Ephesians 2:15
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The verse highlights that Jesus didn't just abolish laws; He created something new in their place. This wasn't just about removing restrictions but actively forming a unified "new humanity" in Himself, demonstrating that His peace-making power lies in positive creation, not just destruction of the old.
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 Christ's death has created unity between Jewish and Gentile believers, dismantling the barriers that separated them. By abolishing the Mosaic Law's ceremonial rules and decrees—the very things that emphasized their differences and fostered hostility—Christ has established a new reality. This act creates a unified community, a "new man," where both Jews and Gentiles are reconciled to God and to each other, making peace possible.
Paul talks about 'abolishing the law.' Does that mean God's laws are no longer important? Not at all. Here's what Christ actually abolished and why.
Paul is talking about the ceremonial laws and ordinances, the 'commandments expressed in ordinances.' These weren't God's moral commands, but the specific rituals and regulations that separated Jews from Gentiles.
The Dividing Wall
Think of these laws like a high fence. For the Jews, it marked them as God's chosen people. For the Gentiles, it was an exclusion, a barrier that said, 'You are outside.' This created enmity – hostility and separation.
Christ's Sacrifice: The Great Abolisher
Jesus, 'in his flesh,' meaning through His sacrificial death, didn't discard God's moral standards. Instead, He fulfilled the purpose of those ceremonial laws. By His death, He took away their power to divide.
Imagine two groups who deeply dislike each other, forced to become one family. That's the incredible transformation Paul describes, and it all happens 'in Christ.'
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The result of abolishing those dividing laws is profound: 'that he might create in himself one new man.' This isn't just about getting along; it's a new creation.
A Unified Identity
The Goal: Peace
The ultimate purpose of this new creation is 'making peace.' This peace is multi-faceted:
Understand the original words
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 'law of commandments expressed in ordinances' refers specifically to the ceremonial and civil laws that separated Jews from Gentiles. Christ's death 'abolished' these, not the moral law, to create a new unified community, thereby dissolving the historical divisions that had existed for centuries.
c. 1450 BC - 450 BC
Mosaic Law Established
The Law given through Moses, including commandments and ordinances, established distinct practices and separations between Israelites and other nations.
c. 70 AD
Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
The Roman destruction of Jerusalem and the Second Temple marked a significant turning point for Jewish identity and practice, intensifying separation from Roman and Gentile influence.
c. AD 60-62— this verse
Paul Writes Ephesians
The Apostle Paul, likely imprisoned in Rome, writes his letter to the church in Ephesus, addressing the radical unity of Jews and Gentiles in Christ.
This passage echoes Ephesians 2:15 by describing how believers were alienated and hostile in their minds through evil deeds, but have now been reconciled by Christ's physical body through death.
Galatians 3:28Similar to Ephesians 2:15's concept of a 'new man,' this verse emphasizes the unity in Christ where distinctions like Jew and Gentile cease to matter.
Romans 7:4-6This passage explains how believers have been freed from the law, which previously condemned them, allowing them to serve God in the 'new spiritual life,' paralleling Christ's abolition of the law's binding power mentioned in Ephesians 2:15.
Hebrews 9:26This verse speaks of Christ appearing once for all to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself, which directly relates to the 'abolishing in his flesh' described in Ephesians 2:15, highlighting the definitive nature of Christ's work.
Genesis 9:27The prophecy of God enlarging Japheth to dwell in the tents of Shem, mentioned as a fulfillment in scholarly context, points to the reconciliation and unity between different peoples that Ephesians 2:15 describes as being created in Christ.
cambridgeEphesians 2:15: "Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;"
15 . having abolished , &c.] Lit., The enmity, in His flesh, the law of the commandments in decrees, annulling . In this difficult verse our best guide is the Ep. to the Romans, esp. Romans 7:1-6 , Romans 8:2-3 , passages very possibly in mind when this was written. See also the closely parallel passage, Colossians 1:21-2…
vincentEphesians 2:15: "Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;"
Having abolished in His flesh the enmity (τὴν ἔχθραν ἐν τῇ σαρκὶ αὐτοῦ καταργήσας)The enmity immediately follows the middle wall of partition, and should be rendered in apposition with and as defining it, and as dependent on brake down, not on abolished: the middle wall which was the enmity. It is used abstractl…
The verse highlights that Jesus didn't just abolish laws; He created something new in their place. This wasn't just about removing restrictions but actively forming a unified "new humanity" in Himself, demonstrating that His peace-making power lies in positive creation, not just destruction of the old.
Paul is explaining how Christ's death has created unity between Jewish and Gentile believers, dismantling the barriers that separated them. By abolishing the Mosaic Law's ceremonial rules and decrees—the very things that emphasized their differences and fostered hostility—Christ has established a new reality. This act creates a unified community, a "new man," where both Jews and Gentiles are reconciled to God and to each other, making peace possible.
Paul is explaining how Christ's death has created unity between Jewish and Gentile believers, dismantling the barriers that separated them. By abolishing the Mosaic Law's ceremonial rules and decrees—the very things that emphasized their differences and fostered hostility—Christ has established a new reality. This act creates a unified community, a "new man," where both Jews and Gentiles are reconciled to God and to each other, making peace possible.
"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," — The verse highlights that Jesus didn't just abolish laws; He created something new in their place. This wasn't just about removing restrictions but actively forming a unified "new humanity" in Hims…
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Last reviewed October 2026
