One In Christ Series

In verse 14 the writer emphasizes that He, referring to Jesus mentioned in verse 13, He alone is our peace (cf. Isa. 9:6); there is no other source. Note that Paul does not say that Christ is “your” peace, as though Christ’s work is sufficient or necessary only for Gentiles. Rather, Christ’s work is effective for both Jew and Gentile, as our peace (Cohick, L. H. (2010). Ephesians (pp. 74–75). Eugene, OR: Cascade Books.).

What laws, ordinances, ceremonies, sacrifices, and good deeds could not do to make peace between humanity and God, Jesus did. Those things could neither bring people into harmony with God or with each other. The term ‘peace’ in both Old and New Testaments came to denote well-being in the widest sense, including salvation, the source and giver of which is God alone. Peace was used for harmony among people (Acts 7:26; Gal. 5:22; Eph. 4:3; Jas. 3:18) and especially for the messianic salvation (Luke 1:79; 2:14; 19:42). The term could describe the content and goal of all Christian preaching, the message itself being called the gospel of peace (Eph. 6:15; cf. Acts 10:36; Eph. 2:17). The biblical concept of peace has to do with wholeness, particularly with reference to personal relationships. Peace describes an order established by the God of peace (1 Cor. 14:33; cf. Rom. 15:33; 16:20; Phil. 4:9). Christ himself is the mediator of that peace (Rom. 5:1; Col. 1:20). He gives peace to believers (2 Thess. 3:16); indeed, he himself is that peace. Christ not only brings peace and reconciliation; he is this peace or, to put it another way, peace is a person, Jesus Christ. In Col. 3:16 ‘the peace of Christ’ designates the peace which he both embodies and brings (cf. John 14:27) (O’Brien, P. T. (1999). The letter to the Ephesians (p. 193). Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.).

He made us both, referring to Jews (those who were “near”) and Gentiles (those who were “far off”), one, and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall/barrier of hostility. The dividing wall/barrier of hostility alludes to the separation of the Court of the Gentiles from the rest of the Temple. Between that court and the Court of the Israelites was a sign that read, “No Gentile may enter within the barricade which surrounds the sanctuary and enclosure. Anyone who is caught doing so will have himself to blame for his ensuing death.” This physical barrier illustrated the barrier of hostility and hate that also separated the two groups. When Jerusalem fell in A.D. 70, this partition was demolished along with the temple itself. But Paul saw it as already destroyed by Christ at the cross (Wood, A. S. (1981). Ephesians. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Ephesians through Philemon (Vol. 11, p. 40). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)

Christ has forever broken down (the Greek aorist tense signifies completed action) every dividing wall as verse 15 indicates, by abolishing the Law of commandments expressed/contained in ordinances. When Jesus died on the cross He abolished every barrier between the redeemed and God and between each other. The greatest barrier between Jew and Gentile was the ceremonial law, the Law of commandments expressed/contained in ordinances. The feasts, sacrifices, offerings, laws of cleanliness and purification, and all other such distinctive outward commandments for the unique separation of Israel from the nations were abolished. Do you remember that incident from Matthew’s account of the death of Jesus in which, at the moment of his death, “the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom” (Matt. 27:51)? It is a reference to the veil between the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies, and the fact that it was torn in two from top to bottom indicates in as graphic a way as possible that as the result of Christ’s death, sin has been removed as a barrier between His redeemed and God, reconciliation has been achieved, and the way is now open for believers to approach God—one comes through faith in Jesus Christ and his work (Boice, J. M. (1988). Ephesians: an expositional commentary (p. 85). Grand Rapids, MI: Ministry Resources Library.).