(Chapter 2.11-22).

by T. M. Hyland | Category: Studies In Ephesians: | Apr 1950

At the beginning of chapter 2. the apostle laid emphasis on the spiritual alienation of man from God. Now he deals' with certa,in other disabilities under which his Gentile readers were "aforetime." Jews had certain privileges; they had covenants, promises and "a hope." Gentiles were not only in a state of spiritual death, they were also "far off." ("'Nigh' and 'far' were familiar terms with the Rabbis, in the sense of having or not having part in the covenant

A woman came to Rabbi Eliezer to be made a proselyte, saying, Rabbi make me rngh" (Monle)).

Gentiles were:

"Separate from Christ,

� aiienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and

� strangers from the covenants of the promise, having no hope, and

without God in the world" (verse 12).

This racial and religious disparity which rendered~ Gentiles "far off" had repercussions in another direction; it engendered enmity between Jews and Gentiles. The underlying cause of this enmity was the "law of commandments contained in ordinances "which had raised a barrier between them. Paul speaks of this as "the middle wall of partition." No doubt in using this phrase he had in mind a literal wall in the temple at Jerusalem which was a visible evidence of what he is here emphasizing. This wall separated the Court~ of the Gentiles from the holier parts of the Temple and it meant death for Gentiles to pass beyond it (Cp. Acts 2i. 27-29).

The distance of Gentiles from 'God, and the enmity between Je'ws and Gentiles, are matters which were resolved in the death of Christ. Here is the apostle's inspired analysis of the great change wrought in 'the situation by means of the Redeemer's work on the Cross:

"Once far off." "Now in Christ Jesus . . - made nigh

in the blood of Christ."

"The middle wall of partition." "Broken down."

"The enmity, even the law of com- "Abolished in His flesh."

mandments contained in ordin- "Slain thereby" (i.e., by the Cross).

ances."

"The twain." "He is our peace, who made both one."

"That He might create in Himeelf of the twain one new man, so making peace; and might reconcile them both in one Body unto God through the cross, having slain the enmity thereby."

The barrier is down! By His incarnation and sacrificial death the great Fuffiller of the law has abolished completely all racial and'. religious ~disparity. Believing Gentiles are no longer "far off,," but "made nigh in the blood of Christ,"' welcomed to the innermost circle' of divine f~~vour and privilege. Moreover, the cause of enmity has been for ever removed. There is no "middle wall of partition" now. In its place stands ,the Redeemer 5 cross, not to separate Jews and Gentiles, but to be their unifying Centre, the means oftheirreconciliatio'n to Go,d and to each other. All enmity dies in the presence of the' cross of' Christ. He is at once the Peacemaker between man and man, and between man and God. That very cross which is in itself the crowning evidence of the enmity of both Jews and Gentiles to God, has been made the means of reconciling "them both ~in one Body unto God." "One new man "is thus created, "there can be neither Jew nor Greek

- for we are all one man in Christ' Jesus" (Galatians 3.28). God is now dealing with Jews and Gentiles on common ground, there is no difference. Both have a common way of access to the Father in the Spirit through the Son.

� The apostle will return' later (see chapter 3.) to deal more ~fully with the implications of the union of believing Jew's and Ge'ntiles in the Body of Christ. Here, this thought of a common way of access to the Father holds him, and he expands it in the closing verses of the chapter. We can sense the welcome to the Gentiles in the apostle's words:

"So then,

ye are no more strangers and sojourners, but

ye are fellow eftizens with the saints, and of the household of God"

(verse 19).

And it is the erstwhile Pharisee, a Hebrew of Hebrews, who writes thus. How completely the apostle epitomizes in his own life the triumph of divine grace in breaking down the racial and religious barriers between Jews and Gentiles! It is not merely that he acquiesces in this development of divine purposes, but it is a cause to which he has devoted his life. His present imprisonment is a result of it; he is "the prisoner of Christ Jesus in behelf of yott Genjiles." And it has brought him great suffering and persecution' from his "brethren according to the flesh." But he will not be deflected, for t'his is part of the ministry which he received from the Lord Jesus.

The removal of the middle wall of partition, the' bringing nigh of those "far off," and the reconciliation of believing Jews and Gentiles "in one Body" to God, make possible their visible unity in one co,mmunity here on earth. The apostle now makes a brief but important reference to this' matter. Many commentators regard the "temple" of verse ~ as the Church the Body of Christ under the figure of a building. They take the view that the Church is here presented in its age4ong aspect, rising slowly stone by stone through the centuries to its completion. When the Church is complete then it will becume the dwelling place of God for ever.

The' thought is deeply impressive,' but we differ from it with due diffidence. The apostle's argnment here, and the terms he usesterms which must be considered in the light of their u~e in his other writings-lead us to conclude that "a holy temple in the Lord"is to be realized here on earth in the present age rather than something awaiting fulflbnent in the future. In our study of the letters of the apostle Paul we must ever keep in mind that they were addressed to those who were not only members of the Body of Christ, but were also together in one visible community here on earth." How different, alas, is the situation to-day I Members of the Body of Christ are

scattered in the multifarious sects of Christendom. Much confusion of teaching has arisen from applying to all the believers, thus scattered, truth that can only find its proper expression in a people together rn corporate testimony for God on earth in accordance with the apostolic p~attern.

Keeping this in mind let us trace the development of the apostle's argument in verses 20-22. Those addressed are said to have been "built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets "(i.e., the New Testament prophets). "The foundation of the apostles and prophets" is not the apostles and prophets themselves, but the foundation they laid in their teaching. Concerning his work at Corinth Paul said, "as a wise master builder, I laid a foundation" (1 Corinthians 3.10). There can be no building for God on any other foundation than that which the apostle laid-Jesus Christ. For the teaching of the apostles was laid down by the Lord Himself; "teaching them to observe all things whetsoever I commanded yot&'.' (Matthew 28.20), was part of His great commission to them. Upon this foundation a building was raised in Corinth, which the apostle designates "God's building"' (1 Corinthians 3.9). The procedure in Ephesus was identical. Upon the same foundation of divine teaching a building was raised-the church of God in Ephesus. And the work in Corinth, in Ephesus, and in every other place where a church of God was built was one. Not only was each church built upon the same foundation of divine teaching, but all were fitly framed together into a larger...structure according to a divine pattern-" Christ Jesus Himself being t~e Chief Corner Stone." A corner stone is the stone by which a building is squared, takes its shape, and holds together.

In 1 Corinthians 8. the apostle emphasizes the divine basis of the local assembly. In Ephesians 2. he has in view the unity of those assemblies.

"Each several building (every building, R.V. margin) fitly framed together groweth into a holy temple in the Lord."

The translation "all the building" though not a true rendering of the Greek, is supported by Afford and others, not on grammatical grounds, but because they consider it to be more in keeping with the context. Afford says, "To a classical Greek ear any other rendering than 'every building' seems preposterous enough. But 'every building ' here is quite out of place, inasmuch as the apostle is clearly speaking of but one vast building, the Mystical Body of Christ." A similar view is taken by Moule. But nowhere in his writings does the apostle Paul use the term "temple" (Greek, nao8) to describe the Body of Christ. The Body of Christ is the total of members, but the Temple of God is the total of buildings~hurches of God-fitly f'amed together. Many churches, but one Temple.

A further indication that the Body of Christ is not in view here is, that the apostle uses the term "a holy temple in the Lord." When speaking of the relationship of the believer to the Body of Christ he invariably uses the term "in Christ" Ihave not been able to find an instance where the term "in the Lord" is so used. It is very significant that in the former part of Ephesians which deals so much with the Church in the Body of Christ, and where the terms "in Christ" and in Christ Jesus " are predominant~ there should be this single exception in the use of the term "in the Lord."

In the second part of Ephesians which deals with the walk and,, warfare of the believer, the predominant phrase is "in the Lord. To be "in the Lord involves subjection to divine authority. " A holy temple in the ~0rd~~thenimpliesacompanyof peopk, gathered locally in churches of 4od bui'it upon the same foundation of divine teaching, united in one community, in complete subjection to the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The closing verse of the chapter emphasizes that the church of

God in Ephesus, "ye also "was part of the temple of God referred to

in verse 21. What is tr'ue of the whole is also true of the part.

Where there is a church of God there is a "habitation of God in the

Spirit." (Cp. 1 Corinthians 3.16).

It is clear from such a passage as this that the believer cannot function to the fullest extent as a unit. No serious student of the teaching of the apostles can fail to notice the great emphasis which is laid on the corporate life and testimony of God's people. The believe,r is" a living stone "made to be built with others into" God's building.' To be "a habitation of God in the Spirit"' with its accompanying priestly~service, is undoubtedly the highest function possible to God's people in this dispensation.

Before we leave this part of the epistle it is well to be reminded that the teaching of the apostles has never been abrogated or amended. There are numerous examples to-day of structures which men have built according to their own ideas. Many of these, professedly Christian and Scriptural appear imposing enough, but closer examination reveals that they 'a,re not" built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets Isay this deliberately because of the tendency of so many believers to-day to regard the aim of a movement

� as the allAmportant thing whereas to be" built upon the fou~ation of the apostles and prop'hets" is a fundamental necessity in the

� matter of collective testimony During the last century or so there has been a re-discovery of apostolic teaching in regard to. principles

of gathering for the people of God. It is only by a retrn~n to those principles laid down once for all by the Lord and His apostles that "a holy temple in the Lord "can be realized to-day. This is a matter calling for deep exercise on the part of every loyal-hearted believer.

T. M. Hyland | Apr 1950
Studies In Ephesians: