But now in Christ
Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of
Christ. For he himself is our peace, who
has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of
hostility.
Ephesians 2:13-14
Paul gives a great word to his Gentile audience here in
Ephesians 2. He tells them what is now
true of them in Christ. He tells them
that though they were once outside of God’s kingdom, outside of His covenant,
outside of His promises and separated from His people and from His Son and were
without hope and without God, they have
(now) been brought near by the blood of
Christ.
He tells them that Jesus alone is their peace and has
broken down in his flesh the walls that once divided them. The walls Paul is referring to here in
Ephesians 2:14 may either be a reference to the ceremonial observances that
once divided them or could be a reference to the Jewish temple walls. At that time, there were walls that separated
Jew and Gentile—there were certain areas in the temple where the Jews could go,
but the Gentiles could not. There were
also ceremonial observances and practices (feasts, Sabbaths and circumcision)
that separated the two.
