Jesus was the creator of one new humanity

JESUS WAS THE CREATOR OF ONE NEW HUMANITY
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
Ephesians 2:15-16 15by setting aside in his flesh the
law with its commands and regulations. His purpose
was to create in himselfone new humanity out of the
two, thus making peace, 16and in one body to
reconcileboth of them to God through the cross, by
which he put to death their hostility.
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Ephesians 2:15-16 Commentary
Ephesians 2 Resources
Updated: Tue, 05/15/2018 -12:00 By admin
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Ephesians 2:15 by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of
commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make
the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, (NASB:Lockman)

Greek:ton nomon ton entolonen dogmasinkatargesas, (AAPMSN)hina tous
duo ktise (3SAAS) en auto eis ena kainon anthropon poion (PAPMSN)
eirenen, (note "in His flesh" en sarkiauto" is found in the Nestle-Aland Greek
text at the end of verse 14)
Amplified: By abolishing in His [own crucified] flesh the enmity [causedby]
the Law with its decrees andordinances [which He annulled]; that He from
the two might create in Himself one new man [one new quality of humanity
out of the two], so making peace. (Amplified Bible - Lockman)
NET:when He nullified in His flesh the law of commandments in decrees. He
did this to create in Himself one new man out of two (“in order to create the
two into one new man”), thus making peace,
NLT: By his death he ended the whole system of Jewishlaw that excluded the
Gentiles. His purpose was to make peace betweenJewsand Gentiles by
creating in himself one new personfrom the two groups. (NLT - Tyndale
House)
Phillips: By his sacrifice he removed the hostility of the Law, with all its
commandments and rules, and made in himself out of the two, Jew and
Gentile, one new man, thus producing peace. (Phillips: Touchstone)
Wuest: the enmity, in His flesh having rendered inoperative the law of the
commandments in ordinances, in order that the two He might create in
himself, resulting in one new man, making peace,
Young's Literal: the enmity in his flesh, the law of the commands in
ordinances having done away, that the two he might create in himself into one
new man, making peace,
BY ABOLISHING IN HIS FLESH THE ENMITY: katargesas,(AAPMSN):
note that the phrase "in His flesh" "ensarkiauto" is found in the Nestle-
Aland Greek text at the end of verse 14
Colossians 1:22;Hebrews 10:19, 20, 21, 22
Ephesians 2 Resources -Multiple Sermons and Commentaries

Ephesians 2:11-22 Our Biography In Brief - Steven Cole
Ephesians 2:13-15 The Unity of the Body, Part 2 - John MacArthur
By abolishing in His [own crucified] flesh the enmity [causedby] the Law with
its decrees and ordinances [which He annulled]; that He from the two might
create in Himself one new man [one new quality of humanity out of the two],
so making peace. (Amplified)
Abolishing modifies "broke down" in Ep 2:14 (note).
Abolishing (2673)(katargeofrom kata = intensifies meaning + argeo = be idle
from argos = ineffective, idle, inactive from a = without + érgon= work)
(Click word study on katargeo)literally means to reduce to inactivity. The
idea is to make the poweror force of something ineffective and so to render
powerless,null and void. To cause something to come to an end or to ceaseto
happen. The aorist tense in this contextdepicts a once for all completed action
in the past.
The word abolish simply means “to nullify.” The Law no longer holds sway
over either Jew or Gentile, since in Christ believers are not under Law but
under grace.
Hughes writes asks how did Christ abolish the law
How did he do this, especiallysince he said in his Sermon on the Mount, “Do
not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not
come to abolish them but to fulfill them” (see note Matthew 5:17)? Christ
fulfilled the moral law, keeping all its requirements, but he abolished the
Jewishceremoniallaw. Thus, the requirements of the ceremoniallaw (the
washings, the Sabbath restrictions, etc.)which had been such a barrier were
gone. And since he fulfilled the moral law, taking awayits condemnation, all
have free access throughgrace (cf. 2 Corinthians 3:6-15). The gospelis now,
“Forit is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from
yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one canboast”
(Eph 2:8, 9), and because ofthis we fly across the barrier to God! (Hughes, R.
K.: Ephesians:The Mystery of the Body of Christ. CrosswayBooks)

The NetBible note adds that "abolishing" can be translated“rendered
inoperative.” This is a difficult text to translate because it is not easyto find
an English term which communicates wellthe essenceofthe author’s
meaning, especiallysince legalterminologyis involved. Many other
translations use the term “abolish” (so NRSV, NASB, NIV), but this term
implies complete destruction which is not the author’s meaning here. The
verb katargeo canreadily have the meaning “to cause something to lose its
poweror effectiveness”,and this meaning fits quite naturally here within the
author’s legalmindset. A proper Englishterm which communicates this well
is “nullify” since this word carries the denotationof “making something
legally null and void.” This is not, however, a common English word. An
alternate term like “rendered inoperative [or ineffective]” is also accurate but
fairly inelegant. For this reason, the translation retains the term “nullify”; it is
the bestchoice of the available options, despite its problems. (The NET Bible
Notes. BiblicalStudies Press)
Flesh(4561)(sarx) (Click word study on sarx) refers to Jesus'physicalflesh.
In His flesh - In context Paul refers to the physical death of Christ, which the
Father made possible because "whenthe fulness of the time came, God sent
forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law. (Galatians 4:4)
Comment: The Divine Son of God was also the Son of Man, born by the Spirit
of a woman and so fully God and fully Man, His perfect Humanity being
necessaryso that He could abolish the enmity in His physical flesh and free us
from our sins by the New Covenant in His blood.
Barnes writes "By the sacrifice ofhis body on the cross. It was not by
instruction merely; it was not by communicating the knowledge ofGod; it was
not as a teacher;it was not by the mere exertion of power;it was by his flesh--
his human nature--and this can mean only that he did it by his sacrifice of
himself. It is such language as is appropriate to the doctrine of the atonement-
-not indeed teaching it directly--but still such as one would use who believed
that doctrine, and such as no other one would employ. Who would now say of
a moral teacherthat he accomplishedan important result by his flesh? Who
would say of a man that was instrumental in reconciling his contending

neighbors, that he did it by his flesh?… No man would have ever used this
language who did not believe that Jesus died as a sacrifice for sin. (Albert
Barnes. Barnes NT Commentary).
Enmity (2189)(echthra from echthros = enemy, hostile) means hostility, a
reasonfor opposition, enmity, hatred. Enmity suggestspositive hatred which
may be open or concealedwhereashostility suggestsan enmity showing itself
in attacks oraggression.
Echthra - 6x in 6v - Luke 23:12;Rom 8:7; Gal 5:20; Eph 2:14, 16;Jas 4:4
Echthra is that spirit that looks with evil suspicionon anyone of a different
race, tongue, nation, or creed. It is the “attitude of heart and mind that puts
up barriers and draws the sword,” but Christ has brokendown the barrier
and has taught us to love those who are “hostile”.
Here enmity refers to the personaland national prejudice and exclusiveness
betweenJews and Gentiles a result primarily of the separating influence of
the Mosaic legalsystem. Christ abolished this at Calvary effecting a great
reconciliationand uniting hostile members of the human family. Christ, the
prophesied Prince of peace, is the world’s only hope of lasting peace!Let us
therefore "pray for the peace ofJerusalem", realizing this is a prayer in
essenceforour Lord to return. Maranatha!
Regarding enmity Barnes explains that "The idea is, that the ceremoniallaw
of the Jews, onwhich they so much prided themselves, was the cause of the
hostility existing betweenthem. That made them different people, and laid the
foundation for the alienationwhich existed betweenthem. They had different
laws;different institutions; a different, religion. The Jews lookedupon
themselves as the favorites of Heaven, and as in possessionof the knowledge of
the only way of salvation;the Gentiles regardedtheir laws with contempt, and
lookedupon the peculiar institutions with scorn. When Christ came, and
abolishedby his death their peculiar ceremoniallaws, ofcourse the cause of
this alienationceased. (Albert Barnes. Barnes NT Commentary)
John Eadie writes that the enmity betweenJew and Gentile was "hatred
which rose like a party wall, and keptboth races at a distance. Deephostility

lay in their bosoms;the Jew lookeddown with supercilious contempt upon the
Gentile, and the Gentile reciprocatedand scowledupon the Jew as a haughty
and heartless bigot. Ample evidence is afforded of this mutual alienation.
Insolent scornof the Gentiles breaks out in many parts of the New Testament
(Acts 11:3, 22:22;1Thess. 2:15), while the pages of classicliterature show how
fully the feeling was repaid. This rancor formed of necessitya middle wallof
partition, but Jesus, Who is our Peace, hathbroken it down. (John Eadie, D.,
LL.D. The Epistle of St Paul to the Ephesians - Online)
WHICH IS THE LAW OF COMMANDMENTS CONTAINEDIN
ORDINANCES:ton nomon ton entolon en dogmasinkatargesas, (AAPMSN):
Galatians 3:10; Colossians 2:14,20;Heb 7:16; 8:13; 9:9,10,23;10:1-10
Note that order of words in the Greek is "the enmity in his flesh, the law of
the commands in ordinances having done away" which signifies that our Lord
abolishedthe Law by His death on the Cross.
Law (3551)(nomos)in its primary meaning relates to that which is conceived
as standard or generallyrecognizedrules of civilized conduct.
Vincent has this note…
The law, etc., depends in construction on having abolished, and is not in
apposition with the enmity, as A. V. The middle wall of partition, the enmity,
was dissolvedby the abolition of the law of commandments. Construe in His
flesh with having abolished. Law is general, and its contents are defined by
commandments, specialinjunctions, which injunctions in turn were
formulated in definite decrees. Renderthe entire passage:brake down the
middle-wall of partition, even the enmity, by abolishing in His flesh the law of
commandments contained in ordinances (Ephesians 2)

Commandments (1785)(entole from entellomai= order, give commandments)
is most common of the words meaning commandment, stressing the authority
of the one commanding, while éntalma (G1778), a religious commandment,
stressesthe thing commanded. It refers to law in general.
Contained is added by the translators for continuity.
Ordinances (1378)(dogma from dokéo = to think) refers to a fixed and
authoritative decisionor requirement (see the "decree" [dogma]of the
emperors in Lu 2:1, Acts 17:7).
NIDNTT writes that in classic Greekdogma "stems from the verb dokeo
(think, suppose, imagine, conclude), and means opinion, conclusion, belief. It
occurs only 3 times in the pre-Socratic writers and always in connectionwith
Pythagoras. FromXenophon onwards in the fourth cent. B.C. it has the
following meanings: (1) opinion (in ordinary speech);(2) a doctrine (in
philosophy, e.g. Epicurus, De rerum natura, 14, 1, 15 and 28); (3) a decree of
God (in religious writers); (4) a decree, ordinance, edict (in official language,
with the emphasis on public promulgation). (See Arndt, 200.)… Where dogma
is used in a general, secularsense as anofficial, public decree, it has only
indirect theologicalsignificance… With the death of Christ, the law with all its
commandments and ordinances “is removed from the world as a factorin
salvation”… The use of dogma is, therefore, all the more surprising when
used in a positive sense (cf. above OT) for teaching that is binding on the
whole church. Acts 16:4 lays the foundation for the idea of dogma as an
ecclesiasticaldecree, requiring intellectual assent. It runs the risk of turning
the gospelofChrist into legalism. On the other hand, the pressure from the
Judaizers forced the Jerusalemcouncil to take a stance in defining their
attitude. The dogmata of the council were in fact decrees proclaiming liberty
within a defined area rather than a series oftight restrictions. (Brown, Colin,
Editor. New International Dictionaryof NT Theology. 1986.Zondervan)
TDNT sums up dogma…
The basic meaning is “what seems to be right”: a. “opinion,” b. “principle,” c.
“resolution,” d. “decree,” ande. “the law.” The verb means “to affirm an
opinion,” “to establish a decree,” “to publish an edict.”

1. In the NT sense d. occurs in Lk. 2:1; Acts 17:7; Heb. 11:23
2. In Colossians 2:14 (note) the reference might be to the new edict of God but
in 2:20 we definitely have legalordinances (sense e.), so that the real point in
2:14 is that Christ has canceledthese. Eph. 2:15 carries a similar reference to
the ordinances of the law.
3. In Acts 16:4 the term is used for the resolutions of the apostolic council. The
apostolic fathers then adopt the term for the teachings ofJesus. (Kittel, G.,
Friedrich, G., & Bromiley, G. W. TheologicalDictionaryof the New
Testament. Eerdmans)
Dogma refers to a formal statementconcerning rules or regulations that are
to be observed-- the idea is a formalized sets of rules which might refer to an
ordinance, a decisionor a command. This is the primary meaning of dogma in
Ephesians 2:15. Dogma thus refers to the rules and requirements of the law of
Moses,in this verse specificallyreferring to the "ceremoniallaws" or
ordinances covering the various aspects ofthe Jewishfeasts, sacrifices,
offerings, laws of cleanliness and purification, and all other such distinctive
outward commandments for the unique separationof Israelfrom the nations.
Paul is saying that "in His flesh" on the Cross, Jesus abolishedormade to no
effectthese dogma.
Decree (Webster)= an order usually having the force of law; a religious
ordinance enactedby council or titular head; An edict or law made by a
council for regulating any business within their jurisdiction. In general, an
order, edict or law made by a superior as a rule to govern inferiors (Luke 2:1)
Dogma is used of certain decrees ofthe apostles relative to right living (see
Acts 16:4)
Dogma canrefer to something that is taught as an establishedtenetor
statementof belief (dogma).
Dogma was especiallyusedin ancient Rome to describe the public decrees of
the RomanSenate.

Dogma is used 5 times in the NT and is translated: decree, 1; decrees,3;
ordinances, 1. Dogma is found in the Septuagint (LXX) only in Daniel(Da
2:13; 3:10, 12, 29;4:6; 6:8ff, 12f, 15, 26)
Luke 2:1 Now in those days a decree went out from CaesarAugustus, that a
census be takenof all the inhabited earth.
Acts 16:4 Now while they were passing through the cities, they were delivering
the decrees whichhad been decidedupon by the apostles andelders who were
in Jerusalem, for them to observe.
Acts 17:7 and Jasonhas welcomedthem, and they all actcontrary to the
decrees ofCaesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus."
Ephesians 2:15 by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of
commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make
the two into one new man, thus establishing peace,
Colossians 2:14-note having canceledoutthe certificate of debt consisting of
decrees againstus, which was hostile to us; and He has takenit out of the way,
having nailed it to the cross.
The law consistedof decrees orcommands. Dogma is used for God’s laws and
the external precepts of the Mosaic Law. It referred to a legalobligation
which was a binding law or edict which was placedon a public place for all to
see.
In English, dogma means something held as an establishedopinion; a definite
authoritative tenet; code of authoritative tenets; doctrine or body of doctrines
concerning faith or morals formally statedand authoritatively proclaimed by
a church -- if one is "dogmatic" he is unduly and offensivelypositive in laying
down principles and expressing opinions
In the late Judaism of the first century AD, Philo and Josephus understood
the Mosaic law as a system of holy tenets, referred to as the dogmata of a
divine philosophy. As the most exalted of all systems, it was superior to the
doctrines of the rest of ancient philosophy.

The Law of Moses was a single legislative code whichwas in turn composedof
separate, formalcommandments, which in turn consistedofdogmas or
decrees covering many, if not most, areas of life.
The Law did set up Israel as God’s chosenearthly people, but unfortunately
many Jews became arrogantand treated Gentiles with contempt. The Gentiles
responded with deep hostility, known all too well as anti-Semitism. And yes, it
still exists even in the Church of Jesus Christ!.
Wayne Barberexplains what was abolishedwriting that…
The Law was divided into the moral law and the ceremoniallaw. He didn’t
abolish the moral law. That has always beenhere and is fulfilled when we
obey the Lord Jesus Christ(eg, Mt 5:18, 19-seenotes Mt 5:18; 5:19). The
moral law says that we love God with all of our heart and our mind and our
strength, and we are to love one another (Ro 13:9, 10-see notes Ro 13:9;
13:10). That is always there and is morally built in. He did not make that
obsolete. He did not make that ineffective. What He did do was to render
ineffective the ceremoniallaw. It says here, the "commandments contained in
ordinances". In other words, what He did was put religion to death. No longer
could the Jew say, "Oh, I sacrifice. I go to the Temple. I worship on the
Sabbath. I do this. I do that. God loves me more than He loves you." Oh, no.
He took all the external stuff and threw it out. He says, "Now there is only one
way to God, and that’s through Me. You can’t work your way up the ladder."
(Ephesians 2:15-18 Christ the Author of Our Peace - 2)
John MacArthur has some instructive comments on this sectionwriting
that…
The greatestbarrierbetweenJew and Gentile was the ceremoniallaw, the
Law of commandments contained in ordinances. The feasts, sacrifices,
offerings, laws of cleanliness and purification, and all other such distinctive
outward commandments for the unique separationof Israelfrom the nations
were abolished. That God’s moral law was not abolishedis clearfrom the
phrase containedin ceremonies. His moral law reflects His own holy nature
and therefore can never change (cf. Matt. 5:17, 18, 19)… All the ceremonial
laws which distinguished and separatedJews fromGentiles were obliterated.

Before Christ those groups could not eattogetherbecause ofrestricted foods,
required washings, and ceremonialcontamination. Now they could eat
anything with anyone. Before Christ they could not worship together. A
Gentile could not fully worship in the JewishTemple, and a Jew would not
worship in a pagan temple. In Christ they now worshipedtogetherand needed
no temple or other sacredplace to sanctify it. All ceremonialdistinctions and
requirements were removed (cf. Acts 10:9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16; 11:17, 18;
Col. 2:16, 17), (MacArthur, J: Ephesians. Chicago:Moody Press)
SO THAT IN HIMSELF HE MIGHT MAKE THE TWO INTO ONE NEW
MAN: hina tous duo ktise (3SAAS) en auto eis ena kainonanthropon:
Colossians 1:22;Hebrews 10:19, 20, 21, 22
Galatians 3:10; Colossians 2:14, 20;Hebrews 7:16; 8:13; 9:9,10,23;10:1-10
Ep 4:16; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 6:15;Colossians 3:10
So that (2443)(hina) introduces a purpose clause.
In Himself - He is the medium or means of reconciliation.
Make - more literally "create".This work was a new creationon a new
foundation with the cornerstone being Christ Himself.
He might make (2936)(ktizo) was a word meaning to create something out of
nothing such as God in the act of creationof the universe, but in the present
context referring to a spiritual creation, the church, an entity that had never
existed prior to this time. In fact, there is no mention of the church in the Old
Testament, although many commentators who espouse a non-literal
interpretation of Scripture, have wrongly interpreted many of the promises
God specificallygave to Israelas being applicable to the church.

Paul had just used the same verb, ktizo, pointing to the saints, eachone
representing God's new creation in Christ.
For we are His workmanship, created(ktizo) in Christ Jesus for goodworks,
which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (see note
Ephesians 2:10)
Paul uses ktizo two more times in Ephesians, the first referring to God's
creationof the universe…
To me, the very leastof all saints, this grace was given, to preachto the
Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, and to bring to light what is the
administration of the mystery which for ages has beenhidden in God, who
created(ktizo) all things (see notes Ephesians 3:8, 3:9)
(Paul instructs the Ephesiansaints to) put on the new self, which in the
likeness ofGod has been created(ktizo) in righteousness and holiness of the
truth. (see note Ephesians 4:24)
Two (1417)(duo) is the cardinal number 2 here referring to the "duo" of Jew
and Gentile now joined together.
One (1520)(heis) is the cardinal numeral one and in this verse defines that
which is united as one in contrastto being divided or consisting of separate
parts. Heis speaks ofoneness, unity and identity, Jew and Gentile united in
position and privilege. Now race and national distinctions disappear as Paul
explained to the Galatians writing that…
There is neither Jew nor Greek (Gentile), there is neither slave nor free man,
there is neither male nor female;for you are all one (heis) in Christ Jesus.
(Galatians 3:28)
New (2537)(kainos)means new in kind or quality, unprecedented, unheard
of, new in sense that it brings into the world a new quality of thing which did
not exist before.
Net Bible Notes - In this context the author is not referring to a new
individual, but instead to a new corporate entity united in Christ… This is
clearfrom the comparisonmade betweenthe Gentiles and Israel in the

immediately preceding verses and the assertionin Ephesians 2:14 that Christ
“made both groups into one.” This is a different metaphor than the “new
man” of Eph 4:24; in that passagethe “new man” refers to the new life a
believer has through a relationship to Christ. (The NET Bible Notes. Biblical
Studies Press)
Kainos signifies qualitatively new in contrastto néos which indicates
temporally new or new with respectto age. Neosis new simply in point of
time; a thing which is neos has come into existence recently, but there may
well have been thousands of the same thing in existence before. A pencil
produced in the factory this week is neos, but there already exist millions
exactly like it. Kainos on the other hand is new in point of quality, new in
sense that it brings into the world a new quality of thing which did not exist
before.
In the present contextthe thing which had never existedwas believing Jew
and believing Gentile togetheras one entity.
In rabbinic Judaism, a pagan Gentile coming to know God is thought of as if
he had been createdby whoeverhelped him to attain knowledge ofGod
Kainos denotes the new and miraculous condition that is emphasized
especiallyin the church age. Thus we see kainos as a key term in
eschatologicalstatements --the new heaven and earth in Rev 21:1; 2Pe 3:13-
note, new Jerusalemin Rev 3:12; 21:2, new wine in Mk 14:25, the new name
in Rev 2:17; 3:12, the new song in Rev 5:9, the new creationin Rev 21:5. This
new creation, which is the goalof hope, finds expressionin Christian life
(2Cor5:17). The new aeonhas come with Christ. In him Jews and Gentiles
are one new man (Eph 2:15). Believers are to put on the new nature that they
are given (Ep 4:24-note). God’s saving will is workedout in the promised new
covenantthat Jesus has established(Lk 22:20;1Cor11:25; He 8:8-notes.;He
9:15-note). This is a better covenant(He 7:22-note), infallible (Hebrews 8:7),
everlasting (Heb 13:20-note), grounded on higher promises (He 8:6-note). The
fact that the old and the new cannot be mixed (Mk. 2:21, 22) stressesthe
element of distinctiveness. The new commandment of love has its basis in
Christ’s own love (Jn 13:34).

One new man - Corporatelynot individually. In other words, this truth in this
context refers to Christ's body, the church, which is in turn composedof
individual new creations in Christ (cf 2Cor5:17). Note that God is not making
a new world, but a new man. God makes no attempt to improve world
conditions by repairing the old systems, but He replaces the old, earthly
nationalisms by a new order whose citizenship is of heaven.
Paul summed up this new entity (one new man) when he said,
“Forthere is no distinction betweenJew and Greek;for the same Lord is
Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who callupon Him; for ‘Whoever will
call upon the name of the Lord will be saved’” (Ro 10:12-13).
MacDonaldexplains that…
The church is new in the sense that it is a kind of organismthat never existed
before. It is important to see this. The NT church is not a continuation of the
Israelof the OT. It is something entirely distinct from anything that has
precededit or that will ever follow it. This should be apparent from the
following:
1. It is new that a Gentile should have equal rights and privileges with a Jew.
2. It is new that both Jews andGentiles should lose their national identities by
becoming Christians.
3. It is new that Jews andGentiles should be fellow members of the Body of
Christ.
4. It is new that a Jew should have the hope of reigning with Christ instead of
being a subject in His kingdom.
5. It is new that a Jew should no longer be under the law.
The church is clearlya new creation, with a distinct calling and a distinct
destiny, occupying a unique place in the purposes of God. (MacDonald, W &
Farstad, A. Believer's Bible Commentary: Thomas Nelson)
Clement of Alexandria wrote

“We who worship God in a new way, as the third race, are Christians.”
The Epistle of Diogenescalls believers “this new race.”
In Christ there is no Eastor West,
In Him no South or North,
But one great fellowshipof love
Throughout the whole wide earth.
John Oxenham
Chrysostomgives a striking illustration…
"Let us imagine that there are two statues, one of silver and the other of lead,
and then that both shall be melted down, and the two shall come out gold. So
thus He has made the two one.”
Eadie explains one new man this way…
One new man—both races being now enabled to realize the true end of
humanity; Gentile and Jew not so joined that old privilege is merely divided
among them. The Gentile is not elevatedto the positionof the Jew—a position
which he might have obtained by becoming a proselyte under the law; but Jew
and Gentile togetherare both raised to a higher platform than the
circumcisionever enjoyed. The Jew profits by the repealof the law, as well as
the Gentile. Now he needs to provide no sacrifice, forthe One victim has bled;
the fires of the altar may be smothered, for the Lamb of God has been
offered; the priest, throwing off his sacredvestments, may retire to weepover
a torn veil and shattered temple, for Jesus has passedthrough the heaven
“into the presence ofGod for us;” the waterof the “brazen sea” may be
poured out, for believers enjoy the washing of regeneration;and the lamps of
the goldencandelabrum have flickeredand died, for the church enjoys the
enlightening influences of the Holy Spirit. Spiritual blessing in itself, and not
merely pictured in type, is possessedby the Jew as well as the Gentile. (John
Eadie, D., LL.D. The Epistle of St Paul to the Ephesians - Online)
THUS ESTABLISHING PEACE:poion (PAPMSN)eirenen:

Ep 4:16; 2Cor5:17; Gal 6:15; Col3:10
Establishing (4160)(poieo)means to make or produce. The present tense
speaks ofthe continual effectto make peace betweenJew and Gentile at all
times and seasons becausethe barriers that separatedthem have been torn
down at the Cross. All are on equal footing at the foot of His Cross.
Peace (1515)(eirene from the verb eiro = to bind or join togetherwhat is
broken or divided) means in essenceto setat one againor join togetherthat
which is separated. In secularGreek eirene describedthe cessationorabsence
of war. Christ has establishedpeace betweenJew and Gentile by removing the
cause ofhostility, by imparting a new Spirit indwelt nature, and by creating a
new union, the body of Christ. The Cross ofChrist is God’s answerto racial
discrimination, segregation, anti-Semitism, bigotry, and every form of strife
betweenmen. Paul relates this same truth in Colossiansaffirming that the
saints have…
put on the new self who is being renewedto a true knowledge according to the
image of the One who createdhim--a renewalin which there is no distinction
betweenGreek and Jew, circumcisedand uncircumcised, barbarian,
Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all. (see notes Colossians
3:10, 3:11) - see especially
Lightfoot paraphrases (Col 3:11) as follows “Christis all things and in all
things. Christ has dispossessedandobliterated all distinctions of religious
prerogative and intellectual preeminence and socialcaste;Christ has
substituted Himself for all these;Christ occupies the whole sphere of human
life and permeates all its developments.” (Lightfoot).
Hendriksen sums "Christ is all and in all" (Col 3:11) commenting that
"Christ, as the all-sufficient Lord and Savior, is all that matters. His Spirit-
mediated indwelling in all believers, of whateverracial-religious, cultural, or

socialbackgroundthey be, guarantees the creationand gradualperfection in
eachand in all of “the new man, who is being renewedfor full knowledge
according to the image of him who createdhim.” Thus, most appropriately,
the very theme of the entire letter, namely, “Christ, the Pre-eminent One, the
Only and All-Sufficient Savior,” climaxes this passage."(Hendriksen, W., &
Kistemaker, S. J. New TestamentCommentary Set, 12 Volumes. Grand
Rapids: BakerBook House)
Wayne Barberhas an interesting discussionof what Jesus did when He
abolished"in His flesh the enmity"…
The word "abolished" is katargeo.Thatis the word that means to make
useless, to render ineffective. He gave them a brand new way. Jesus abolished
the Law.
He said it was an enmity. The word "enmity" here in this context means the
cause ofenmity. What was the cause of enmity betweenthe Jew and the
Gentile? It was their Laws and their observances,whichthey thought made
them more spiritual than anybody else and had become their source ofpride.
Jesus put an end to the cause ofthe hatred that existed betweenthe Jews and
the Gentiles. How did He do it?
It says, "by abolishing in His flesh the enmity" There are two things that are
brought into that.
First, by living a sinless life, Jesus fulfilled the Law, which no man could do.
Once He fulfilled it, He was qualified to take it from there…
For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did:
sending His ownSon in the likeness ofsinful flesh and as an offering for sin,
He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the requirement of the Law
might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according
to the Spirit. (See notes Romans 8:3; 8:4)
Not only that, when He took sin upon Himself, He satisfiedthe curse of the
Law. He became a curse for us.
"CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE " [Gal3:13]"

The Scripture says. The curse of the Law was satisfied, therefore, rendering
the Law ineffective when a person comes to Jesus Christ[Ro 7:1-6]. The
person who rejects Jesus is guilty of all points of the Law. If a person comes to
Christ, the Law has no effectwhatsoeverin his life to ever condemn him
again. In Christ we find the fulfillment of that Law [Ro 8:3-4]. We find what
we are looking for, that is the oneness thatwe need with God.
In effect, what Jesus did when He came He lived the sinless life and went to
the cross andmade the Law obsolete and rendered it ineffective. What He also
accomplisheddid was that He took all the Jewishcustoms ("the dividing
walls")and all the Jewishobservances and made them useless. Jesusput an
end to external religion and replacedit with an internal relationship with the
Father through Himself.
When He establishedpeace, the Jew could not say, "Ah, but we honor the
Sabbath." Jesus says, "WhatSabbath?" "Oh, we have a dividing wall." Jesus
would say, "Whatdividing wall?" The Gentiles on one hand ended paganism
when they came to Christ, and the Jews had to end "religionism" when they
came to Christ. You see, sin is sin. All of the external things they were doing
that separatedthem from the Gentiles made them feel that pride that God put
to death on the cross. He has brought in something now that is absolutely
brand new. He removed the barriers to our peace.
But do you know what people have done? They don’t want to relate to Jesus
and have peace with Him. Therefore, they come up with the exactsame thing
the Jews did. If you want to know what you are like in the flesh and what I am
like in the flesh, study Israel. They are a picture of the vine of flesh in the Old
Testament. Theyhad to have everything external. They had no internal
relationship with God. God said, "I have come in and made a new order. I
didn’t raise the Gentiles up to the level of the Jews. I didn’t lowerthe Jews to
the level of the Gentiles. I raisedthem both up into a brand new man, brand
new to this world. The world doesn’t have a clue about us."
If you will think about it, some of the biggestproblems we will ever face as a
church are organizationalproblems. They will be external things that have
nothing to do with the Word of God. I am going to tell you something, folks.

May God deliver us from ever having the shacklesofwhat this world does to
govern what people think the church of Jesus Christ is. We are not an
organization. We are an organism, which by necessityorganizes itself. We are
not here for the sake oforganization. We are here for the sake ofthe
organism, the body of Jesus. Folks, that means God could care less about how
many people we have in Sunday Schoolif we are not living daily that internal
relationship with Him. Watchus in the conflicts of life. Watchhow we raise
our children. Watch how we deal when things go wrong in our family. Listen,
I would rather have somebodywho didn’t have a clue about how to organize
but who was filled with the Holy Spirit of Godand exemplified the character
of Jesus in everything that he did.
That’s what Jesus did. He raisedus out of this thing. He took away
"religionism" from the Jew, paganismfrom the Gentile and raised us up to a
brand new standard, a person who is a mystery to this world; a person filled
with the Spirit of God, a personwho has a divine relationship who walks in
peace with God. As a result of that, he walks in peace with men. If you are not
living in that relationship of grace whicheffects peace, then you have a
contentious relationship with someone, and that contention is tied to that
which Jesus made obsolete onthe cross.
If you’ve gotcontention in your heart towards anybody, the key is very clear.
Jesus has come to be the very essenceofyour peace with God. He is the
enabler of your peace with man. You can’t come to me. You had better go to
Him and getit right with Him [Ro 12:14,17-21]. Once youget it right with
Him, He will enable you to get it right with man. It never says man will getit
back right with you. Oh, he may spit in your face. Jesus died forgiving all
men, and some people still spit in His face. It is a cycle that goes full circle. But
we are to forgive one another and be at peace with one another. Why?
BecauseJesus is the essenceofour peace with God, the enabler of our peace
with man. (CHRIST, THE AUTHOR OF OUR PEACE, PT 1)
Ephesians 2:16 and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the
cross, by it having put to death the enmity. (NASB: Lockman)

Greek:kaiapokatallaxe (3SAAS)tous amphoterous en eni somati to theo dia
tou staurou, apokteinas (AAPMSN)ten echthran en auto.
Amplified: And [He designed] to reconcile to Godboth [Jew and Gentile,
united] in a single body by means of His cross, thereby killing the mutual
enmity and bringing the feud to an end. (Amplified Bible - Lockman)
NET:and to reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by
which the hostility has been killed. (NET Bible)
NLT: Togetheras one body, Christ reconciledboth groups to God by means
of his death, and our hostility toward eachother was put to death. (NLT -
Tyndale House)
Phillips: For he reconciledboth to God by the sacrifice ofone body on the
cross, and by this actmade utterly irrelevant the antagonismbetweenthem.
(Phillips: Touchstone)
Wuest: and in order that He might reconcile the both in one body to God
through the Cross, having put to death the enmity by it,
Young's Literal: and might reconcile both in one body to Godthrough the
cross, having slain the enmity in it,
AND MIGHT RECONCILE THEM BOTHIN ONE BODY TO GOD: kai
apokatallaxe (3SAAS)tous amphoterous en eni somatito theo:
Romans 5:10; 2Corinthians 5:18, 19, 20, 21; Colossians 1:21, 22
RECONCILIATION
OF JEWS & GENTILES
Might reconcile (604)(apokatallassofrom apó = from or state to be left behind
+ katallasso= reconcile <> from katá = an intensifier + allásso = change <>) is

an intensified reconciliation(strongerthan katallasso)and pictures the total,
complete, and full restorationof the relationship of disturbed peace. One
might paraphrase it that Christ "might reconcile thoroughly them both."
The idea inherent in reconcile is to take enemies and change them to friends.
From…
Enemy
To
Amity!
Vincent remarks that "The verb contains a hint of restorationto a primal
unity."
Donald Barnhouse on the Greek idea of reconcile - The Greek word
translated “reconciled” comes fromthe world of the moneychanger. If you
give two dimes and a nickelin exchange for a quarter, or vice versa, you have
made an equal exchange. This was the original meaning of the word as used
by Aristotle and others. Later the word was used for the adjustment of a
difference in business dealings, and finally for a difference betweentwo
personalities who had become estranged. The transition from the material to
the emotionaland psychologicalwasmade, and the word was usedas in
Shakespeare’sRichardIII: “I desire to reconcile me to his friendly peace.”
(See the full messageRomans 5:9-10 Reconciliation)
S Lewis Johnson illustrates reconciliationwriting that…
When we think of an illustration in the New Testament, one of the
illustrations that comes to my mind is the parable of the forgiving father,
often calledthe parable of the prodigal son(See Luke 15:11-32). Butthe
important personin the parable is not the son, the important personis the
father. That’s the way we do, we tend to want to look at things so selfishly that
by the time we read one of the Lord’s parables we’ve turned it around and
made it something else. In the parable of the forgiving father, the father with
the two sons, one of whom is the prodigal and the other is the one who stayed
at home, in that parable, the climax of the parable is when the father sees the

son finally returning, and races downthe road in order to fall upon his neck.
It’s Jesus Christ’s picture of God. And the picture of the return of the
prodigal, who forgives beforehand – who has already forgiven – is the picture
of the reconciliationof the Jew to God and the Gentile to God, and of both
togetherto the Lord God.
“Thathe might reconcile both to one God in one body.”
We often think of God as a God Who requires that we do certain things before
he will love us. But that is so foolish. The Bible does not presentto us a God
before whom we must do certain things in order for Him to love us. The Bible
presents a God Who has loved us before, and has given the Sonas the
redeeming sacrifice in order to save His people. Sometimes we sing Wesley’s
“Arise my Soul, Arise (if this up tempo version of Charles Wesley's 1742
hymn doesn't put a song in your heart, I don't know what will!).” It has a
stanza that goes,
“My God is reconciled, his pardoning voice I hear.” (play)
Occasionally, in order to stress the factthat it is not God Who needs
reconciliationbut man who needs reconciliation– you’ll notice the text in
verse 16 says “and that he might reconcile both unto God,” – we changedthe
first line of the hymn,
“To God I’m reconciled, his pardoning voice I hear.”
I think that’s much more harmonious with Scripture. (pdf)
The Greeks spokeofpeople in opposition to eachother being “reconciled” or
being made friends again. When people change from being at enmity with
eachother to being at peace, they are said to be reconciled. The root verb
katallassomeantto legally reconcile two disputing parties in court and in the
New Testamentis used of a believer’s reconciliationwith God through Jesus
Christ.
See Reconciliation- From Enmity to Amity for numerous illustrations and
stories regarding the powerful truth of reconciliation, not only betweenGod
and men, but betweenmen and men.

Reconciliationtakessomeonewho is hostile towards someone else,and
changes that into a friendly relationship. This word means to change
thoroughly. The double use of prepositions as prefixes (apo, kata)emphasizes
the totality of the reconciliation.
There are only 2 other uses of apokatallassoin the NT, Colossians 1:20 and
1:22…
Colossians 1:18 (see notes)He is also head of the body, the church; and He is
the beginning, the first-born from the dead; so that He Himself might come to
have first place in everything. 19 For it was the Father's goodpleasure for all
the fulness to dwell in Him, 20 and through Him to reconcile allthings to
Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross;through Him, I
say, whether things on earth or things in heaven. 21 And although you were
formerly alienatedand hostile in mind, engagedin evil deeds, 22 yet He has
now reconciledyou in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you
before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach-- 23 if indeed you
continue in the faith firmly establishedand steadfast, and not moved away
from the hope of the gospelthat you have heard, which was proclaimed in all
creationunder heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.
It is important to emphasize that God never neededto be reconciledto man
because He never hated us. God so loved the world that He sentHis only
begottenSon. Sinful man howeverwas separatedfrom and hostile toward
God and neededto be reconciledto Him. The work of Christ on the cross
provided a righteous basis by which hateful sinners could be brought into His
presence as friends! Amazing love!
And Can It Be?
And can it be that I should gain —
An interestin the Savior’s blood? —
Died He for me, who causedHis pain— —
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be, —

That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me? —
Amazing love! How can it be, —
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
(Charles Wesley- play hymn - beautiful chorale version)
Vincent also comments that "The compounded preposition apo gives the force
of back, hinting at restorationto a primal unity… (Writing on the rootword
katallassoVincentsays) “The verb (katallasso)means primarily to exchange,
and hence to change the relationof hostile parties into a relation of peace;to
reconcile. It is used of both mutual and one-sidedenmity. In the former case,
the contextmust show on which side is the active enmity. In the Christian
sense, the change in the relation of God and man effectedthrough Christ. This
involves (1) a movement of God toward man with a view to break down man’s
hostility, to commend God’s love and holiness to him, and to convince him of
the enormity and the consequence ofsin. It is God who initiates this
movement in the person and work of Jesus Christ. See Ro 5:6, 8; 2Cor5:18,
19 Eph 1:6 1Jn 4:19). Hence the passive form of the verb here: we were made
subjects of God’s reconciling act. (2) a corresponding movement on man’s
part toward God; yielding to the appealof Christ’s self-sacrificing love, laying
aside his enmity, renouncing his sin, and turning to God in faith and
obedience. (3) a consequentchange ofcharacterin man: the covering,
forgiving, cleansing of his sin; a thorough revolution in all his dispositions and
principles. (4) a corresponding change ofrelation on God’s part, that being
removed which alone rendered Him hostile to man, so that God can now
receive him into fellowship and let loose upon him all His fatherly love and
grace (1Jn1:3, v7). Thus there is complete reconciliation.” (WordStudies)
Apokatallassopictures the bringing together of friends who have been
estranged. ThroughChrist, man's enmity towardGod is changedto one of
friendship, and the enmity of Jew and Gentile for eachother also is changed
from hostility to friendship.
Wuest has an interesting thought writing that "The verb, apokatallasso,
because ofits prefixed prepositionapo which gives it the force of back, hints

at a restorationto a primal unity, that unity being the unity of the human race
before God brought in the Jew as a separate and distinct nation, not
numbered amongstthe other nations. That is, Jew and Gentile in Christ Jesus,
restoredto a primal unity where there was neither Jew nor Gentile, are now
reconciledto God… The “enmity” of Ephesians 2:15 is defined in its context
as that betweenJew and Gentile, for the purpose of God was to reconcile these
two. The “enmity” of Ephesians 2:16 is that betweenthe sinner and God, for
His purpose was to reconcile both Jew and Gentile in one body to Himself.
Barnes writes that "This was another of the effects ofthe work of redemption,
and indeed the main effect. It was not merely to make them harmonious, but
it was that both, who had been alienatedfrom God, should be reconciledto
him. This was a different effect from that of producing peace between
themselves, though in some sense the one grew out of the other. They who are
reconciledto God will be at peace with eachother. They will feel that they are
of the same family, and are all brethren. (Albert Barnes. Barnes NT
Commentary)
Both (297)(amphoteros from ámpho = both, the two) refers to eachof two.
One (1520)(heis) means united as one in contrastto divided. So not only does
the Cross ofChrist effectreconciliationbetweenJew and Gentile but also of
both of these groups of believers to God.
KJV Bible Commentary notes that "Previously there had been a state of
alienation, estrangement, and enmity, but there has been a change of relations
both Godwardand manward. Christ has harmonized both the factionaland
the fractionaldivisions of mankind. (KJV Bible Commentary: Nelson)
Body (4983) (soma)refers to the organized whole made up of the parts. In this
case it refers to the church, Christ's bride and spiritual body, composedof
believing Jews and Gentiles.
Ephesians gives more attention to and makes loftier statements about the
church than any other letter, despite the factthat the specific Greek wordfor
church (ekklesia)occurs only three times outside the husband-wife analogyin
Ephesians 5.

A T Robertsonrightly observes that in this sectionofEphesians "Paulpiles up
metaphors (see note) to express his idea of the Kingdom of God with Christ as
King (the church, the body, the commonwealthof Israel, oneness, one new
man in Christ, fellow-citizens, the family of God, the temple of God)." (Word
Pictures)
THROUGH THE CROSS:dia tou staurou:
Ep 2:15; Romans 6:6; 8:3,7; Galatians 2:20; Colossians 2:14;1Peter4:1,2
Through (1223)(dia) speaks ofthe instrument (in this case the Cross)through
which a result was effectedor brought to pass. It is through the working of the
cross in the lives of individuals that God transforms them from being enemies
to friends. The response that we have to that is the response ofgratitude.
When I Survey the Wondrous Cross
by Isaac Watts
(play this powerful vocalversion by Kathryn Scott)
When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richestgain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.
Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ my God!
All the vain things that charm me most,

I sacrifice them to His blood.
See from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e’ersuch love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?
His dying crimson, like a robe,
Spreads o’er His body on the tree;
Then I am dead to all the globe,
And all the globe is dead to me.
Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.
Cross (4716)(stauros)is and upright pointed stake oftenintersectedby a
crossbeam. Before the manner of Jesus’deathcausedthe cross to symbolize
the very heart of the Christian faith, the Greek word for cross referred
primarily to a pointed stake usedin rows to form the walls of a defensive
stockade.It also was originally an upright stake to which the corpse ofan
executedcriminal was bound for public display or on which the living body of
a condemned person was affixed to awaitdeath. Such stakescame to be
eventually fitted with crossbeams as instruments of humiliation, torture, and
executionfor persons convictedas enemies of the state (foreign soldiers, rebels
and spies, for example) or of civil criminals (such as robbers). Thus the Cross

came to refer to an instrument of capital punishment and as such was one of
the most dreadful and agonizing means of torture known.
The Cross was vieweda shameful, dishonorable mode of death among men.
This mode of punishment was knownto the Persians (Ezra 6:11; Esther 7:10)
and the Carthaginians. However, it was most common among the Romans
where it was used for punishing slaves and criminals. Crucifixion was
introduced among the Jews by the Romans. It was not abolished until the time
of Constantine who did so out of regard for Christianity. Persons sentencedto
be crucified were first scourgedand then made to bear their own crossbar
(not the whole cross)to the place of execution where an upright stake was
already in place. A label or title was usually placedon the chestof or over the
criminal. When the victim was affixed to the cross, he was stripped and
mocked. His arms were affixed to the crossbarwith ropes or nails, and the
crossbarwas then raisedand attachedto the upright stake. A small wooden
block attachedto the stake beneaththe buttocks supported the weight of the
suspended body, which was bound to the stake with ropes. Often the feet were
also affixed to the stake with ropes or nails. Becausedeterrence wasa primary
objective, the cross was always erectedin a public place. Death came slowly,
often only after severaldays, and resulted from the cumulative impact of
thirst, hunger, exhaustion, exposure, and the traumatic effects ofthe
scourging. After death the body was usually left hanging on the cross to decay
and become food for scavengers. Becauseofthe extreme pain, the protracted
suffering and the deep ignominy of this manner of execution, it was viewed by
the Romans as the supreme penalty, the ‘most wretchedof deaths’ wrote
Josephus, and was generallyreservedfor the lowestclassesand the most
heinous crimes. As you might imagine in the first century AD crucifixion
served as one of the strongestof deterrents againstrebellion, insurrection or
political agitationin the Roman provinces.
Paul explains that that on the Cross "Godwas in Christ reconciling
(katallasso)the world to Himself, not counting their trespassesagainstthem,
and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation." (2 Cor 5:19)
BY IT HAVING PUT TO DEATH THE ENMITY: apokteinas (AAPMSN)
ten echthran en auto:

Having put to death (615)(apokteino from apó = intensifies meaning + kteíno
= slay) means to kill outright or to put to death in any manner. To kill
someone results in a state of separation. The aorist tense speaks ofan
effective, completedaction in the past. Through Christ's Crucifixion, God
killed the enmity, utterly putting an end to this hostility that separatedmen
from eachother and from God.
Apokteino - 74xin 70v- kill(33), killed(29), killing(1), kills(5), put… to
death(2), put to death(4).
Matt 10:28; 14:5; 16:21;17:23; 21:35, 38f;22:6; 23:34, 37; 24:9; 26:4; Mark
3:4; 6:19; 8:31; 9:31; 10:34; 12:5, 7f; 14:1; Luke 9:22; 11:47ff; 12:4f; 13:4, 31,
34; 18:33;20:14f; John 5:18; 7:1, 19f, 25; 8:22, 37, 40;11:53; 12:10;16:2;
18:31;Acts 3:15; 7:52; 21:31;23:12, 14; 27:42;Rom 7:11; 11:3; 2 Cor 3:6;
Eph 2:16; 1 Thess 2:15;Rev 2:13, 23;6:8, 11;9:5, 15, 18, 20; 11:5, 7, 13;
13:10, 15;19:21
Enmity (2189)(echthra from echthros = enemy, hostile) means hostility, a
reasonfor opposition, enmity, hatred. Enmity suggestspositive hatred which
may be open or concealedwhereashostility suggestsan enmity showing itself
in attacks oraggression.
As Johnson explains…
Now when he says he has slain the enmity he means that the Lord Jesus has
takenupon Himself the judgment that the broken law required, that He has
paid to the full for the people of God. And that’s why the people of God go
free: their penalty has been paid. Therefore, heavencan exactno further
penalty, and we must remember that. Everything was procured for us by the
work of the Lord Jesus Christ – forgiveness ofsins, reconciliationto God,
propitiation for sins – all securedby the cross. (pdf)

Our Daily Bread - Just a Glimpse…
Travelers who drive across the flat landscape of Groom, Texas, are surprised
by an unexpected sight. Looming up againstthe sky is a cross 190 feethigh.
That giant symbol of the Christian faith was erectedby Steve Thomas in the
prayerful hope that the thoughts of anyone who sees it might be turned to
Jesus. Whenhis handiwork was finished and dedicated, he said, "We want
some converts out of this."
All Christians are grateful when a nonbeliever's attention is drawn to Jesus
Christ and the cross. The awarenessmay be fleeting, but who can predict
what even a split-secondreactionmay mean to an immortal soul? Suddenly a
sinful person may begin to wonder why Jesus died on the cross. This may
prompt him to seek answersfrom the Bible or from Christians he may know.
What about us as Christians? As we hurry along through life's often dreary
landscape, are we grateful for any reminder of our Father's love that sent His
Son to die? Through the cross, Jesus has reconciledus to Godand given us
His peace (Ephesians 2:14,16). Takesome time today to reflecton the meaning
of the cross, andlet it flood your heart with praise to the Savior. —Vernon C
Grounds (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI.
Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)
Once from the realms of infinite glory,
Downto the depths of our ruin and loss,
Jesus came, seeking—OLove's sweetstory—
Came to the manger, the shame, and the cross. —Strickland
To know the meaning of the cross, you must know the One who died there
Ephesians 2:11-15:CHRIST, THE AUTHOR OF OUR PEACE—PART 1

by Dr. Wayne Barber
Return to TOP of page
The title of this study is Christ, the Author of Our Peace. In our last study we
tried to understand where the Gentile nations came from. They were called
foreigners in the Old Testament. They were strangers. Thatword appears in
Isaiah. Then through the New Testamentwe find the word "Gentile." In verse
11, Paul writes,
"Therefore rememberthat formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh."
The word "Gentiles" is the word ethnos. It’s the word we getthe word
"ethnic" from. We getthe idea of different languages,different cultures, and
different peoples.
Of course, we know where that came from. The Gentile nations with all of
their languages came in Genesis 11. The world had repopulated after the
flood, and men had become very proud, due to the depravity of man. Sin had
entered through Adam. They got worse and worse. God, before the
foundation of the world, had already foreordained our salvation. He had
already planned. He knew what was going to take place. The Lamb was ready
even before the world was created. Man’s sin did not catchGod by surprise.
However, God scatteredthe people in Genesis 11.
Now you know why many of the liberal schools in our country want to get rid
of Genesis 1-11. If you knock out Genesis 1-11,you don’t have anything on
which to base the rest of scripture. Genesis 1-11 is the very basis for all of
scripture.
In Genesis 11, Godscatteredthem and confused their languages. The whole
world was made up of paganGentile people. There was no such thing as a
Jew. There was no such thing as Israel. In Genesis 12 Godbeganto reveal
what He was up to. Out of the Gentile nations, particularly Ur [Babylon], He
reachedright down in the Middle East, and pulled a man out by the name of
Abram, whose name he changed to Abraham. In Genesis 17 we read that

1...whenAbram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appearedto Abram and
said to him, "I am God Almighty; Walk before Me, and be blameless. 2 "And
I will establishMy covenant betweenMe and you, and I will multiply you
exceedingly." 3 And Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying,
4 "As for Me, behold, My covenantis with you, and you shall be the father of
a multitude of nations. 5 "No longer shall your name be called Abram, but
your name shall be Abraham; for I will make you the father of a multitude of
nations. 6 "And I will make you exceedinglyfruitful, and I will make nations
of you, and kings shall come forth from you. 7 "And I will establish My
covenantbetweenMe and you and your descendants afteryou throughout
their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your
descendants afteryou. 8 "And I will give to you and to your descendants after
you, the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting
possession;and I will be their God."
"Abraham, I want a covenantwith you. Through you, I’m going to bring a
nation, and through that nation will come a seed."
Galatians 3:16 completes that thought and tells us that the seedis Jesus
Christ.
"Now the promises were spokento Abraham and to his seed. He does not say,
"And to seeds,"as referring to many, but rather to one, "And to your seed,"
that is, Christ."
It will be through that seedthat all the nations of this world, including Israel,
will be blessed.
Well, the covenantwas passedon to Isaac (Ge 26:3)
"Sojournin this land and I will be with you and bless you, for to you and to
your descendants I will give all these lands, and I will establishthe oath which
I swore to your father Abraham.
It was passedon to Jacob(Ge28:13-15;35:11-12);
28:13 And behold, the LORD stoodabove it and said, "I am the LORD, the
God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac;the land on which you lie,

I will give it to you and to your descendants. 14 "Your descendants shallalso
be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spreadout to the westand to the
eastand to the north and to the south; and in you and in your descendants
shall all the families of the earth be blessed. 15 "And behold, I am with you,
and will keepyou wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I
will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you."
Ge 35:11 God also saidto him, "I am God Almighty; Be fruitful and multiply;
A nation and a company of nations shall come from you, And kings shall come
forth from you. 12 "And the land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac, Iwill
give it to you, And I will give the land to your descendants afteryou."
Jacob’s name was changedto Israel, and Israelhad twelve sons. Those twelve
sons became the twelve tribes of the nation of Israel. Through that nation
would come the seed. Jesus Christwould be born of a virgin, Mary, who is a
descendantof David of the tribe of Judah. Obviously, the prophecy would be
fulfilled. Jesus wouldcome. Eph1:7 tells us that He would shed His blood to
redeem us from the slave block of sin. God had that plan before the
foundation of the world. Paul’s point in chapter2 is to let the Gentile believers
know that they are a part of everything that God had promised. The focus had
been on Israel for all these centuries, but he wantedthem to know they were a
part of the promise that was first given to Abraham. The Jew and the Gentile
are now one in Christ Jesus.
Paul points to the greatgulf betweenthe Gentiles and the Jews in verse 12.
Three things help you to realize the seriousnessofthe situation. First of all he
says in verse 12,
"remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from
the commonwealthof Israel,"
You see, the Gentile world was made up of this nation and that nation, which
had nothing in common with one another. Babylon and Greece and all the
different powers that rose up representedthe Gentiles. Theydidn’t have
anything in common with one another except their own sin. Nothing bonded

them into a commonwealthlike Israel. You see, they were excluded from any
Christ, any Messiah, anyDeliverer. They had no hope in front of them. The
theologians oftheir day told them that every 3,000 years the world would
repopulate itself, and the cycle would start all over again. They lived for
nothing. There was nothing out there. There was no hope whatsoeverforthe
Gentile world. They were living separate from Christ.
However, Israelhad the Messiahto look forward to. That bonded them into a
commonwealth. The word here for "commonwealth" is politeia. We get the
word "politics" from it. It’s the word for "citizen". It refers here to the
behavior of a community of people who have a common purpose. Their
common purpose was they believed a Delivererwould one day come, the
Messiah, the seedthrough which all nations would be blessed. Thatbonded
them togetherinto a commonwealth. While many Jews might depart from
that, and did, they still had a remnant, (Click here for in depth study of
remnant) and that remnant continued to be bonded togetherwith that
glorious hope of a Christ who would one day come. The Gentiles had no such
promise. They were excluded from any such purpose.
The secondstatementhe makes there in verse 12 is,
"and strangers to the covenants of promise."
These covenants were the anchor that pointed to the faithfulness of a God to
deliver what He promised. The Gentiles had no anchor. They were sailors on a
captain less boaton uncharted seas.
The third thing he said in verse 12 is,
"having no hope and without God in the world."
The Gentiles had no "one" god[i.e., they were "polytheists"]. The Jews did.
They believed in JehovahGod Who would send His Sona Deliverer. The
Gentiles had none of this. They were idolatrous, paganpeople. That’s why
God had excluded the Jews from associating withthe Gentile world for so
many years. As a result, the Gentile world opposedthe true God, accepted
false gods and were dominated by Satanas Eph 2:1-3 tell us so clearly. To say

it another way, the Gentile nations were outcasts from both human and divine
fellowship. The only thing they had in common was their sin.
Well, in verse 13, Paul has some goodnews for those Gentiles in Ephesus,
which he wanted them to understand. He says,
"But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought
near by the blood of Christ. "
Paul wants them to know that in Christ Jesus they have been brought near.
That is a beautiful, beautiful truth. It is almostas if Paul, a converted Jew
himself, is looking at the church, sees convertedGentiles and realizes that in
Christ there is no north, no south, no east, no west, no racialbarriers, no
cultural or socialbarriers. He sees the church in oneness as the church ought
to be seen. He sees the church through the Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 2:14 says,
"ForHe Himself is our peace"
That sets the stage for this study, Christ, the Author of our Peace.One of the
basic definitions of the word for "peace" is when two things cohere together.
"Oneness"and the word "peace" are very synonymous. When Jesus prayed
for oneness in John 17, that’s the flip side of what peace is all about. It’s when
nothing is in betweenthat can conflict or irritate, first of all with God, and
secondlywith man. Peace(Click here for in depth word study of peace)is that
oneness that we can have with God and that oneness we canhave with one
another.
If you are looking for peace, youwon’t find it in America. If you are looking
for peace and absence ofconflict, you won’t find it in this world. You will find
it in the Lord Jesus Christ. That’s who we are supposedto honor every day.
Let’s talk about it for a minute.
First of all Christ Himself is the essenceofour peace with God. Before we
start talking about the peace betweenthe Jew and Gentile, we’ve gotto talk
about the peace that man has with God. You cannot begin to have

relationships that are peacefuluntil first of all, your relationship with God is
one of peace.
Ephesians 2:14 says,
"ForHe Himself is our peace"
Turn back to Isaiah 9:6.
"Fora child will be born to us, a sonwill be given to us; And the government
will reston His shoulders;And His name will be calledWonderful Counselor,
Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace."
Now we need to understand that. "Prince" means not only giver, but the one
who maintains it. He gives the peace, and He maintains the peace. The first
place that we find that peace neededis not with Jew and Gentile. It is with
man and God. That peace was disrupted when Adam sinned. Man was
separatedfrom God, and was placedat enmity with God.
That is why Eph 2:1-3 is so important. Man was dead in his trespassesand in
his sins. There needed to be a reconciliation. However, the wages ofsin is
death (Ro6:23). There was no man who was worthy who could pay the price
because there were "none righteous, no, not one." (Ro3:10)The Lord Jesus,
Who is the essenceofGod’s grace, came to this earth and died on the cross to
forgive us of our sin. When a man comes to understand that, he sees himselfas
a sinner, bows down, and receives Jesusinto his life as Lord and Savior.
Immediately peace is effectedwith the Father. Peace is never going to be there
until Jesus is in an individual’s life. Until a man has receivedGod’s grace, he
will never know His peace. Look in Eph 1:2:
"Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. "
You see the first thing that must be receivedis God’s grace. God’s grace is
what God does to a man, in a man, for a man and through a man that a man
can’t do himself. God came down. Man could not ascend. He tried that in
Genesis 11. That’s where the nations came from. God came down as He told
Nicodemus in John 3. He came down to die for our sin. The greatestpicture of

grace in all of Scripture is Jesus coming to die for our sin and shedding His
blood to redeemus off the slave block of bondage to sin.
When man receives God’s grace, then and only then can he be at peace with
the Godthat he has been estrangedfrom since Adam’s sin.
So before you evertalk about peace with man, you’ve got to realize Jesus is
the essence ofour peace with God. So often we do it the reverse. So often there
is a problem betweentwo of us, and we try to major on our relationship to
make our relationship with God better. No, you major on your relationship
with God, and that makes your relationship with others what it ought to be.
Jesus is the essenceofGod’s peace, the essenceofour peace with God.
That’s the first point I want to make. Paul is really not dealing with that at
this point. He has already dealt with it in chapter 1 and all the waydown
through where we are. But when he says in verse 14, "ForHe Himself is our
peace " I just want to make sure you understand that it is with God first, long
before it’s with man.
The secondthing I want you to see is He is the enabler of our peace with man.
You see, Christ establishes ourpeace with God. Once we have Christ in us, He
enables us to be at peace with man. What did Christ do that enabled peace
betweenthe Jew and the Gentile? There was quite a gulf betweenthem as we
have already read in verse 12. These Gentiles were calleddogs. They had
nothing to do with the promises. They knew nothing about Christ. They knew
nothing of a true God. The focus had been on Israelfrom the book of Genesis
all the way through Acts 9. Now, what did Jesus do then to bring the two
groups together? Evenin the Law they had been excluded from one another.
How did Jesus become the enabler of our peace with man? There are two
things that Jesus did to enable our peace man to man, Jew to Gentile if you
please. There was quite a gulf betweenthem. If you can’t see a picture in this
of other relationships daily in our life, then you are missing what Paul is
bringing out. His concernis the Jew and the Gentile, but the applicationflows
into all relationships.

First of all, Christ removed the barriers to our peace. He removed the
barriers in verses 14 and 15. That’s what we want to concentrate on. Let’s
read it.
"ForHe Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke
down the barrier of the dividing wall "
Now this is important to understand.
What was the dividing wall?
Well, it refers to a wall that was ordered by God’s law in the Temple. The
Gentiles could not go beyond that wall. They could go inside the Temple to a
place called the Outer Court or the Court of the Gentiles, but they couldn’t go
beyond it. Actually, the wall was three walls thick if you want to be technical
about it. It wasn’t just that wall that facedthe Court of the Gentiles. There
was another wall on the other side which housed the Court of Women, and
still another wall which was the Inner Court. So before you could actually get
into the place of worship, there were three walls that shut the Gentiles out. On
the wallthere was an inscription that read, "Any foreigner, any stranger, any
Gentile that enters beyond this wallis under the penalty of death." They knew
they had been shut out from the worship experience of Israel. Israel
approachedGod through the Temple, and the Gentiles were shut away from
ever being able to approach God or to relate to Him on any basis whatsoever.
As a matter of fact, there is a sad testimony to the hardness of the Jews after
Jesus came. Here is Paul, preaching that the wall has been torn down. But the
Jews, those religious Jewswho had rejectedJesus and shut Him out of their
lives, continued to hold to the belief that the wall was still there. Look back in
Acts 21:27-29, and we will see that. Ephesus, where he is writing this letter to,
is in Asia. Probably some Jews from Ephesus, the very people he is writing
this letter to, are mentioned here in Acts 21:27-29...
"When the seven days were almostover, the Jews from Asia, upon seeing him
in the temple, beganto stir up all the crowdand laid hands on him, crying out,
"Menof Israel, come to our aid ! This is the man who preaches to all men
everywhere againstour people and the Law and this place;[Paul never did

that. Paulsimply opened up other people to it, and they thought they were
preaching againstthem] and besides he has even brought Greeks into the
temple and has defiled this holy place."
They accusedhim of taking a man by the name of Trophimus into the Temple.
Look at verse 29.
"Forthey had previously seenTrophimus the Ephesianin the city with him,
and they supposedthat Paul had brought him into the temple."
They accusedhim. They didn’t even know this for a fact, but they knew they
could get a case with the listening ears of those religious Jews who had
rejectedChrist. They told them he had taken this Gentile behind the wall of
partition, the dividing wall, the barrier of the dividing wall,. You see, many of
the Jews, notall of them, but many of the Jews were just as evil in God’s sight
as the paganGentiles. They had made a horrible mistake.
You see, they had a privileged nearness to God because ofGod’s choice of
them. God had chosenIsraeland because He had, the people born into that
nation had certain rights and privileges. It may not have been because they
sought after God, but because Godhad chosenthem. They knew nothing of a
personalrelationship with God, basedon their choice ofGod. Do you see the
difference? As a result of this, that which was meant to exclude the Gentiles
for a time became the basis of hatred and discrimination of the Jew to the
Gentile. What they saidwas, "We have a wall. You see there. God loves us
better than He loves you. You can’t come in. We are better than you." So the
Gentile became as dogs to them. To mention the Gentiles as being a part of the
promise God had made to Abraham made the hair stand up and bristle on the
Jew’s neck. The Jew would say, "No way! These are inferior people! We are
racially, culturally and sociallybetter people than they are. They couldn’t be a
part of God’s loving plan."
But when Christ came, He tore down the wall of partition. With their
observancesand with their practices, they thought these external things made
them more favorable in God’s eyes. That has never been true, for God so
loved the world. He promised Abraham, "I don’t just love Jews, I love the
world. I am going to raise up a nation through which the Seedwill come in

that all nations, both Israeland other nations, may have the same
opportunity."
How did Jesus break downthe barrier of the dividing wall? Well, it tells you
in verse 15:
"by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments
containedin ordinances,"
Now I am going to try to simplify something that is not that simple. Let me
just simplify it by saying this: the dividing wall in that temple was ordered by
God. Why? BecauseHe wanted Israel to be pure, to stay awayfrom these
paganidolatrous people who didn’t believe in God. They should never be
allowedto come into that which is holy and sacredand specificallydesigned
for His people at that time. So the dividing wall was ordered by God, along
with the observancesthatwere in the Law. The Jews had to ob-serve the
Sabbaths. They had to observe the eating of certain foods. They had to
observe the commands not to touch certain things. All of these things were
commanded. It was the way in which they relatedto God.
But remember, they had takenthis and made it a symbol of racialand
national pride. "You see, we do these things, we are more spiritual and
loveable to God than others are." The Law was goodand holy [Ro 7:12].
Don’t ever think it was wrong. Galatians says it was a tutor, a baby sitter [Gal
3:24]...
"Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, that we may be
justified by faith."
"Tutor" is another description for the law. The laws were simply given to
hold the people within bounds until the Seedcame. After the Seedcame,
Hebrews says, the new began (Heb8:8ff). When the New Covenantbegan, the
old was made obsolete anduseless. It is important to understand that when He
came He didn’t destroy it. He abolished it. The word "abolished" is katargeo.
That is the word that means to make useless,to render ineffective. He gave
them a brand new way. Jesus abolishedthe Law.

He said it was an enmity. The word "enmity" [ecthra] here in this context
means the cause of enmity. What was the cause of enmity betweenthe Jew
and the Gentile? It was their Laws and their observances, whichthey thought
made them more spiritual than anybody else and had become their source of
pride. Jesus put an end to the cause ofthe hatred that existed betweenthe
Jews and the Gentiles. How did He do it? It says, "by abolishing in His flesh
the enmity"
There are two things that are brought into that. First of all, by living a sinless
life, He fulfilled the Law, which no man could do. Once He fulfilled it, He was
qualified to take it from there [Ro 8:3-4]...
3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did:
sending His ownSon in the likeness ofsinful flesh and as an offering for sin,
He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the requirement of the Law
might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according
to the Spirit.
He is God who gave the Law. Notonly that, when He took sin upon Himself,
He satisfied the curse of the Law. He became a curse for us.
"CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE " [Gal3:13]"
The Scripture says. The curse of the Law was satisfied, therefore, rendering
the Law ineffective when a person comes to Jesus Christ[Ro7:1-6]. The
person who rejects Jesus is guilty of all points of the Law. If a person comes to
Christ, the Law has no effectwhatsoeverin his life to ever condemn him
again. In Christ we find the fulfillment of that Law [Ro 8:3-4]. We find what
we are looking for, that is the oneness thatwe need with God. You could say it
this way. In effect, what Jesus did when He came;when He lived the sinless
life and went to the cross;when He made the Law obsolete and rendered it
ineffective, what He did was, He took all their customs, all the dividing walls,
all the observances, everything and wrapped them up in one big bunch, and
He threw it away. He got rid of religionforever. He ended man’s external

religion forever and replaced it with an internal relationship with the Father
through Himself.
When He establishedpeace, the Jew could not say, "Ah, but we honor the
Sabbath." Jesus says, "WhatSabbath?" "Oh, we have a dividing wall." Jesus
would say, "Whatdividing wall?" The Gentiles on one hand ended paganism
when they came to Christ, and the Jews had to end "religionism" when they
came to Christ. You see, sin is sin. All of the external things they were doing
that separatedthem from the Gentiles made them feel that pride that God put
to death on the cross. He has brought in something now that is absolutely
brand new. He removed the barriers to our peace.
But do you know what people have done? They don’t want to relate to Jesus
and have peace with Him. Therefore, they come up with the exactsame thing
the Jews did. If you want to know what you are like in the flesh and what I am
like in the flesh, study Israel. They are a picture of the vine of flesh in the Old
Testament. Theyhad to have everything external. They had no internal
relationship with God. God said, "I have come in and made a new order. I
didn’t raise the Gentiles up to the level of the Jews. I didn’t lowerthe Jews to
the level of the Gentiles. I raisedthem both up into a brand new man, brand
new to this world. The world doesn’t have a clue about us."
If you will think about it, some of the biggestproblems we will ever face as a
church are organizationalproblems. They will be external things that have
nothing to do with the Word of God. I am going to tell you something, folks.
May God deliver us from ever having the shacklesofwhat this world does to
govern what people think the church of Jesus Christ is. We are not an
organization. We are an organism, which by necessityorganizes itself. We are
not here for the sake oforganization. We are here for the sake ofthe
organism, the body of Jesus. Folks, that means God could care less about how
many people we have in Sunday Schoolif we are not living daily that internal
relationship with Him. Watchus in the conflicts of life. Watchhow we raise
our children. Watch how we deal when things go wrong in our family. Listen,
I would rather any day of the week have somebody who didn’t have a clue
about how to organize something and have somebody who was filled with the

Holy Spirit of God and exemplified the characterofJesus in everything that
he did.
That’s what Jesus did. He raisedus out of this thing. He took away
"religionism" from the Jew, paganismfrom the Gentile and raised us up to a
brand new standard, a person who is a mystery to this world; a person filled
with the Spirit of God, a personwho has a divine relationship who walks in
peace with God. As a result of that, he walks in peace with men. If you are not
living in that relationship of grace whicheffects peace, then you’ve got a
contention with somebody, and that contentionis tied to that which Jesus
made obsolete on the cross.
Folks, I want to tell you, if you’ve gotcontention in your heart towards
anybody, the key is very clear. Jesus has come to be the very essenceofyour
peace with God. He is the enabler of your peace with man. You can’t come to
me. You had better go to Him and get it right with Him [Ro 12:14,17-21].
Once you getit right with Him, He will enable you to getit right with man. It
never says man will getit back right with you. Oh, he may spit in your face.
Jesus died forgiving all men, and some people still spit in His face. It is a cycle
that goes full circle. But we are to forgive one another and be at peace with
one another. Why? BecauseJesusis the essence ofour peace with God, the
enabler of our peace with man.
Ephesians 2:15-18:
CHRIST, THE AUTHOR OF OUR PEACE—PART II
by Dr. Wayne Barber
Return to TOP of page
Turn with me to Ephesians 2. We are looking at Jesus Christ, the Author of
Our Peacein verses 15-18. In our laststudy we began to see how Christ is the
Author of Our Peace. He is the means of peace betweenthe Jew and Gentile,
man with man, but especiallybetweenman and God. Paul is writing to
Gentile believers and for centuries, the Jew and the Gentile had been
estrangedfrom one another, partly by design. God had shut them out from
worshipping in the Temple. They had no covenants, they had no promises.

God had formed His own nation calledIsrael, and through Israelwould come
the Seedthrough which all nations, including these Gentiles, would be blessed.
When the time was right, He found the apostle Paul, gave him the commission
to take the Word to the Gentiles, and the word beganto come out so that now
all of the world has the opportunity to come to know Christ Jesus. Godso
loved the world, not just the Jews.
Well, the apostle Paul, a convertedJew, wants these converted Gentiles over
in Ephesus to understand that the animosity betweenthe Jew and Gentile no
longerexists when they come to Christ. As a matter of fact, he says in verse
14, "ForHe Himself is our peace" In our last study we saw, first of all, that
He is the essenceofour peace with God and with man. Secondly we saw how
He is the enabler of our peace. You see, whenI receivedthe Lord Jesus into
my heart, there is someone now living in me that has given me peace with the
Father, and enables me to be at peace with my fellow man.
Now what did Jesus do in order to bring peace betweenthe Jew and the
Gentile? He says in verse 14, "ForHe Himself is our peace, who made both
groups into one." How did He accomplishthat? First of all, He removed the
barriers of our peace. He "broke down the barrier of the dividing wall."
There was a wall that had an inscription on it inside of the Temple, by the
Court of the Gentiles, that said a Gentile could not go beyond that wall. The
inscription said if they did go beyond that wall, it was under penalty of death
that was ordered by God’s Law. God wanted to keepidolatry out of there. He
wanted to keepHis people pure in their worship of Him.
Well, that had become a source of pride to the Jew. What was goodand for an
eternal purpose had been misunderstood and used as a source ofpride by the
Jews. It causedthem to look down on those Gentiles. Theybegan to say, "God
loves us more than He loves those Gentiles. Why, He allows us inside the wall,
they can go no further." Well, God broke down that barrier. That’s what the
Lord Jesus did to remove the barriers to our peace, the peace especiallyhere
betweenthe Jews andGentiles.
How did He do that? When He came He

"broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the
enmity, which is the Law of commandments containedin ordinances."
The word ""abolished" [katargeo]there means "to render useless, to render
ineffective."
The moral law and the ceremoniallaw
The Law was divided into the moral law and the ceremoniallaw. He didn’t
abolish the moral law. That has always beenhere and is fulfilled when we
obey the Lord Jesus Christ. The moral law says that we love God with all of
our heart and our mind and our strength, and we are to love one another.
That is always there and is morally built in. He did not make that obsolete. He
did not make that ineffective. What He did do was to render ineffective the
ceremoniallaw. It says here, the "commandments containedin ordinances".
In other words, what He did was put religion to death. No longercould the
Jew say, "Oh, I sacrifice. Igo to the Temple. I worship on the Sabbath. I do
this. I do that. God loves me more than He loves you." Oh, no. He took all the
external stuff and threw it out. He says, "Now there is only one way to God,
and that’s through Me. You can’t work your wayup the ladder."
This is what Paul was talking about in Php 3:1-10. He says in essence...
"I used to be a Pharisee, zealous forthe law, and righteous as far as men were
concerned. Now I realize, however, that what was gain to me, I count as loss. I
only want to be found being obedient to the Lord Jesus Christ. I want to know
Him and the power of His resurrectionand the fellowship of His sufferings.
What used to be a system, a religion to me, is gone out of my life. Now I have a
relation-ship, and I want to walk in surrender to the One I am now related to
by faith."
That’s what He replacedfor the Jew and for the Gentile. There is no more
dividing wall. There are no more ordinances which we must do so Godwill
think better of us. There is no way to approachHim now exceptby faith and
through the Lord Jesus Christ, both for Jew and for Gentile. Therefore, He
abolished, He broke down the wall by abolishing the ceremoniallaw. No
longercan a Jew be proud. No longercan a Gentile be proud. Now they all

have to bow at the cross together. The ground is level at the cross. Theycome
in equally. The two have been made one in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Well, how did He abolishthe law? His sinless life fulfilled its demands, and
therefore, satisfiedthe claims of the law [Ro 8:3-4]. Also His sacrificialdeath
on the cross to take our sin upon Himself satisfied the curse of the law
[Gal3:13]. He fulfilled it, moved it aside and said, "The law was there as your
schoolmaster[Gal3:24]. I have come to replace it, extend it and make its
moral qualities realin your life. Now you must come to the Father, not
through a Temple, not through a Tabernacle, notthrough an earthly priest,
but through Me [Jn14:6]. I’ve torn all this other stuff down. Gentiles, you are
welcome. Jews, youare welcome. There is only one way now a man can come
to the Father." Once we come to Him by faith in Christ Jesus, He makes the
two groups that were once divided by external religion, into one new person.
He removed the barriers to our peace.
Secondly, He enables our peace by the fact that He remade us into a body of
peace, not just a peacefulbody, but a body of peace. Now remember what the
word "peace"means. It means when two things cohere and nothing is in
betweenthem to cause conflictor irritation. Becauseofwhat Christ did, He
has now come into our life and made us one with the Father. If I possess
Christ in my life, I am at peace with the Father. But if you possessChristin
your life, I am supposedto be one with you. He has made us, Jew, Gentile, or
whoevercomes by faith in Christ, a brand new body, a body of peace. You see,
the removal of barriers does not guarantee peace. So Christ took another step.
He did something in us that causedus to be the body of His peace. In other
words, all of us are one with God. All of us are enabledto be one with one
another.
Jesus didn’t just remove the barriers
He remade believers.
Now there are two things involved here in verses 15 and 16. First of all, it’s on
an individual basis, and secondly, it’s on a corporate basis. It begins with His
remaking us as individuals. Now, whatdid He do to enable our peace? Look

in 2 Cor 5:17. It is an individual thing first, whether Jew or whether Gentile.
Look at what he says here:
"Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature;the old things passed
away;behold, new things have come"
Now everything that used to be is gone. We have been remade as a brand new
creature. Now go back to our text in Ephesians 2:15, and we will see it again
as he says it here. He says,
"by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments
containedin ordinances, that in Himself He might make the two into one new
man, thus establishing peace."
He did not take the Jew and make the Jew a Gentile. He did not take the
Gentile and make the Gentile a Jew. He took the Jew who believed and the
Gentile who believed, and raised them both up to a brand new standard and
made them Christian. That’s what Christianity is all about. It’s a brand new
race of people on this earth. Whereas Israelwas separatedunto Him in the
Old Testament, now we have the absolute ultimate of that as He makes us His
brand new creation. The world has never understood people like you and me.
The word for "new" there is kainos. It means absolutely, totally, qualitatively
brand new, never before seen. Nobodyhas a clue until they finally look at
someone and realize he is inhabited by the Lord Jesus Himself, a brand new
creation.
The Jews cannotlook at us and say, "Hey, I am a believer, but you need to be
circumcised." Theydid that in the book of Acts, and Paul had to reprimand
them. He started calling them legalizers, people who would come in and try to
add law to grace. Ohno, the Jew does not have anything over us as Gentiles,
but the Gentile, on the other hand, cannotpoint their finger at them. We have
all been made one new body in the Lord Jesus Christ. You see, a Christian is
just different. That’s what God did to solve the problem. He tore down the
dividing wall. He made the ordinances of the law, the ceremoniallaw,
obsolete, andHe said, "Now, there is only one way to approach Me. You don’t
come through a Temple. You come through Me. I am your High Priest
[Heb2:17,3:1], and when you come through Me," Jesus said, "thenyou can

have access to the Father. When you getto the Father, you are going to be a
brand new creation. I’m going to transform you. You are now a believer."
Jesus abolishedthat law, that ceremoniallaw that made people proud. He put
religion to death. External religion has no place in the Christian’s life. He gave
us a brand new internal birth that makes us one. Two have become one. The
Jew and the Gentile have been made one in Jesus Christ.
You know, sometimes people say Colossians is the commentary on Ephesians,
and Ephesians is the commentary on Colossians. Paulwrote Ephesians,
Philippians, Colossians andPhilemon from the very same prison, so it is very
appropriate to think that as the burden hit him for the Ephesians, that burden
hit him also for those Colossians.
Let’s go over to Colossians 3 and see what kind of new people we are in Christ
Jesus. Look atColossians3:4. I want you to see that Jesus does notjust simply
give us life, Jesus is our life. Do we understand? We are not energizedby what
we do for Him, we are energizedby His being in us and by our surrender to
Him. It says in verse 4,
"When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealedwith
Him in glory"
Now jump to verse 9:
"Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil
practices."
Suppose I took my coatoff and laid it aside. Now, I’d have to have another
coatto put on. I have to take something off if I am going to put something else
on. Paul says, "Whenyou come to Christ, it is like taking off an old garment
or lifestyle. You are not only who you were, but what you did. You put on a
brand new garment. It is now who you are. You do what you do because you
are what you are." Now he says, "You put on that new garment. This is the
garment, the new man, which you have put on. This is the new man that we
have now become in Christ Jesus, both Jew and Gentile."
Look at what he says in Col 3:10:

"and have put on the new selfwho is being renewedto a true knowledge
according to the image of the One who createdhim."
This new selfinvolves Jesus being in me; Jesus being in you; Jesus being in a
convertedJew;Jesus being in a converted Gentile. Now, since He is inside of
us, He is going to perfect in us a brand new characterthat is going to come out
of us.
The way you know a Christian is not how well he plays church. The way you
know a Christian is by how well he lets Jesus be Jesus in his life. The true
miracle is His life-changing, transforming power within an individual’s life.
Now he says, "Put on the new garment." Ephesians [Eph 4:24] says that very
clearly.
"put on the new self."
Here [Col 3:10] he says, "You have already put Him on." Ephesians says,
"Now put Him on." In other words, every day potentially He is there. As I
bow at the cross, as I decreaseand put on Christ, then Christ perfects His
characterin and through my life. That is why we sing the song all the time,
Jesus, be Jesus in me.
No longer me but Thee
That’s the new race He has created, not a religious bunch of people, but
people surrendered to a Lord who has enteredinside of them and raisedthem
up to a brand new standard.
Well, in Col 3:12-15 of Colossians 3 we find out what that new garment looks
like:
"And so, as those who have been chosenofGod, holy and beloved, put on"
This is the new garment that we have, a lifestyle. Please understand what I am
saying. You don’t judge a Christian by how well he performs in church. You
judge a Christian by how well he allows Jesus to be Jesus in his life. We may
not do so well in the organizationcalled the church, but friend, the church is

not the organization. The church is the body of Christ, allowing Jesus’life to
be vibrant in and through it.
What’s it all like? First of all, he says to "put on a heart of compassion,."Now
this word for compassionis a very tremendous word. It is the word that refers
to compassionthat you show and feelfor somebody when they are suffering.
You see, one of the first keys here is all of these things are relational.
Everything has to do with our relationships with one another. If I put on that
new garment, having made peace with God through Christ Jesus, then now
something is different in me towards you. If you are suffering, my heart goes
out to you. I am gifted certain ways, and out of my gift I will serve you. Out of
your gift, you will serve someone. Thatheart of compassionis the first piece of
that garment, the first thread.
Secondly, he says there is "kindness." [chrestotes]The word "kindness" goes
far beyond kind deeds. It has to do with a heart that has been so touched by
God that it has been tenderized. It has become so tender that people are
literally drawn to you, never repulsed away from you. Do you know any
Christians you don’t like to be around? They either don’t know Jesus or they
are refusing to wearthat new garment. As a result of that, they are not at
peace with you, and they are not at peace with God, in the sense that they are
not walking in that peace day by day. They are not maintaining that peace in
their life. When you find a person surrendered to Him, you are going to find
an attitude in them that is going to draw people to them, not push people away
from them.
Thirdly, there is "humility." The word for humility here is tapeinophrosune.
It means a mindset of humility. All of a sudden you don’t think of yourself as
highly as you used to think. Those proud Jews crawloff that proud pedestal,
and they come down. Those proud idolatrous Gentiles crawl off that pedestal,
and they getdown. When you get at the cross, youhave got to getdown. You
begin to realize that you are nothing apart from Him, and you never put
yourself in front of anybody else.
Next is "gentleness."The word "gentleness" couldbe translated meekness.
The word is a picture here of a wild horse that has been tamed. It’s power

Jesus was the creator of one new humanity

Jesus was the creator of one new humanity

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