Trinity Theological College

Subject : Jesus Tradition in Paul and Pauline Circle

Topic : Social/Historical Context, Immediate Context of the Text, Main Themes,
Interpretation, and Hermeneutical Interpretation of Ephesians 2:11-22.
Lecturer : Dr. Zakali
Presenters : Lungbale and Tolika (G-20)
Respondents : Zumchilo and Lino (G-10)

Introduction
Paul wrote this letter to the church and sent it with Tychicus of Ephesus. Ephesians is a letter of
encouragement. In it Paul describes the nature and the appearance of the Church, and he
challenges believers to function as the living body of Christ on earth. In this paper we will be
dealing on the social/historical context, immediate context of the text, main themes,
interpretation, and hermeneutical interpretation of Ephesians 2:11-22.

1. Social or historical context

The church at Ephesus was one of the seven churches of Asia. Ephesus is one of the prominent
of those churches was at Ephesus. It was established in A.D 53 on Pal’s homeward journey to
Jerusalem. It was one of the international trade, the other two being Alexandria of Egypt and
Antioch of Syria. The city has a haven for philosophers, poets, artist and orators. The worship of
Diana was the dominion religion of this area. The Temple of Diana was world famous. 1 Some
advocates of an Ephesus argument claim that the pluralism of religious cult and magic practises
evident there is representative of environment of cities in Asia Minor. The emphasised on
Christ’s exaltation above the power of cosmos and the identification of believers with their
exalted head forms the centre of Ephesians, this imaginary might be read as a response to pagan
religion. The Diana cult in Ephesus demonstrates the superiority of the goddess to all forces; she
is queen of the cosmos, as the signs of a zodiac around her neck and the magic letters on her
sceptre demonstrate. Other authors compare the “seated in the heavenly places” of Ephesians
with the heavenly ascent of Mithraism. These parallels say little about the details of Ephesians.2

1
Iruing l Jensen, Ephesian: A Self- Study Guide (Chicago: The Moody Bible Institution of Chicago,
1973), 6.
Pheme Perkins, The New Interpretation’s Bible: A Commentary in twelve Volumes, vol. XI
2

(Nashiville: Abingdon Press, 2002), 396.

1
2. Main themes:

Life as uncircumcised (vv.11-12)

Breaking the dividing wall (vv. 13-14)

Peace and Reconciliation in one body (Vv. 15-17)

No longer strangers through the spirit (vv.18-22)

3. Immediate context of the text

The book of Ephesians 2 describes the spiritual death and the moral condition that characterized
both Jew and Gentiles before they became Christianity. They receive their new life in Christ by
God’s grace. The chapter emphasizes the corporate experience of believers. God does not limit
the power of Christ’s work to giving new life to individuals. His work also involves bringing
these individual, whatever their background or race, into unity as the people of God.3

Paul deal specifically with the relationship between Jews and Gentiles, The division between
these two groups represented a significant issue in New Testament times. Jews and Gentiles
mutually despise each other. The reconciliation of Jews and gentiles involves principle that has
significance for the barriers that separated people in every age.4

4. Interpretation

4.1. Life as uncircumcised (v11-12)

Vv.11-12, Paul appeal for Christians to “remember” their lost condition before they were saved,
and to compare this with their life and relationship to God. It set out the reminders in terms of an
initial contrast between the Gentiles’ former alienation from Israel and her God and their now
having come near.5 In these verses Paul refers to this abhorrence which the Jew had for Gentiles.
They were “Gentiles in the flesh” and were contemptuously referred to as the “un-circumcision.”
“In the flesh” is an obvious allusion to circumcision as the outward symbol of Jewish privilege.
The very bodies of the Gentiles had proclaimed their pagan character, the outward mark of
uncircumcised being a symbol of their irreligion and debasement. Paul is careful to make it clear,
however, that the Jew who would speak so contemptuously of the Gentile was not at all that he

3
Sharon H. Gritz, Explore the Bible: Ephesians (Nashville: Life way, 2002), 40
4
Sharon H. Gritz, Explore the Bible: Ephesians (Nashville: Life way, 2002), 41.
5
Andrew T. Lincoln, World Biblical Commentary, Ephesians, vol.42 (Taxes: Word Book Publisher,
1990), 159.

2
should have been. The Jew proudly called themselves the “circumcision”,” but Paul knew that
for them symbol of their separation was all too often an outward rite void of any true spiritual
reality. The readers are also asked to remember their spiritual deprivation involve in their being
Gentiles. Paul sums it up in five descriptive phrases.6

First, they were “without Christ.” The Greek expressions might better be translated “apart from
the Christ,” the idea being bad in their former condition they had no connection with the
Messiah; they were completely lacking of any true relation to him. But the Gentiles neither
expected nor knew of the Messiah. Second, they were “aliens from the common wealth of
Israel.” It was the sphere within which God made Himself known to human and entered into
relation with them. They were not at home with the people of God. They were outside the circle
of God’s chosen people. Third, the Gentiles were “strangers from the covenants of promise.” The
reference is to the covenants pertaining to the promise of Messiah. The word stranger carries the
idea of being foreign to a thing, having no share in it. Fourth, since they were stranger from the
covenants of promise, the Gentiles had “no hope.” Paul does not mean that they had no
aspirations and desires, for many Gentiles desired better things. But mere desire is not hope.
Hope is a blending of desire with expectation, and this the Gentiles world did not have. Finally,
the Gentiles were “without God in the world.” The apostle means that they did not have the
knowledge of, or any saving relationship to, the one true God. The “world” may be mentioned in
contrast with “commonwealth.” In such a world of sin and death, of shame and sorrow and
suffering, Gentiles had no God to guide, to befriend, to bless, and to save them.7

4.2. Breaking the dividing wall (Vv. 13-14)

Ephesians uses the expression “brought near by the blood of Christ” (V.13). Ephesians 1:7
spoke of redemption in Christ’s blood as forgiveness. Readers may have been reminded that they
are exalted in the heavenly place with Christ (2:6). The OT refers to the Gentiles “far off” (Deut
28:49, 1Kgs. 8:41). The term “come near” or “approach” also appears in essence writings for
joining the sects or for the knowledge of the law, which comes through God’s spirit. Thus for the
essences, to “come near” could mean increasing distance from the other Jews whose observance
of the law did not meet the standard of the sects.8

6
W. Curtis Vaughan, The Letter to the Ephesians (Nashville: Convention Press, 1963), 55.
7
W. Curtis Vaughan, The Letter to the Ephesians (Nashville: Convention Press, 1963), 55-57.
8
Pheme Perkins, The New Interpretation’s Bible: A Commentary in twelve Volumes, vol. XI
(Nashiville: Abingdon Press, 2002), 398.

3
In verse 14 he prepare the ground for its emphasis on the peace by applying hymnic depicting
Christ as the embodiment of peace and bringer of reconciliation for a divided cosmos to the
situation of a divided humanity. Christ is now said to have made Jews and Gentiles one by
demolishing the dividing wall and source of hostility between the two groups.9

4.3 Peace and Reconciliation in one body (Vv. 15-17)

The dividing walls of hostility between the two groups were removed when Christ abolished
“The law”. 10By abolishing the law and all its regulations, and to have accomplished this through
His death. The death not only terminated the old order dominated by the law but introduce in its
place anew creation, a corporate new humanity which is embraced in his own person. Two
aspects of Christ’s reconciling work are now set forth. On the horizontal level, he has made
peace between the two old enemies. At the same time, on the vertical level, he has reconciled
both groups to god through his death on the cross, indicating, in a way which the opening verses
did not that there is a fundamental sense in which Israel too was alienated from God. The writer
is now able to introduce the OT citation which the earlier proselyte terminology recalled; he
combined its creativity with Isa 52:7 to give a Christological interpretation, as Christ’s work on
the cross is seen as his proclamation of peace with God to both the Gentile readers and the
Jews.11 The unity of thee body is a living unity created and sustained by ones spirit which man
involves and implies fellowship with God, and both depend upon participation in the gift of the
Spirit.12

4.4. No longer strangers through the spirit (vv18-22)

“For through Him... in one spirit to the Father” a striking illustration of the manner in which the
doctrine of the trinity corresponds to the facts of Christian experience in redemption and
worship.13The flesh blood produced only division between Gentiles and Jews, but in the spirit
both have access to God and peace with each other. Believers’ access is through Christ, by the
spirit, and to the Father.14 In v. 19, the apostle emphasized specifically the change in the
Gentiles’ position. His Gentiles readers had left behind their former status as foreigners and

Andrew T. Lincoln, World Biblical Commentary, Ephesians, vol.42 (Taxes: Word Book Publisher,
9

1990), 160.
10
Sharon H. Gritz, Explore the Bible: Ephesians (Nashville: Life way, 2002), 44.
11
Andrew T. Lincoln, World Biblical Commentary, Ephesians, vol.42 (Taxes: Word Book Publisher,
1990), 160.
12
Pheme Perkins, The New Interpretation’s Bible: A Commentary in twelve Volumes, vol. XI
(Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2002), 659.
13
Nolan B. Harmon, The Interpreter’s Bible: A Commentary in Twelve Volumes, vol. X (Nashville:
Abingdon Press, 1992), 659.
14
Sharon H. Gritz, Explore the Bible: Ephesians (Nashville: Life way, 2002), 47.

4
aliens. The two terms present a comprehensive expression including all people who for various
reasons did not enjoy the full rights of citizenship. V. 19 the expression shows the intimacy
Christians have with God and with one another. Jew and Gentiles, people of whatever race,
colour or class, together belong to God’s family. No longer was Gentile believers far away from
God; instead, they lived in God’s household. In v.2, shift from God’s household members to the
building itself. Paul used a building image in 1 Cor.3:9-11, where the foundation is the Lord, the
apostle is the master builder, and others build upon his work. Ephesians used “prophets” after the
term “apostles,” it appears to have Christian prophet in mind (Matt. 7:15). Old Testament texts
about the cornerstone in Zion were applied to Jesus (Isa. 8:14). However, the caption held the
building together. The term “grow” has been seen as discordant with Christ as caption of
building, it anticipates the later description of the body growing together in the unity of spirit
(4:3). The presence of God’s spirit in the community described as temple was well established in
Paul’s writings (1 Cor. 3:16) by shifting to the temple in which the spirit dwells, Ephesians
suggest that the community will be the locus of God’s presence in the world.15

5. Hermeneutical interpretation

Pious Jews (the circumcision) considered all non Jews (the uncircumcised) ceremonially
unclean. The thought of themselves as pure and clean because of their national heritage and
religious ceremonies. Paul pointed out that Jews and gentiles a like the unclean before and
needed to be cleansed b Christ. Before Christ coming Gentiles and Jews kept apart from one
another. Jews considered Gentiles beyond God’s saving power and therefore without hope.
Christ revealed the total sinfulness of both Jews and gentiles, and then he offered his salvation to
both. Only Christ breaks down the walls of prejudice, reconciles all believers to God, and unifies
us in one body. Christ has destroyed the barriers people built between themselves. Because these
walls have been removed, we can have real unity with people who are not like us. This is true
reconciliation. Because of Chris’s that, we are all one (2:14). Our hostility against each other has
been put to death (2:16). There are many barriers that can divide us from other Christians: age,
appearance, intelligent, political persuasion, race, economic status, theological perspective.
Fortunately, Christ is knock down the barriers and has unified all believers in one family. His
cross should be the focus our unity. A church building is sometimes called God’s house. In
reality, god’s household is not a building, but a group of people. He lives in us and shows

15
Pheme Perkins, The New Interpretation’s Bible: A Commentary in twelve Volumes, vol. XI
(Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2002), 402.

5
Himself to a watching world to us. People can see that God is love and that Christ is Lord as we
live in harmony with each other and in accordance with what God says in His word.16

Conclusion

In this letter, Paul explains the wonderful things that we have received through Christ and refers
to a church as a body to illustrate unity of purpose and show how each individual member is a
part that must work together with all the other parts as one in Christ.

Bibliography

Gritz, Sharon H. Explore the Bible: Ephesians.Nashville: Life way, 2002.

Harmon, Nolan B. The Interpreter’s Bible: A Commentary in Twelve Volumes. Vol. X.

Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1992.

Jensen, Iruing L . Ephesian: A Self- Study Guide. Chicago: The Moody Bible Institution of
Chicago, 1973.

Life Application: Study Bible. Machigan: Tyndale House Publishers, 2011.

Lincoln, Andrew T. World Biblical Commentary, Ephesians. Vol.42. Taxes: Word Book
Publisher, 1990.

Perkins, Pheme. The New Interpretation’s Bible: A Commentary in twelve Volumes. Vol. XI.
Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2002.

Vaughan, W. Curtis. The Letter to the Ephesians. Nashville: Convention Press, 1963.

16
Life Application: Study Bible (Machigan: Tyndale House Publishers, 2011), 1978-1979.