Ephesians 2:14-22
14 “For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, 15 by abolishing in His flesh the hostility, which is the Law composed of commandments expressed in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two one new person, in this way establishing peace; 16 and that He might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the hostility. 17 And He came and preached peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near; 18 for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. 19 So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.”
Law of commandments: Paul wants the church in Ephesus to know that the law is irrelevant to faith in Christ. The law won’t help the Gentile. The law won’t help the Jew. Instead, it condemned both Jew and Gentile (see also Romans 3:19-20) and divided the two groups from one another. But Christ preached peace to both Jew and Gentile. Jews who were near because of the Old Covenant, and Gentiles who were far away and without a covenant.
No longer strangers: Gentiles are predestined into God’s plan for salvation and now have total access to God through Christ (Ephesians 1:11-13).
