Ephesians chapter 2

vs 12

So because we were Gentiles, we were hopeless and godless. Ouch. It could be argued that this had less to do with us being gentiles, and more to do with the fact that the Jews weren't keen on reaching gentiles with God's message. Then again, Paul might say that gentiles were excluded from the promises of God until Jesus came, I don't know.

vs 13

He certainly seems to see Christ as the key here. One thing Paul certainly would say, and seems to be saying, is that you couldn't know God and stay as a gentile before now.

vs 14

I think 'the two' are Jews and gentiles. He sees there being a divide, a war between us before Christ.

vs 15

It's so weird to think that Paul is happy stating that the separating element of humanity was "jew" and "non-jew"! That's so now how we think these days. Well, certainly not how I think. The TNIV uses "humanity" instead of "man", which I think is awesome.

This is an interesting focus, though, isn't it? Gives a little insight into the world of the Ephesian church.

vs 16

Not that the division of humanity was not "close to God" and "far away from God" - both jews and non-jews needed Christ's salvation just as much.

vs 17

Jesus didn't actually preach anything in Ephesus. Too far away I guess. But that's not what Paul is saying - he's saying that he preached peace for the sake of those close (jews) and those far away (everyone else).

And this included even the Ephesians.

vs 18

You can't divide God between jews and gentiles. Are you getting sick of the jew/gentile thing yet? I know it's not mega relevant to our lives in Australia. At least, not directly. But knowing that the one God can't be divided among many peoples or cultures is important.

vs 19

Christ's work created a new people, by taking his existing people (Jews, or "God's people" as Paul puts it here) and adding to them gentiles as well. This talk of citizenship is hugely important. It makes God's Kingdom a nation on its own. It redraws the boundaries of God's kingdom from Israel + proselytes vs Gentiles, to Christians vs non-Christians. Not vs in a warlike sense, merely in a dichotomous sense.

vs 20

Does Paul mean the OT prophets, or prophets of his time? I don't know. I would have read it as OT prophets, which creates an interesting idea - that Paul takes the Prophetic summary of the OT as that which primarily relates to the NT gentile Christians, over and above the Law summary of the OT.

Note the importance that the Apostles are accorded here, then - on line with the Prophets. Between the two of them, they are the foundation of the church.

And then, of course, Christ is the head. Or corner.

vs 21

This is the Church, remember, not individual Christians. And not just the Ephesian church, but the Christian Church in its entirety.

vs 22

Still the church, although this time I think Paul is talking specifically to the Ephesians. What a great verse for emphasising the importance of the Church global, but also that the church local has in itself a sort of unshakeable unity. That's one of those Christian mysteries that gets left behind after the trinity and predestination.