Ephesians Series: Ephesians 2:14b-How Jesus Christ Personifies the Peace Between Jewish and Gentile Christians and Caused Both Groups to be One

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. 13 However, because of your faith in and your union and identification with Christ Jesus each and every one of you as a corporate who formerly were far away have now been brought near by means of the blood belonging to this same Christ. 14 For He Himself personifies our peace. Namely, by causing both groups to be one. Specifically, by destroying the wall, which served as the barrier, that is, that which caused hostility (between the two). (Lecturer’s translation)

Ephesians 2:14 contains three assertions: (1) Autos estin hē eirēnē hēmōn (Αὐτὸς ἐστιν ἡ εἰρήνη ἡμῶν), “He Himself personifies our peace.” (2) ho poiēsas ta amphotera hen (ὁ ποιήσας τὰ ἀμφότερα ἓν), “Namely, by causing both groups to be one.” (3) kai to mesotoichon tou phragmou lysas, tēn echthran (καὶ τὸ μεσότοιχον τοῦ φραγμοῦ λύσας, τὴν ἔχθραν), “Specifically, by destroying the wall, which served as the barrier, that is, that which caused hostility (between the two).”

The second assertion is clarifying the previous assertion that Jesus Christ personifies the peace that now exists between the Gentile and Jewish Christian communities in relation to God.

It is identifying how or by what means Jesus Christ personifies the peace that now exists between Gentile and Jewish Christian communities.

The referent of the articular accusative neuter plural form of the adjective amphoteroi(ἀμφότεροι), “both groups” is the Gentile and Jewish races.

This is indicated by the contents of Ephesians 2:11-13, which asserts that Gentile Christians have been brought near to God and His covenant people, Israel and in particular regenerate Jews.

It is also indicated by the contents of Ephesians 2:14-18, which asserts that Jesus Christ caused both Jewish and Gentile Christians to be as one group and reconciled both groups to God through His finished work on the cross.

The participle conjugation of this verb poieō (ποιέω) functions as a participle of means, which identifies the means by which Jesus Christ personifies the peace that now exists between the Jewish and Gentile Christian communities.

Some expositors argue that the articular construction of the participle conjugation of this verb substantives the verb and thus would rule out an adverbial use of this participle.

However, the articular nominative masculine singular aorist active participle conjugation of the verb poieō (ποιέω) and the nominative masculine singular aorist active participle conjugation of the verb luō (λύω) contain the Granville Sharpe rule.

This would indicate that both words have the same referent and that the anarthrous participle luō (λύω) is explaining in further detail the articular participle poieō (ποιέω).

The third and final assertion, which appears in Ephesians 2:14, namely, kai to mesotoichon tou phragmou lysas, tēn echthran (καὶ τὸ μεσότοιχον τοῦ φραγμοῦ λύσας, τὴν ἔχθραν), “Specifically, by destroying the wall, which served as the barrier, that is, that which caused hostility (between the two)” is epexegetical.

This is indicated by the fact that it identifies or explains specifically how or by what means Jesus Himself caused both Jewish and Gentile Christian communities to be one group and is thus the personification of the peace, which now exists between the two.

He caused both Jewish and Gentile Christian communities to be one group and is thus the personification of the peace, which now exists between the two “by” destroying the wall, which served as a barrier, which caused the hostility between the two.

The articular accusative neuter singular form of the noun mesotoichon (μεσότοιχον), “the wall” is used in a figurative sense for the Mosaic Law.

This is indicated by the articular accusative feminine singular form of the noun echthra(ἔχθρα), “the hostility” here in Ephesians 2:14.

It is also indicated by the expression en tē sarki autou, ton nomon tōn entolōn en dogmasin katargēsas (ἐν τῇ σαρκὶ αὐτοῦ,τὸν νόμον τῶν ἐντολῶν ἐν δόγμασιν καταργήσας), “when he nullified in his flesh the law of commandments in decrees” (NET) in Ephesians 2:15.

The articular genitive masculine singular form of the noun phragmos (φραγμός), “which served as the barrier” is used in a figurative sense because it pertains of a divisive element keeping two groups separated.

It is also used in a figurative sense for the Mosaic Law.

This is indicated by the articular accusative feminine singular form of the noun echthra(ἔχθρα), “the hostility” here in Ephesians 2:14.

It is also indicated by the expression en tē sarki autou, ton nomon tōn entolōn en dogmasin katargēsas (ἐν τῇ σαρκὶ αὐτοῦ,τὸν νόμον τῶν ἐντολῶν ἐν δόγμασιν καταργήσας), “when he nullified in his flesh the law of commandments in decrees” (NET) in Ephesians 2:15.

The articular genitive masculine singular form of the noun phragmos (φραγμός) functions as an epexegetical genitive, which means that it is identifying what type of wall Paul is speaking of, namely, it is a barrier in the sense of being a divisive element keeping Jews and Gentiles from interacting with each other.

The articular accusative feminine singular form of the noun echthra (ἔχθρα), “specifically that which caused hostility” appears in Ephesian 2:14 and 16 and in both instances it is used to describe the Mosaic Law.

The word here in Ephesians 2:14 pertains to a state of enmity with someone.

Here is speaks of the state of enmity between the Jews and Gentiles because of the Mosaic Law.

I believe the expression to mesotoichon tou phragmou…tēn echthran (τὸ μεσότοιχον τοῦ φραγμοῦ…τὴν ἔχθραν), “the wall, which served as the barrier, that is, that which caused hostility (between the two)” speaks specifically of the Mosaic Law in a two-fold sense.

First, it refers to the dietary regulations of the Mosaic Law, which prohibited the Jews from eating with the foods that God ordained as unclean because they were used by the Gentiles in their idolatrous worship practices.

Thus, these dietary regulations prevented the Jews from eating with Gentiles.

Not only are these dietary regulations in view but the various Sabbath restrictions and circumcision would have separated the Jewish people from Gentile culture.

Secondly, it speaks of the Jews misuse and misinterpretation of the Mosaic Law, which alienated the Gentiles.

The dietary regulations of the Law were to protect the Jew from the idolatrous practices of the Gentiles.

Israel was to be a kingdom of priests (Exod 19:6) and represent Him to the Gentiles as the true and living God and they were to obey the Law and by doing so would provide them the opportunity to witness to their Gentile neighbors of God’s lovingkindess and faithfulness and power.

However, instead of using the Law as a witness to the Gentiles, it served to make them arrogant and proud and caused them to look down on the Gentiles whom they considered sinners.

They thought that they were better than the Gentiles because they received the Law and circumcision and were descendants of Abrahamic, Isaac and Jacob and were made custodians of God’s Law.

Consequently, this caused hostility between Jews and Gentiles because it produced arrogant pride in the Jews when interacting with the Gentiles.

The nominative masculine singular aorist active participle conjugation of the verb luō (λύω), “namely, because He destroyed” is used figuratively in relation to the Mosaic Law serving as a barrier between the Jewish and Gentile races.

Therefore, this verb is expressing the idea that Jesus Christ “destroyed” the barrier, i.e. the various dietary regulations and Sabbath restrictions as well as circumcision and the Jews misuse and misinterpretation of the Mosaic Law.

He destroyed this this wall, which served as a barrier between the two groups and caused hostility between them in the sense that He caused this problem to cease to exist.

The participle conjugation of this verb luō (λύω) functions as a participle of means, which would indicate that the word identifies “the means by which” or “how” Jesus Christ personifies the peace that now exists between the Jewish and Gentile Christian communities.

It also identifies “the means by which” or “how” He caused both groups to be one single entity.

As we noted, the articular nominative masculine singular aorist active participle conjugation of the verb poieō (ποιέω) and the nominative masculine singular aorist active participle conjugation of the verb luō (λύω) contain the Granville Sharpe rule.

We noted that this rule would indicate that the referent of the nominative masculine singular aorist active participle conjugation of the verb luō (λύω) is the same referent of the articular nominative masculine singular aorist active participle conjugation of the verb poieō (ποιέω).

In other words, the former presents a further description of the latter and thus, the second and third assertions in Ephesians 2:14 are linked because of the Granville Sharpe rule.

Therefore, this would indicate that the third explains in greater detail the second in that it identifies the means by which Jesus Christ caused both Jewish and Gentile Christians to be one entity or group and thus personifies the peace that now exists between both groups.

Namely, He destroyed the wall, which served as a barrier, which caused hostility between Jews and Gentiles.