Ephesians 2:14-15
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Jesus doesn't just bring peace; He is our peace. This means His very nature, His very being, is what creates unity, dissolving the barriers that once separated people. He didn't just lower the wall; He "undid" it entirely in His own flesh, dismantling the hostility between us.
For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace,
English Standard Version (ESV)
Paul is explaining how the death and resurrection of Jesus have fundamentally changed the relationship between Jewish believers and Gentile believers, who were previously separated by significant cultural and religious barriers. He builds on the idea that believers are no longer strangers but fellow citizens, highlighting that Jesus himself is the source of this newfound peace and unity between these two groups. This shifts the focus from their past divisions to their present shared identity in Christ.
We often think of Jesus as someone who brings peace, but what if He is our peace? This shifts everything.
The verse declares, "For he himself is our peace." This isn't just saying Jesus is a peacemaker; it's profoundly deeper. He is the very essence of peace for us. Think of it like this: when we talk about wisdom, we don't just mean someone who gives advice; we mean someone who embodies wisdom. Similarly, Christ embodies peace. He is the embodiment of the reconciliation between God and humanity, and between people themselves. This means true peace isn't just an absence of conflict, but a presence found in Christ's very being and finished work.
Imagine a huge wall separating people, causing anger and division. Jesus didn't just chip away at it; He demolished it.
The verse vividly describes Christ as the one who 'has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility.' This 'wall' represented the deep animosity and separation, particularly between Jews and Gentiles, but also the hostility between humanity and God. The 'law of commandments in ordinances,' as later verses clarify, served as this barrier. Christ's death on the cross, His 'flesh,' was the ultimate act that dismantled this wall. It wasn't just a physical barrier like the temple wall separating Gentiles, but a spiritual and relational one. His sacrifice removed the basis for this division, making both groups one new creation in Him.
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eirēnē · Greek Noun
The concept of reconciliation, harmony, and wholeness, fundamentally established by God through the work of Christ, restoring the broken relationship between God and humanity and between fellow believers.
echthra · Greek Noun
The state of being fundamentally opposed to God and to one another; it is the spiritual and social consequence of sin that Christ overcomes through his sacrifice.
nomos tōn entolōn en dogmasin · Greek Noun phrase
The body of Mosaic laws, including ceremonial requirements, which functioned as a barrier between Jews and Gentiles but was fulfilled and rendered obsolete by Christ’s completed work.
kainos anthrōpos · Greek Noun phrase
The transformation of the individual believer into a new creation through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, forming a unified community that transcends previous divisions.
The 'dividing wall' Christ broke down wasn't just a concept, but was vividly symbolized by the physical barriers in the Jerusalem Temple, which separated Gentiles from Jewish worship. The destruction of this very Temple just a few decades after Paul wrote this letter powerfully underscored the permanent reality of Christ's work in creating one new people.
c. 516 BC
Second Temple Reconstruction Completed
After the return from Babylonian exile, Jewish exiles complete the reconstruction of the Temple in Jerusalem. This event solidified Jewish identity and religious practice, emphasizing their distinctiveness from surrounding Gentile nations.
c. 200 BC - 167 BC
Hellenistic Influence and Seleucid Rule
The Hellenistic period sees increasing interaction and tension between Jewish traditions and Greek culture. Later, under Seleucid rule, attempts to suppress Jewish practices led to the Maccabean Revolt, further highlighting the divide between Jews and Gentiles.
c. 63 BC
Roman Conquest of Judea
Rome conquers Judea, integrating it into the Roman Empire. While allowing local religious practice, Roman rule and the presence of Gentile populations intensified the existing social and religious divisions.
c. AD 30-33
Crucifixion of Jesus
Jesus is crucified by Roman authorities. His death is seen by Christians as the ultimate sacrifice that atones for sin and breaks down the barriers between God and humanity, and between Jews and Gentiles.
c. AD 40s-60s
Paul's Missionary Journeys
The Apostle Paul undertakes extensive missionary journeys, establishing Christian communities among both Jewish and Gentile populations throughout the Roman Empire. This actively worked to bridge the divide between these groups.
c. AD 62— this verse
Writing of the Epistle to the Ephesians
Paul, while imprisoned, writes this letter to the church in Ephesus. He explains how Christ has created a unified community, breaking down the hostility and separation that once existed between Jewish and Gentile believers, making them one new humanity.
AD 70
Destruction of the Second Temple
The Roman army destroys the Second Temple in Jerusalem during the First Jewish-Roman War. This event marked a significant turning point for Judaism and effectively ended the physical sanctuary that had long symbolized the separation between Jews and Gentiles.
This verse speaks of God proclaiming peace to those far and near, mirroring how Christ's work in Ephesians 2:14 brings peace to both Jews ('near') and Gentiles ('far off').
Galatians 3:28Echoing Ephesians 2:14's theme of unity, this passage declares that in Christ, distinctions like Jew and Greek cease to exist, as all are one.
Colossians 3:11Similar to Ephesians 2:14, this verse highlights the dissolving of ethnic and social barriers in Christ, where there is no longer Greek or Jew, but Christ is all and in all.
Micah 4:3This prophetic passage describes a future time when nations will beat their weapons into farming tools and live in peace, reflecting the ultimate peace and unity that Christ establishes, as seen in Ephesians 2:14.
John 10:16Jesus speaks of having one flock and one shepherd, a concept that resonates with Ephesians 2:14's message of Christ making Jews and Gentiles one, breaking down the divisions between them.
cambridgeEphesians 2:14: "For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;"
14 . he is our peace ] “ He: ”—the glorious living Person gives its essence to the sacrificial Work. “ Our peace: ”—i.e., as the connexion indicates, the “peace” between the Tribes of the New Israel, the Gentile and Jewish believers; such peace that now, within the covenant, “there is neither Jew nor Greek” ( Galatians 3:28 ; Colossians 3:11 ). The special aspect of this…
vincentEphesians 2:14: "For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;"
Our peace (ἡ εἰρήνη ἡμῶν)Christ is similarly described in abstract terms in 1 Corinthians 1:30; wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, redemption. So Colossians 1:27, hope of glory. Christ is thus not merely our peace-maker, but our very peace itself.Both (τὰ ἀμφότερα)Lit., the both. The neuter gender shows that Jews and Gentiles are conceived by the writer merely…
Jesus doesn't just bring peace; He is our peace. This means His very nature, His very being, is what creates unity, dissolving the barriers that once separated people. He didn't just lower the wall; He "undid" it entirely in His own flesh, dismantling the hostility between us.
Paul is explaining how the death and resurrection of Jesus have fundamentally changed the relationship between Jewish believers and Gentile believers, who were previously separated by significant cultural and religious barriers. He builds on the idea that believers are no longer strangers but fellow citizens, highlighting that Jesus himself is the source of this newfound peace and unity between these two groups. This shifts the focus from their past divisions to their present shared identity in Christ.
Paul is explaining how the death and resurrection of Jesus have fundamentally changed the relationship between Jewish believers and Gentile believers, who were previously separated by significant cultural and religious barriers. He builds on the idea that believers are no longer strangers but fellow citizens, highlighting that Jesus himself is the source of this newfound peace and unity between these two groups. This shifts the focus from their past divisions to their present shared identity in Christ.
"For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of th…" — Jesus doesn't just bring peace; He is our peace. This means His very nature, His very being, is what creates unity, dissolving the barriers that once separated people. He didn't just lower the wall…
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Last reviewed October 2026
