Ephesians 2:16
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 verse reveals a double reconciliation: not only between Jews and Gentiles, but fundamentally between humanity and God. The "hostility" that Christ kills through the cross refers primarily to this deeper enmity with God, which then makes the reconciliation between people groups possible.
Paul is explaining how Christ has created unity between Jewish and Gentile believers, breaking down the barriers that once separated them. He's shown that Christ Himself is their peace and has abolished the "middle wall" of the law that kept them apart. Now, he emphasizes that this unity in Christ is the means by which both groups are brought back into right relationship with God.
We often think of reconciliation as simply patching things up after a fight. But in the Bible, it's a much deeper, life-altering concept.
The Greek word used here for 'reconcile' (apokatallasso) is powerful. It doesn't just mean to mend a broken relationship; it implies a complete restoration, a bringing back to a state of unity that was lost. Think of it like a beautiful, intricate vase that's shattered into many pieces. 'Reconciliation' is the painstaking work of not just gluing the pieces back together, but making them whole and functional again, so they form one complete vessel.
This isn't a one-way street. While we were estranged from God, Christ actively bridged the gap. He didn't wait for us to clean up our act; He Himself became the means by which we, and others with us, could be brought back to God. This reconciliation is a gift, an accomplishment of Christ's work on the cross.
What was it about the cross that had such a radical, peace-making power?
The verse says that through the cross, Christ was 'killing the hostility.' This hostility wasn't just a minor disagreement; it was a deep-seated enmity. In the context of Ephesians 2, this primarily refers to the fierce division between Jews and Gentiles, a division that seemed insurmountable.
But the enmity wasn't just between people; it was the fundamental hostility between sinful humanity and a holy God. Christ’s death on the cross was the ultimate sacrifice that dealt with both. By 'slaying the enmity' on the cross, Jesus dismantled the barriers that separated people from each other and, more importantly, separated them from God. This wasn't just a passive cancellation; the word 'killing' implies a decisive, active defeat of this hostility. It was at the cross that the cause of division – sin and its consequences – was decisively dealt with.
Reconciliation isn't just about making peace; it's about bringing diverse people together into a unified whole.
The amazing result of Christ's reconciling work is that He brings both Jews and Gentiles, and ultimately all believers, into 'one body.' This 'one body' isn't just a casual club; it's the Church, the unified community of faith, with Christ Himself as its head.
Understand the original words
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 verse speaks of reconciliation achieved through Christ's cross, a concept deeply rooted in the historical events surrounding Jesus' death and the subsequent formation of the early church, which grappled with integrating Jewish and Gentile believers.
c. 33 AD— this verse
Crucifixion of Jesus
Jesus is crucified by the Roman authorities in Jerusalem, an event central to Christian belief concerning atonement and reconciliation.
c. 34-60 AD
Early Church Growth
The gospel spreads from Jerusalem, with apostles like Paul actively ministering to both Jewish and Gentile converts.
c. 49 AD
Council of Jerusalem
Apostles and elders debate and decide that Gentiles do not need to follow all Mosaic laws to be part of the early church, easing tensions between Jewish and Gentile believers.
c. 60-62 AD
Paul's Imprisonment in Rome
Paul writes letters, including Ephesians, from Roman captivity, addressing foundational theological issues and the unity of the church.
This passage shares the specific verb for 'reconcile' used in Ephesians 2:16 and similarly connects this reconciliation to Christ's work on the cross, emphasizing the restoration of peace between humanity and God.
Romans 5:10This verse directly states that 'we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son' and uses similar language about reconciliation through Christ's death, reinforcing the idea of God's initiative in restoring relationship.
Galatians 3:28This passage speaks of unity in Christ ('there is neither Jew nor Greek') which parallels the 'one body' concept in Ephesians 2:16, showing how Christ breaks down divisions not only between people and God but also among people themselves.
Isaiah 57:19Quoted in Ephesians 2:17, this Old Testament prophecy speaks of 'peace to the far and to the near,' echoing the reconciliation theme in Ephesians 2:16 by promising peace to both estranged groups (Israel and Gentiles).
2 Corinthians 5:18-19These verses explicitly state that God 'reconciled us to himself through Christ' and has 'committed to us the ministry of reconciliation,' highlighting God's action through Christ to bridge the gap caused by sin.
vincentEphesians 2:16: "And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:"
Might reconcile (ἀποκαταλλάξῃ)Only here and Colossians 1:20, Colossians 1:21. See on Colossians 1:20. The new man precedes the reconciling in Paul's statement, though, as a fact, the order is the reverse. The verb contains a hint of restoration to a primal unity. See on Ephesians 2:12.Thereby (ἐν αὐτῷ)Or upon it - the cross.
meyerEphesians 2:16: "And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:"
Ephesians 2:16 . Continuation of the sentence expressive of the design. Christ has by His death done away with the law, in order to make the Jew and the Gentile into one new man ( Ephesians 2:15 ), and (and consequently) so to accomplish the reconciliation of both with God, that they should as one body be reconciled with God through the cross, after He has slain thereon the enm…
The verse reveals a double reconciliation: not only between Jews and Gentiles, but fundamentally between humanity and God. The "hostility" that Christ kills through the cross refers primarily to this deeper enmity with God, which then makes the reconciliation between people groups possible.
Paul is explaining how Christ has created unity between Jewish and Gentile believers, breaking down the barriers that once separated them. He's shown that Christ Himself is their peace and has abolished the "middle wall" of the law that kept them apart. Now, he emphasizes that this unity in Christ is the means by which both groups are brought back into right relationship with God.
Paul is explaining how Christ has created unity between Jewish and Gentile believers, breaking down the barriers that once separated them. He's shown that Christ Himself is their peace and has abolished the "middle wall" of the law that kept them apart. Now, he emphasizes that this unity in Christ is the means by which both groups are brought back into right relationship with God.
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Think about the radical nature of this. Before Christ, Jews and Gentiles were separated by religious laws, cultural differences, and deep-seated prejudice. Christ's cross tore down these walls. Now, in Him, they are no longer 'strangers and aliens' but 'fellow citizens with the saints and members of God's household.' This unity in Christ is the tangible evidence of His reconciling work. It’s a powerful testament to the fact that the hostility has been slain and a new, unified humanity has been created.
66-73 AD
First Jewish-Roman War
A major revolt by the Jews against Roman rule, culminating in the destruction of Jerusalem and the Second Temple, profoundly impacting Jewish identity and the future of both Judaism and Christianity.
"and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility." — The verse reveals a double reconciliation: not only between Jews and Gentiles, but fundamentally between humanity and God. The "hostility" that Christ kills through the cross refers primarily to this…
