Ephesians 2:15, commentary and pictures

His death abolished the law of ordinances governing sacrifices and offerings that pointed forward to him and ended at his death, not the enduring moral law of the Ten Commandments including the Sabbath. By his sacrifice and blood he broke down the middle wall of partition between Jews and Gentiles, ending Jewish exclusiveness and opening salvation and gospel work to all humanity without restriction of custom or nationality. In himself he makes the two, those far off and those near, into one new man, reconciling both to God in one body by the cross and giving both access by one Spirit to the Father as fellow citizens built into one holy temple. This peace is unity and love wrought by the Holy Spirit that removes distinctions of nationality, race, rank, and caste in a common brotherhood, calling believers to remain united, receive all without partiality, and carry the universal gospel to every soul.

Law That Was Abolished

The enmity abolished in his flesh is the law of commandments contained in ordinances governing Jewish sacrifices and offerings. Those ceremonies and divinely appointed services specified the Hebrew manner of worship and all prefigured his death. They lasted until type met antitype at his death, when they were rendered valueless and ceased.

His death ended circumcision and the ceremonial law as any condition for joining his church, and his work embraces the whole world. Gentile believers who accept the gospel share its blessings as equals with Jewish believers and are not farther from God because they do not observe those ordinances. They are not required to observe circumcision, and the restrictions and ceremonies that kept the Jews distinct from all other people are not to be made obligatory upon Gentiles accepting faith. Jewish believers may observe them, but they are not binding on Gentiles.

The verse does not abolish the enduring moral law, the Ten Commandments, or the Sabbath commandment, and his death did not make the Ten Commandments die with him. By removing the enmity associated with the ordinances through his sacrifice and blood he makes peace and brings people back into allegiance to God's commandments, since transgression of the law made the blood of God's Son the price of redemption for the sins of the whole world. His blood canceled the ordinances that stood as a partition between Jew and Gentile and opened access to God, so that through faith both groups can share the living bread and be brought into fellowship with God. The gospel is thus God's ordained means to restore His moral image in man and to stem hostility against His law, His remedy for universal disorganization and the power that draws men together in unity.

Partition Wall Removed

The enmity is pictured by the literal partition wall in the temple at Jerusalem that separated the outer court open to Gentiles from the inner enclosure lawful only for Jews on pain of death for pollution, for he who is the foundation and originator of that temple whose services and ceremonies pointed to his sacrifice as the Son of God encircled Gentiles with a human arm of sympathy and association while with a divine arm of grace and power he brought them the salvation the Jews refused. God's restrictions on Israel concerning association with idolaters were meant to keep Israel from adopting heathen practices, not to create a wall separating Israel from other nations, and the verse describes that enmity and separation being abolished so that the two could be made one and peace established.

He began breaking down the partition wall between Jew and Gentile at the very beginning of his ministry by rebuking Jewish pride, conceit, selfish seclusion, superficial morality, unreasonable prejudice and bigotry against Gentiles, and by not conforming to Jewish customs and regulations. He mingled freely with the despised Samaritans, accepting their hospitality, sleeping under their roofs, eating food prepared and served by their hands, teaching in their streets, and treating them with kindness and courtesy to preach salvation to the world and make of twain one new man. The barriers Jewish pride raised between Jews and heathen were to be broken down, and his work was to remove the division that kept even his disciples from sympathy with the heathen.

He illustrated the coming removal beforehand by relieving the afflicted woman in the coast of Tyre and Sidon to lead the disciples to be interested in working for others besides their own people when the Jews would turn from them for declaring Jesus the Saviour of the world. The arrival of Greeks seeking Jesus pointed to this opening of his mission beyond the Jews. His mission and death broke down the partition between Jews and Gentiles, making peace between them, removing the barrier that had restricted the gospel by custom or nationality, ending Jewish exclusiveness and making gospel work unrestricted. Through his death he opened salvation to humanity and freed people from the power of evil, so that in him the gospel is open to all peoples and his representatives are to labor for both peoples.

Through his death heathen nations are made partakers equally with the Jews in the blessings and privileges of the gospel and made fellow-heirs with the Israel of God, no longer an unclean race excluded from the promises of God, revealing the world-wide extent of the plan of God. The vision of the sheet taught Peter that Gentiles were not to be treated as unclean or excluded, and that God's plan extended to the whole world. Although the breaking down was already accomplished by the time Paul and Barnabas were ordained at Antioch, letting the Gentiles into the full privileges of the gospel with a vigorous work among the Gentiles to follow that would strengthen the church by a great ingathering of souls, the wall still stood in the minds of the apostles, who confined their labors to the Jews, looked upon Gentiles as excluded, and had not yet preached the gospel to the Gentiles. Peter had to be divested of settled prejudice and led to comprehend the world-wide extent of God's plan by the vision of the sheet and his experience with Cornelius, for God was tearing down the middle wall so the gospel was to be carried to all the world and his Holy Spirit would be sent to the uncircumcised as well as to Jews. That truth caused contention in the church at Jerusalem until Peter rehearsed his experience, while many believing Jews still had a veil over their eyes and could not clearly discern to the end of that which was abolished by the Son of God.

One New Humanity Formed

In himself he makes the two groups — those who were far off and those who were near — into one new man and one new people, making peace. Those far off were without God and without hope in the world, while those near stood within privilege, yet both are brought together in him. Through his cross he reconciles both to God in one body.

With his own body he bridged the deep and impassable gulf that sin made between the world and heaven, providing the way by which separated men may again be united with heaven. Men left to themselves could not cross to reach the abode of bliss. He gives help and strength to every soul that desires to cross it, so that exiles are made prisoners of hope and placed on probation.

Through his cross and blood he reconciles both to God in one body, breaking down the dividing wall between those far off and those near. Men in high positions of trust and influence, however exalted in this world, are in sin and under condemnation unless they accept him. Though afar off, in bondage to Satan and as enemies under condemnation of God's law, they can be made nigh by his blood and reconciled, so that to follow him is the only path to true greatness and true honor.

Through him both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. They are no more strangers and foreigners but fellow citizens with the saints of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets with himself as chief cornerstone, fitly framed together growing into a holy temple in the Lord. He brings believing Jews and Gentiles together as one church and into one spiritual fold, where the message of mercy offered first to Israel is then offered to all nations so that all who believe may be reconciled to God and receive everlasting life.

This bringing of Jew and Gentile into one fulfills the covenant made with Abraham that in him all families of the earth would be blessed. No outward privilege or position secures the spiritual blessings of that covenant, and no outward disability debars any person who complies with the conditions. Everywhere and in all ages he that fears God and works righteousness is accepted with him, for name or position is of no real value with God.

The peace established is unity and love wrought by the Holy Spirit, with unity replacing dissension. The cross fully accomplishes the miracle of perfect union among believers. Church members are made to act as one and blend together with consecrated body, soul, and spirit as a living, active missionary agency moved and controlled by the Spirit to carry on the great plan of redemption for the good of an unbelieving world.

Unity Lived and Preached

In him those who were far off and those who were near are reconciled to God in one body by the cross through his blood, and in him believers are united and must not separate from one another. This oneness in him is an instructive lesson for those who are not working in harmony.

Pure and undefiled religion makes all who are children of God one family bound up with him in God. He binds men to himself, to God, and to one another, so that true sanctified judgment makes all the human element in him one and builds no wall of separation between a man and his fellow. Through him men and women are adopted into the divine family as sons and daughters with every advantage of his power and redeeming love. This oneness is not proud, partial, and exclusive, favoring only a few while the lowly awaken little sympathy, but receives suffering humanity of all classes without distinction.

He removes the divisions and hostility that separated peoples and makes those who were divided into one family and one new humanity through redemption. In him people of every nationality, race, rank, creed, caste, status, condition, and relationship are linked in a common brotherhood and are equal before God. His mercy, love, and care are not limited by those distinctions, and no group may claim heaven's gifts for itself while excluding others. No such distinction bars anyone from God, for all are brought near through his blood and given access to God.

This principle applies to church work among different nationalities, where separate organizations would build walls, hinder spiritual growth, and require later removal, while working together supports unity. The gospel harmonizes the sinful race by making peace, bringing rich and poor together at the feet of Jesus rather than dividing and weakening them with too-strenuous requirements God has not required. He came to break down every wall of partition and throw open every compartment in the temple of his creation, so that every soul, Jew or Gentile, has free access to God's presence. The message he brought from the Father is for the ears of the whole world, a blessing as universal as light, with no boundaries to grace, and mercy for those who seek him with contrition of soul. He removes barriers including prejudice between nations and artificial distinctions in society by teaching love for all people, so that every needy person is a neighbor and the whole world is the field for his followers' mission, and this calls every soul to yoke up with him to reach and draw to him souls of every caste and every nation. Loving service to people suffering because of religious differences can break down prejudice and draw them to God.

Those who were far off without God and without hope in the world are made nigh by his blood when they receive faith and then preach the gospel they have received. Through him both have access by one Spirit unto the Father, are no more strangers and foreigners but fellow citizens with the saints of the household of God, and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets with himself as chief cornerstone, fitly framed together growing into a holy temple in the Lord. This is the result to be seen by faith from faithful cooperation with God in saving souls and dispensing the gospel to every creature under heaven as stewards who must give an account, laboring for both peoples because his death broke down the partition between Jews and Gentiles and made gospel work unrestricted by custom or nationality. By breaking down barriers of nationality and position he made salvation available to the whole world and calls all people to acknowledge God as supreme.

Even a most splendid temple amounts to nothing if hearts are not right, so spiritual condition should be the greatest anxiety, and children must be taught that God meets with his people and their thoughts directed heavenward. The gospel is his ordained means to restore his moral image in man and to stem hostility against his law, his remedy for universal disorganization and the power that draws men together in unity by making peace.