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The Apostle Paul's Epistle
to the Ephesians |
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Chapter
2
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The Inability of Man
1And you were dead in your trespasses and
sins, 2in which you formerly walked according to the course of this
world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the
spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.
In chapter one, Paul prayed that we would
understand the amazing truths and realities of salvation. Here, in
chapter two, Paul goes on to explain the working out of our
salvation. Firstly, Paul describes our past, before salvation. The
reality of our lives before coming to faith is that we were dead in
our sins. Obviously, Paul is referring to being spiritually dead.
People who have not experienced the regenerative work of the Spirit
are like spiritual zombies. They are going through the motions of
life but are not spiritually cognitive to the reality of God. To be
dead in one's sins is to be completely unable to even begin to
comprehend spiritual matters nor are you able to do anything to gain
spiritual life. This is what theologians call Total Inability or
Total Depravity.
Paul uses the past tense form of the word
"walk," which is a legal term in Judaism to describe how one carries
out the commandments of the Torah ("halachah"). Since Paul is
describing our lives before coming to faith in the Messiah, it is
not the Torah that we are carrying out but rather the "commandments"
of this fallen world. In other words, whatever our sinful culture
dictates, we obey, and really, we have no ability to do otherwise.
The mastermind behind this is the Evil One, whom Paul calls "the
prince of the power of the air."
3Among them we too all formerly lived in the
lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the
mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.
If you'll remember in our Galatians study, we
learned that the common thought on salvation, at least among some
sects of the first century, was that salvation was secured by being
Jewish (either by birth or through becoming a proselyte). Paul
consistently fought against this idea and here, once again, he shows
the equality between Jews and Gentiles by including himself and the
other Jewish Believers among those who formerly walked according to
the sinful nature. Even though there may be different levels of
indulgence, we all indulge in the desires of the flesh and of the
mind. All of us, since we are descended from Adam, are by nature
children of wrath. In other words, by our very nature, we are
condemned and destined for eternal punishment. Regardless of our
pedigree or religious upbringing, we are all sinners and fall short
of the glory of God. What are we to do?
Made Alive in the Messiah
4But God, being rich in mercy, because of
His great love with which He loved us, 5even when we were dead in
our transgressions, made us alive together with Messiah (by grace
you have been saved), 6and raised us up with Him, and seated us with
Him in the heavenly places in Messiah Yeshua, 7so that in the ages
to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness
toward us in Messiah Yeshua.
In the same way that a dead person can do
nothing to resurrect himself, there is nothing a sinner can do to be
freed from his sinful state. Thankfully, God, in His mercy, brings
us to life and frees us from the clutches of sin. Mercy is not
bestowing on someone something that they rightfully deserve. In
other words, we deserve condemnation because we have sinned against
God but God, through the Messiah's sacrifice, gives us eternal life
instead. Paul is careful note that God did this for us while we were
dead in our transgressions. This refers to what theologians call
Unconditional Election, that is, there was nothing inherent in
ourselves for God to do this vivifying work for us. God gives us new
life based upon His great love for us. This is why Paul says "by
grace you have been saved" because it really did have nothing to do
with us.
Just as the Messiah was raised from the dead,
we too were made alive with Him. Obviously, since we haven't
physically died, this refers to a spiritual resurrection. And while,
positionally, we are seated with the Messiah in the heavenlies, our
spiritual resurrection is a preview of the physical resurrection.
This is why Paul says that in the ages to come (that is, the World
to Come) He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in
kindness towards us in the Messiah. In other words, God is
continually showing how gracious He is through the Messiah.
Created for Good Works
8For by grace you have been saved through
faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9not as a
result of works, so that no one may boast. 10For we are His
workmanship, created in Messiah Yeshua for good works, which God
prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
Paul reiterates that it is by grace that we
have been saved but he adds "through faith." What is faith? Too
often faith is understood as simply agreeing with a certain
theological position. For instance, some might understand that if a
person agrees that "Yeshua died for your sins" and "is the Son of
God," then you are saved. But is simply believing in a creed really
faith? Didn't the demons in the Gospels recognize Yeshua's lordship
and doesn't Jacob, the Master's brother, say that the demons believe
that God is one and shudder (James 2:19)? Is faith really
just agreeing with theology? No, Jacob also teaches that faith
without works is useless and dead. In other words, if one does not
actively display their faith by consistent actions then they don't
actually have real faith. This would seem to contradict our passage
here, which says that we have been saved not by works but by faith,
which is a gift from God. Actually, Paul and James do not contradict
each other because Paul goes on to say that the reason why we were
created in the Messiah Yeshua was for good works. He also says in
Romans that "for it is not the hearers of the Law who are just
before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified" (Romans
2:13). What this all means is that while no work can save us,
after being transformed by God, through the Spirit we will perform
good works as a demonstration of our faith. Which good works did God
prepare beforehand? The good works of the Torah. (Note: this is not
the same as the "works of law" in the epistle to the Galatians,
which we understand is a technical term to refer to entrance
requirements into a community. Again, works of any kind cannot get
you saved but once saved, the Believer will demonstrate genuine
faith by obedience to God's commandments.)
One point that we glossed over was that faith
itself is a gift from God. This again reiterates the sovereignty of
God, for if he doesn't give an individual the gift of faith, that
person would never be saved. There really is no aspect of salvation
that the individual can claim credit; in salvation, all credit and
glory goes to God.
Paul's Message to the Gentiles
11Therefore remember that formerly you, the
Gentiles in the flesh, who are called "Uncircumcision" by the
so-called "Circumcision," which is performed in the flesh by human
hands--
Paul now turns his attention directly to the
Gentiles. Notice that he makes sure to note that he is speaking to
those who are "the Gentiles in the flesh," that is, those whose
ethnicity are not Jewish. He also notes that those Gentiles are
called "uncircumcised" by the party who called themselves the
"circumcision." You'll remember back in our Galatians study that
this group believed that their salvation was secure because of the
fact that they were Jewish. This group consisted not only of ethnic
Jews but also proselytes, that is, Gentiles who went through the
conversion ritual to become legally Jewish. According to their
theology, one was saved by being born Jewish or, if you weren't born
Jewish, you could be saved by becoming legally Jewish, which was
accomplished by going through the conversion ritual ("works of
law"). This is why Paul specifically notes that their "circumcision"
is that which is performed in the flesh by human hands. It's not
that Paul is disparaging the God-given ritual of circumcision;
rather, he's pointing out their misuse of circumcision because it is
based purely on the flesh, devoid of any work of the Spirit of God.
Our Inheritance in the Messiah
12remember that you were at that time
separate from Messiah, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and
strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without
God in the world. 13But now in Messiah Yeshua you who formerly were
far off have been brought near by the blood of Messiah.
Paul's Gentile converts, on the other hand, did
not go through any conversion ritual to become a part of God's
people. The Gentiles to which Paul is now speaking to became a part
of God's people through the work of the Spirit. First, though, Paul
reminds the Gentiles of their position before coming to faith. Paul
lists five aspects of salvation that the Gentiles had no possession
of before coming to faith but, as verse 13 states, through the blood
of the Messiah, we now have access to. They are:
The Messiah
Before faith, we were separate from the
Messiah. I believe Paul ordered these five aspects in a specific
way. The Messiah Yeshua gives us access to the other four aspects.
Without the Messiah's sacrificial death, conquering resurrection,
glorious ascension and priestly intercession, no one can be saved.
Gentiles, specifically, have absolutely no claim to anything related
to Israel but through the Messiah, the quintessential Israelite, we
gain unlimited access. Through the blood of Messiah we are no longer
separated but we are actually united with Him.
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Citizenship in Israel
Before faith, we were excluded from the
commonwealth of Israel. The word in Greek, here translated as
"commonwealth," is "politeia," from which we derive the word
"politics." The word can be understood as "national life" or more
specifically, "citizenship." Being united with Messiah, we gain
citizenship in Israel. Like I mentioned previously, I believe Paul
has ordered these aspects of salvation in a specific order. Being a
part of Israel is a completely integral part of salvation. It's not
too often that we hear a salvation message preached where the
preacher pleas that "you need to be a part of Israel!" but the
reality is that we do need to be a part of Israel. While it's true
that there is no other name other than Yeshua by which we are saved,
the salvation Yeshua brings is not in a vacuum. The salvation Yeshua
brings is the salvation promised to Israel and is fully expressed in
the covenants God has made with her.
Participation in the covenants of the
promise
Before faith, we were strangers to the
covenants of the promise. What are the covenants of the promise?
They are the covenants God has made with Israel, covenants that
point to and are fulfilled in the Messiah, the Promise. The
Abrahamic covenant is made with Abraham and his descendants and
promises the Land of Israel. The Mosaic covenant is made with Israel
and promises blessing for obedience. The Davidic covenant is made
with David but has ramifications over Israel as it promises that one
of David's descendants will be King forever. Finally, the New
Covenant is as of yet future covenant where God promises to forgive
the sins of the entire nation of Israel, making them obedient to
Torah and thus securing the blessings of the Mosaic covenant for all
eternity.
Without the Messiah, we would not have
citizenship in Israel and without citizenship in Israel; we would
not be able to participate in the covenants of the promise. Our
individual salvation is not in a vacuum. We were chosen to be a part
of the chosen people, that is, Israel. As citizens of Israel, we
have all the privileges and responsibilities that come with God's
covenants.
Hope
Before faith, we had no hope. Through the
Messiah, we gain citizenship in Israel, through which we gain
participation in the covenants of the promise, through which we can
gain hope. As I mentioned, the New covenant is actually an
unfulfilled promise because the New covenant promises salvation for
all of Israel. In reality, the New covenant is simply a culmination
of all of the previous covenants. The New covenant promises that God
will write the Torah on the hearts of all of Israel, made possible
because He will have forgiven them of their sins. Taking all of the
prophetic texts into account, this is speaking of the time when the
Messiah has returned, Israel has been gathered to the Land and the
resurrection of the dead has taken place. So, Israel will forever be
in the Land of Israel and all the nations of the earth will be
blessed, thus fulfilling the Abrahamic covenant. Since we will be in
our immortal state, all of Israel will be perfectly obeying the
Torah and will forever receive the blessings of the Mosaic covenant.
Not only that, the Messiah Yeshua will be reigning over us in
Jerusalem, thus fulfilling the Davidic covenant. This is the great
hope that we have been granted through the blood of Messiah.
God
Before faith, we were without God in the world.
Paul lists God last to encapsulate the previous aspects. To be
separate from Messiah, excluded from Israel, strangers to the
covenants and having no hope means to be without God. The "life of
God" that Paul refers to in chapter 4 is a life that includes union
with the Messiah, participation in the covenants as a citizen of
Israel and as a result, hope.
Peace through the Messiah
14For He Himself is our peace, who made both
groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing
wall, 15by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of
commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might
make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, 16and might
reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it
having put to death the enmity.
In the Messiah, there is peace between Jews and
Gentiles because the Messiah brings equality to all. Since all, both
Jews and Gentiles have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God,
neither can do any boasting. Both Jew and Gentile can only find
salvation in the Messiah. The Messiah has made both into one and
broke down the barrier of the dividing wall but what is Paul
referring to? The word "barrier," in the Greek is "phragmos" and
is probably better translated as "fence." The word is used in
extra-Biblical Jewish writings to refer to the various fence laws
surrounding the written Torah. The word in the Greek, here
translated as "dividing wall," is "mesotoichon." This word
appears only here in the entire Bible and is hardly found in
extra-Biblical writings. Nevertheless, the translation of "dividing
wall" seems to be accurate. As we move on to verse 15, Paul explains
that the "fence" of the wall that divided Jews and Gentiles was
abolished in the body of the Messiah, that is to say, by the death
of the Messiah of the enmity between Jews and Gentiles was
abolished. What was causing the enmity? Paul says that the enmity
was "the Law of commandments in ordinances." As was the case in our
Galatians study, when we encounter Paul using the Greek word "law,
"especially when coupled together with other words, we should be
careful to find out whether he's referring to the Torah proper, the
Oral Torah or perhaps both. To determine what he's referring to in
this verse, we must examine the Greek. The word translated here as
"ordinances" is the word "dogma." This Greek word, when used
elsewhere in the Bible, is only used to refer to the decrees of man.
In other words, just as the word "barrier" refers to the fence laws
of the Sages, so too, it appears that the phrase "the Law of
commandments in ordinances, refers to the Oral Torah. Specifically,
Paul is referring to the aspects of the oral traditions that
separated Jews and Gentiles.
The Torah itself does not separate Jews and Gentiles. The Torah
makes ample provisions for Gentiles who wanted to abandon paganism
and live for the one true God. Not only are Gentile newcomers to be
treated with respect by the native-born Israelites (Exodus 22:21,
23:9; “When a stranger resides with you in your land, you shall not
do him wrong. 34'The stranger who resides with you shall be to you
as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you
were aliens in the land of Egypt; I am the LORD your God.” -
Leviticus 19:33-34; Deuteronomy 26:12) but are also specifically
obligated to keep the Sabbath (Exodus 23:12), the Festivals (Deuteronomy
16:11, 14, Leviticus 16:29) and participate in the worship at
the Temple (Leviticus 17:8-9, Numbers 15:14-16). In fact,
when Moses reiterates in Deuteronomy 31:12 that Israel is to
obey the entire Torah, Gentiles are included. It's not the written
Torah that caused enmity between Jews and Gentiles, it was the later
rulings of the Sages, no matter how well intentioned, which caused
the separation. From Paul's perspective, the Gospel brought unity
because both Jews and Gentiles are to die with the Messiah and
likewise be raised again. In doing so, we are really one new man.
What's unfortunate is that this passage has
been interpreted to mean that Jews must abandon their Jewishness and
become "Christian." In context, Paul is speaking of Gentiles joining
Israel. Gentiles must abandon the paganism of their ethnic culture
and instead submit to the righteous decrees of the Torah. While the
Gospel leaves no room for boasting because it places Jews and
Gentiles as equals, it also doesn't abrogate the God-given culture
of Israel.
No Longer Strangers and Aliens
17AND HE CAME AND PREACHED PEACE TO YOU WHO
WERE FAR AWAY, AND PEACE TO THOSE WHO WERE NEAR; 18for through Him
we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. 19So then you
are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with
the saints, and are of God's household, 20having been built on the
foundation of the apostles and prophets, Messiah Yeshua Himself
being the corner stone, 21in whom the whole building, being fitted
together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, 22in whom you
also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.
Paul now quotes Isaiah 57:19, and
reiterates that the Messiah proclaims peace to both those who were
far away, that is, Gentiles and those who were near, that is, Jews.
It's only through the Messiah that we have access to the Father
through the Spirit. Paul goes on to say that we are no longer
strangers or aliens but rather fellow-citizens with the holy ones.
The holy ones are faithful Israel. Peter puts it this way, quoting
Exodus 19:6:
But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal
PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION, so
that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out
of darkness into His marvelous light; (1 Peter 2:9)
Gentiles do not make up a new entity that's
separate from Israel because Paul goes on to say that Gentiles are
of God's household. This speaks of the Gentile having the same
privileges and expectations that native-born Israelites have. This
is taught in the Torah, because Gentiles who join themselves to
Israel are to keep the same Torah that native-born is commanded to
keep:
There is to be one law and one ordinance for
you and for the alien who sojourns with you. (Numbers 15:16)
Paul cannot make it any clearer: Gentiles are
not guests; we are a part of the family! Faithful Jews and Gentiles
are likened unto the holy Temple for the Temple is the earthly
dwelling of God's presence, so too, we are the Messiah's body, the
very dwelling of God here on earth. As we submit ourselves to God's
commandments, we sanctify God's Name and bring His presence to this
earth. |
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