Ephesians Series: Ephesians 2:12b-The Third Description of Gentile Christians Before Justification

Ephesians 2:11 Therefore, each and every one of you as a corporate unit must continue to make it your habit of remembering that formerly each of you who belong to the Gentile race with respect to the human body, specifically, those who receive the designation “uncircumcision” by the those who receive the designation “circumcision” with respect to the human body performed by human hands, 12 each one of you used to be characterized as without a relationship with Christ. Each one of you used to be alienated from the nation of Israel’s citizenship. Specifically, each of you used to be strangers to the most important promise, which is the product of the covenants. Each of you used to not possess a confident expectation of blessing. Consequently, each one of you used to be without a relationship with God in the sphere of the cosmic world system. (Lecturer’s translation)

The third description of the unregenerate state of these Gentile Christians, which Paul presents here in Ephesians 2:12 defines specifically the second description of them.

It describes them as being characterized as strangers to the most important promise, which was the product of all the covenants God established with Israel.

It explains why these Gentile Christians were alienated from the citizenship of Israel.

Thus, this description indicates that these Gentile Christians prior to their justification were characterized as being alienated from the citizenship of Israel because they were strangers to the covenants of promise.

They were strangers to the unconditional covenants that God established with the nation of Israel, which all promised a Savior to deliver them from eternal condemnation, condemnation from the Law, enslavement to sin and Satan, personal sins and spiritual and physical death.

Therefore, if we compare the command to remember in Ephesians 2:11 with this third description of these Christian Gentiles prior to their conversion to Christianity in Ephesians 2:12, Paul wants these Gentile Christians to continue to make it their habit of remembering that they used to be characterized as being strangers to the most important promise, which is the product of the covenants.

The noun diathēkē(διαθήκη), “the covenants” refers to the five covenants God established with the citizenship of Israel.

Four of these covenants that God established with the nation of Israel were unconditional and one conditional.

The articular construction of this word is monadic which means that these covenants which God established with the nation of Israel are “unique” or “one of a kind” since it is the only nation, which God entered into a covenant relationship with.

This use of the article is indicated by the word’s genitive adjunct tēs epangelias (τῆς ἐπαγγελίας), “of promise.” (NET)

Thus the entire expression xenoi tōn diathēkōn tēs epangelias (ξένοι τῶν διαθηκῶν τῆς ἐπαγγελίας), “strangers to the covenants of promise”(NET) is expressing a monadic notion.

The noun epangelia(ἐπαγγελία), “the most important promise” refers to God entering into a promise with the nation of Israel to provide them a Savior who will deliver them from eternal condemnation, condemnation from the Law, enslavement to sin and Satan, personal sins and spiritual and physical death.

This promise appears of a Savior appears in the Mosaic, Abrahamic, Palestinian, Davidic and New covenants.

The articular construction of this word is “par excellence” which is used to point out a substantive that is the extreme of a certain category.

Here it indicates that this promise is the most important of all the covenant promises God communicated to Israel and which promise is that of a Savior.

It is the most important promise for unregenerate Jew because they are under God’s wrath and they can never benefit from the other covenant promises without first appropriating by faith the promise of a Savior by exercising faith in Jesus, the Christ.

The noun epangelia(ἐπαγγελία) functions as a genitive of product, which is expressing the idea that this promise of the Messiah to deliver Israel is “the product” of these five covenants, which God established with the nation of Israel.

In other words, this promise of a Savior is “the product” of the contents of these covenants.

A covenant is a compact or agreement between two parties binding them mutually to undertakings on each other’s behalf.

Theologically (used of relations between God and man) it denotes a gracious undertaking entered into by God for the benefit and blessing of man, and specifically of those men who by faith receive the promises and commit themselves to the obligations, which this undertaking involves.

The word used most often in the Old Testament to express the covenant concept is the Hebrew noun berith.

A general characteristic of the OT berithis its unalterable and permanently binding character.

There are two categories of covenants: (1) Conditional (2) Unconditional.

The fulfillment of unconditional covenants depended entirely upon the faithfulness of God rather than man whereas the fulfillment of a conditional covenant depended upon the faithfulness of man.

In a conditional covenant, that which was covenanted depended on the recipient of the covenant for its fulfillment, not on the one making the covenant.

Certain obligations or conditions would need to be kept by the recipient of the covenant before the giver of the covenant would be obligated to fulfill what was promised.

This type of covenant has an “if” attached to it.

The Mosaic Covenant made by God with Israel is an example of a conditional covenant.

In an unconditional covenant, on the other hand, that which was covenanted depended for its fulfillment solely on the one making the covenant.

That which was promised was sovereignly given to the recipient of the covenant on the authority and integrity of the one making the covenant, entirely apart from the merit or response of the receiver.

It was a covenant with no “if” attached to it whatsoever.

Now we need to clarify an important aspect of an unconditional covenant.

An unconditional covenant which binds the one making the covenant to a certain course of action, may have blessings attached to it that are conditioned on the response of the recipient.

That response is simply faith or to trust that God will deliver on His promise.

Faith or trusting God to deliver on His promises is the condition.

Faith manifests itself in obedience to God’s Word.

The fulfillment of unconditional covenants does not depend on the continued obedience of the recipient but rather the integrity and faithfulness of God who instituted the covenant.

The four great “unconditional” covenants to Israel: (1) “Abrahamic” deals with the race of Israel (Gen. 12:1-3; 13:16; 22:15-18). (2) “Palestinian” is the promise of land to Israel (Gn. 13:15; Num. 34:1-12). (3) “Davidic” deals with the aristocracy of Israel (2 Sam. 7:8-17) (4) “New” deals with the future restoration of Israel during the millennium (Jer. 31:31-34).

The “Mosaic” covenant is the only “conditional” covenant that Israel received from God (cf. Ex. 19:4-6; Deut. 4:4-8 with Ex. 2:24-25; Deut. 4:36-38; 29:31; 1 Chron. 16:15-19).

Facts about the covenants to Israel: (1) Literal (2) Eternal (Except Mosaic) (3) Unconditional (Except Mosaic) (4) Made with a covenant people Israel (Rm. 9:4; Eph. 2:11-12).