Ephesians 2.15b-Jesus Christ Caused both Jewish and Gentile Christians to be Created into One New Humanity
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Saturday January 13, 2024
Ephesians Series: Ephesians 2:15b-Jesus Christ Caused Both Jewish and Gentile Christians to be Created into One New Humanity
Lesson # 113
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). 15 In other words, by nullifying by means of His human nature the law composed of the commandments consisting of a written code of laws in order that He might cause the two to be created into one new humanity by means of faith in Himself at justification and union and identification with Himself through the baptism of the Spirit at justification. Thus, He caused peace to be established (between the two and the two with God). (Lecturer’s translation)
Like Ephesians 2:14, Ephesians 2:15 contains three assertions:
(1) en tē sarki autou ton nomon tōn entolōn en dogmasin katargēsas (ἐν τῇ σαρκὶ αὐτοῦ τὸν νόμον τῶν ἐντολῶν ἐν δόγμασιν καταργήσας), “In other words, by nullifying by means of His human nature the law composed of the commandments consisting of a written code of laws.”
(2) hina tous dyo ktisē en autō eis hena kainon anthrōpon (ἵνα τοὺς δύο κτίσῃ ἐν αὐτῷ εἰς ἕνα ⸁καινὸν ἄνθρωπον), “in order that He might cause the two to be created into one new humanity by means of faith in Himself at justification and union and identification with Himself through the baptism of the Spirit at justification.”
(3) poiōn eirēnēn (ποιῶν εἰρήνην), “Thus, He caused peace to be established (between the two and the two with God).”
Now, the first of these three assertions is in the form of a participial clause, which presents the specific means by which Jesus Christ personifies the peace that now exists between Jewish and Gentile Christian communities and God and these two groups amongst themselves.
It states that Jesus Christ personifies this peace by nullifying by means of His human nature the law composed of the commandments consisting of a written code of laws.
The second assertion presents the purpose of Jesus Christ doing this and states that He did so in order that He might cause these two groups to be created into one new humanity by means of faith in Himself at justification and union and identification with Himself through the baptism of the Spirit at their justification.
The third and final assertion is in the form of a participial clause as well, which presents the result of Jesus Christ causing these two groups to be created into one new humanity by means of faith in Himself at justification and union and identification with Himself through the baptism of the Spirit at justification.
It states that He caused peace to exist between the two and God and peace between these two groups in relation to each other.
Now, as we noted the second assertion in Ephesians 2:15 is a purpose clause, which presents the purpose of Jesus Christ nullifying the law composed of the commandments consisting of a written code of laws by means of His human nature.
It states that He did this in order that He might cause both Jewish and Gentile Christians to be created into one new humanity by means of faith in Himself at justification and union and identification with Himself through the baptism of the Spirit at justification.
The articular accusative masculine plural cardinal number duo (δύο), “the two” refers of course in context to the Jewish and Gentile Christian communities.
The articular accusative masculine plural cardinal number duo (δύο) functions as an accusative direct object of the verb ktizo (κτίζω), which we noted pertains to bringing something into existence, which had not existed before the act.
The referent of the third person singular form of this verb is of course the Lord Jesus Christ.
The referent of the dative third person masculine singular form of the intensive personal pronoun autos (αὐτός), “Himself” is again the Lord Jesus Christ emphasizing identity and is the demonstrative force intensified.
This word contains the figure of metonymy which means that Jesus Christ is put for faith in Him at justification as well as union and identification with Him through the baptism of the Spirit at justification.
The word is the object of the preposition en (ἐν), which functions this time as a marker of means which indicates the means by which Jesus Christ caused both Jewish and Gentile Christians to be created into one new humanity.
Therefore, this prepositional phrase en autō (ἐν αὐτῷ) indicates that Jesus Christ caused both Jewish and Gentile Christians to be created into one new humanity “by means of their faith in Him at justification as well as their union and identification with Him through the baptism of the Spirit at justification.”
The active voice of this verb is a causative active voice, which is significant because it indicates that Jesus Christ is the ultimate cause of Jewish and Gentile Christians being created into one new humanity but is not directly involved in this new creation.
A comparison of Scripture with Scripture indicates that the Lord Jesus Christ caused both Jewish and Gentile Christians to be created into the state of being one new humanity as a result of the Father declaring them justified through faith in Him.
Simultaneously, at their justification, both Jewish and Gentile Christians were placed into union with Jesus Christ and identified with Him in His crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and session at the Father’s right hand through the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
The accusative neuter singular form of the adjective heis (εἷς), “one” refers to both Jewish and Gentile Christian communities constituting a single human entity.
The accusative masculine singular form of the noun anthrōpos (ἄνθρωπος), “humanity” is used with reference to the church, the body of Christ composed of both Jewish and Gentile Christian communities and speaks of them as a corporate human entity.
The accusative masculine singular form of the adjective kainos (καινός), “new” describes this humanity composed of both Jewish and Gentile Christians as new in the sense of this humanity being original and of a kind not seen before in creation and speaks of that which is recent in contrast to something that is old.
Here it is referring to the new humanity composed of both Jewish and Gentile Christian communities as a result of the creative active of Jesus Christ.
This word is modifying the noun anthrōpos (ἄνθρωπος) and is ascribing the attribute of being new to this humanity composed of both Jewish and Gentile church age believers, which is union with the last Adam, Jesus Christ, which stands in marked contrast with fallen humanity, which is in union with the first Adam.
The noun anthrōpos (ἄνθρωπος) is also the object of the preposition eis (εἰς), which marks Jewish and Gentile Christians going from the state of being hostile toward each other and God to existing in the state of being one new humanity.
It is extremely important that the reader understand that Paul is not teaching that there is no Jewish section of the church or that the racial distinctions between the Jewish and Gentile races no longer exist.
In other words, the racial identity of both races is not abolished or done away when Paul asserts that Jesus Christ created both Jewish and Gentile Christian communities into one new humanity.
What it does mean is that Jews remain Jews and Gentile remains Gentiles with all their distinctions and differences.
There is a unity with distinctions.
The reason for this is that both Ephesians 2:11-22 and Romans 11 teach that the Gentile Christian is united to the Jewish Christian.
The Gentile Christian experiences the blessings of the New Covenant with the gift of the Spirit and forgiveness because they have been united to the Jewish Christian who received the New Covenant through the baptism of the Spirit at their justification.
Paul asserts in Romans 9:4-5 that the covenants, which would include the New covenant were given to the Jews and not the Gentiles.
This is clear from the teaching of Jeremiah in Jeremiah 31:31-34.
Jesus taught in John 4:22 that salvation is of the Jews.
Therefore, the Gentile Christian experiences the blessings of the New covenant, which was given to Israel, as a result of the Holy Spirit uniting them with Jewish Christians at the moment of their justification through the baptism of the Spirit.
This interpretation that Paul in Ephesians 2:11-22 and Romans chapter 11 is not teaching that there is no Jewish section of the church or that the racial distinctions between the Jewish and Gentile races no longer exist or that the racial identity of both races is abolished or done away is supported within the text of Ephesians 1:3-2:10.
Now, Ephesians 2:15 is not the first time that Paul speaks of this new humanity composed of both Jewish and Gentile Christians since he alludes to it in Ephesians 2:10.
In Colossians 3:9-11, the apostle Paul speaks of this new creation.
Colossians 3:9 Each one of you continue making it your habit of not lying to one another because each one of you have stripped off the old man with its practices. 10 Likewise, each one of you have clothed yourselves with the new man which is desiring to be replenished for the purpose of an experiential knowledge in conformity with the image produced by the One who created him. 11 In the sphere of which, absolutely no distinctions are existing between Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free person. But rather, Christ is everything as well as in each person. (Lecturer’s translation)