EPHESIANS: From Hostility to Peace

EPHESIANS Number 28:
From Hostility to Peace

Ephesians 2:15–18 (KJV 1900)
“Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.”

The Lord Jesus, we are told, “abolished the enmity.” Enmity means active hostility. The text goes on to clarify, telling us that this enmity, this hostility, was the “law of commandments contained in (or consisting of) ordinances.

Observant readers may notice the use of “abolished” with regard to what can only be understood as the Law handed down by Moses. What is abolished ceases to exist. It is destroyed. Yet Jesus in Matthew 5:17–18, said, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” (KJV 1900) The word used here is καταργέω (katargeo) which BDAG points out means “to lose its power or effectiveness.” So, Jesus has made the Law ineffective or invalid. It is no longer applicable. The Law has been nullified by the Lord Jesus.

What we are seeing here is that the “middle wall of partition” stood not only between the Hebrews and the Nations, but also between all people and God. It was, as some translations render it, a “dividing wall of hostility.” This was the reason for the veil between the inner court and the holy of holies and the wall between the inner and outer courts in the temple. The Gentiles were separated from the Jews, and everyone was separated from God.

Separated in this way, no one was able to reconcile themselves to God. Peter acknowledged this in Acts 15:10 when he refers to a yoke “neither our father nor we were able to bear.” Paul minces no words calling the Law “engraved in letters on stones” (which can only refer to the Ten Commandments) the ministry of death and the ministry of condemnation in 2 Corinthians 3:7 and 9. The Law was an impossible standard put in place to shut everyone up by demonstrating through their failure that righteousness could not be obtained. As Jesus said in Matthew 19:26, “with men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

In fulfilling the Law, Jesus nullified the Law. Consequently, the dividing wall between both Jews and Gentiles and all humanity and God was done away with. Everyone is restored to relationship with God through the work Jesus finished at the cross. Romans 5:1 declares, “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (KJV 1900)

Our passage goes on in verse 16 to tell us that He has made peace so “that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby”. The New Testament is strewn with verses that speak of us as members of the body of Christ. They all agree on one thing, as 1 Corinthians 12:20 points out succinctly, “But now are they many members, yet but one body.” (KJV 1900)

This brings us to verses 17 and 18, where we read, “And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.” While we often disagree and even divide over differences in our understanding of scripture, Father sees no need for that. He has established “One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all” according to Ephesians 4:5–6 (KJV 1900)

So, it is by the Lord Jesus Christ “we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God” as we read in Romans 5:2 (KJV 1900). And consequently, we can say with the writer of Hebrews, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16 (KJV 1900)