Pray to begin this intentional time with the Lord. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, grow in me Your heart’s desire for reconciliation—not only between You and humankind but also between all people, of every ethnicity.
Read Ephesians 2:11-22
Where Have We Been?
Ephesians 1 reveals that salvation consists of multiple blessings, all of which were given at the beginning of time in order to bring God glory through Christ Jesus. The blessings come to believers through their union with Christ, experienced through faith, which is a gift from God. Ephesians 2:1–10 explains that believers have no cause for boasting in this process because they were wrath-bound sinners who had no inclination toward God. It was God alone who interrupted our dead lives by giving the gift of grace through Jesus Christ, making us alive with Him.
Where Are We Headed?
This week, in Ephesians 2:11–22, Paul shows how this work of Christ creates one united identity among believers, foreshadowing the fullness of the union believers will share with God and one another for all of eternity. This passage explains reconciliation and its implications for the common identity of Jewish and Gentile believers in Christ for the present and future ages.
Read through Ephesians 2:11-22 again. Make note of words and concepts that seem important or stand out to you.
LISTEN to this four-minute message from Tim from The Bible Project, where he shares more background on the relationship between Jews and Gentiles, why this new way of living was so countercultural then, and how Christ might be calling us to live this out in these divisive times.
Pray to begin this intentional time with the Lord. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, grow in me Your heart’s desire for reconciliation—not only between You and humankind but also between all people, of every ethnicity.
Read through the complete passage for this week’s study, Ephesians 2:11–22. Then review the following questions concerning this section of Paul’s letter to the church at Ephesus and write notes on them.
Remembering Seperation (EPH. 2:11–13):
1. The transition word “Therefore” indicates that on the basis of God’s gracious work (Eph. 2:1–10), Paul is exhorting the Gentile believers in Ephesus to remember the depth of their separation from God. What is the significance of the references to Old Testament ideas like “uncircumcised” and “excluded from citizenship”?
2. In Christ’s work of salvation, unbelieving Gentiles have been “brought near” to those who were circumcised “in the flesh by hands” (e.g., Israel). What is one effect the death of Christ had on the ethnic relations of Jews and Gentiles?
3. In what sense(s) were Gentiles “far off”? In what sense(s) are they now “near”?
Taking It Personally
Whether you are ethnically Jew or Gentile, we all at one time were far from God. List ways that God has “brought you near” to Himself. How has your life changed because of Christ’s blood?
Pray to begin this intentional time with the Lord. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, grow in me Your heart’s desire for reconciliation—not only between You and humankind but also between all people, of every ethnicity.
CHRIST MADE PEACE (Eph. 2:14–18) Today we will look in-depth at Ephesians 2:14-18. First, read through Ephesians 2:11-22 again for context.
1. In Ephesians 2:14, “in his flesh” is a reference to the death of Christ on the cross. By dying on the cross, Christ achieved peace between Jews and Gentiles and so removed the source of their hostility with one another. What was the source of this hostility, and what does it mean for it to be abolished? In what sense are Jewish and Gentile believers “one new humanity”?
2. Being “far from the commonwealth of Israel” (or “citizenship in Israel” in some translations) meant the Gentiles needed the message of peace. Why did “those who were near” (Israel) also need this message of peace?
3. As a result of the preaching of peace, what is new about the Jews’ means of access to the Father? What is new about the Gentiles’ access to the Father?
Watch this Bible Project video explaining grace as beauty, action, and favor in the Bible, and how this reveals God’s gracious character.
Prayer
In our cultural moment, we are facing racial and ethnic tension all around us. Though particularly heightened at present, this discord has plagued the human race for millenia. In this passage, however, we see that this is not God’s intent. How can we close this divide in our own lives?
Who in your life is of another ethnicity? Write down their names and pray for each person specifically, that the Lord would bring you closer in relationship to the people you wrote down, that you could benefit from their perspective, and that you would see His image in them. Consider praying for them every day for the rest of the week.
If you do not have anyone in your life of another ethnicity, ask God to bring you into proximity with people who are unlike you, that you might benefit from the diversity of their experiences and perspectives, and discover how they bear His image uniquely. In the meantime, try to find a book, podcast, or blog that is created by someone from another ethnicity, that you might gain from their perspective.
Pray to begin this intentional time with the Lord. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, grow in me Your heart’s desire for reconciliation—not only between You and humankind but also between all people, of every ethnicity.
Read Through Ephesians 2:11-22 for context.
THE CHURCH AS GOD’S TEMPLE (Eph. 2:19–22)
1. Christ’s work of peace removes the believing Gentiles’ status as “strangers and aliens.” When Paul includes the Jewish believers in the new status of “no longer strangers and aliens,” what does he reveal about the spiritual status of those who had the “covenants of promise”?
2. The Ephesians’ secular citizenship provided them with the responsibilities, rights, and benefits of the Roman city. Paul borrows this political language to describe the church as a new community formed by Christ—as a new citizenry and a new household. How does the language of Ephesians 2:19 emphasize the corporate nature of this new community? What does such language intend to communicate about relationships between members of the body of Christ?
3. What would Jewish and Gentile believers in Ephesus have understood about the gospel’s effect on race relationships, nationalism, and individualism?
4. The cornerstone of a building was the stone ensuring a straight and stable foundation. How did the apostles and prophets act as the foundation for the church? What does Christ as a cornerstone mean for the church?
5. Who is doing this countercultural, miraculous work in the believers’ lives? (Eph. 2:22)
Prayer
Throughout these three verses, we see a cluster of architectural language: household, being built, foundation, cornerstone, building, temple, being built together, dwelling place. Interestingly, Christ is above this building (the church) as its head and under the church as its foundation. We also see an idea of family, where God is the Father. In what ways does the church currently image this reality? In what ways do we not? Spend time in prayer, asking the Lord how we as a “building” (a group of people built together) and as a family can more fully live into the image He has for worshiping communities.
Pray to begin this intentional time with the Lord. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, grow in me Your heart’s desire for reconciliation—not only between You and humankind but also between all people, of every ethnicity.
Read through Ephesians 2:11-22 one final time this week.
In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he speaks to Jews and non-Jews, two groups that were formerly divided by so many factors it truly would have taken an act of God to unite them. In the first three chapters, Paul teaches about the great measures God took in order to make these two groups into one new humanity in Jesus. Then in the last three chapters, Paul shows them how Jesus’ unifying work should impact every relationship and aspect of their lives.
In this week’s Reflection Guide we have looked at Paul’s letter, specifically chapter 2, where we see the Christian church in Ephesus—a diverse group of Jews and non-Jews from various ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. The Ephesians didn’t have much in common, yet Paul is very clear that in the family of God, all are equal recipients of God’s grace through Jesus. Societies have always categorized people into different hierarchies of value, but Jesus came to create a new humanity that is unified across all dividing lines.
Answer the Questions Below:
1. What does it mean to be a new, unified humanity in a culture where followers of Jesus can be found on both sides of many controversial issues? How can our allegiance to Jesus compel us to have patient and meaningful dialogue with those whose views differ from our own?
2. Reread Ephesians 1:9-10 and 2:11-22 and note all the words that communicate unity (both, all, together, etc…).
3. What are two groups in your community that disagree with one another about a current issueGrowth in Jesus requires speaking the truth in love (see Ephesians 4:15). What happens in these groups when truth is not spoken in love or when love is spoken without truth?
4. Take note of the dangers of dealing with anger inappropriately (see Ephesians 4:25-31). How do you think fractured communication—especially from a place of anger—can make us vulnerable to the devil’s work and grieve the Holy Spirit?
5. Jesus died to reconcile those who were hostile to God into a loving and unified relationship with Him and one another. How would dwelling upon and internalizing this truth affect the way we are called to relate to those we deem hostile to us? Take time to pray to God to soften your heart with the compassion of Christ, and to reveal to you how He wants you to think about and act toward them.
Adapted from Ephesians: A 12-Week Study © 2016 by Eric C. Redmond. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Crossway Books, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
