Ephesians Teaching Series

This beautifully constructed letter can best be understood by paying attention to its amazing structure.

5. Eph 2:11-22 The Sum is Greater than the Parts

  • Once again the poetry is so beautiful, and right at the center is a jewel — the song of peace.
  • This centerpiece changes everything and turns hostile division into growth that defies our imagination.

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Please open the page showing this passage by Clicking here,
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Goal: To see how radical this teaching is,
and understand what it demands from us.

The Story So Far

1. The Epic Poem that Opens Ephesians

  • One long sentence, v.3 all the way to v.14!!
  • Exquisitely constructed jewel of a sentence
  • Poetic in its structure
  • Would have been read aloud as a public event

2. Paul’s Prayer —For Us!

  • Paul takes the three core parts of the epic poem and turns them into a prayer
  • 1. Past, 2. Present and 3. Future
  1. Joined to Jesus
  • Then we looked at the first 11 verses of ch 2
  • Our destiny becomes the same as his!

The Sum is Greater than the Parts

  1. The Poetry and the Power
  2. The Response Required from the Original Hearers
  3. The Response Required from Us

1. The Poetry and the Power

Ephesians 2:11-22

  1. Διὸ μνημονεύετε ὅτι ποτὲ ὑμεῖς τὰ ἔθνη ἐν σαρκί,So remember that once you were Gentiles in the flesh
οἱ λεγόμενοι ἀκροβυστία those called “the uncircumcised”
ὑπὸ τῆς λεγομένης περιτομῆς by those called “the circumcised”
ἐν σαρκὶ χειροποιήτου, done in the flesh by human hands.
  1. ὅτι ἦτε τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ χωρὶς Χριστοῦ, At that time you were separate from Christ,
ἀπηλλοτριωμένοι τῆς πολιτείας τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ alienated from the citizenship of Israel,
καὶ ξένοι τῶν διαθηκῶν τῆς ἐπαγγελίας, and foreigners to the covenants of promise,
ἐλπίδα μὴ ἔχοντες καὶ ἄθεοι ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ. having no hope and without God in the world.
  1. νυνὶ δὲ ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ But now in Christ Jesus,
ὑμεῖς οἵ ποτε ὄντες μακρὰν you who once were far away
ἐγενήθητε ἐγγὺς have been brought near
ἐν τῷ αἵματι τοῦ Χριστοῦ. by the blood of Christ.
  1. αὐτὸς γάρ ἐστιν ἡ εἰρήνη ἡμῶν, For he himself is our peace,
ὁ ποιήσας τὰ ἀμφότερα ἓν making the two one
καὶ τὸ μεσότοιχον τοῦ φραγμοῦ λύσας, and breaking down the dividing wall of partition,
τὴν ἔχθραν ἐν τῇ σαρκὶ αὐτοῦ, —the hostility, in his flesh,
  1. τὸν νόμον τῶν ἐντολῶν ἐν δόγμασιν καταργήσας, cancelling the law of commands and regulations,
ἵνα τοὺς δύο κτίσῃ ἐν αὑτῷ εἰς ἕνα καινὸν ἄνθρωπον that the two he might create in himself into one new human
ποιῶν εἰρήνην, making peace.
  1. καὶ ἀποκαταλλάξῃ τοὺς ἀμφοτέρους ἐν ἑνὶ σώματι τῷ θεῷ διὰ τοῦ σταυροῦ and he might reconcile both in one body to God through the cross
ἀποκτείνας having put to death
τὴν ἔχθραν ἐν αὐτῷ· the hostility by it.
  1. καὶ ἐλθὼν εὐηγγελίσατο And he came and proclaimed
εἰρήνην ὑμῖν τοῖς μακρὰν peace to you who were far away
καὶ εἰρήνην τοῖς ἐγγύς· and peace to those who were near.
  1. ὅτι διʼ αὐτοῦ ἔχομεν τὴν προσαγωγὴν οἱ ἀμφότεροι ἐν ἑνὶ πνεύματι πρὸς τὸν πατέρα. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.
  1. ἄρα οὖν So, then
οὐκέτι ἐστὲ ξένοι you are no longer foreigners
καὶ πάροικοι, and without homes
ἀλλὰ ἐστὲ συμπολῖται τῶν ἁγίων but fellow citizens with the saints,
καὶ οἰκεῖοι τοῦ θεοῦ, and of the household of God,
  1. ἐποικοδομηθέντες ἐπὶ τῷ θεμελίῳ τῶν ἀποστόλων καὶ προφητῶν, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets
ὄντος ἀκρογωνιαίου αὐτοῦ Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ, the cornerstone being Christ Jesus himself.
  1. ἐν ᾧ πᾶσα οἰκοδομὴ συναρμολογουμένη In him the whole structure, being fitted together,
αὔξει εἰς ναὸν ἅγιον ἐν κυρίῳ, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord.
  1. ἐν ᾧ καὶ ὑμεῖς συνοικοδομεῖσθε In him you are also being built together
εἰς κατοικητήριον τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν πνεύματι. for the dwelling place for God in the Spirit.

Translation and structure by Andrew Fountain

2. The Response Required from the Original Hearers

Three Messages

  1. From Foreigners Far Away, to Family Near
  2. The Laws divided, and they are demolished
  3. The new Unity will create something Extraordinary

The Response Required from the Original Hearers

  1. From Foreigners Far Away, to Family Near
    • Encouragement that they belong
  2. The Laws divided, and they are demolished
    • Call to tear down the effects of the wall
  3. The new Unity will create something Extraordinary
    • Directions for building
  1. From Foreigners Far Away, to Family Near
  2. The Laws divided, and they are demolished

Galatians 2

  1. But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned.
  2. For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party.
  3. And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.
  4. But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I spoke to Cephas before them all…

C. The new Unity will create something Extraordinary

3. The Response Required from Us

  • I’m going to make you do some work now!

The Response Required from Us

  1. From Foreigners Far Away, to Family Near
    • Encouragement that we belong as we read the O.T.
  2. The Laws divided, and they are demolished
    • Call to tear down the effects of walls today
  3. The new Unity will create something Extraordinary
    • Directions for building

The Response Required from Us

  1. From Foreigners Far Away, to Family Near
    • Feel how you belong as you read God’s compassion and commitment to his people in the O.T.
  2. The Laws divided, and they are demolished
    • Don’t allow your inner judge to constantly condemn you
  3. Unity will create something Extraordinary
    • God is so pleased when you step out of your comfort zone and connect with someone very different
Last updated on 14 May 2023
Published on 14 May 2023