How Christ Has Made One Humanity
… by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility Ephesians 2:15,16 (NIV)
Two things had to be dealt with for the dividing wall between Jews and Gentiles to be broken down. The first was the ‘hostility’ (2:14) and animosity between the two groups. The second was ‘the law with its commandments and regulations’ (2:15; cf. Colossians 2:14,20) had to be abolished. The law with its detailed ordinances of ceremonies about the clean and the unclean had the effect of imposing a barrier resulting in enmity between Jews and Gentiles.
Because of Christ’s life and death, what He did ‘in his flesh’ (2:15), salvation and acceptance with God is offered to all people on condition of repentance and faith. The church in its council in Jerusalem had agreed that there was no longer to be a barrier because the Jews had circumcision and the other ordinances of the law and Gentiles did not (Acts 15). Much of the law (including the sacrificial ritual), was preparation for and a foreshadowing of Christ’s full ministry and so was fulfilled by what He did when He came. The moral demands and principles of the law were not lightened by Jesus, but made fuller and more far-reaching (Matthew 5:21-48). As Romans 7 and early part of chapter 8 make clear, the problem was not the law but human inability through sin to keep it. Paul is crystal clear though that Christians are not under the law (Romans 6:14; Galatians 5:18). We are not, however, lawless but are under the law of Christ (1 Corinthians 9:21).
Jesus’ death was the means of ‘making peace’ (2:15) between Jew and Gentile by removing the division. The law could no longer be the way by which Jews and Jews alone could come to God. The way of approach is now by grace, by a new creative work of God and the same for both Jews and Gentiles. Christ’s purpose was to ‘to create in himself one new man out of the two’ (2:15). This new humanity, this new single entity, is ‘in Christ.’ God now deals with redeemed Jews and Gentiles as one body. Gentiles do not simply rise to the status of Jews, but something new and far greater has been created.
‘… and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility’ (2:16). Right through this passage the twin themes of the reconciliation to God, and of people to one another, are inextricably intertwined. ‘Through the cross’ Christ’s purpose was to ‘reconcile’ people ‘to God’ (Romans 5:10; 2 Corinthians 5:18-20). When He was slain, the ‘hostility’ between humanity and God through sin was brought to an end, because He took our sins and judgement for them, making possible forgiveness. He not only reconciled Jews and Gentiles ‘to God,’ but He also reconciled them (and all people of every diverse background) to one another as ‘one body’ which is the church.
In summary then Paul has touched on three achievements of Christ’s death. First, He abolished the law (its ceremonial regulations and moral condemnation) as a divisive instrument separating men from God and Jews from Gentiles. Secondly, He created a single new humanity out of its former two divisions, making peace between them. Thirdly, He reconciled this new united humanity to God, having destroyed through the cross all the hostility between us. Christ crucified has brought into being a new, united, human race, united in itself and united to its Creator.
Ethnic hatred has been dissolved by the crucifixion of his precious body on the cross. The legal code that stood condemning every one of us has now been repealed by his command. His triune essence has made peace between us by starting over – forming one new man, Jews and non-Jews fused together!
Two have now become one, and we live restored to God and reconciled in the body of Christ. Through his crucifixion, hatred died Ephesians 2:15,16 (the Passion Translation)