Ephesians 2:16 Commentary and Bible Study

These are tremendous words. Both elect Jews and elect Gentiles are reconciled to God by Christ’s atoning work on the cross, and the form in which they are reconciled to God requires that they are also reconciled to each other. There is not one part of heaven for Jews and another part for Gentiles, but even here on earth, Christ has dissolved the differences between them. They are already members of the same universal church, under the same ordinances, having the same status before God as justified men and women. The Jew can no longer point to the ceremonial law as a distinguishing feature of his national identity, because the same ceremonial law is fulfilled by Christ in a much more profound way that he ever fulfilled it. But Christ has done that not only for Jews who had the law, but for Gentiles who did not have the law. Gentiles too appreciate the wonderful fulfilment of these divine symbols. What further reason do converted Jews and converted Gentiles have to be hostile to each other, when both have received grace from Christ which they were not worthy of? The Jew is not superior to the Gentile, for he has nothing before conversion that makes him any more eligible than the Gentiles. Christ has one body only and that is his church, the universal Jewish-Gentile church – all are members on the same basis.This is straight out of Isaiah chapter 57:19 – ‘Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the LORD; and I will heal him’. Christ preached peace, literally, on earth, peace with God, the gospel of repentance and remission of sins. He preached it not only in words but by his acts, his wonderful miracles, which demonstrated conversion and reconciliation with God. He preached it by going to Calvary – that not only purchased salvation, but it demonstrated salvation. He preached it in the resurrection, he preaches it through his church. Peace, both to Gentiles who knew nothing, and to Jews who knew so much, but who abused their privileges and the majority were still unsaved.