Ephesians 2 - Unity in Christ
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Who was Ephesians written to?
The church at Ephesus
A gentile church (through probably with some Jews)
Located in a pagan economy and culture (temple of Artemis)
The broader church at large (at least regional)
What has Paul already said?
1:3-14—Praise to God the Father (one sentence)
1:15-23—Prayer to God the Father (one sentence)
2:1-22—Exposition of God the Father’s Work in Christ
1-7 Dead - But Made Alive!
Christian Standard Bible Chapter 2
And you were dead in your trespasses and sins 2 in which you previously walked according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit now working in the disobedient. 3 We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath as the others were also. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us, 5 made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace! 6 He also raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might display the immeasurable riches of his grace through his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
8-10 Saved By Grace
8 For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—9 not from works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.
“saved” - everything Paul has described in v.1-7
“grace” - Grace is the opposite of deserving something. It is God’s help for the helpless, even though undeserved. We cannot be saved if wicked works get in the way. But we cannot be saved by good works either! Even faith is not a human achievement. We believe through God’s grace. We do the believing, yet God is working this in us. After we have believed we give all the glory to him, even for our faith.
“are saved” - The Christian is meant to have assurance of salvation
“faith” - Faith is a gift of God; God works faith in us as we hear his word. Faith (belief) does not operate in a vacuum.
Acts 13:48 “48 When the Gentiles heard this, they rejoiced and honored the word of the Lord, and all who had been appointed to eternal life believed.”
1. Overcoming Divisions
1. Overcoming Divisions
11 So, then, remember that at one time you were Gentiles in the flesh—called “the uncircumcised” by those called “the circumcised,” which is done in the flesh by human hands. 12 At that time you were without Christ, excluded from the citizenship of Israel, and foreigners to the covenants of promise, without hope and without God in the world.
Do we have unity in our country? Our society?
Ephesians 9. Transforming Unity (Ephesians 2:11–16)
The ancient world, much like our modern world, was deeply divided. The Greeks considered the rest of the known world barbarians, and the Romans, like the Greeks, thought themselves superior to every other culture. The Jews looked on the Gentiles as dogs. Racism, social snobbery, political elitism, and religious superiority deeply divided Paul’s world.
Ephesians Remember
The Ephesian church was made up mostly of Gentiles, whom the Jews dismissively and derisively called the Uncircumcision
“without Christ” - Even in OT times the Jewish people had ‘Christ’. They did not know the name Jesus but the OT spoke of the coming Saviour. People like Abraham looked forward to the coming of Jesus. In this sense they had ‘Christ’.
“excluded from the citizenship of Israel” - Israel know of a coming savior, and had many privileges
“without hope” - what was their fate? only death and judgment. They were under the rule of Satan, the prince and power of this world.
2. Making One Out of Two
2. Making One Out of Two
13 But now in Christ Jesus, you who were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he is our peace, who made both groups one and tore down the dividing wall of hostility. In his flesh, 15 he made of no effect the law consisting of commands and expressed in regulations, so that he might create in himself one new man from the two, resulting in peace. 16 He did this so that he might reconcile both to God in one body through the cross by which he put the hostility to death. 17 He came and proclaimed the good news of peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.
v.13 God brought them near - by the “blood of Christ”
v.14 God brought Jews and Gentiles into one body
“He is our peace” - our reconciliation with God
“dividing wall of hostility” - there was a literal barrier in the temple
Court of the Gentiles
Open to non-Jews; Outer, largest area
Marketplace activity (cf. 2:14–16)
Gospel of John
Court of the Women
Accessible to all Israelites (men and women)
Women could go no further inward
Court of Israel (Men)
Jewish men only
Both Jews and gentiles have to be brought into one body, and both have to be reconciled to God. This happened as Jewish men and women, and gentile men and women, came to faith in Christ’s cross. The cross, when you put your faith in Jesus, kills enmity to God and it kills enmity among those who have believed.
v.17 God arranged for the gospel message to reach the Gentiles
“He came and proclaimed the good news of peace” - how? through the “word of Christ” (the gospel) that was preached
v.18 Jewish and Gentile Christians now have equal access to God
“both have access in one Spirit to the Father”
How does this work?
The Olive Tree (Rom. 11)
The Olive Tree (Rom. 11)
Paul gives a powerful image:
Israel = cultivated olive tree
Some natural branches (Jews) were broken off (unbelief)
Wild branches (Gentiles) were grafted in
👉 Key ideas:
Gentiles share in Israel’s blessings
Gentiles must not become arrogant
God can graft Israel back in again
3. A City, A Family, A Building
3. A City, A Family, A Building
19 So, then, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with the saints, and members of God’s household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building, being put together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you are also being built together for God’s dwelling in the Spirit.
“citizens with the saints” - City
In the ancient world some places were cities and yet were distinct states (Athens, Sparta). We still have such countries today (Vatican City, Monaco). The church of the Lord Jesus Christ is similar although its ‘citizenship’ and ‘statehood’ are from the Holy Spirit.
Before, these gentile Ephesians had not felt at home among the people of God, and had no understanding of the national life of the people of God.
But now these gentile Christians feel completely at home. With the law removed from its central position in the life of Israel, Israel has been re-formed. The Holy Spirit has been poured out on the remnant of Israel, at Jerusalem, on the day of Pentecost.
In this new ‘holy city’, some are Jews, some are gentiles, but all are fellow citizens.
“members of God’s household” - Family
One is closer to one’s family than to fellow citizens in a city-state. God is our Father; Jesus is our elder brother. Christians are brothers and sisters to each other. We choose our friends but brothers and sisters are people that are given to us without our choosing them. Christians are our brothers and sisters; it is a God-given fact. There is a deep family unity, a family likeness among us. There are family traditions and family secrets. Even despised gentiles are full members of a highly privileged family.
“built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets” - Building
Has a foundation - apostles and prophets
Has a cornerstone - christ
In ancient construction, the cornerstone was:
The first and most important stone
Set at the corner of the foundation
Used to align the entire structure
Everything else—walls, angles, stability—was measured from it.
Has “living stones”
1 Peter 2:4–5 “4 As you come to him, a living stone—rejected by people but chosen and honored by God—5 you yourselves, as living stones, a spiritual house, are being built to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”
Has a certain character - “holy” (a “holy temple”)
Has a resident - “God’s dwelling in the Spirit” (Holy Spirit)
Applications
Because every believer shares equal standing in Christ, the church must reject all forms of spiritual hierarchy based on background, culture, or status. This calls for honest self-examination: do we subtly treat certain people as more “at home” in God’s kingdom than others?
Christ’s work brings both reconciliation with God and peace with one another. Therefore, ongoing division, exclusion, or hostility among believers contradicts the very purpose of the cross. The church is not merely a gathering—it is meant to be a visible demonstration of Christ’s peace.
Practically, this means actively welcoming those who might feel like outsiders and ensuring they are fully included in the life of the church. Our relationships, leadership, and fellowship should reflect the unity Christ has already accomplished.
