WONDER OF WONDERS!

Ephesians 2:19-22

Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. 

Because of a promise God made to Abraham, the Gentiles were on the outside looking in.  God promised Abraham that from his ancestors a great nation would emerge and He would be their God and they would be His people.  The Gentiles were allowed into citizenship in Israel as long as they adhered to circumcision and followed the laws of the Living God -- the laws God gave to Israel.  The requirements for the Gentiles were no different than the requirements of the Jews.  But . . . we've been through all of that.  Here's the good news: we are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God's people because Jesus made it possible through His death.  In Him we are one with no barrier between us.

The Cornerstone by Richard Tuvey

Paul paints a wonderful picture of architecture, community and family by calling us a household.  The foundation, the mortar being the apostles and prophets.  Typically, Paul attributes the title "foundation" to Jesus, but here he attributes it to the apostles and prophets who were witnesses to the resurrection appearances of Jesus and who preached the good news.  And, also typically, when a New Testament writer refers to "prophets" they are referring to the prophets of old, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, etc., but here Paul is referring to the prophets of a new Israel.  The apostles and prophets who established the church, Paul, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Peter, etc. by preaching God's message of salvation through Jesus Christ.  And, Jesus Christ is the chief cornerstone.  In ancient times, "cornerstone" was referred to as the capstone or building stone.  Placed first before all other stones, it covered a right angle joining two walls together and held the whole building together.  Often a royal name was  inscribed on it and in some parts of the world it was considered more important than the foundation.  Paul expounds on this idea and so the purpose behind Paul calling Jesus the chief cornerstone was in the image of being "joined together" into one building, one household, by one chief cornerstone.

So with that image in mind, Paul takes a jab at the Ephesian gods of the day by claiming that this building of God rises to become a holy temple.  Now, "temple" is surely a term that the Jews understood since the days of Moses, but Ephesus was steeped in a cult religion that worshiped the goddess Artemis whose temple was so magnificent that it was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. 

Ruins of the ancient temple

The new Church rises, and continues to rise, continues to build.  The process of joining together the two families into one household began with Jesus Christ, the chief cornerstone, and it continues to this day.  Churches work together to put differences aside, individuals work to put differences behind them.  This continual "building" has centuries of proof behind it that it cannot be destroyed.  It will not be left in ruins like the cult temples of old.  It is the dwelling of the Living God made possible by His Spirit.  The Church is truly the greatest wonder of them all!

Rising up!
Kerry

ONE NEW HUMANITY

Ephesians 2:14-18

For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

Rainbow in My Hand by Gwen Meharg

God never intended for a great barrier of hostility to exist between the Jews and the other nations.  God only intended for the Jews to be set apart and used for God's glory with the result being that other peoples and nations would see the difference between the Living God and the false gods they were worshiping.  He wanted the other nations to see that He was a God of grace and mercy and love, that He created them and would therefore care and provide for them, and that He NEVER demanded the sacrifice of their children to appease His anger.  But, instead of the nations always seeing that through the Jews relationship with the Living God, the Jews shut them out and soon it developed into an "us" against "them" mentality.  But, to be fair, if I was part of a nation that God used to wipe out entire people groups, I might gain that mentality myself.  It would be easy to get confused in such a situation.  What's important to remember here is that God didn't wage war on people groups to prove the superiority of the Israelites, He did it to prove His own superiority as the God of gods, the Living God over all the other gods in a world where many, many false gods were being heavily worshiped and to whom children were being sacrificed. (Romans 1:20-25 and Jeremiah 7:31-32 and Leviticus 20:2, Deuteronomy 9:4-5)

Painting of Nineveh capital of Ashur ca 700 BC

The book of Jonah is such a great example of God's great mercy and grace to the other nations. When God sent Jonah to warn the Ninevites that judgment and wrath were coming to them, Jonah ran away.  He would have sooner drowned in the sea than give the Ninevites opportunity to turn to God.  The Ninevites were part of "them" -- they were Gentiles and enemies of Israel.  Jonah did finally give them God's message, albeit very begrudgingly, the Ninevites repented and turned to God for mercy.  Guess what God did?  He extended mercy to them and told Jonah,

"And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?" (Jonah 4:11, NIV)

Any move towards God and God reaches out His long arm of mercy and grace, rescues those that were lost and far away and brings them near where they find peace.

God had commanded the Jews to care for the the foreigner and alien.  Any foreigner or alien who became one of their servants or who sought refuge with the Israelites was to be included as one of the Israelites:

"When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the LORD your God." Leviticus 19:33-34, NIV

They were to be allowed to glean from their harvest fields and the Jews were commanded to leave what was dropped and to leave the corners of their fields alone so the poor and hungry, no matter who they were, could eat.

"When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the LORD your God." Leviticus 19:9-10

There is no place in God's economy or law for "us" and "them."

Paul points out that in Christ, through His sacrifice, there is no dividing line.  The Jews no longer have to follow all of the rules and regulations that kept them separate from the other nations.  The Jews are no longer the only ones through whom God speaks and shows Himself mighty.  We see all of that now as one body of believers, one church through which Jesus Christ is worshiped as King and Savior and through whom we all have access to the Living God -- Jew and Gentile alike.  He brought peace to all the nations -- whether we live into it or not.  Christ and no one else has solved the problem of our relationship with God and with each other.

Remember, Paul's objective in the letter to the Ephesians is to take them higher and help them rise above the day to day sins that beset each of us, to root them deeper into the truth of God's word and to widen their scope of understanding about who God is and His purpose for humankind.  He's telling them and us, "Enough with the walls and barriers you put up between you and them.  In Christ, those walls and barriers DO NOT exist.  Out of the two worlds, Jew and Gentile, Christ has made a new creation.  One that is at peace.  One that strives to love each other.  One that no longer emphasizes the differences, but embraces the unity of Christ's sacrifice for all."  We are one in Christ.

In unity,
Kerry

JEW AND GENTILE: DIFFERENT AND THE SAME

Ephesians 2:11-13

Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)— remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 

It's easy to read these verses and gather the impression that Paul is pointing out the low class of the Gentiles and how it's only by God's good graces that they would be considered for inclusion into God's kingdom with the Jews.  And, all of that is true, only not in the sense that you might think.

The Gentiles, those not born of Jewish descent, you and me, were simply that -- not born of Jewish descent.  That's the only real difference between us as human beings . . . different from the Jews, that is.  Once again Paul is drawing the distinction that because that is the only thing that separates, there is really nothing that separates us.  In Bible times, circumcision was the outward sign that set you apart as a member of the Jewish race of people.  God had Abraham circumcise himself and his entire household, sons, grandsons, servants, slaves and foreigners and aliens that were among them as a sign of the covenant between him and God.  The covenant was this: for Abraham's part, the Lord alone would be his God, whom he would trust and serve; for God's part, He would be with Abraham and his descendants and make them a great nation because of Abraham's faith and that He would be with them and be their God. (Genesis 17:1-14)

As time went on, the Jews used the term "uncircumcised" in a very contemptuous way, believing and pointing out the Gentiles lowly state of their soul.  Paul, on the other hand, is simply using the term here to make his point (hence the quotation marks) that "circumcised" or "uncircumcised" doesn't matter because circumcision is only something that is done to the flesh . . . by human hands.  What matters is if our hearts, not our bodies, bear the mark of the covenant promise . . . of the Eternal One who brings us near to Him and gives us citizenship in His kingdom. 

Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer. For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing. And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt. Deuteronomy 10:16-19, NIV

A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God. Romans 2:28-29, NIV

It's true, there was definitely a distinction between Jew and Gentile, but not in a spiritual sense.  The distinction was made through Abraham.  Because Abraham had faith in God, God chose him to bring the blessings of God to the rest of the world, to the foreigners and aliens . . . those outside of Abraham's descendants.  Abraham's descendants became the Jewish nation.  God chose Abraham's descendants to do a special work. 

What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision? Much in every way! First of all, the Jews have been entrusted with the very words of God.  Romans 3:1-2, NIV

. . . the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption to sonship; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen.  Romans 9:4-5, NIV

The Jews were given the special tasks of bringing God's word through history, they were the picture of adoption into God's family and they enjoyed the glory of God's presence (like with the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night as in Exodus 13:21-22).  God made his covenant with them to bless all the peoples of the earth through them.  In the receiving of the law He gave to them the standard of living for all people, and He didn't just speak the law to them, He wrote it on stone tablets.  These tablets became prize possessions to the Jews symbolizing their relationship with God.  He gave to them the standard for worship and the precious promise of a Savior.  And, not at all least of these, is the patriarchs.  God was pleased to be the Father of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and it was through these faithful few that we trace the human ancestry of Jesus.

So, yes.  There was a distinction between being Jew and being Gentile in terms of responsibility to the human race.  BUT, that in no way means that there is a distinction between Jew and Gentile in terms of the spiritual condition of our souls.  The Jews were chosen for the task of showing the rest of the world, the foreigner and the alien, the non-Jew, who this living God was, but they still had to circumcise their heart.  Being chosen by God to do this work did not negate their own need for God's grace and mercy.  They still had to come to God the same way the Gentiles had to, in faith . . . like Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  Being a Jew did not gain them access into God's presence.  Faith did.

These verses go on to tell us that the Gentile was separated from Christ and excluded from citizenship in Israel, going through life unaware of the covenants and promises and without hope of really knowing the God who created them.  Again, that was Israel's job.  They were to love the foreigner and alien and, in the Old Testament, if the foreigner and alien were willing to be circumcised, then they were to be counted as part of Israel.  It's no different now, New Testament life.  Those outside of the knowledge of salvation, those who haven't yet believed, go through this life unaware of God's love and hope and knowledge of the God who loves them.  Paul tells us that now, through Christ's work on the cross, through His blood, those outside do not need to remain outside, unaware.  The work of Christ is for us all.  We no longer depend on Israel to be God's messengers.  They did their job.  We have God's word and it tells us everything we need to know about who we are, who God is, how we should live, whom we should love, how much God loves us, the message of the cross and blood that leads us to life.

The message is this:  there is no difference between us or anyone else -- Jew, European, African, Indian, Middle Easterner, or American.  In God's economy no one is any lower class than the other.  And, God is not begrudgingly allowing us the opportunity to gain eternal life with Him.  He is GLADLY holding out the promises to you and to me!  He has gone to the most extreme lengths to insure our salvation.  His grace is extravagant and it lavishly ushers those on the outside in as soon as they desire it.  We all must come to the same place the same way: to the cross in faith (like Abraham, Isaac and Jacob) believing that through Jesus' blood we are brought near to the throne of God, the Ruler of all who live, who will live and have ever lived.

In Christ's family there can be no division into Jew and non-Jew, slave and free, male and female. Among us you are all equal. That is, we are all in a common relationship with Jesus Christ. Also, since you are Christ's family, then you are Abraham's famous "descendant," heirs according to the covenant promises.  Galatians 3:28-29, MSG

In faith,
Kerry