Ephesians 2:11-13
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Paul highlights a subtle irony: the Gentiles, whom the Jews derisively called "the uncircumcision" (a term referring to their physical state), were defined by a ritual "circumcision in the flesh made by hands" that ultimately held no true spiritual power. This emphasizes how external markers, even those ordained by God, could be misused to create division and exclude others.
Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Paul reminds the Gentile believers that they were once excluded from God's people, identified by the physical mark they lacked—circumcision—and scornfully labeled "the uncircumcision" by the Jews, who prided themselves on their own "circumcision made by hands." This stark reminder sets the stage for understanding the radical grace that brought them into God's covenant.
You were called names that marked you as an outsider, a distinction that carried immense weight.
Paul reminds the Ephesians that they were once "Gentiles in the flesh," a status that came with a label: "the uncircumcision." This wasn't just a neutral description; it was a term of division and often contempt, used by the Jews (who called themselves "the circumcision") to signify those outside God's covenant people.
A Tale of Two Labels
Paul emphasizes that this distinction was external – "in the flesh, made by hands." It was a visible marker, but it didn't guarantee an inward reality with God.
Why does Paul want you to remember your past? It's not to dwell in shame, but to fuel your faith.
The command to "remember" is crucial here. Paul isn't asking the Ephesians to relive their former Gentile state with regret, but to recall it as a backdrop to God's incredible grace.
The Power of Contrast
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The physical mark of circumcision was meant to signify something deeper, but often became just a human ritual.
Paul points out that the "circumcision" the Jews prided themselves on was "in the flesh, made by hands." This highlights a key theme: the difference between outward religious practice and inward spiritual reality.
The Flaw in the Flesh
Understand the original words
ethnē · Greek Noun
A term used by Jews to refer to non-Jewish nations, often signifying those outside the covenant community of God, though in the New Testament it refers to those now brought into the family of God through faith in Christ.
peritomē · Greek Noun
The act of cutting off the foreskin, serving as the sign of the covenant between God and Abraham; in this context, it refers to the physical mark of Jewish identity.
Christos · Greek Noun
The Messiah; the Anointed One of God. He is the mediator between God and humanity and the source of salvation and reconciliation for both Jew and Gentile.
apallotriothenēs · Greek Adjective/Participle
The status of being excluded from the community, rights, and covenantal benefits that God granted to His chosen people, Israel.
politeia · Greek Noun
The corporate identity of God’s people in the Old Testament, set apart by covenant, law, and the presence of God to represent Him to the world.
diathēkai · Greek Noun
The sacred promises and legal agreements God made with humanity (such as with Abraham and Moses) that define His relationship with His people and reveal His plan of salvation.
haima · Greek Noun
The death of Jesus Christ on the cross, which serves as the propitiatory sacrifice to satisfy God’s justice and purchase the redemption of His people.
This verse highlights the dramatic shift experienced by Gentile believers, moving from being outsiders, scorned by Jews as 'uncircumcised,' to being fully included in God's covenant people through Christ.
c. 1446 BC
Mosaic Covenant and Circumcision
God establishes His covenant with Abraham and his descendants, instituting circumcision as a physical sign of this covenant in the flesh.
Late 8th century BC
Assyrian Captivity
Northern kingdom of Israel is exiled by the Assyrians, blurring the lines between Israelites and surrounding 'Gentile' nations and leading to prophetic warnings about Israel's spiritual state.
586 BC
Babylonian Exile
Southern kingdom of Judah is conquered by Babylon, and many are deported. This event further solidifies the distinction between the exiled Jews and the surrounding Gentile nations.
c. 400 BC - 1st century AD
Jewish-Gentile Division
During the Second Temple period, a strong social and religious division developed between observant Jews (the 'Circumcision') and surrounding Gentile peoples (the 'Uncircumcision'), often marked by mutual disdain.
c. AD 30s
Paul's Conversion
Saul of Tarsus, a zealous Pharisee (part of the 'Circumcision'), is converted to Christ and becomes Paul, a key apostle to the Gentiles.
c. AD 60-62— this verse
Paul writes Ephesians
Paul writes this letter from Roman imprisonment, likely to the church in Ephesus, which was composed of both Jewish and Gentile believers.
This passage establishes circumcision as a physical sign of God's covenant with Abraham, directly contrasting with the 'uncircumcision' mentioned in Ephesians.
Romans 2:28-29Paul here clarifies that true 'circumcision' is spiritual, of the heart, and not merely an outward physical rite, echoing the distinction made in Ephesians between 'circumcision in the flesh made by hands' and its deeper meaning.
Galatians 3:28This verse speaks to the spiritual unity in Christ where ethnic and religious distinctions like Jew/Gentile, circumcised/uncircumcised, are dissolved, highlighting the significance of Paul's reminder in Ephesians about their former state outside this unity.
Colossians 2:11Here, Paul uses similar language to describe believers as having a 'circumcision of Christ, not made with hands, but the spiritual circumcision of putting off the sinful nature,' reinforcing the idea that the physical act in Ephesians was insufficient on its own.
Deuteronomy 10:16This Old Testament command to 'circumcise your heart' shows that the concept of spiritual circumcision, not just the physical act, was present even before Paul's detailed explanation, adding depth to the contrast in Ephesians.
vincentEphesians 2:11: "Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;"
Uncircumcision - circumcisionAbstract for concrete terms, the uncircumcised and circumcised.Which is calledNotice the irony, giving back the called of the circumcised.
bengelEphesians 2:11: "Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;"
Ephesians 2:11 . Μνημονεύετε , remember ) Such remembrance sharpens gratitude and strengthens faith, Ephesians 2:19 .— τὰ ἔθνη ) הגוים , the Gentiles. ἐν σαρκὶ , in the flesh) Paul purposely joins this expression with Gentiles, for the Jews simply called the Gentiles the uncircumcision, not the uncircumcision i…
Paul highlights a subtle irony: the Gentiles, whom the Jews derisively called "the uncircumcision" (a term referring to their physical state), were defined by a ritual "circumcision in the flesh made by hands" that ultimately held no true spiritual power. This emphasizes how external markers, even those ordained by God, could be misused to create division and exclude others.
Paul reminds the Gentile believers that they were once excluded from God's people, identified by the physical mark they lacked—circumcision—and scornfully labeled "the uncircumcision" by the Jews, who prided themselves on their own "circumcision made by hands." This stark reminder sets the stage for understanding the radical grace that brought them into God's covenant.
Paul reminds the Gentile believers that they were once excluded from God's people, identified by the physical mark they lacked—circumcision—and scornfully labeled "the uncircumcision" by the Jews, who prided themselves on their own "circumcision made by hands." This stark reminder sets the stage for understanding the radical grace that brought them into God's covenant.
"Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from t…" — Paul highlights a subtle irony: the Gentiles, whom the Jews derisively called "the uncircumcision" (a term referring to their physical state), were defined by a ritual "circumcision in the flesh made…
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Last reviewed October 2026
