Ephesians 2:11 Commentary and Bible Study

The apostle now speaks about two things: the wonders of salvation, reconciliation with God, and the amazing miracle of reconciliation of Jew and Gentile into one church of Jesus Christ. We can read about these things and somehow fail to grasp the significance of what Paul is telling us. Never forget, he says, that you were in time past Gentiles, despised and insulted, and called ‘uncircumcised’ by Jewish people. If there was no hope for Jews with all their privileges, except by trusting in a coming Messiah and Saviour, what hope was there for Gentiles? If for all their teaching, and demonstrations of the power and goodness of God, and for all their system of worship, a Jewish person could not be saved without seeing their sinfulness before God, their dependence on him for salvation, how could the Gentiles who lacked all these things have any hope? The apostle urges us here to remember our origins. It is the duty of Christians, and helps us greatly. John Newton in his study at Olney, when he was rector of Olney before he came down to London, had a text on the wall opposite his desk, slightly adjusted for his singular benefit – ‘Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt.’ As he looked up from his desk, his eyes fell on this text. If we forget our origins, we will not be so grateful to God. If we forget our origins, we will not take knocks so well. We shall start taking for granted our blessings, and expect everything good to just come to us. Therefore remember what you were, and how much you owe to God. At that time, as far as you are concerned, you had no tokens of connection with God. How you needed the world because you were without Christ. You desperately needed your entertainment and your constantly increasing possessions and whatever it was you were committed to. You needed these things because you did not have Christ.