Ephesians 2:14-16
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, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The core idea isn't just that Christ created peace, but that He is our peace itself. He's not merely the facilitator of reconciliation, but the very essence of unity, dissolving the old barriers so that both Jew and Gentile could finally stand as one.
Paul is explaining how Jesus has bridged the ancient divide between Jews and Gentiles. He just described how Gentiles were once far from God but are now brought near through Christ's sacrifice, highlighting their shared access to God. This verse and the ones that follow will elaborate on how this unity is not just with God but also between these formerly separated groups.
We often think of Jesus as the one who makes peace between us and God. But this verse says something even more profound. What does it mean for Christ to be our peace?
Paul calls Jesus 'our peace' (Greek: eirene). This isn't just a title; it's descriptive of His very nature and role. He is not merely the agent who brings about peace; He is the peace itself.
Think of it this way: If you have a friend who is a brilliant architect, you might say, 'She is our architect.' She designs and builds, but she embodies the very concept of architecture for your project. Similarly, Christ embodies peace. His very being and sacrifice are the source and substance of the peace that reconciles us to God and to one another.
This peace dissolves hostility and creates unity. It's the foundational reality that allows us to stand before God without fear and to relate to others as brothers and sisters.
Imagine a huge wall dividing people, filled with anger and mistrust. This verse describes Christ as the one who tears it down. What was this 'wall,' and how did Jesus dismantle it?
The 'middle wall of partition' (Greek: mesotocion tou phragmou) refers to the barrier that separated Jews and Gentiles. This wasn't just a physical separation, like the stone screen in the Jerusalem Temple that barred Gentiles from further entry. It represented a deep-seated hostility, a division rooted in religious and cultural differences, and fueled by a sense of superiority on one side and alienation on the other.
Jesus 'broke it down' (Greek: lusas) through His own body, specifically His flesh and death on the cross. The Law, with its commandments and ordinances, had become the instrument of this separation. By fulfilling and ultimately abolishing the ceremonial aspects of the Law that distinguished Jew from Gentile, and by shedding His blood, Christ removed the very basis of this animosity.
This action created not just an end to separation, but a new, unified reality – 'one new man,' as Paul describes later. It means access for all to God and to each other, shattering the old enmities.
Understand the original words
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 'middle wall of partition' was a powerful, multi-layered reality for Paul's readers: a physical wall in the Jerusalem Temple, a system of Mosaic Law that distinguished Jew from Gentile, and a deep-seated hostility between the two groups. Paul's message is that Christ's sacrifice has torn down all these barriers, creating a radical new unity where both can approach God freely.
c. 140 BC - AD 70— this verse
Temple Mount Exclusion Wall
A physical wall on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, inscribed with warnings, explicitly separated Gentile courtyards from the inner Israelite areas. This served as a constant, visible reminder of the religious and social division between Jews and Gentiles.
c. 570 BC
Exile and Diaspora
After the Babylonian exile, many Jews lived outside of Judea in various parts of the Roman Empire. This dispersal, while preserving Jewish identity, also created a distinct separation from those who remained in the homeland and further set them apart from Gentile cultures.
c. 450 BC
Ezra and Nehemiah's Reforms
Following the return from exile, Ezra and Nehemiah instituted reforms that emphasized strict adherence to the Law and discouraged intermarriage with foreign women. This reinforced a sense of distinctiveness and separation between Jews and surrounding nations.
c. 167-164 BC
This verse speaks of proclaiming peace to those far and near, echoing the idea of Christ bringing peace to both Jews ('near') and Gentiles ('far off') in Ephesians 2:14.
Galatians 3:28This passage states there is 'neither Jew nor Greek' in Christ, directly supporting the concept in Ephesians 2:14 that Christ has made 'both one' and broken down the dividing wall.
Colossians 3:11Similar to Ephesians 2:14, this verse emphasizes Christ as 'all, and in all,' where distinctions like Jew and Greek are dissolved, highlighting the unity Christ brings.
John 10:16Jesus speaks of having one flock and one shepherd, a concept that parallels Ephesians 2:14's theme of Christ uniting separate groups into one community.
Micah 4:3This prophetic passage describes a future where nations beat their swords into plowshares and no longer learn war, mirroring the ultimate peace and reconciliation Christ establishes.
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…
The core idea isn't just that Christ created peace, but that He is our peace itself. He's not merely the facilitator of reconciliation, but the very essence of unity, dissolving the old barriers so that both Jew and Gentile could finally stand as one.
Paul is explaining how Jesus has bridged the ancient divide between Jews and Gentiles. He just described how Gentiles were once far from God but are now brought near through Christ's sacrifice, highlighting their shared access to God. This verse and the ones that follow will elaborate on how this unity is not just with God but also between these formerly separated groups.
Paul is explaining how Jesus has bridged the ancient divide between Jews and Gentiles. He just described how Gentiles were once far from God but are now brought near through Christ's sacrifice, highlighting their shared access to God. This verse and the ones that follow will elaborate on how this unity is not just with God but also between these formerly separated groups.
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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.
apokatallassō · Greek Verb
To bring back into harmony, restore to favor, or mend a broken relationship, specifically between God and humanity or between estranged groups. It implies a change from a state of enmity to a state of peace through the intervention of a mediator.
stauros · Greek Noun
The instrument of Christ's death; a symbol of both the ultimate penalty for sin and the mechanism of divine atonement. It signifies the place where God's justice and love met, resulting in the justification of believers.
echthra · Greek Noun
Deep-seated enmity, opposition, or antagonism. In a biblical context, it refers to the state of broken relationship caused by sin, whether between God and humans or between different groups of people.
Maccabean Revolt
The revolt against Seleucid rule, triggered by attempts to suppress Jewish religious practices, led to a strong assertion of Jewish identity and separation from Hellenistic culture. This period further cemented the 'us vs. them' mentality.
c. AD 30-33
Crucifixion of Jesus
Jesus' atoning death is seen as the ultimate act that, in its spiritual implications, broke down the hostility and separation between Jews and Gentiles, as well as between humanity and God.
c. AD 40s-60s
Paul's Missionary Journeys
Paul's extensive ministry to the Gentiles, establishing churches and advocating for their inclusion in the new covenant without requiring full adherence to Jewish law, directly addressed and worked to overcome the divisions between Jewish and Gentile believers.
c. AD 62
Paul writes Ephesians
While imprisoned in Rome, Paul writes this letter to the church in Ephesus, which likely included both Jewish and Gentile believers. This verse is part of his explanation of how Christ has unified these disparate groups.
"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…" — The core idea isn't just that Christ created peace, but that He is our peace itself. He's not merely the facilitator of reconciliation, but the very essence of unity, dissolving the old barriers…
