Ephesians 2:15 - Printer Friendly

ESV: by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace,

NIV: by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace,

NASB: by abolishing in His flesh the hostility, which is the Law composed of commandments expressed in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two one new person, in this way establishing peace;

CSB: he made of no effect the law consisting of commands and expressed in regulations, so that he might create in himself one new man from the two, resulting in peace.

NLT: He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups.

KJV: Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;

NKJV: having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace,

The word translated as "abolish" here is the Greek word katargēsas. This literally means "to render inoperative," or "to remove all power from." Paul's intent is to say that the purpose of the Law had been completed. He calls the law good in other places (Romans 7:12; 1 Timothy 1:8), yet his emphasis here is that it no longer separated Jews and Gentiles from one another. Instead, the focus of a believer should be on common salvation, in Jesus, which makes us one family.

Instead of the traditional conflict between Jews and Gentiles, God's intent with the gospel was a family based on Christ rather than law, rooted in salvation rather than circumcision. The result of this change was "peace." Paul would open his letter with peace (Ephesians 1:2), highlight it throughout his letter (Ephesians 2:14, 15, 17; 4:3; 6:15) and end with peace (Ephesians 6:23). He greatly emphasized peace, both as a Jew among Gentiles, and speaking to a city that had long known war and conflict. Peace was greatly desired by many yet found only in the one Lord Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 2:11–22 explains how those who are saved, by grace through faith in Christ, have become part of a single family. Prior to the coming of Jesus, the Jewish people considered Gentiles to be unclean and inferior. Here, Paul explains how the gospel extends hope, promise, and a relationship with God to Jews and Gentiles alike. Most of the Ephesian church would have been Gentiles, and Paul frequently found himself countering anti-Gentile sentiment among various churches.

Paul repeatedly emphasizes that salvation is accomplished on the basis of grace, through faith. Good works, human effort, and our best intentions will never be enough to earn salvation. Every person is marked with sin, both deliberate and accidental, and for this reason we deserve to be separated from God. Only through His mercy and grace can we be saved, leaving no room for bragging. This also means that all who are saved, Jew and Gentile alike, are part of the same spiritual family. There is no cause for hostility between believers; we are all unworthy, and all saved by the same kindness of God.

The first three chapters of Ephesians focus on doctrinal issues; the last three show how those principles should be applied in real life. Chapter 2 makes a pair of related points about our status as saved believers. First, salvation is entirely dependent on the grace of God, not human efforts. Second, this means all Christians are part of the same family, Jew and Gentile alike. This bridges chapter 1's explanation of God's awesome glory to chapter 3's discussion of God bringing His long-awaited plan into action.

Ephesians follows a theme common in Paul's writings: connecting theory with practice. In this book, however, he goes into greater depth before making the transition. As a letter meant to be read by more than just the believers at Ephesus, this is an important look at how Christian belief should translate into Christian action. The first three chapters lay out spiritual ideas, the last three chapters show how these truths should be applied in the life of a mature believer. Paul focuses heavily on love, the unity of the Christian church, and the incredible value of our salvation through Christ.