Good morning friends,
This morning's reading continues Paul's thoughts on God's love for us in Christ. As you can see from the passage, Paul is writing to a mostly or even entirely gentile congregation. This passage focuses on how that division between Jews and gentiles that used to be so important is now gone among God's family. In Christ we all become one family and are brought close to God. Since Christ makes the whole church one body, all the things that threaten to divide us from one another loose their meaning. Nothing should divides us anymore because we are all brothers and sisters in Christ. That doesn't mean we are all the same, but it does mean we are one in love. That's a promise the church often has trouble with, but our calling is clear.
God bless,
Sam
Ephesians 2:11-22
11So then, remember that at one time you Gentiles by birth, called “the uncircumcision” by those who are called “the circumcision” —a physical circumcision made in the flesh by human hands— 12remember that you were at that time without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
14For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us. 15He has abolished the law with its commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two, thus making peace, 16and might reconcile both groups to God in one body through the cross, thus putting to death that hostility through it.
17So he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; 18for through him both of us have access in one Spirit to the Father. 19So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, 20built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. 21In him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; 22in whom you also are built together spiritually into a dwelling place for God.
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I wanted to share a great question on this passage I received by email along with my response:
ReplyDeleteBefore Christ, was there any recognition/acceptance of the Gentiles by God? I ask because verses 11-13 seem to indicate God was exclusively for the "circumcised" prior to Christ and only with the blood of Christ were Gentiles able to gain access to God. Why did it take Christ to "open the door" to God for the Gentiles and why did God seemingly exclude Gentiles before Christ?
For me, the reading casts a light that God didn't care for everyone before Christ.
Here's my response:
That's a great question and one I'll post on the blog as well since it is an important issue. From the beginning God has cared about everyone. At the same time Abraham was called to have a special relationship with God and to become a nation that would continue that special relationship. Even in Abraham's calling in Genesis we see that part of God's blessing was to share that blessing with the world. The OT tells the story mostly of God's relationship with Israel, but from time to time we catch glimpses that God also talked to other people. Ballam was a gentile prophet of God, Moses' father in law Jethro was a priest of God, as was Melkisadec, king of Salem (also in Genesis). As the people of Israel wandered in the desert preparing to enter the promised land God often commanded them to be welcoming to immigrants. So God has always welcomed people of any nation into fellowship (though in those days to truly convert to the worship of God men did have to be circumcised, just like we believe people need to be baptized to fully become part of the church).
The thing is that most other nations turned their worship to other gods. Paul talks about how the Ephesians had been far from God before they came to know Christ, because before converting they had been pagans worshiping other gods. For those Ephesians, they didn't know God until they heard his calling in the proclamation of Christ. I hope that helps; thanks for the great question.