How does Ephesians 2:15 redefine the relationship between Jews and Gentiles in Christianity? Historical Background: The Dividing Wall Paul writes from Roman custody (Acts 28) to a mixed congregation in Ephesus that daily saw the Temple’s stone balustrade in Jerusalem warning Gentiles not to pass on pain of death. One of those Greek inscriptions (discovered in 1871 and housed in the Istanbul Archaeological Museum) reads: “No foreigner may enter within the barrier and enclosure around the Temple.” Paul alludes to this literal “dividing wall” to illustrate the spiritual barrier that Christ has now demolished. Abolishing the Law of Commandments Christ did not abrogate the moral character of God’s Law (cf. Matthew 5:17-18); rather He satisfied its righteous demands (Romans 8:3-4) and set aside the ceremonial boundary markers—circumcision, dietary laws, purity regulations—that once kept the nations at arm’s length (Acts 10; Galatians 2). The Mosaic covenant, temporary by design (Galatians 3:19), reached its telos in the crucifixion, where the “certificate of debt” was nailed to the cross (Colossians 2:14). One New Man: Ecclesiological Implications The phrase “one new man” (heis kainos anthrōpos) inaugurates an organism, not an organization. In this body: • Ethnic priority is replaced by Christ’s preeminence (Colossians 1:18). • Covenant access is shared (“fellow citizens with the saints,” Ephesians 2:19). • The Spirit indwells without racial distinction (Acts 15:8-9). Thus the church is not Judaism plus Gentile appendages; it is a re-created humanity previewing the eschatological community of Revelation 7:9-10. Practical Outworking in the Early Church • Acts 11: The Antioch church models integrated fellowship; Barnabas “saw the grace of God” (v. 23). • Acts 15: The Jerusalem Council rejects burdening Gentiles with circumcision, echoing “abolishing the law of commandments in ordinances.” • Romans 14-15: Paul urges mutual acceptance on secondary matters, presupposing the unity Ephesians articulates. Canonical Consistency Ephesians 2:15 dovetails with: • Isaiah 49:6—Israel’s Servant a “light for the nations.” • Genesis 12:3—Abrahamic blessing for “all families of the earth.” • Galatians 3:28—“neither Jew nor Greek … for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” The coherence across millennia underscores divine authorship; manuscript evidence (P46 c. AD 175-225; 𝔓^46) shows the text’s stability, and the Chester Beatty codices place Ephesians among the earliest collected Pauline letters. Conclusion Ephesians 2:15 redefines Jew-Gentile relations by declaring ceremonial distinctions obsolete, creating a unified, Spirit-indwelt humanity whose peace rests on Christ’s atoning death and verified resurrection. This “one new man” fulfills God’s ancient promise, validates the reliability of Scripture, and showcases the supernatural power that will ultimately reconcile “all things” to God (Colossians 1:20). |
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