Ba – The Unity of the Body 2: 11-22

The Unity of the Body
2: 11-22

The unity of the Body DIG: As you read these verses, pay attention to the metaphors used by Paul. How do these metaphors describe the actions of Messiah in fulfilling God’s purpose for reconciliation? How does a lack of intimacy with God fuel division and prejudice among people? How are divisions an indicator of our need for a Savior? How does the news of this past week demonstrate that we all have a common sinfulness? How does a common sinfulness lead to division, while a common faith in Yeshua Messiah leads to unity?

REFLECT: What are some of the biggest walls you have seen that separate people? What are some of the underlying issues that cause divisions between people and races? As a believer, what actions might you take to begin to break down the walls of prejudice in our world today? How does a shared citizenship in God’s family impact how believers view each other? Do you know of someone who needs to know they have a place in God’s household? How can you help this believer find his or her place and feel welcomed?

For He Himself is our peace,
who has made the two groups one,
and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility.

These verses, often misused by Christians against Messianic Jews, are actually part of the charter for Messianic Judaism. They are fundamental to understanding both the nature of the Torah, which still exists and serves as our blueprint for living, and the relationship between Jews and Gentiles in the Church.

Therefore, remember that formerly you who were Gentiles by birth (2:11a). Up to this point in the letter, Rabbi Sha’ul has been addressing the common experience of all the believers of Ephesus through their similar faith in Messiah. But now he turns his attention to the Gentile believers of Ephesus. The word Gentiles is not a negative or pejorative term; it simply reflects the translation from the Hebrew word goyim (Greek ethne), meaning “nations.” While ADONAI has made a special covenant with Isra’el, He has also shown equal love for all the people of His creation. Yet, because of the unique covenant relationship with the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (see the commentary on Genesis, to see link click Dt – I Will Bless Those Who Bless You and Whoever Curses You I Will Curse), it was clear that the Gentiles did not have a direct covenant relationship with YHVH. Paul’s point is that this all changed with the coming of Yeshua Messiah, who is the manifestation of God’s grace to all people, Jew and Gentile alike.¹⁰³

But this, along with Romans 11:13, refutes the idea that once a Gentile comes to faith in Yeshua, he is no longer a Gentile but now “spiritual Isra’el,” replacing the Jews (see the commentary on Acts Ag – Replacement Theology and Acts) as God’s chosen people (Deuteronomy 7:6). There is no support in the B’rit Chadashah for believing Gentiles becoming Jews; instead they are grafted into the house of Isra’el (see the commentary on Jeremiah Eo – The Days are Coming, declares the LORD, When I Will Make a New Covenant with the People of Isra’el: The Church’s Relationship to the B’rit Chadashah).¹⁰⁴And called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” which is done in the body by human hands (2:11). While the Bible does not speak in negative terms about the Gentiles or nations, it undoubtedly could become a reference to the pagan background of those not born Jewish. Only the Jewish nation followed the eighth day circumcision as a sign of the Abrahamic Covenant (see the commentary on Genesis En – For Generations to Come Every Male Who is Eight Days Old Must be Circumcised). It is easy to understand how the term uncircumcised was not only a statement of physical appearance, but also the state of their spiritual life. As circumcision is the removal of the flesh, so there is a circumcision of the heart where one’s spirit is pure before God (Deuteronomy 30:5-7). It would be tempting for the Jews in covenant relationship with YHVH to refer to the pagan Gentiles in the world as the uncircumcised in reference to both their physical and spiritual life.¹⁰⁵Calling the Gentiles back to that time prior to their conversion, Paul highlights their pre-conversion condition, saying: Remember that at that time you were without. The one word that best describes the pre-conversion Gentiles is without.

First, they were without Messiah (2:12a). The Ephesians worshiped the goddess Diana and, before the coming of the Good News, knew nothing about Messiah. Those who claim that pagan religions are just as acceptable to God as the Bible will have a problem here, for Paul cites the Ephesian pagan culture without Messiah as a tragedy. But keep in mind that every unsaved person, Jew or Gentile, is without Messiah, and that means condemnation.¹⁰⁶

Secondly, they were without citizenship in Isra’el (2:12b). ADONAI called the Jews and built them into a great nation. He gave them His Torah and His blessings. It should be noted that there certainly were a group of Gentiles who were hearing the Torah. There were many God-fearers who attended the local synagogues. They were disenchanted with the pagan society and subsequently drawn to the monotheism and ethics of Judaism.¹⁰⁷ Nevertheless, Isra’el was still God’s nation, in a way that was not true of any Gentile nation.

Thirdly, they were without the covenants of the promise (2:12c). While the blessing of the Gentiles is included in God’s Covenant with Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3), YHVH did not make any covenants with the Gentile nations. The Gentiles were aliens and strangers . . . and the Jews never let them forget it. Many of the Pharisees would traditionally pray daily, “Blessed are You, LORD our God, King of the universe, who has not made me a Gentile.”

Fourthly, they were without hope (2:12d). Historians tell us that a great cloud of hopelessness covered the ancient world. Philosophies were empty; traditions were disappearing; religions were powerless to help people face either life or death. People longed to pierce the inner veil of the Tabernacle (see the commentary on Exodus Fq – The Inner Veil of the Sanctuary: That is Christ, His Body) and get some message of hope from the other side, but there was none (First Thessalonians 4:13-18).

And fifthly, they were without God in the world (2:12e). The heathen had many, many gods, as Paul discovered in Athens (see the commentary on Acts Cb – An Unknown God in Athens). Someone on that day said that it was easier to find a god than a man in Athens. In fact, there are “gods” and “lords” galore, wrote Paul (First Corinthians 8:5). But the pagan, no matter how religious or moral he might have been, did not know the true God. The writer of Psalm 115 contrasted the true God with the idols of the heathen.¹⁰⁸

Remember that you were at that time separated from Messiah, alienated from the commonwealth of Isra’el (2:12a ESV). Similarly, before their awareness of the Messianic Redemption in Yeshua Messiah, the Gentiles of Ephesus were estranged from the Jewish people and Judaism in general. They were not in a proper relationship with the true God, nor His people. Sha’ul will soon describe the change in status for the Gentiles who would place their faith in Yeshua. However, they did not become Jews, or even “spiritual Jews.” Paul is careful to make that clear, yet also affirming that the Gentiles who became believers in Yeshua were then affiliated with Isra’el in a special way.

Unfortunately, this truth has not always been embraced by the historic Church. Starting with the early Church fathers (and continuing through many centuries), theologians cut off any connection between Christians and Jews (May I recommend The Anguish of the Jews: Twenty-Three Centuries of Antisemitism, by Edward H. Flannery, Published by Paulist Press, Mahwah, New Jersey, 1985). The estrangement has been devastating for both the church and the synagogue. It is a blessing to see in our day a fresh understanding and appreciation by many Gentiles as to their connection to the Jewish people and Isra’el through their faith in Yeshua Messiah. This renewed understanding (much of it based on Paul’s teaching) can only serve to be a source of healing between the church and the synagogue in our day.¹⁰⁹

However, Gentiles should not think of their union with Isra’el as only a matter of rights and privileges. Rather, it implies an obligation to relate as family to the Jewish community to whom their faith has joined them. When Ruth joined Isra’el, she said: Your people will be my people and your God my God (Ruth 1:16). Today, this should mean being involved with Jewish people, both Messianic and non-Messianic. Gentile Christians who regard Messianic Jews as the strangers and themselves as the rightful heirs are not submitting to the message of these verses. Paul does not say that Isra’el is estranged from the communal life of the Gentiles, but the opposite, implying that Isra’el constitutes the norm and the center of religious gravity, not the Gentiles. In Romans, Paul portrays the Gentiles as wild olive branches grafted into the cultivated olive tree which is Isra’el (see the commentary on Romans Cz – The Illustration of Isra’el’s Future), and cautions Gentile believers against pride.

And strangers to the covenants of promise (2:12b ESV). These include the covenant with Abraham (see the commentary on Genesis Fp – The Abrahamic Covenant), the covenant with Moshe (see the commentary on Exodus Dd – The Mosaic Covenant), and the B’rit Chadashah with Yeshua (see the commentary on Hebrews Bm – A Better Covenant). The B’rit Chadashah was not given to Gentiles, but to Isra’el as seen above in the commentary on Jeremiah. Gentiles are foreigners and strangers to it except through faith, which, as Paul points out, makes them full participants.¹¹⁰

Having no hope and without God in the world (2:12c ESV). This is Rabbi Sha’ul’s logical conclusion in regard to the past life of the Gentiles in Ephesus. The pagan religions and philosophies offered some short-term diversions to life. There were gods for almost every facet of their life, but there were always unresolved dilemmas, the greatest of which being to have hope beyond the grave. It is only in the life and work of Yeshua as the Messiah that there is an assurance of hope beyond this life. The Rabbi also makes the bold statement that, because of their pagan beliefs, they were, in fact, without any real hope in the world. This message of the Bible remains true today despite the pluralistic influences found in our contemporary culture. The life and ministry of Yeshua makes Him stand apart from all other religious teachers. There is no other religious teacher who claimed to die as an atonement for sins. Ultimately there is no long-lasting hope without the High Priest Yeshua (John 14:6).¹¹¹

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ (2:13). Both Jews and Gentiles have equal access to God the Father, through the shed blood of the Messiah. The Ephesian Gentile believers had made a change in both their identity and religious status. This verse displays the imagery from the sacrificial system in Jerusalem, in which the sacrifices would temporarily cover the sins of Isra’el (Psalm 32:1).¹¹²

For He Himself is our peace (2:14a). The work of Yeshua has brought peace between us and our Father in heaven because whoever chooses to be the world’s friend makes himself God’s enemy (James 4:4). One of the sacrifices of the Torah is the Peace Offerings (see the commentary on Leviticus Ak – The Peace Offerings: At Peace with God), symbolizing the reality that the person who has peace with God has peace with those around him. How true it is that Yeshua has brought the ultimate peace with God and provided a new positive attitude with the people in our lives. Although Paul is primarily addressing the Gentile readers of his letter, he also includes the Jewish believers with the use of the word “our.” There are surely many cultural differences between many followers of Yeshua, but we all stand before God in an equal manner. Yeshua, the Prince of Peace (see the commentary on Isaiah Ck – He Will Be Called the Prince of Peace), brings peace equally to both Jews and Gentiles alike in faith.

Who has made the two groups one (2:14b). The Jewish believers of Ephesus had a vastly different culture and upbringing than the Gentile majority of the city. They started on very different paths, but through Yeshua, they had come to the same conclusion. Paul is not confusing identities here. The Jewish believers didn’t need to become “Gentilized” nor did the Gentile believers need to become “Judaized.” They were both united in their faith in Yeshua. However, today there are still those who insist that Messianic Jews “convert” and become “Gentile Christians.” This is just backwards because it is the Gentiles who have actually become part of the commonwealth of Isra’el as seen in Romans above. Jews don’t have to become Gentiles when they come to faith any more than Gentiles have to become Jews when they come to faith. This is why the idea of a “Messianic synagogue” has reappeared in our day as a practical way for Jewish believers in Yeshua to live a Jewish lifestyle. Rabbi Sha’ul sees the diversity within the Body of Messiah as praiseworthy.

And has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility pictured here (2:14c). The Rabbi illustrates the previous point with a cultural phenomenon that was quite obvious in his day. The several courtyards of the Temple were divided in order to accommodate different groups of people coming to worship. The Court of the Levites was the inner area exclusively for the priests and their holy service. The next outward court was called the Court of Isra’el, accessible by any Jewish male. The Court of the Women followed this where Jewish women who had come to pray, worship, or offer sacrifices and tithes could only travel that far. The outer court was the Court of the Gentiles which was set aside for any Gentile visitors or worshippers like God-fearers (2:12b).¹¹⁴

Both Jews and Gentiles were permitted to enter the Temple Compound in order to approach the Golden Sanctuary, the dwelling place of the Eternal One. Yet after some dozen meters, they came to a barrier. It consisted of a low wall of 75cm (or 2.46 feet) upon which a wooden lattice of 52.5 cm (1 foot 8.67 inches) was secured for a total of 127.5 cm. In rabbinical literature this barrier is referred to with the Hebrew word soreg (meaning a fence, a grill, or netting). The dividing wall of hostility was deliberately built low and furnished with lattice allowing a view through so that no one, not even a child, might be prevented from seeing the glorious view of the Golden Sanctuary.

Gentiles could not proceed beyond this dividing wall beyond their own courtyard. This was confirmed in recent years with an archaeological find near the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Amid the pile of ancient stones, one large stone was engraved in Greek with the following words, “No man of another (Gentile) nation shall enter within the fence and enclosure around the Temple. And whoever is caught within will have himself to blame for his ensuing death.”

With this historical background, one can appreciate the radical statement of Rabbi Sha’ul regarding Gentile believers. The dividing wall of hostility has been destroyed by the work of Yeshua! Paul’s point is that Gentiles are no longer separated but can now join the Jewish people and be one with them as God’s people through faith in Messiah. The barrier is down, the Gentiles can join in! The critics understand it in the opposite manner. Since the barrier is down, then Jews, who now believe in their own Messiah, no longer have the right to maintain their own Jewish identity and must conform to Gentile patterns. Amazing! And certainly not what Sha’ul himself did (Acts 13:9). Interestingly enough, this is why the Hebrew Roots Movement (see the Commentary on Galatians Ak – The Hebrew Roots Movement: A Different Gospel) does not accept any of the books written by Paul. Which, of course, violates Revelation 22:18-19.

The object of Messianic Judaism is not to destroy fellowship between Jews and Gentiles in Messiah’s Body, but to preserve it. At the same time, Messianic Judaism seeks to provide a framework in which Jewish believers can express their faith in Yeshua through, and along with, their Jewishness. The Scriptural authority for this is not only in Paul’s own practice, but also his principle of presenting the Good News in a way that minimized the obstacles to its acceptance by its hearers (Galatians 1:17 and First Corinthians 9:19-22).

On the other hand, frequently those Gentiles who raise the argument about the dividing wall of hostility are themselves the ones who are building it! For they would have Jews enter the Body of the Jewish Messiah only if they conform to Gentile customs and ways, and totally give up their Jewishness (and in some cases their family and livelihood). Members of no other culture are put upon in this unfair way . . . only Jews. Their idea of Sha’ul’s remark that the Messiah has made us both one new man, is that one new man is Gentile!¹¹⁵

By destroying the enmity occasioned by the Torah, with its statutes and ordinances (2:15a). Unfortunately, this verse is interpreted by many to mean that the Torah itself causes the enmity or is the problem. It is true that Jews who are Torah observant would, by necessity, be set apart from Gentiles. For example, a kosher Jew cannot eat a meal at the home of a Gentile, at least in the view of rabbinic interpretation. While some of this is true, it is not the full understanding of this verse. It actually leads some Christian theologies to assert that the Torah is now annulled so the Gentiles can fellowship with Jews. But this is contrary to the teaching of Yeshua Himself, who upheld the Torah and claimed that He did not come to abolish even one little letter of the Torah (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Dg – The Fulfillment of the Torah). Consequently, it is more logical to interpret that it is not the Torah which is done away with by the work of Yeshua Messiah, but the enmity between Jews and Gentiles, which has been abolished.

Like the Oral Law (see The Life of Christ Ei – The Oral Law), the dividing wall of hostility was a man-made idea, one that is not given in the Scriptures. One of the core values of Messianic Judaism is that the Torah is the eternal Word of God and should be respected as such. The problem is not with the Torah, but how some people misinterpret it. When examined closely, it becomes clear that Sha’ul never denigrated the Torah but was concerned about those who misapplied it. As he said elsewhere: We know the Torah is good, provided one uses it in the way the Torah itself intends (First Timothy 1:8).¹¹⁶

In 1:15b-22, the ideas of 1:14 and 15a are restated, with the focus on the unity of the Body of Messiah. In this entire passage Paul is writing to Gentiles, and his object is to reassure them that they are fully God’s people, that because of their faith in Messiah and His work on the cross, no barrier exists between them and the Jews. In other words, Gentiles are not second-class citizens of the Kingdom. His purpose is not to downplay Jewish distinctives, but to shine a light on what God has done for the Gentiles.¹¹⁷

The greater purpose of reconciliation is spiritual in nature. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two (see Ai – The One New Man Movement), thus making peace, and in one Body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility (2:15b-16). Messiah’s goal was to unite all believers to ADONAI, and this would be the basis for unity in one Body, His Church. The means by which He did this was through the cross. Yeshua’s death was a once-for-all sacrifice for sin, and dealt a lethal blow to all disharmony. Paul’s picturesque phrase of the cross, putting hostility to death highlights the root of divisions. Sin is at the heart of the hostility between people. Once sin has been dealt with, peace should be the result. One of the tenets of secularism today is that in order for all people to come together, religious faith must end or at least blend with all other belief systems. The Gospel refutes that assertion. The only unity that will ever be realized will be the one that is grounded in Messiah alone.

He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through Him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit (2:17-18). Sha’ul closes his teaching of the amazing unity of the Body of Messiah by giving three metaphors to illustrate it. In the picture of fellow citizens he shows how Jew and Gentile have become part of the same Kingdom (2:19a); in the picture of God’s household he shows how all believers are one spiritual family in Messiah; and in the picture of a holy Temple in the Lord he shows that all believers are together in one dwelling for God.

Consequently, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with God’s people (2:19a). Whether they were former strangers and outcasts or former foreigners and guests, all believers in Messiah become fellow citizens of God’s Kingdom with God’s people – believers from every age who have trusted in the Savior. There are no strangers or foreigners there, no second-class citizens. Our citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 3:20), Paul declares, and the only citizens of heaven are God’s people.

And also members of His household (2:19b). As if being members of His divine family were not enough, ADONAI’s gracious work in Messiah draws us even closer and makes us members of God’s household. Because YHVH cannot give anything but His best to the Son, He cannot give anything but His best to those who are in His Son (Ephesians 2:11 and 3:6; Romans 8:17). Heavenly citizenship and family membership are not distinct roles or positions but simply different views of the same reality, because every Kingdom citizen is a family member and every family member is a Kingdom citizen.

Built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Messiah Yeshua Himself as the chief cornerstone. In Him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy Temple in the Lord. And in Him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit (2:20-22). The foundation of the apostles and prophets refers to the divine revelation that they taught, which in written form is the B’rit Chadashah. The cornerstone of the foundation is Messiah Yeshua Himself (Isaiah 28:16; Psalm 118:22; Matthew 21:42; Acts 4:11). Joined together refers to the careful joining of every component of a piece of furniture, wall, or building. Every part fits perfectly together. Nothing is out of place, defective or inappropriate. Because Messiah’s building, the Church, is perfect, spotless, without defect or blemish. And that is how He will one day present Her, His own holy Temple, to Himself (5:27). The term dwelling carries the idea of a permanent home. Therefore, through the blood, the suffering, the cross, and the death of our Lord Yeshua Messiah, strangers become family members, foreigners become citizens, idolaters become the Temple of God, the hopeless inherit the promises of ADONAI, those without Messiah become one in Messiah, those far off are brought near, and the godless are reconciled to the LORD. This is the reconciliation of mankind to God and of people to each other.¹¹⁸

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise Your great wisdom and love in breaking down the barrier between Jews and Gentiles so that all who love and follow Messiah Yeshua as their Lord and Savior are welcomed into the family of God and built together into a holy dwelling place for you – because we are all united together in Him. Praise You for such awesome love that You desire a family relationship with Your children and you delight in a relationship of oneness with them. You also delight in spending Your eternity loving and living with those who love You. I also heard a loud voice from the throne, saying: Behold, the dwelling of God is among men, and He shall tabernacle among them. They shall be His people, and God Himself shall be among them and be their God (Revelation 21:3). We love to serve You now, even in hard times for we know for sure that someday we will live with You forever in heaven! In Messiah Yeshua’s holy Name and power of His resurrection. Amen