Ephesians 2:14-16
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Christ is not just the maker of peace, but peace itself, the very essence of the unity that bridges the divide between Jew and Gentile. What's easily missed is that this "dividing wall" wasn't just a physical barrier like the temple court, but the entire Mosaic Law, which Christ's sacrifice dismantled to create one new, unified people.
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)
Paul is explaining how Gentile believers, formerly excluded, are now welcomed into God's family alongside Jewish believers. He's just described them as no longer strangers but fellow citizens, and now he elaborates that Christ Himself is the peace that bridges the gap, tearing down the barriers that once separated Jew and Gentile. This unity in Christ is the foundation for the new community he's been building.
We often think of peace as something we make or find. But what if peace itself is a Person? This verse reveals a profound truth about who Jesus is and what He accomplishes.
The verse states, "For he himself is our peace." This isn't just saying Jesus brings peace; it's saying He is peace.
More Than a Peacemaker
Imagine a wall so high and thick it separates entire peoples, creating deep-seated hostility. What was this wall, and how was it destroyed?
The verse speaks of Christ 'broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility.' This 'wall' refers to the deep division and animosity, particularly between Jews and Gentiles, that existed for centuries.
The Law as a Barrier
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Christ's Sacrifice as Demolition
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 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.
The 'middle wall of partition' was a very real barrier in the Jerusalem Temple, separating Gentiles from Jewish worship. This physical division mirrored the deeper hostility between Jews and Gentiles, a division Christ's sacrifice is shown to abolish, creating one new community in Him.
c. 140 BC
Temple Courts Segregated
The Jerusalem Temple complex is further divided, creating distinct areas for Jewish men, women, and Gentiles. A stone screen (the 'middle wall of partition') with inscriptions forbidding Gentiles from proceeding further is erected.
c. AD 30-33
Jesus' Crucifixion
Jesus is crucified by the Romans. According to the Gospels, the veil of the Temple is torn in two at the moment of His death, symbolizing a new and direct access to God for all people.
c. AD 40-50
Council of Jerusalem
The early church grapples with whether Gentile converts must follow Jewish law. The council decides that Gentiles do not need to be circumcised or follow the Mosaic law to be followers of Jesus.
c. AD 48
Paul and Barnabas' First Missionary Journey
Paul and Barnabas actively preach the gospel to Gentiles throughout Asia Minor, establishing churches with both Jewish and Gentile members.
c. AD 50
Paul's Second Missionary Journey
Paul continues his ministry to the Gentiles, encountering opposition from Jewish believers who insist on the necessity of adhering to the Law of Moses.
c. AD 57— this verse
Paul writes Ephesians from Rome
While imprisoned in Rome, Paul writes to the church in Ephesus, a predominantly Gentile community. He emphasizes the unity of Jews and Gentiles in Christ, breaking down the barriers between them.
AD 66-73
First Jewish-Roman War
The Jewish revolt against Roman rule erupts, leading to widespread conflict and the eventual destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in AD 70. This event signifies the end of the old sacrificial system and the physical manifestation of the 'middle wall'.
This verse speaks of God proclaiming peace to those far and near, directly echoing the idea of Christ bringing peace to both Gentiles ('far off') and Jews ('near') as mentioned in Ephesians.
Galatians 3:28This passage states 'there is neither Jew nor Greek... for you are all one in Christ Jesus,' which powerfully reinforces the concept in Ephesians 2:14 of Christ making both groups 'one' and breaking down dividing walls.
Colossians 3:11Similar to Ephesians, this verse highlights that in Christ, distinctions like Jew and Greek, slave and free, male and female cease to matter, emphasizing the unity Christ creates by dissolving old barriers.
John 10:16Jesus says, 'I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, with one shepherd.' This directly parallels the idea of Christ bringing disparate groups together into a single community.
Micah 4:3This prophetic passage envisions a time when God will 'settle disputes for distant nations' and they will 'beat their swords into plowshares,' pointing to a future peace where former enemies are united under God's rule, mirroring Christ's work of peace-making.
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…
Christ is not just the maker of peace, but peace itself, the very essence of the unity that bridges the divide between Jew and Gentile. What's easily missed is that this "dividing wall" wasn't just a physical barrier like the temple court, but the entire Mosaic Law, which Christ's sacrifice dismantled to create one new, unified people.
Paul is explaining how Gentile believers, formerly excluded, are now welcomed into God's family alongside Jewish believers. He's just described them as no longer strangers but fellow citizens, and now he elaborates that Christ Himself is the peace that bridges the gap, tearing down the barriers that once separated Jew and Gentile. This unity in Christ is the foundation for the new community he's been building.
Paul is explaining how Gentile believers, formerly excluded, are now welcomed into God's family alongside Jewish believers. He's just described them as no longer strangers but fellow citizens, and now he elaborates that Christ Himself is the peace that bridges the gap, tearing down the barriers that once separated Jew and Gentile. This unity in Christ is the foundation for the new community he's been building.
"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…" — Christ is not just the maker of peace, but peace itself, the very essence of the unity that bridges the divide between Jew and Gentile. What's easily missed is that this "dividing wall" wasn't ju…
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Last reviewed October 2026
