"For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation." Ephesians 2:14
Ephesians 2:14 is a very important verse in so many aspects. This verse is located in a context where Paul was addressing two races of people, Jew and Gentile. Paul identifies a past condition that existed between them and tries to focus them on what the current condition should look like.
Speaking of the Gentiles, Paul said at one time they were "Aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world." (2:12) Imagine that, these Gentiles had no relationship with Jews or God. Because Gentiles had no relationship with the God of the Jewish religion, major differences developed over the years. They had two completely different cultures, from how they worshiped, the foods they ate, the language they spoke, how they dressed, to even their architectural structures. While the Jews believed in and worshiped the one God of Heaven, the Gentiles worshiped many gods.
Trying to bring two groups like this together is ripe for problems and Paul understood this. But before telling them how they should treat each other, Paul wanted them to understand their new condition. No more were they Jew and Gentile, separated and isolated from one another as during Old Testament times. This is why Paul used the past tense verb "were" to describe how it used to be. (2:11-12) However, now in Christ Jesus, they were no longer separate. God no longer expected them to isolate themselves from one another. Regardless of skin color, previous cultural differences related to worship or what they ate, etc..., God expected them to be "fellow citizens... and members of the household of God" TOGETHER. (2:19) God wanted them to know that whatever their previous experiences in life had been or cultural ideas their families had been built upon, they were now "Built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone." (2:20)
Trying to bring two groups like this together is ripe for problems and Paul understood this. But before telling them how they should treat each other, Paul wanted them to understand their new condition. No more were they Jew and Gentile, separated and isolated from one another as during Old Testament times. This is why Paul used the past tense verb "were" to describe how it used to be. (2:11-12) However, now in Christ Jesus, they were no longer separate. God no longer expected them to isolate themselves from one another. Regardless of skin color, previous cultural differences related to worship or what they ate, etc..., God expected them to be "fellow citizens... and members of the household of God" TOGETHER. (2:19) God wanted them to know that whatever their previous experiences in life had been or cultural ideas their families had been built upon, they were now "Built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone." (2:20)
Wow! What a wake-up call for two races of people who had always been separate from one another. And no matter how much they focused on "where they came from", in Christ, it only mattered where they were at that moment and who they were at that moment. They were children of God, washed in the blood of Jesus. They had lost their identity, they had been "Baptized into Christ" and had "Put on Christ." (Galatians 3:27) Therefore their current condition was one where there was "Neither Jew nor Greek", for they were "All one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:28)
As Christians, we must remember the same principle. We must realize what our current condition is in Christ. Yes, we all came from our own cultures. Yes, even many have a unique connection to their human heritage. We all have ways we do things and ways we see things that may be different from others. Blacks, Whites, Mexicans, and other Americans all have different stories to tell about their heritage. Though those things may be ok for conversation purposes, they have no place in Christ. In Christ, we all of every race are brothers and sisters. We are fellow citizens and members of the household of God. We are a family and that is how we should act.
I pray for the soul of those who are stuck on trying to divide us. I also pray for those who fall into the trap of following those who try to divide us. Christ did not did to bring all of humanity together by the Cross, only to let humanity keep us apart.
God bless you!
Ephesians 2:14 is a very important verse in so many aspects. This verse is located in a context where Paul was addressing two races of people, Jew and Gentile. Paul identifies a past condition that existed between them and tries to focus them on what the current condition should look like.
Speaking of the Gentiles, Paul said at one time they were "Aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world." (2:12) Imagine that, these Gentiles had no relationship with Jews or God. Because Gentiles had no relationship with the God of the Jewish religion, major differences developed over the years. They had two completely different cultures, from how they worshiped, the foods they ate, the language they spoke, how they dressed, to even their architectural structures. While the Jews believed in and worshiped the one God of Heaven, the Gentiles worshiped many gods.
Trying to bring two groups like this together is ripe for problems and Paul understood this. But before telling them how they should treat each other, Paul wanted them to understand their new condition. No more were they Jew and Gentile, separated and isolated from one another as during Old Testament times. This is why Paul used the past tense verb "were" to describe how it used to be. (2:11-12) However, now in Christ Jesus, they were no longer separate. God no longer expected them to isolate themselves from one another. Regardless of skin color, previous cultural differences related to worship or what they ate, etc..., God expected them to be "fellow citizens... and members of the household of God" TOGETHER. (2:19) God wanted them to know that whatever their previous experiences in life had been or cultural ideas their families had been built upon, they were now "Built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone." (2:20)
Trying to bring two groups like this together is ripe for problems and Paul understood this. But before telling them how they should treat each other, Paul wanted them to understand their new condition. No more were they Jew and Gentile, separated and isolated from one another as during Old Testament times. This is why Paul used the past tense verb "were" to describe how it used to be. (2:11-12) However, now in Christ Jesus, they were no longer separate. God no longer expected them to isolate themselves from one another. Regardless of skin color, previous cultural differences related to worship or what they ate, etc..., God expected them to be "fellow citizens... and members of the household of God" TOGETHER. (2:19) God wanted them to know that whatever their previous experiences in life had been or cultural ideas their families had been built upon, they were now "Built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone." (2:20)
Wow! What a wake-up call for two races of people who had always been separate from one another. And no matter how much they focused on "where they came from", in Christ, it only mattered where they were at that moment and who they were at that moment. They were children of God, washed in the blood of Jesus. They had lost their identity, they had been "Baptized into Christ" and had "Put on Christ." (Galatians 3:27) Therefore their current condition was one where there was "Neither Jew nor Greek", for they were "All one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:28)
As Christians, we must remember the same principle. We must realize what our current condition is in Christ. Yes, we all came from our own cultures. Yes, even many have a unique connection to their human heritage. We all have ways we do things and ways we see things that may be different from others. Blacks, Whites, Mexicans, and other Americans all have different stories to tell about their heritage. Though those things may be ok for conversation purposes, they have no place in Christ. In Christ, we all of every race are brothers and sisters. We are fellow citizens and members of the household of God. We are a family and that is how we should act.
I pray for the soul of those who are stuck on trying to divide us. I also pray for those who fall into the trap of following those who try to divide us. Christ did not did to bring all of humanity together by the Cross, only to let humanity keep us apart.
God bless you!
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