Ephesians 2:11-18
Remembering
There was a story of a member of the British Parliament I came across this week. He was standing outside the lobby of the House when a tall, distinguished looking old gentleman came up and begged for a moment of his time.
He had a sad story to tell. By hard work he had built a fortune, but now his relatives have robbed him of it. And not being content with that they put him into a mental home and today was his first day out.
The old gentleman said, “I have put the facts down in this document. Study it and get back with me at your leisure. Thank you, sir, and good day.”
The Member of Parliament was deeply moved and took the paper. He shook his hand, promised he would do everything in his power and turned to go back to the debate.
As he turned around he received a kick in the pants that nearly lifted him off his feet.
“Don’t forget!” said the old gentleman.
******
Remembering is important in the Scriptures. God commands the Israelites, “Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm.” (Dt. 5:15). God rebukes the Israelites for not remembering Him and committing idolatry.
Peter says in 2 Peter 1, “Anyone who is not growing in the spiritual qualities I have just listed, he is nearsighted and blind, and he has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.” Peter was concerned that the churches would remember his teachings. And he goes on 3 more times in that letter to say “I say these things so that you will remember”.
The Lord’s Supper is a memorial act. That is an activity we do for the very purpose of remembering and honoring what Christ did in His death for us.
Jesus said that even the Holy Spirit’s role is to help us remember “But the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” (John 14:26).
In our passage today we see that Paul instructs the Ephesian believers to remember their hopeless and separated condition before they came to Christ. Paul is in a way repeating what he said already in verses 1-10, but in a different way. He has reminded them that they were dead in their sins and followers of Satan, this world and their own sinful cravings (1-3). But God in His grace saved them and made them alive (4-5). Consequently they were to live in the good works that God prepared in advance for them (v10).
Now in verses 11-22 Paul is repeating his effort to remind them of important spiritual truths. They were separated from Israel and without hope and without God in this world (v11-12). But then they were brought near, made into a new man where the hostile division between Jew and Gentile has been destroyed. Consequently we are all becoming a holy temple where God dwells by His Spirit (21-22).
Notice the pattern Paul speaks with here. First he speaks of our relationship with God (1-10). Then he speaks about our relationship with each other. Joined to Christ, and, joined to each other. You know what I see here? I see the greatest commandment and the 2nd greatest commandment. Love the Lord your God, and love your neighbor. Loving your neighbor depends on your love for God. In Ephesians 2, being united with each other depends on our being united to Christ first.
Paul really is elaborating on Ephesians 1:10, that God is going to “bring all things together under one head”. This is the mystery that has been hidden in ages past, that God is making Gentiles heirs together with Israel and making them both members of one body and sharers of the promise through the Gospel (3:6). All of this is His eternal purpose in Christ Jesus (3:11).
Remembering is something that Paul exhorts them to here, and something Jesus does 40 years later. In Revelation 2 Jesus Christ would tell the Ephesian church “Remember the height from which you have fallen. Repent and do the things you did at first.”
What were they supposed to remember in Ephesus?
First, they should remember what they were by birth: Gentiles. Paul already mentioned in v3 what we were all born children (objects) of God’s wrath. He spoke of their spiritual condition. Now he speaks to their social condition, you who are Gentiles by birth. Ephesus would have been predominantly Gentile believers.
What is a Gentile? A Gentile is a non-Jew. Anyone who is not ethnically a Jew is a Gentile. From a Jewish standpoint, all of humanity can be categorized into two groups: Jews and non-Jews, Jews and Gentiles. You are either born a Jew or not. You can’t change your ethnicity any more than you can change your past. Paul is referring to this when he says in verse 11, “you who are Gentiles by birth”. He is talking about their physical ethnic identities.
Secondly, as Gentiles they were the “uncircumcised” people. Paul says in verse 11, “…you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision…” Now when a Jew referred to you and I as “the uncircumcision”, it was not a nice thing they were saying about us. It showed their contempt, their pride, and their sense of self-righteous, superiority over Gentiles. Circumcision something they practiced because God commanded it. It was a sign God gave the Jews. They were His chosen, covenant people and circumcision was a sign of that special status. That status became a source of arrogance and self-righteousness for the Jews. Their contempt for the Gentiles intensified as the centuries went on and the division grew wider and wider.
Because of this division there has always been great hostility between them both. The Jews hate Gentiles:
1) When a Jew entered Palestine he would shake the dust off of himself in order not to contaminate the Holy Land with Gentile dust.
2) Because Samaritans were partly Gentile, most Jews would go way out of their way to avoid traveling through Samaria.
3) If a young Jewish man or woman married a Gentile, the families would have a funeral service instead of a wedding ceremony. He/she would be considered dead to their race, religion and family.
4) Every morning Jewish men prayed, “Thank you God that I am not a woman or a Gentile”
5) No Jew would enter the home of a Gentile and no Gentile would be allowed to enter the home of a Jew.
6) Jews viewed Gentiles as unclean dogs
The Gentiles were the outs and the Jews were the ins. The Jews were the have’s and the Gentiles were the have-nots. The Jews were included and the Gentiles were excluded in God’s plan of salvation. The distinctive sign was circumcision and it became the badge of pride to be a Jew and the source of animosity towards Gentiles.
Thirdly, they were to remember that they were separate from Christ. This means that the Gentiles were ignorant of any coming Savior and therefore had no hope for one. The Jews weren’t joined to Christ in a NT sense. They didn’t have Christ the way we have Christ today. They had the promise of Christ. The Gentiles were not part of that promise. They had no knowledge and no understanding of what God was doing in the world. They were cut-off from such anticipation in the world.
Therefore, they lived in despair.
Gentiles are excluded from citizenship in Israel. The Greek word for citizenship is “politeia”, and it means “literally the condition and the civic rights belonging to members of a political entity. It defines the right to be a member of a sociopolitical entity. The literal use thus describes citizenship, with the inherent rights and freedom belonging to a citizen.” Gentiles were not citizens of the national-political society called Israel. They were aliens. They were cut-off. They were barred. They did not belong with Israel. Therefore they didn’t have the benefits Israel had. Coming to the one true God, worshipping Him, hope of salvation, honor as God’s chosen people, and so on…Constable says, “God excluded them as a people from citizenship in Israel. Individual Gentiles could become members of the nation of Israel, but as a whole the Gentiles had no part in what God planned to do in and through Israel. The Gentiles were aliens from Israel in this sense.”
Gentiles are foreigners to the covenants and the promise. They were deprived of direct participation in God’s covenants and thus had no hope of future glory and blessing as Isreal did. There were 4 covenants: The Abrahamic, the Davidic, the Palestinian, and the New Covenants. All of these pointed to the “promise” of the Messiah. All of them have their fulfillment in Christ. All of them will be fulfilled when as Ephesians 1:10 says, “all things will be brought together under one head”. This macro-understanding from God’s covenants given to Israel were for only available for a Gentile if they converted to Judaism. Otherwise, participation was not allowed.
Gentiles are without hope and without God.
Conclusion:
Just as the Ephesians were instructed to remember, we should spend time remembering too. (If you’re not a Christian then this applies to you because what we used to be before we were Christians is what you are right now. And you will do well to listen and believe the word of God that you too may put what you are now behind you.)
How do I remember? Honestly, I suggest taking a piece of paper and start writing down what you used to think like? What were your ideas about the world? About God? About people? About yourself? What did you do that was sinful? What attitudes did you have? What do you think you did right? What did you think you did wrong?
Remembering is good for us. Why? Let me offer a few reasons why:
First, because it stimulates thanksgiving. Ephesians 5:20 says, “always give thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” We are to acknowledge, or remember all that God has done for us and give Him thanks.
Second because it stimulates holy living. In 2 Peter 3:2 Peter says, “I am writing my letters to you as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking.” Then he talks about the judgment of God that is coming on the world, the scoffers who mock the coming of our Lord, and then he says in verse 11, “what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives.”
Thirdly because it stimulates us to look forward
Remembering renews our minds (Rom 12:2)
1. I should see a contrast. There should be a difference between who we were apart from Christ and who we are now in Him.
2. Any barrier is able to be overcome. God tore down the dividing wall of hostility between the Jews and Gentiles, brought peace between them, and made them into one body. Any barrier of hostility between me and another person is able to be overcome in Christ. God is able to bring peace to any relationship
3. There is no place for pride. I didn’t do anything that made me worthy to make God love me and send His Son to die for my sins.
4. My love for Jesus should deepen.
5. My compassion for the lost should deepen
6. I should praise God for His abundant grace.
Remembering
There was a story of a member of the British Parliament I came across this week. He was standing outside the lobby of the House when a tall, distinguished looking old gentleman came up and begged for a moment of his time.
He had a sad story to tell. By hard work he had built a fortune, but now his relatives have robbed him of it. And not being content with that they put him into a mental home and today was his first day out.
The old gentleman said, “I have put the facts down in this document. Study it and get back with me at your leisure. Thank you, sir, and good day.”
The Member of Parliament was deeply moved and took the paper. He shook his hand, promised he would do everything in his power and turned to go back to the debate.
As he turned around he received a kick in the pants that nearly lifted him off his feet.
“Don’t forget!” said the old gentleman.
******
Remembering is important in the Scriptures. God commands the Israelites, “Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm.” (Dt. 5:15). God rebukes the Israelites for not remembering Him and committing idolatry.
Peter says in 2 Peter 1, “Anyone who is not growing in the spiritual qualities I have just listed, he is nearsighted and blind, and he has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.” Peter was concerned that the churches would remember his teachings. And he goes on 3 more times in that letter to say “I say these things so that you will remember”.
The Lord’s Supper is a memorial act. That is an activity we do for the very purpose of remembering and honoring what Christ did in His death for us.
Jesus said that even the Holy Spirit’s role is to help us remember “But the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” (John 14:26).
In our passage today we see that Paul instructs the Ephesian believers to remember their hopeless and separated condition before they came to Christ. Paul is in a way repeating what he said already in verses 1-10, but in a different way. He has reminded them that they were dead in their sins and followers of Satan, this world and their own sinful cravings (1-3). But God in His grace saved them and made them alive (4-5). Consequently they were to live in the good works that God prepared in advance for them (v10).
Now in verses 11-22 Paul is repeating his effort to remind them of important spiritual truths. They were separated from Israel and without hope and without God in this world (v11-12). But then they were brought near, made into a new man where the hostile division between Jew and Gentile has been destroyed. Consequently we are all becoming a holy temple where God dwells by His Spirit (21-22).
Notice the pattern Paul speaks with here. First he speaks of our relationship with God (1-10). Then he speaks about our relationship with each other. Joined to Christ, and, joined to each other. You know what I see here? I see the greatest commandment and the 2nd greatest commandment. Love the Lord your God, and love your neighbor. Loving your neighbor depends on your love for God. In Ephesians 2, being united with each other depends on our being united to Christ first.
Paul really is elaborating on Ephesians 1:10, that God is going to “bring all things together under one head”. This is the mystery that has been hidden in ages past, that God is making Gentiles heirs together with Israel and making them both members of one body and sharers of the promise through the Gospel (3:6). All of this is His eternal purpose in Christ Jesus (3:11).
Remembering is something that Paul exhorts them to here, and something Jesus does 40 years later. In Revelation 2 Jesus Christ would tell the Ephesian church “Remember the height from which you have fallen. Repent and do the things you did at first.”
What were they supposed to remember in Ephesus?
First, they should remember what they were by birth: Gentiles. Paul already mentioned in v3 what we were all born children (objects) of God’s wrath. He spoke of their spiritual condition. Now he speaks to their social condition, you who are Gentiles by birth. Ephesus would have been predominantly Gentile believers.
What is a Gentile? A Gentile is a non-Jew. Anyone who is not ethnically a Jew is a Gentile. From a Jewish standpoint, all of humanity can be categorized into two groups: Jews and non-Jews, Jews and Gentiles. You are either born a Jew or not. You can’t change your ethnicity any more than you can change your past. Paul is referring to this when he says in verse 11, “you who are Gentiles by birth”. He is talking about their physical ethnic identities.
Secondly, as Gentiles they were the “uncircumcised” people. Paul says in verse 11, “…you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision…” Now when a Jew referred to you and I as “the uncircumcision”, it was not a nice thing they were saying about us. It showed their contempt, their pride, and their sense of self-righteous, superiority over Gentiles. Circumcision something they practiced because God commanded it. It was a sign God gave the Jews. They were His chosen, covenant people and circumcision was a sign of that special status. That status became a source of arrogance and self-righteousness for the Jews. Their contempt for the Gentiles intensified as the centuries went on and the division grew wider and wider.
Because of this division there has always been great hostility between them both. The Jews hate Gentiles:
1) When a Jew entered Palestine he would shake the dust off of himself in order not to contaminate the Holy Land with Gentile dust.
2) Because Samaritans were partly Gentile, most Jews would go way out of their way to avoid traveling through Samaria.
3) If a young Jewish man or woman married a Gentile, the families would have a funeral service instead of a wedding ceremony. He/she would be considered dead to their race, religion and family.
4) Every morning Jewish men prayed, “Thank you God that I am not a woman or a Gentile”
5) No Jew would enter the home of a Gentile and no Gentile would be allowed to enter the home of a Jew.
6) Jews viewed Gentiles as unclean dogs
The Gentiles were the outs and the Jews were the ins. The Jews were the have’s and the Gentiles were the have-nots. The Jews were included and the Gentiles were excluded in God’s plan of salvation. The distinctive sign was circumcision and it became the badge of pride to be a Jew and the source of animosity towards Gentiles.
Thirdly, they were to remember that they were separate from Christ. This means that the Gentiles were ignorant of any coming Savior and therefore had no hope for one. The Jews weren’t joined to Christ in a NT sense. They didn’t have Christ the way we have Christ today. They had the promise of Christ. The Gentiles were not part of that promise. They had no knowledge and no understanding of what God was doing in the world. They were cut-off from such anticipation in the world.
Therefore, they lived in despair.
Gentiles are excluded from citizenship in Israel. The Greek word for citizenship is “politeia”, and it means “literally the condition and the civic rights belonging to members of a political entity. It defines the right to be a member of a sociopolitical entity. The literal use thus describes citizenship, with the inherent rights and freedom belonging to a citizen.” Gentiles were not citizens of the national-political society called Israel. They were aliens. They were cut-off. They were barred. They did not belong with Israel. Therefore they didn’t have the benefits Israel had. Coming to the one true God, worshipping Him, hope of salvation, honor as God’s chosen people, and so on…Constable says, “God excluded them as a people from citizenship in Israel. Individual Gentiles could become members of the nation of Israel, but as a whole the Gentiles had no part in what God planned to do in and through Israel. The Gentiles were aliens from Israel in this sense.”
Gentiles are foreigners to the covenants and the promise. They were deprived of direct participation in God’s covenants and thus had no hope of future glory and blessing as Isreal did. There were 4 covenants: The Abrahamic, the Davidic, the Palestinian, and the New Covenants. All of these pointed to the “promise” of the Messiah. All of them have their fulfillment in Christ. All of them will be fulfilled when as Ephesians 1:10 says, “all things will be brought together under one head”. This macro-understanding from God’s covenants given to Israel were for only available for a Gentile if they converted to Judaism. Otherwise, participation was not allowed.
Gentiles are without hope and without God.
Conclusion:
Just as the Ephesians were instructed to remember, we should spend time remembering too. (If you’re not a Christian then this applies to you because what we used to be before we were Christians is what you are right now. And you will do well to listen and believe the word of God that you too may put what you are now behind you.)
How do I remember? Honestly, I suggest taking a piece of paper and start writing down what you used to think like? What were your ideas about the world? About God? About people? About yourself? What did you do that was sinful? What attitudes did you have? What do you think you did right? What did you think you did wrong?
Remembering is good for us. Why? Let me offer a few reasons why:
First, because it stimulates thanksgiving. Ephesians 5:20 says, “always give thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” We are to acknowledge, or remember all that God has done for us and give Him thanks.
Second because it stimulates holy living. In 2 Peter 3:2 Peter says, “I am writing my letters to you as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking.” Then he talks about the judgment of God that is coming on the world, the scoffers who mock the coming of our Lord, and then he says in verse 11, “what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives.”
Thirdly because it stimulates us to look forward
Remembering renews our minds (Rom 12:2)
1. I should see a contrast. There should be a difference between who we were apart from Christ and who we are now in Him.
2. Any barrier is able to be overcome. God tore down the dividing wall of hostility between the Jews and Gentiles, brought peace between them, and made them into one body. Any barrier of hostility between me and another person is able to be overcome in Christ. God is able to bring peace to any relationship
3. There is no place for pride. I didn’t do anything that made me worthy to make God love me and send His Son to die for my sins.
4. My love for Jesus should deepen.
5. My compassion for the lost should deepen
6. I should praise God for His abundant grace.
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