve been brought together by Christ to form one body, the church of Jesus Christ. And through Jesus Christ, the members of this one body have access together to God the Father by one Spirit.

And it’s interesting that Paul refers here to each of the three Persons of the Trinity, because the God we worship is a unity in diversity. There’s diversity in God, because there’s the Father, who is distinct from the Son, who is distinct from the Spirit. There’s diversity because there are three Persons. But there’s unity, because these three Persons are also one. They are one God. And the church is like God, because there’s diversity. The church is made up of believers who are all different from one another. But though we’re all different, we’re not divided, because we’re united together by Christ as one church.

Verses 19 to 22

And Paul describes the unity of the church by using three images in verses 19 to 22.

He says we are fellow-citizens of God’s people. In Old Testament times, the Jews were the people of God; and the Gentiles were excluded. But now everyone who believes in Christ is a member of God’s people. All believers are fellow-citizens of the kingdom of God.

And Paul says we are members of God’s household. And when he refers to a household, he’s thinking about a family. God is our Heavenly Father and every believer is a member of his family, because through faith in Christ we’re adopted into God’s family.

And then Paul says we are God’s temple. So, he’s picturing the church as a temple. And every temple, like every building, must have a foundation. And the church has a foundation. Its foundation is the apostles and New Testament prophets and what they proclaimed about Jesus Christ the Saviour.

And the Lord Jesus is the cornerstone of the church. The cornerstone was important in any building, because the foundation was built outwards from the cornerstone; and all the walls were aligned to it. In a sense, the whole building was built around the cornerstone. And Christ is the cornerstone of the church because all the different people who make up the church are joined together because of him. We’re built together around him.

And the church is growing, because we’re rising up more and more to become a holy temple, where God dwells by his Spirit. In Old Testament times, God was said to dwell in the temple in Jerusalem. But now God dwells in the church. He dwells in his people by his Spirit. And he doesn’t dwell in only some of us, but in all of us.

Conclusion

And, of course, it’s his Spirit who helps us to love one another the way we’re meant to, so that we maintain the unity of the church which Christ died to give us.

However, very often our old sinful nature gets the better of us and we let sin turn differences into divisions and we begin to despise one another. And we often do this in the church by thinking that everyone else must be like me.

Ministers are prone to this. Most ministers like to read and we like to study theology. And we perhaps assume that every other Christian should be like me and if you don’t like to read or study theology, then you’re hopeless. And so, we look down on others.

Or someone else in the church likes a certain kind of music; and they think everyone should like this music and they despise those who don’t.

Or someone else is into youth work in a big way and they’ve got a real talent for working with young people. And they think everyone should be like me and if you’re not, then you’re not as good as me.

Or someone else has a passion for a certain kind of evangelism and if you don’t share their passion, then you’re no good as a believer.

Or someone else is very good at welcoming newcomers. And they think everyone should do as they do and be like them and they look down on those who are different.

And I could go on. But you get the point. God has made us all different. He’s given us different gifts and abilities and talents and interests and desires. He’s given us different experiences. And we’re not to turn differences into divisions and opposition. We’re not to do that, because Christ died not only to bring us to God, but also to bring us together as one. And so, we should learn — with the help of God’s Spirit — to bear with one another and to love one another and to appreciate our different strengths and to be patient with our different weaknesses.

And not only should we bear with one another in the church, but we should also bear with the people we meet in our daily lives, so that we don’t turn differences into divisions, but learn to love and serve people who are very different from us, because God’s will for us is to love all kinds of people, just as he loves all kinds of people.