Ephesians 2:17–18

Jews and Gentiles are united into one church.

Paul's points, in short:

1. How did God accomplish the change from the Old Testament to the New Testament?

Answer: by sending Christ, thereby destroying the dividing wall of hostility (verses 14,15a).

2. Why did God do it? 

Answer: to create one new man out of the two (verses 15b,16).

3. What are the results of God’s work in Christ? 

Answer: peace between Jew and Gentile, with free access to the Father for both (verses 17,18).

What are the results of God’s work in Christ?

He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

Christ not only redeemed sinners from the guilt and punishment of their sins, but he also made sure the good news of his victory over sin and death was proclaimed. “He came and preached peace to you,” Paul states. It was Paul, of course, who came to the Ephesians, but he was not his own man. He was merely an ambassador, a representative, who “became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace” (3:7). It was really Christ who spoke to the Ephesians—through his called public servants. Hence the apostle can say that Christ came and preached to them.

The good news he brought was twofold. First, Christ brought peace—“peace to you who were far away [Gentiles] and peace to those who were near [Jews].” It bears repeating that the basis for peace is Christ’s redemptive work on the cross. Not only does that reconcile the sinner to God, it also forms the basis for a reconciliation between sinners, thus forging a complete, true, and lasting peace.

A second gift that comes through Christ’s preaching of reconciliation is the realization that an equality exists among forgiven sinners. Paul alludes to that when he continues, “For through him [Christ] we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.” Jewish and gentile believers stand on the same plane. Both may come directly to the Father with their prayers and petitions.

Recall that the status of Jew and Gentile before God became a matter of debate in Galatia, where Judaizers were causing problems for the congregations there. Judaizers were Jewish Christians who acknowledged the need for faith in Christ. Unfortunately, they were of the opinion that faith by itself was not enough for salvation. They claimed that gentile converts also needed to observe the Old Testament ceremonial rules and regulations. In effect, they said that gentile converts had to come to God through Judaism, that is, they had to become proselytes.

In his letter to the Galatians, Paul strongly opposed that view, asserting that salvation is by faith alone, without the addition of any human works or actions. To the Galatians, Paul wrote, “You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:26-28). Paul says the same thing here to the Ephesians, “Through him [Christ] we both [Jews and Gentiles] have access to the Father by one Spirit.”

That insight has major implications for the relationship of Jews and Gentiles to one another in the Christian church. And the church, you will recall, is the central theme of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians.