Therefore, remember that at one time you, Gentiles in the flesh, called the uncircumcision by those called the circumcision, which is done in the flesh by human hands, 12 were at that time without Christ, alienated from the community of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have become near by the blood of Christ. 14 For Christ is our peace, he who made both one and broke down the dividing wall of enmity, through his flesh, 15 abolishing the law with its commandments and legal claims, that he might create in himself one new person in place of the two, thus establishing peace, 16 and might reconcile both with God, in one body, through the cross, putting that enmity to death by it. 17 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 sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God, 20 built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone. 21 Through him the whole structure is held together and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord; 22 in him you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
In verses 1 through 10, Paul tells the Ephesians that God’s grace has transformative power in the lives of believers. Apart from Christ, humanity is in a state of spiritual death, but God demonstrated His mercy and love through Christ's saving work on the cross. Through faith in Christ, believers are saved by grace, not by their own efforts, and are created anew to live out God's purposes in righteous living.
Paul is writing to both Jewish and Gentile believers in Ephesus and begins by addressing the Gentile converts reminding them that before their conversion, they were despised and referred to as “the uncircumcision” by the Jews because of their pagan worship. Physical circumcision symbolized the covenant relationship between God and the Jewish people and distinguished them from other nations (Gen. 17:9-14). Before their conversion, the Gentiles were spiritually alienated from God, without hope of salvation, and excluded from the privileges of belonging to the community of Israel. They are no longer foreigners and aliens because, through the blood of Christ, the Gentile believers are now brought near to God and the enmity, the dividing wall between Jew and Gentile, has been removed (Gal. 3:28).
There is now peace through Christ, and by his sacrifice on the cross (Col. 1:20), Christ has replaced the Law and all its demands which do not have the power to save, and by fulfilling the Law, Christ created a new humanity in himself establishing unity and peace between Jews and Gentiles. They are now one Christian community through Christ (Rom. 1:16). Jews and Gentiles have access to God the Father through the Holy Spirit, who unites believers into one body. The Gentile converts are now fellow citizens with the Jewish Christians in the household of God (Lk. 10:20) whose foundation is the Apostles and the NT Prophets (Acts 11:27; 1 Cor. 12:28) with Christ as the cornerstone (Mk. 12:10). Christ holds the two sides together (1 Cor. 3:10-11), and believers of all backgrounds are being built into a dwelling place for God through the Holy Spirit.
Almighty God, help us to live as one body, united in love and peace, regardless of our backgrounds. We pray that you never let us fall from your heavenly grace and keep us in the light of Christ which leads us to salvation. This we pray through the same Christ our Lord. Amen!
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References
Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Upper Saddle River, NJ, United States, Prentice Hall, 1990.
Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Upper Saddle River, NJ, United States, Prentice Hall, 1990.
Orchard, Bernard, et al. A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture. Feb. 1953.
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