Pastor Rockwell / JEWS AND GENTILES BECOME ONE

Pastor Jerry Rockwell

JEWS AND GENTILES BECOME ONE

Ephesians 2:11-18

Introduction: This section begins with an interesting phrase, “Wherefore remember. . .” (vs. 11). The text begins by contrasting the difference between Gentiles and Jews “in the flesh” which states they are “. . .the flesh made by hands.” Paul is emphasizing their “physical” makeup, which takes one to their birth position from a “national” standpoint. The section under consideration is about the bringing of all peoples into the relationship with God by the “church.” There are some doctrinal twists and turns that the apostle will unravel for the sake of the Gentile believers. They have been harassed by the Judaizers who tend to follow Paul and his workers around and attempt to convince them that it is okay to be saved, but to really have salvation, they need to be “circumcised.” This is what Paul and Barnabas dealt with early in their missionary ministry (Acts 13:1-28). The Judaizers came to Antioch, the headquarters of Paul and Barnabas, and began to tell the believers there, “And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved” (Acts 15:1 (KJV). This brought about a trip by the two missionaries, Paul and Barnabas, to Jerusalem to settle this issue. It was determined that these Judaizers were faulty in their belief and sent the two away with a letter explaining their conclusions. The letter content is found in Acts 15:23-29. Their conclusion was, “Acts 15:29-30 (KJV), “29 That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well. 30 So when they were dismissed, they came to Antioch: and when they had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the epistle.” The book of Galatians is about this very issue. Paul confronted Peter for his faulty practices (Gal. 2:11-16). Peter was not behaving properly as a believer and follower of Christ. Paul had some strong words for Peter for casting doubt on the issue of Jew and Gentile being one.

Remember how we pointed out that Ephesians can be divided into two sections. First, Ephesians 1-3 deals with doctrinal issues, and second, Ephesians 4-6 is the practical section, which is applicatonal. This is emphasized in Ephesians 4:1, where the believers were admonished to “walk worthy,” and the two chapters, 4 and 5, have four things one should apply to their “walk,” i.e., lifestyle as believers (Eph. 4:1, 17; 5:1, 15). This explains the emphasis on doctrine in Ephesians 1-3. Our study is about the major issue of enmity between Jew and Gentile, primarily caused by the “Judaizers” who saw the matter of “circumcision” as a cardinal doctrine and held tenaciously to their view. Our study today is about the problems brought about by “circumcision.”

  1. REMEMBER WHERE THEY CAME FROM, vss. 11-12. John Phillips calls attention to the significance of what Paul is saying in this part of Ephesians. He says, 

    “The Holy Spirit here emphasizes the great dispensational change brought about by    

Calvary and Pentecost. This change abolished the fundamental difference between

Gentile and Jew.”

The change addresses the beginning of biblical history’s “Church Age” (see chart). With this in mind, note that the section under consideration is directed at the Gentiles who are believers. Paul reminds them of the “times past” (vs. 11) or where they came from. He contrasts the way the Jews considered Gentiles. The Jews called the Gentiles “Uncircumcision” while they, the Jews, were called “the Circumcision.” Paul, in his letter to Philippi, stated he had been “circumcised the eighth day. . .” (Phil. 3:5). When God gave Abraham the “Covenant of Circumcision,” His instructions came with essential statements. God told him that the “covenant” being made with Abraham included that “every man child” was to be “circumcised in the foreskin” (Gen. 17:9-14). He made a strong statement in Genesis 17:14 (KJV), “And the  uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.” This Covenant to the Jew was essential because of this passage. It referred to those outside the nation of Israel not born to an Israelite family as “uncircumcised” (Exod. 12:48; 1 Sam. 17:26; Isa. 52:1 et al.). This explains the firm conviction the Jews had about circumcision who wanted Gentile Christians circumcised. They forgot one important principle. Circumcision identified the Jew as opposed to other nationalities and was for the Old Testament and the covenant with Abraham. This must be taken into consideration in light of the rejection of Messiah Jesus Christ by the nation. That was a hard pill for the leaders of Israel to swallow. Paul is giving the Gentiles a lesson on Old Testament theology and explaining the difference between then and now and the application of New Testament theology. When John Phillips pointed out the “dispensational change,” he was calling attention to the tension that existed between the Gentile and Jew. He pointed out that “Under the new dispensation, both circumcision and uncircumcision are without spiritual significance.” It was a huge barrier, primarily for the Jews. Still, Paul said in 1 Corinthians 7:19 (KJV), “Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.” That is the point Paul is making for the Gentiles in Ephesus. He does this by pointing out the conditions of Gentiles before salvation in Christ.

  1. Without Christ, vs. 12. In the Old Testament, the only way to have a relationship with God was to become a “proselyte” to Judaism. God stated in Exodus 12:48 (KJV), “And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land: for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof.” The “passover” was a type of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 5:7). The Gentile could not partake of the “passover” unless they were circumcised. The Gentile who was circumcised was called a “proselyte,” but this term does not appear until the New Testament (Matt. 23:15; Acts 6:5). While the situation in Ephesus was evidently not as tense as in Galatians, the problem persisted when Gentiles trusted Christ. Paul is explaining the relationship a believer has with God when they accept Jesus Christ as their Saviour. This situation might be called “legalism” today. Paul told the believers in Galatians 6:12 (KJV), “As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised. . .” When the text says Gentiles were “without Christ,” it applies to the Gentiles as well as the Jews after the resurrection. In the current Dispensation, anyone without Christ would be in the category of a lost person, not having eternal life. The previous passage, Ephesians 2:1-10, emphasized this dilemma. Without Christ, there is no eternal life. This is the point Paul wants them to see.
  2. Without Commonwealth Relationship with God, vs. 12. The second thing the “uncircumcised” were “without” was “being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel. . .” (vs. 12). As mentioned earlier, the only way a Gentile – “uncircumcised” person could benefit in the privileges of the Jews, was to become a proselyte and be circumcised. This gave them certain privileges, although limited in some areas. Their natural birth kept them from the promises the nation of Israel had because of the covenants God made with them. The Gentile was prohibited from having a relationship with the God of the Universe as the Jew did in the Old Testament. This evidently brought pride to the Jew which became an exclusive mentality. The word “alien” can be a bit confusing for some but simply means a “foreigner” or “non-citizen.” A form of the word is found also in Ephesians 4:18 (KJV), “Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart.” This is what is being conveyed to the people (and us). Politically, the word “alien” means no privileges as a citizen. Yet, this was all removed when Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead which is a watershed event spiritually. Paul reminds us where the Gentiles were, but everything has changed.
  3. Without Covenant Relationship of Promise and No Hope, vs. 12. One of the unique things about the nation of Israel is the covenants God made with them. Note they are called “covenants of promise.” God made covenants with Abraham (Gen. 12:1-4; 15:1-6; 17:1-8), with Moses (Exodus 34:27-28), and David (2 Sam. 7:8-16; Psalm 89:1-4). These covenants were given to the nation of Israel. The following section will bring relief from legalism and demonstrate that all have the same access to salvation in Jesus Christ, regardless of nationality or race.
  1. RECOGNIZE THE “BODY OF CHRIST,” vss. 13-18. This section begins with a dramatic “But now. . .” Ephesians 2:13 contrasts the Gentiles’ past with their present situation, with salvation in Christ. There are three benefits to being “in Christ Jesus.”
  1. Believers are Made Nigh by the Blood of Christ, vs. 13. This principle is essential. Hebrews 9:14 (KJV) says, “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” As a believer, you now have access to the Father because of what the Son, Jesus Christ, did on the cross and raised from the dead. Hebrews 9:14 (KJV), How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? Peter made a statement that should not be overlooked. He said in 1 Peter 1:18-19 (KJV). “18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” There is no such thing as over-emphasizing the blood of Christ and its power and provisions. It is part of the fellowship we have with other believers when we take the Lord’s Supper (1 Cor. 10:16). Our redemption, salvation, and forgiveness of sins are based on the blood of Christ (Eph. 1:7; Col. 1:14; Heb. 9:12).
  2. Broke Down the Barrier Between Us and Gave Us Peace, vs. 14-15. The major focus of these two verses should be that there are no more barriers, and the commodity of “peace” is now available. Some consider this section difficult to understand the meaning of the “middle wall of partition between us.” There are two ways to see this, and both are valid.
  1. The Wall of Partition in the Jewish Temple. John Phillips points out the barrier the Jews had erected to keep Gentiles out of the Temple area, which only Jews were permitted to access, as seen in Acts 21:28-31. He says, “a stone palisade about 4½ feet high warned Gentiles, on pain of death, to go no farther. They could enter the court of the Gentiles, but there they had to stop.” This pointed out the intense problem between Jews and Gentiles. This could be the “middle wall of partition” Paul is referring to.
  2. The Wall or Barrier Between Jew and Gentile. Another view is it could be called a “racial” barrier. The Jews considered Gentiles “dogs” (Matt. 15:24-27; Phil 3:1-2). This was a derogatory term demonstrating the “racial” prejudice by the Jews. The barriers have been broken down. Look at Ephesians 2:15 (KJV), “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.” The barrier between Jew and Gentile has been abolished, and Paul says the “twain” is “one new man.” He is talking about the racial and spiritual barriers are no longer valid. This could be something we should take note of even today. Racial barriers are not in God’s vocabulary.    
  1. Brought Us to the Father by Destroying the Enmity, vs. 16-18. Reconciliation is available for all—racial reconciliation as well as spiritual reconciliation. Anyone who comes to Christ can access the Father based on what the Son did, and the Holy Spirit is also involved. Note Ephesians 2:17-18 (KJV), “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. Verse 18 clearly demonstrates the “Trinity” being the activator of salvation and fellowship. 
  1. III.REALIZE WHO YOU ARE IN CHRIST, vss. 19-22.
  1. You Are No Longer Strangers but Fellowcitizens, vs. 19. This verse points out that anyone who has Christ as their Saviour are now “saints” and “fellowcitizens” of the “household of God.” We now are part of the large spiritual family of God.
  2. You Now Have a Firm Foundation, vs. 20-22. The imagery of these verses must not be overlooked.
  1. A New Foundation, vs. 20. The phrase “the foundation of the apostles and prophets” refers to the writings of these two groups of people, which are part of the scripture we have in our hands and called the “Canon of Scripture.” That is the entire Bible. This makes the Bible a vital vehicle to see to our spiritual growth and life.
  2. A Holy Temple, vs 21. The imagery of the church being a “building” is seen in the New Testament. Note: 1 Corinthians 3:9 (KJV), “For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.” 2 Corinthians 5:1-4 (KJV), “1 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: 3 If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. 4 For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.” We are the place of the “habitation of God through the Spirit” (vs. 22). Our body is called the “temple of God” (1 Cor. 3;16-17; 6:19) and a “tabernacle” (2 Cor. 5:1, 4; 2 Peter 1:13-14). We have the Holy Spirit of God dwelling “in us.” See: Romans 8:8-10; 1 Corinthians 3:16; Ephesians 4:30).