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The Epistle to the Ephesians Chapter 2:11-22 God's People - A New Creation In this passage Paul examines particularly how the distinction between Jew and Gentile (non - Jew) has been done away with in Christ.
No Distinctions Among God's People 11. Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh--who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands. In the Old Testament we read the historical account of how God brought the nation of Israel out of slavery in Egypt and made them His own people. He gave them His laws and made known to them His promise to send Christ. Before Christ’s coming those of us who were not born into the nation of Israel, and were not circumcised (the sign of the covenant relationship between God and the Jews), were not, and could not be, part of God’s people. Paul, always eager to defend the truth of the Gospel, refers to the Old Testament practise of circumcision as that which is “made in the flesh by hands”. There were many Judaizers in Paul’s time, who argued that Gentile converts should be circumcised and obey the law of Moses, a practise which Paul insisted was entirely unnecessary. Under the New Covenant, circumcision no longer counts for anything, but only a new creation. 12. That at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. Before Christ came, those outside the commonwealth of Israel had no claim to the promises of God and no relationship with Him. The Jews, on the other hand, were privileged in many ways. God had revealed Himself to them by His word and given them a means of approaching Him for worship. Paul lists their privileges in full in Rom. 9:4 - 5, and these are explained beneath: Who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises; of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is TM over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen. (Rom. 9:4-5 NKJV ) The Jews are the descendants of Jacob (Israelites) to whom God made certain promises, including "I will make you a great nation, and I will give your descendants this land" (Gen. 28:13 - 15). With great power God brought Israel out of Egypt to be His own special people (the adoption).