Ephesians 2.16a-Jesus Christ Reconciled Jewish and Gentile Christians into One Body to God Through His Cross
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Tuesday January 23, 2024
Ephesians Series: Ephesians 2:16a-Jesus Christ Reconciled Jewish and Gentile Christians into One Body Through His Cross
Lesson # 117
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 God). 16 In other words, in order that He would reconcile both groups into one body to God (the Father) through His cross. Consequently, He put to death the hostility (between the two and the two with God) by means of faith in Himself at justification and union and identification with Himself through the baptism of the Spirit at justification. (Lecturer’s translation)
Ephesians 2:16 is composed of the following:
(1) epexegetical hina (ἵνα) purpose clause: kai apokatallaxē tous amphoterous en heni sōmati tō theō dia tou staurou (καὶ ἀποκαταλλάξῃ τοὺς ἀμφοτέρους ἐν ἑνὶ σώματι τῷ θεῷ διὰ τοῦ σταυροῦ), “In other words, in order that He would reconcile both groups into one body to God (the Father) through His cross.”
(2) Result participle clause: apokteinas tēn echthran en autō (ἀποκτείνας τὴν ἔχθραν ἐν αὐτῷ), Consequently, He put to death the hostility (between the two and the two with God) by means of faith in Himself at justification and union and identification with Himself through the baptism of the Spirit at justification.”
This epexegetical hina (ἵνα) purpose clause explains the previous assertions which are found in the contents of Ephesians 2:14-15.
Specifically, it explains the previous hina (ἵνα) purpose clause in Ephesians 2:15.
This is indicated by the fact that the subjunctive conjugation of the verb apokatallassō (ἀποκαταλλάσσω) is employed with the conjunction hina (ἵνα), which appears in Ephesians 2:15, in order to form a clause which presents the purpose of the Lord Jesus Christ nullifying the Mosaic law system by means of His impeccable human nature in hypostatic union.
Thus, this hina (ἵνα) purpose clause asserts that it was the for the purpose of reconciling Jewish and Gentile Christians to God through the cross of Jesus Christ that the latter nullified the Mosaic law system by means of His impeccable human nature in hypostatic union.
The hina (ἵνα) purpose clause in Ephesians 2:16 asserts that the Lord Jesus Christ reconciled Jewish and Gentile Christians into one body to God through the cross, by means of which cross, the hostility has been killed.
This is indicated by the fact that the concepts of peace mentioned in Ephesians 2:14-15 and reconciliation here in Ephesians 2:16 are obviously related and synonymous.
Also, the cross, which is mentioned in Ephesians 2:16, is referred to in verse 14 with the reference to the Lord Jesus Christ destroying the wall, which served as the barrier, that is, that which caused hostility between the Jew and Gentile races and the two with God.
On other hand, verse 15 speaks of the Lord nullifying by means of His human nature the law composed of the commandments consisting of a written code of laws.
Lastly, the reference to “one body” in Ephesians 2:16 is alluding to what Paul taught in verse 15 that the Lord Jesus nullified by means of His human nature the Mosaic Law in order that He might cause the Jewish and Gentile Christians to be created into one new humanity.
This work of the Lord was appropriated by the Jewish and Gentile Christian communities by means of faith in Himself at justification and union and identification with Himself through the baptism of the Spirit at justification.
Therefore, we can see that the assertion in Ephesians 2:16 summarizes the contents of Ephesians 2:14-15.
In this first statement in Ephesians 2:16, the verb apokatallassō (ἀποκαταλλάσσω) speaks of the act of Jesus Christ “reconciling” Jewish and Gentile Christians in relation to God in the sense of reestablishing proper friendly interpersonal relations with God.
This disruption of friendly relations was caused by the Mosaic Law according to Ephesians 2:15.
In other words, this verb speaks of the restoration of the relationship between the human race and God, which was severed because of the fall of Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden.
In other words, this verb speaks of the act of Jesus Christ reconciling the human race, both Gentile and Jewish Christians to God.
In Ephesians 2:11-15, Paul has been discussing the reconciliation that has taken place between the Jewish and Gentile Christian communities through the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross.
Now, here in Ephesians 2:16, for the first time, he discusses the reconciliation which has taken place between these two groups and God the Father.
There would be no reconciliation between these two communities with each other unless there was first a reconciliation between them and God the Father.
In Ephesians 2:14, we saw the articular accusative neuter plural form of the adjective amphoteroi (ἀμφότεροι).
However, here in Ephesians 2:16, we have the articular accusative masculine plural form of the word.
In both instances, the word means “both groups” since the word pertains to two considered together and refers to a group greater than two.
In other words, it pertains to the totality of two.
In each instance, the referent of this word is the Gentile and Jewish races and specifically, the Gentile and Jewish Christian communities.
Now, the question arises as to why Paul employs the masculine plural form of this word in Ephesians 2:16 and the neuter plural form of this word in Ephesians 2:14?
The reason why he makes this shift from the neuter to the masculine plural form of this word is the referent of this word in Ephesians 2:16 is the accusative masculine singular form of the noun anthrōpos (ἄνθρωπος), “man,” which appears at the end of Ephesians 2:15.
We noted that this word is modified by the accusative masculine singular form of the adjective kainos (καινός), “new” and the accusative neuter singular form of the adjective heis (εἷς), “one.”
These three words means “one new humanity” or “one new man.”
The noun sōma (σῶμα), “body” is used in a figurative sense to describe the church as being like the human body in that it has diversity among its members but yet they possess a unity.
The word refers to church age believers who are joined together as a corporate unit with the implication of each member having a distinctive function within this unit.
The referent of this word is of course the Jewish and Gentile Christian communities emphasizing not only the diversity between the two but also the unity that exists between the two as a result of both being declared justified through faith in Jesus Christ.
Simultaneously, the Holy Spirit placed them in union with Him and identified them with Him in His crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and session at the Father’s right hand.
The dative neuter singular form of the adjective heis (εἷς), “one” pertains to a single unit or thing and not two or more or in other words, it pertains to one in contrast to more than one.
It is ascribing to this body of Jewish and Gentile Christians as being a unified single human entity despite the diversity between the two.
The accusative masculine singular form of the noun sōma (σῶμα) is the object of the preposition en (ἐν), which functions as a marker of a change of state or condition.
Therefore, this word marks Jewish and Gentile Christians going from the state of being hostile toward each other and in relation to God to existing in the state of being one body which is unified despite the diversity between the two.
The referent of the articular dative masculine singular form of the noun theos (θεός) is God the Father.
It functions as a dative of indirect object, which indicates that God the Father received the action of being reconciled to both the Jewish and Gentile Christian communities through the finished work of His Son on the cross.
The noun stauros (σταυρός), “cross” refers to the place where Jesus Christ experienced the wrath of God as a substitute for all of sinful humanity by suffering a substitutionary spiritual and physical death on the cross so as to reconcile all of sinful humanity, both Jew and Gentile to the Father.
Suffering this wrath of God on the cross is signified by this noun stauros (σταυρός), “cross.”
This word stauros (σταυρός), “cross” is the object of the preposition dia (διά), which is functioning as a marker of means, which would indicate that the cross of Jesus Christ was the means by which the Father reconciled Jewish and Gentile Christians with God the Father.