What is the meaning of Ephesians 2:14? For He Himself is our peace - The subject is Jesus Christ alone; peace is not a feeling we manufacture but a Person who secures it (Ephesians 2:13, “you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ,”). - Peace begins vertically: our sin made us enemies of God (Romans 5:10). Through His death and resurrection, Jesus reconciles us to the Father (Colossians 1:19-20, “making peace through His blood”). - Peace then flows horizontally: because we share the same Savior, we share the same family (John 14:27; Isaiah 9:6). - This peace is lasting and complete, unlike any temporary truce the world offers (John 16:33). who has made the two one - “The two” refers to Jews and Gentiles—groups once separated by covenant, culture, and centuries of mistrust (Ephesians 2:11-12). - In Christ those distinctions no longer define our standing before God: • Galatians 3:28, “you are all one in Christ Jesus.” • Romans 10:12, “there is no difference between Jew and Greek: the same Lord is Lord of all.” • John 10:16, “there will be one flock and one shepherd.” - The church is therefore a single new humanity (Ephesians 2:15), showing the watching world a unity impossible apart from the gospel. and has torn down the dividing wall of hostility - Paul pictures the literal barrier in the Jerusalem temple that kept Gentiles out; Christ’s cross shattered every symbol of exclusion (Matthew 27:51, “the veil of the temple was torn in two”). - Hostility—whether racial, social, or spiritual—was nailed to the cross with our sin (Colossians 2:14). - Because the obstacle is removed, we now have bold access to God together (Hebrews 10:19-20) and are called to live out that access by welcoming one another (Romans 15:7). - Any attempt to rebuild walls that Jesus demolished denies the finished work He accomplished. summary Jesus personally embodies our peace, unites former outsiders into one redeemed people, and removes every barrier that once separated us from God and from each other. Living in that reality means trusting His finished work and embracing one another as fellow citizens of His kingdom. |
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