THE EPIC STORY OF GOD

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Ephesians 2:11-22 ESV

11 Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh,

called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision,

which is made in the flesh by hands—

12 remember that you were at that time separated from Christ,

alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise,

having no hope and without God in the world.

13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off

have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

14 For he himself is our peace,

who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility

15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances,

that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace,

16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross,

thereby killing the hostility.

17 And he came and preached peace to you who were far off

and peace to those who were near.

18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.

19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, [sojourners]

but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,

20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets,

Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone,

21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together,

grows into a holy temple in the Lord.

22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by [in] the Spirit.

The first word in our passage today is ‘Therefore’

Paul is connecting his argument to all of vs 1-10

RECAP →

God has saved us by His grace.

We were dead. God made us alive.

Through our faith in Christ, God has recreated us so that we can do the good works that God originally created humanity to do.

(“Therefore”)...

Paul tells the Ephesian Gentile believers →

‘Remember’

How far they’ve come

How much God has done for them!

What they once were

Who they once were as Gentiles

Pauls will describe what they were & what has been done for them

We will all be able to better understand & appreciate the magnitude of the marvelous work that God has done for us through Jesus.

I will break this good story down into 3 parts:

The Problem.

The Peacemaker.

The Promise.

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THE PROBLEM

Ephesians 2:11-12 ESV

11 Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh,

called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision,

which is made in the flesh by hands—

12 remember that you were at that time separated from Christ,

alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise,

having no hope and without God in the world.

Paul breaks down the problem in 2 ways:

V11 → Paul explains how Jews defined the Gentiles

V12 → Paul describes all of the privileges that Gentiles could never possess bc they did not belong to the people of God

Ephesians 2:11 ESV

11 Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh,

called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision,

which is made in the flesh by hands—

Gentiles did not possess the physical mark of circumcision

This mark is what distinguishes Jews from Gentiles

Genesis 17:9-11 ESV

9 And God said to Abraham, “As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations. 10 This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you.

This is about identity.

To the Jew, the Gentile was, by definition, the enemy of God

Therefore the enemy of the people of God

They were idolaters

They were to be excluded

In contrast, Paul calls the Jews → the ‘so-called circumcision’

The phrase ‘the so-called circumcision’ implies →

Despite the Jews claim that they are “the circumcision” →

They are not really circumcised since true circumcision is not physical →

It is spiritual.

Real circumcision → True circumcision → is not done by hand

Not → “made in the flesh by hands”

It is done by identifying with Christ and His death on the cross.

Colossians 2:11 ESV

11 In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ,

Physical circumcision is an operation done in the flesh.

Romans 2:28-29 ESV

28 For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. 29 But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.

Circumcision is a significant sign & seal of faith for the Jewish Christian,

However, it is not necessary for Gentiles to become a member of the covenant people of God.

Paul continues with the problem

Ephesians 2:12 ESV

12 remember that you were at that time separated from Christ,

alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise,

having no hope and without God in the world.

Paul lists 5 disadvantages here for the Gentiles

1) separated from Christ → outside Christ

2) alienated from the commonwealth of Israel → Israel’s way of life

3) strangers to the covenants of promise

4) no hope

5) without God in the world

THE PEACEMAKER

Ephesians 2:13 ESV

13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off

have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

But now all of these problems are done away with thru the blood of Jesus

The Gentiles had no access to God

Now they have been brought near to God

Ephesians 2:14 ESV

14 For he himself is our peace,

who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility

15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances,

that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace,

16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross,

thereby killing the hostility.

Christ is the peace that has united Jew & Gentile in this new community of believers → The church

He has united Jew & Gentile → overcome the hostility

Jesus has made the 2 groups into one

Christ has torn down the dividing wall of the Mosaic law

Christ abolished the law of commandments

Christ set aside the law for 2 reasons:

1) He wanted to make one, new, unified humanity in Christ (Jew + Gentile)

2) He wanted to take this new unified humanity & reconcile them to God

Ephesians 2:17-18 ESV

17 And he came and preached peace to you who were far off

and peace to those who were near.

18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.

The gospel is for the Jew

The gospel is for the Gentile

Jesus has made peace between the Jews & the Gentiles

Jesus has made a way for all of humanity to be united together by His blood

Jesus is the peacemaker.

His peace brings a promise

THE PROMISE

Ephesians 2:19-22 ESV

19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, [sojourners]

but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,

20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets,

Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone,

21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together,

grows into a holy temple in the Lord.

22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by [in] the Spirit.

Citizens of the kingdom of God

Members of the household of God

God’s family

The temple of God

God’s home

The foundation → witness + teachings of the apostles & prophets

The cornerstone → Jesus → the most important stone in all of the temple

Without this stone, the foundation will crumble

Everything must be built upon Jesus

We are being shaped & fitted in order to build up the house of God

This is God’s story