Okay, Ephesians chapter 2 verse
11 unto the end of the chapter. Now the subject doesn't end with
chapter 2, it's carried over into chapter 3. We won't read
that now, but we'll take note of it along the way. So, chapter
2 verse 11. Wherefore remember, that you,
being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called uncircumcision
by that which is called the circumcision in the flesh made by hands, that
at that time you were without Christ. being aliens from the
commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise,
having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ
Jesus, ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the
blood of Christ, for he is our peace. who hath made both one,
and hath broken down the middle wall a partition between us,
having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments,
contained in ordinances, for to make in himself of twain,
or two, one new man, so making peace. and that he might reconcile
both, that is, Jew and Gentile, unto God in one body by the cross,
having slain the enmity thereby, and came and preached peace to
you which were afar off and to them that were nigh. For through
him we both, that is Jew and Gentile, have access by one spirit
unto the Father. Now therefore ye are no more
strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints
and of the household of God, and are built upon the foundation
of the apostle and prophets Jesus Christ himself being the chief
coroner, in whom all the building fitly framed together grows into
a holy temple in the Lord, in whom ye also are built together
for a habitation of God through the Spirit. Now, as we get our
work toward our main subject, let's set forth a premise, and
that being that the proper relationship of the Old Testament and the
New Testament, or the Old Covenant and the New Covenant, and the
proper relationship of Judaism under Christianity their proper
relation and the law and the gospel and the law and the grace
of God is one of the most complicated issues that we might deal with
in our Christian life in the New Testament. This has puzzled
many in our days gone by. Most of us have erred upon this
matter and at times have gone back and forth until we finally
came to a settled position so that we know what we believe.
Because some never come to a settlement about it. and do not know what
to believe. An older writer put it this way,
that some of the long-standing differences between the people
of God, that is, people of God down through the ages, are from
disagreements about the Mosaic dispensation and how much, if
any of it, to bind upon Christians in the New Age. So that in many
places there is a mingling of Moses and of Christ. So that in effect Moses loses
his curse and Christ loses or his grace is diminished. So the question comes to this,
and from our text this morning, how much of Judaism, if any,
is to be mixed with Christianity and bound upon Gentile Christian? Now, we see the Book of Galatians
and the Book of Romans are our best at sorting out this tangled
issue. And then Hebrews is the one that
sets the two dispensations in their proper order for our better
understanding. Now, this issue was a source
of contention early in the church, even in the apostolic age era
and especially did it become an issue and a divisive issue
when the Gentiles received the gospel and believed upon Christ
and were brought into the churches. And this continued from that
time until about 70 A.D. when it came to a resolution
and an end. And I like to refer to this period
from Pentecost, we'll say, to 70 A.D. as a transition period
because during these times there was an overlapping, if I may
use it, of the two economies, kind of a mixture of Jew and
of Gentilism in the churches. And this caused some dissension
in their fellowship. But James Haldane, I think, put
it well when he said, quote, the Jews who believed presumed
to take charge of the religion of Jesus, unquote. And therefore,
in many cases, they sought to, and they sought to force the
Gentile to mix and mingle Judaism and Christianity together. and
told them if they did not, they could not be saved in Acts chapter
15 and verse 1 and verse 5. So, let's have a bit of a historical
background to all of this today, then we come to our issue. Let's go back in history and
trace out the development and the practice of Judaism, which
lasted until the appearance and the death of Christ upon the
cross. It lasted till then, and it died
with them. We might call this the Old Dispensation. Now, as all of us know, from
studying our Bible. Soon after the fall, humanity
was, or it became, with the entrance of sin, naturally divided into
two types of people, or two classes, or sorts of people, or family,
or nation. Now those two peoples were originally
headed up in Cain and in Abel, also called the seed of the serpent
and the seed of the woman in Genesis chapter 3 and verse 15. And there was enmity that was
between the two And that from the very beginning. Now as soon
as the first couple fell into sin, God promised one to bruise
the head of the serpent. And then he set in motion a ages-long
preparation for the appearing of that one in the world who
would bruise the head of the serpent. And at first, and over
the course of that time, sacrifices were offered types were instituted
that portrayed Christ and His death, prophecies were made,
promises and covenants were entered into with the people of God by
God. But this preparation for the
appearance of Him who would bruise the head of the serpent became
more organized or more defined in the time of Abraham and the
call of that man, when the glory of God appeared unto our father
Abraham when he dwelt in Mesopotamia, as we read Stephen saying in
Acts chapter 7 and verse 2. The God of glory appeared to
Abraham. And Stephen runs through that,
how God gave him the covenant of circumcision and such like. And God called him out of his
country, separated him from his people and his country, and he
constituted Abraham The two forefathers of families are offspring. Abraham had two sorts of seed,
and if we don't see that, we will go astray. Number one, he
had a physical seed. He was the physical father of
Israel and of many nations, Romans chapter 4 and verse 17. But then Abraham also had a spiritual
seed. These were believers. These are
the elect, Romans 4 and 11. and Genesis 17, verse 4 and 5. He had a seed like the stars
of the heaven and a seed like the sand of the sea. And God
gave to Abraham the token or the seal of circumcision. And now the worship of God was
chiefly concentrated in the family and the offspring of that one
man's family, Abraham. First there was Isaac, the promised
son, in whom the seed should be called. Out of him came Jacob
and those that followed, Jacob and Esau. And yet Esau was a
reprobate and Jacob was an elect. Esau was hated and Jacob was
beloved by God. And out of Jacob There came the
12 tribes of Israel by two wives. He built up Israel into the 12
tribe, and they became the nation of Israel. And they grew into
a great number. And then in their bondage in
Egypt, God raised up, commissioned, and sent Moses that he might
redeem and deliver them out of Egypt. And he brought them out,
and he brought them to Sinai. And in Exodus chapter 20, he
entered into covenant with Israel at Sinai. In due time, he brought
them into the land of Canaan. even as he had promised to Abraham
that he would do. Now, this covenant with Israel,
and I want you to hear this carefully, with Israel was made after the
flesh. In Exodus chapter 20, it was
ratified, or it was dedicated with blood, Hebrews chapter 9,
18 through 22 you can also see that in Exodus chapter 24 verse
7 and verse 8 as Moses took the blood of the sacrifices of beasts
and he sprinkled that blood upon the altar of And upon the tabernacle,
upon all of its vessels, and even upon the people, Moses sprinkled
that blood, telling them in the process, This is the blood of
the covenant, or the testament, which God hath made with you. Exodus 24 and verse 8. Hebrews 9. verse 20 now please
remember something it was the blood of beasts it was the blood
of goats and sheep and red heifers and such like and it was the
blood of beasts and it could never take away sin you find
that in Hebrews 10 and and one through four. And therefore,
because it was animal blood and because it could not take away
sin, it could not perfect the worshipper. It could not cleanse
and purge and bring his conscience unto peace because it was not
the proper blood that God had ordained. Now, I'm not talking
about just the moral law, the Ten Commandments, but also the
ceremonial law with all of its precepts. In that ceremonial
law, there were dietary laws. They could eat certain things.
Certain things they were unclean and they could not eat. There
were laws of purification for all manner of offenses. There
was the law of leprosy, very extensive, as laid out in the
book of Leviticus. There was the law of marriage.
There was laws about incest and adultery and such like, bestiality
and such like. There were the do's and the don'ts. Now, these were typical shadows
and such like, but they were meant to have a special effect
also. And that effect was to raise
a middle, dividing, separating wall between the people of God
and the rest of the people of the world. Between Israel and
the people of the world. And Paul talks about that separating
wall of enmity in our text. We'll get to it when we come
back to Ephesians 2, 11 through 16. Now, in Exodus 19 and verse 5,
God says to Israel, keep my covenant, then you shall be a peculiar
treasure unto me above all people. Leviticus 20 and 24, I'm the
Lord your God, which have separated you from other people. Leviticus chapter 20 and 26,
for I am the Holy Lord and have severed upon you from other people
that you should be mine. 1 Kings 8 and 53, in that long
but wonderful prayer of Solomon at the dedication of the temple,
Here is a part, for you did separate them from among all the people
of the earth to be thine inheritance." Amos 3 and 2, you have I known
only of all of the families of the earth. Deuteronomy 4, 7,
and 8. What nation is there so great
who has God so nigh unto them? What nation is there so great
that has statutes and subjects and judgment so righteous as
all this law which I have set before you this day? So God chose
Israel, and He established a special national relationship with them. even entering into covenant with
them. Now this he did not do with any
other nation at that time upon the face of the earth. In fact,
Acts 14 and verse 16, he suffered all nations in time past to walk
in their own way. As it were, he lay the reins
upon their neck and let them wander whithersoever they would,
however not out of the bounds of his providence. But I'd like
to share another passage, Psalm 147 and verse 19, And verse 20, quote, he showed
his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel. He has not so dealt with any
nation as for his judgments they have not known them, unquote. Now, in Acts 17 and verse 30,
the times of this ignorance God winked at. When God left them
without a revelation, when they knew not the true God or the
true way, God winked at their time of ignorance, of their perversion,
and of their perversion and denial of the Godhead. In other words,
the heathen idolatry and mythology over the past ages, God winked
at it. Now, you may notice if you have
another version with you, the King James has the word winked
at. The time of this ignorant, God
winked at, which is not the closest translation of the word, because
the word means literally, I think, to overlook or, as it were, to
pass by, and that the pagan world was given over unto their idols,
that God gave them no correcting revelation to deliver them from
their ignorance and their worship and their veneration of idols. Nor did he command Israel to
go into proselyte or evangelize them and bring them over unto
the truth. He did neither of those things. Now, I have a question. What
will Arminianists and Universalists have to say about that act of
God? Will they charge God with unrighteousness,
that He left the world without a revelation and without the
knowledge of the truth of the way of salvation, when there
is no other way for any to be saved except through God and
through the Lord Jesus Christ? Now one more point in Acts chapter
17 and 30 again. In time past God overlooked their
ignorance, but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent. In the past God passed by or
overlooked or winked at but now commands men everywhere to repent."
How can we reconcile that, acting one way then and another way
now? James Alexander wrote something
that I think is true. Quote, the period of forbearance
is now past because the revelation is no longer confined to a single
nation." No longer is that the case. The old dispensation was
confined to a single nation of people. The new dispensation
is to all kindred, all tongue, all tribe, all nation, all nationality,
to the Gentile, to the nation, to any that might hear the gospel
preached. While in time past, to Israel,
Romans 9 and 4, belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the
giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises, Romans
9 and 4. They belong to Israel. In Romans
3 and 2, Under them were committed the oracles of God, that is,
the written scriptures, the written revelation, such as these were
not available to the Gentiles unless they became a proselyte
and crossed over under Judaism. And these privileges are listed
both to show and to confirm the place Israel occupied in the
history of God's revelations. Notice the words again, to them
belonged these things, Romans 9 and 4, Romans 3 and 2. Now,
as a result of that, there was a great and long-lasting enmity
that had been established between the two people. without saying
the Jews hated the Gentile, and they declared them to be unclean,
unfit, and irreligious. And the feeling was mutual, both
despite the other side. The Jews had no dealings with
the Samaritans. John chapter 4 and verse 9. they
derisively referred to them as, quote, men uncircumcised, unquote,
Acts 11 and verse 3. This is a part of the criticism
of the Apostle Peter because of his association with the Gentiles
in Acts chapter 10 at the house of Cornelius. Not only had Peter
gone there among them, not only had he preached unto them, not
only had he had social contact with the Gentile, but he had
worshipped with them and had administered baptism to them
upon their profession, and even sat down at their table and he
ate with them. Remember last Sunday in Galatians
chapter 2. Even Peter acknowledged that
prior to the Gentile Pentecost in Acts chapter 10, he said this
in Acts 10 28, You know how that it is an unlawful
thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company or to come into
one of another nation, unquote. Peter says he reminds him of
that. He says that to Carnelia. A couple
of examples, I think, will illustrate the depth of this feeling about
this religious matter between the Jew and the Gentile. First
of all, look at John, or rather, remember John chapter 18 and
verse 28. Now, maybe you haven't noticed
this in reading the scripture, but perk up and take notice.
In the judgment of our Lord Jesus Christ before Pilate, when the
Jews had brought him there, in John chapter 18, verse 28, the
Jews would not go in to Pilate's judgment hall Why? Lest they be defiled. A Gentile Pilate is sitting upon
the seat of authority and in the court. Now, we read in that
chapter that Pilate kept coming out unto them. He'd go in, confer
with Jesus. He'd come out again and confer
with the Jew. And here's three places. John
18, 29, 19 and 4, and 19 and 13. that the Jews would not go in
to attend the trial, but waited outside so as not to defile themselves
in that pagan courthouse. And then secondly, in Acts 21,
28 and 29, you may remember a certain occasion when Paul had with him
a Gentile believer and brother, and the Jews accused him of bringing
that Gentile into the temple and defiling the temple by bringing
a Greek into it, into its confines, polluting it, their holy place. For they reckoned that this Greek
had entered into their holy and sanctified temple. Now those
two places show the animosity between them strongly on the
part of the Jew. But now let's go to Ephesians
and the text that we read today. Reconciling the Jew and the Gentile. Now not just to God, that's in
mine too, but to each other. not reconciling them to God,
but yet separate still of each other, but reconciling them together,
and that in one body. Paul writes in the third chapter
of Ephesians, this was the purpose of God from everlasting. This was hidden, it was a mystery,
it was not made fully known, But it was the purpose of God
from everlasting. And the mystery that he talks
about, chapter 3 and verse 6, that the Gentiles should be fellow
heirs of the same body, but takers of his promise in Christ by the
gospel. That was the mystery. How will
this be? How can this ever be effected? There was great and long-lived
animosity, especially on the part of the Jew. How can these
two be reconciled and become brothers and friends? How can
the two be brought together and peaceably assemble in Christian
fellowship? In Ephesians chapter 2, It gives
one of the clearest explanations of how it came to pass you'll
find anywhere in the scripture. So in chapter 2, 11 and following,
let's go to work. The apostle addressed the Gentile
portion of believers in the church at Ephesus. He reminds them using
a contrast between their former condition, Gentilism, and their
present position in the Lord Jesus Christ. And by the way,
for what it is worth, you may have the same contrast mentioned,
though not as clearly, in Ephesians 1, 12 and 13 polarized this we
who first trusted of the word is hoped in Christ verse 12 We
who first trusted in Christ then verse 13 you also after You heard
and believed the word of truth now concerning the Gentile They
were under a twofold disadvantage or a twofold obstacle From these
blessings and the covenant and they're both here in Ephesians
chapter 2 number one is listed in verse 1 through 10. And that
is what they were by nature, or nationality. What they were
by nature. Children of wrath, verse 3. And they had this in common with
all mankind, but they too were dead, and trespassed, and in
sin. And God remedied that by regenerating
them, by quickening them. But the second one is our text
today, what they were by ethnicity or nationality, and what Paul
called them Gentiles in the flesh, uncircumcised. Over in Colossians
chapter 2, 11 through 13, I think you ought to hear the description
that Paul gives them there in the 12th verse of the second
chapter of Colossians where it says in verse 13 buried with
him in baptism wherein you also risen with him through the operation
of God and in whom you are circumcised with a circumcision made without
hand so see the flow there if you might in time past and Verse
11. At that time in verse 12, Ephesians
2. But now in verse 13 of our text
in Ephesians chapter 2. So in time past, but now. a great change had come over
them. How did God remedy them from
being a people afar off? Remember the prodigal? He went
afar off into a far country, and there fell into great sin. How did God remedy that? He brought them near. They once
were afar off. He brought them near by the mediation
of Christ, by the blood of the cross. where they brought near
unto God. Now, notice a couple of words
in our text. The word peace, and you have
it in verse 14, verse 15, and verse 17. All of them are the
same Greek word I understand. He is our peace. Peace meaning to set at one,
to establish harmony, to bring quietness, rest, peace the cessation
of hostility is the meaning and the result of peace Christ and
Christ alone he and no other is our peace in verse 15 making
peace verse 17 he came and preached peace to you which were afar
off now the second word which jumps out at us is the word enmity
In verse 15, Ephesians 2, the enmity. Again in verse 16, having
slain the enmity. The enmity and peace in this
context include, but is not limited to that peace between God and
men, but also includes that between Jew and Gentile. And notice what the apostle mentions
again. In verse 14, the middle wall
of partition. And look at verse 15, the enmity,
even the law of commandments contained in ordinances or we
might say decrees. The enmity contained in decrees. Now, let's make sure that we
understand one thing. Paul speaks of a middle, separating,
dividing wall of partition that caused the enmity, or better
yet, the enmity was the middle wall, a partition. Because of
the Mosaic law, the ceremonial law, a partitionary wall divided
the two people. And in alienating the two people,
it did one thing that God intended. And I share the thought of James
Haldane, that it was intended It was on purpose to cause a
separation between the family and the lineage of Abraham and
the rest of mankind until God was pleased to end it. That Israel
be separated from the other nations of the world. And as Haldane
said, this was affected by the Sinai covenant. And now this
is a leading source of the enmity. And then the means to cease that
enmity is one of two. There's only two ways to bring
this enmity unto an end. Number one, of course, is inacceptable. And that is to bind it fully
upon the Gentile when they come, become Christians or come into
the churches. That's one way. Or the second
way is to annul it, to abrogate it, to cancel it, to abolish
the decree that calls and that fed the long-lasting enmity. Now God has done the latter. The Jews tried to do the former,
and this gave rise to enmity in the carnal Jews in the churches. Some scriptures are Acts 6, 13
and 14, Daniel 9, 26, Acts 21 and 21. The law or the commandments contained
in ordinance or decrees or doctrine did not die on its own. It did not die a natural death
and it did not expire because of a set time. It was abolished. It was taken away in the death
of Christ. It was abolished in Christ's
flesh. Look at verse 15 of Ephesians
2, having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandment. Now how clearly Paul sets it
forth in Colossians 2 and 14, blotting out the handwriting
of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us,
took it out of the way, nailing it under his cross, unquote. That's a very powerful verse,
descriptive of one purpose of the death of Christ. And it complements
greatly subject today. Now, having blotted out the handwriting
of ordinances that was against them, Now, the words there in
Colossians describe an act of wiping away or of smearing or
maybe even plastering over this placard that is set in a public
place so that the law or the debt or the obligation to it
is totally canceled. Now, I take it that the ceremonial
law is in the apostle's mind as he mentions it. Thereafter,
in Colossians 2, in verse 16 and 17, and again in verse 20
through verse 22, the ceremonial law was a shadow of things that
were to come. And yet, the Gentiles were never
under the ceremonial law unless they purposely became a proselyte. But Judaism, at the death of
Christ, is gone forever. It is abolished. It died with
the cross. One of the greatest proofs of
this, if you want a proof text that Judaism died, the ceremonial
law is gone now. One of the greatest proofs is
the renting of the veil in the Jewish temple when Christ died
upon the cross. And all three synoptic gospels
make a record of that. Matthew 27, 51. Mark 15 38 and
Luke chapter 23 and verse 45 when Christ gave up the ghost
and died on the cross at that exact moment without explanation
The veil in that Jewish temple rent from top to bottom and he
talks about that in the book of Hebrew Now the council at
Jerusalem in Acts 15 determined that the converted Gentiles were
not obligated to keep the ceremonial law, calling it a yoke which
neither we nor our fathers were able to bear. See Galatians chapter
5 also in verse 1. Now, Jew and Gentile could not
be reconciled in this manner until the ceremonial law was
abolished. In other words, in the language
of Colossians 2.14, taken out of the way. Taken out of the
way. This is to say, it could not
occur until Christ's death occurred and he shed his blood and he
brought in by that blood and death the new and everlasting
covenant. Now concerning the abolishment
of the commandments contained in ordinances, here is a point
and here I beg you, friends, lend me your ears, for this point
may sound strange at first. James Haldane again, quote, I
distinctly hold that the privileges of the Jews were all carnal,
unquote. And before we explain, let's
put some scripture onto that. Hebrews chapter 9, Let me turn
there. Chapter 9 and it is verse 9 and
verse 10 that I want to read here. which was a figure for
the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices
that could not make him that did the service perfect as pertaining
to the conscience, which stood only in meats and drinks, divers
washing, and carnal ordinances imposed upon them until the time
of reformation." If I go back to Hebrew chapter 7, And verse
16, who is made not after the law of a carnal commandment like
Aaron, but after the power of an endless life. Hebrews 7, 18,
the commandment was annulled on account, quote, of the weakness
and unprofitableness thereof. All things were shadows. Colossians
2, 17. Hebrews 10 and 1, they were not
the very image of the thing. Galatians 4, 9 through 10 calls
them weak and beggarly element. Hebrews 8 and 8, finding fault
with them, He made a new covenant. Hebrews 9.13, their sacrifices
only sanctified to the purifying of the flesh. As Gil said, these
things only respected the body or the flesh, to the purifying
of the flesh. Ceremonially, typically, yes. but not literally as does Christ. Now here is the point. The performance
or the observance of these things did not necessarily require in
them a regenerate heart. You could do those things without
being regenerate and I'll prove it in a moment. Not even a believing
heart was necessary for the outward observance of Judaism. In fact,
the majority of the Jews were and remained unregenerate even
under that ceremonial law and such like. A mixed multitude,
Exodus 12, 38, Numbers 11, 4, Nehemiah 13 and 3. Not all Israel,
which are of Israel, Romans chapter 9 and verse 6. There were the elect and there
were the rest in Israel, 11 and verse 7 of Roman. A remnant according
to election in Paul's day. A small number in Paul's day,
Romans 11 and 5. 7,000 which had not bowed the
knee to Baal in the days of the prophet, 1st King, 19 and 18.
Still, One did not need a regenerate
heart to go out and gather manna and bring it in and eat it. He
did not need a regenerate heart to observe the Sabbath day and
to set still in his tent or in his house. He did not need a
regenerate heart to go look upon the brazen serpent, or to leave
Egypt, or to drink water out of the rock, or even to offer
up their sacrifice, or even to follow the multitude into Canaan. The blood of their sacrifices
was only animal blood, and was therefore typical of the blood
of our Lord, and of good things that were to come when he appeared."
Now, they were bound upon the whole nation under threat. These things were being cut off. You'd be cut off if you break
or go aside. They did not need to regenerate,
but they did. need a regenerate heart, excuse
me, to see Christ in these things. And those that had a regenerate
heart saw Christ as Abraham looked ahead and saw his day and such
life. So those with a regenerate heart
were able to worship according to these things until the appearance
of our blessed Lord. Now concerning this reconciliation
of Jew and of Gentile, it was by the death of Christ who fulfilled
all of the types that had been set out in the Old Testament,
and then took them away and brought in the blood of the everlasting
covenant, so that the Jews came to their full sonship adoption. The law had been to them a schoolmaster,
Paul said in Galatians chapter 3 and 4. And then when that schoolmaster
has brought them to their adulthood, they then experience their full
sonship and adoption. And the law to Israel is portrayed
as a schoolmaster. And the Gentiles, wild olive
branches, were grafted in and stand upon an equal footing with
the Jew in the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Now looking again
close to the end of chapter 2 of Galatians, verse 14, made both
one. Look again at verse 15, for to
make in Himself of two, one new man. Verse 16, to reconcile both
to God. Verse 18, through Him we both
have access to the Father. Verse 19, No more your strangers
and foreigners, but fellow citizens in the household of God. Verse
20, built upon the foundation of the Apostle and of Christ. So the point, God commissioned
a special apostle, Paul, to oversee the reconciliation of Jew and
Gentile, the bringing of them into the covenant, and to defend
the gospel, and to fight off the Judaizers' attempt to resurrect
that ceremonial law and impose it upon the neck of the Gentile. Paul was the man that stood between
the truth of the gospel and those that would pervert it, and he
stood well and defended the gospel, and we thank God for that even
unto this day. Well, this is an important issue
the New Testament, and I hope that the Lord has given us sort
of a sight and an understanding of it this morning. Thank you
for hearing. May the Lord bless it to our
good and to our use.