How does Saint Paul describe humanity's reconciliation with God and the unification of Jews and Gentiles into one household in Ephesians 2?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

In Ephesians 2, Saint Paul teaches that God mercifully revived sinners dead in their trespasses through unearned grace in Christ Jesus, tearing down the dividing wall between Jew and Gentile on the cross to forge one new reconciled people built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets.

Chapter breakdown

Paul recalls that the recipients were dead in offences and sins, walking according to this world’s course and the prince of the power of the air, the spirit working in children of unbelief. He includes himself and others in the former desires of flesh and thoughts, by nature children of wrath like the rest. God, rich in mercy and loving them with great charity, made them alive together in Christ even in sins. By Christ’s grace they are saved, raised and seated together in heavenly places, so future ages might show the riches of grace and bounty in Christ.

Salvation by grace through faith is God’s gift, not from themselves or works, leaving no ground for boasting. The edition explains works as not from one’s own growth or oneself, but from God’s grace. They are God’s workmanship, created in Christ in the good works prepared for them to walk in. The recipients must remember being Gentiles in the flesh, called uncircumcision by the hand-made circumcision. Formerly without Christ, alien from Israel’s conversation and strangers to the testament, without hope of promise or God in the world, those once far away are now brought near by Christ’s blood.

Christ is their peace, making both one and breaking the partition and enmities in his flesh. He makes void the law of commandments contained in decrees to form the two into one new man in himself, making peace and reconciling both to God in one body by the cross. He preaches peace to far and near; both have access through him in one Spirit to the Father. They are now fellow citizens with saints and members of God’s household. Built on apostles and prophets with Christ the chief cornerstone, the building grows into a holy temple in the Lord. They too are built together as God’s habitation in the Spirit.

The story inside

Context: Saint Paul addresses the Ephesian believers, contrasting their former state of pagan idolatry and spiritual death with the transcendent life bestowed through Christ.

Stakes: Without divine intervention, humanity remained enslaved to demonic influences and carnal desires, while Gentiles were completely alienated from God's covenants and covenantal promises.

Action and Reasoning: Paul demonstrates that God, out of boundless mercy and charity, raised believers together with the risen Christ, saving them purely by grace through faith rather than human self-effort. He reveals that on the cross, Christ abolished the ceremonial enmity between Jew and Gentile, creating one new peaceful humanity and establishing unhindered access in one Spirit to the Father.

Consequence: Gentile and Jewish believers are no longer strangers or adversaries, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of God's household, rising together as a holy temple in the Lord.

Limits: Salvation is an unmerited gift of grace rather than personal achievement to prevent human boasting, yet it is specifically designed to produce the good works prepared by God for believers to walk in.

Lessons worth keeping

1
Salvation by Unmerited Grace: Believers are rescued from spiritual death entirely through the free gift of divine grace received in faith, entirely apart from self-originating works.
2
Reconciliation of Jew and Gentile: Christ dissolved the ancient dividing wall of enmity upon the cross, forging both groups into one new reconciled body in Himself.
3
The Living Temple of the Household of God: Christians are fellow citizens with the saints, constructed upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Jesus Christ as the chief cornerstone.

Test your recall

Why does Saint Paul emphasize that salvation is a free gift received through faith and not from our own works?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 132437–132441
2:4. But God (who is rich in mercy) for his exceeding charity wherewith he loved us 2:5. Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together in Christ (by whose grace you are saved)
Lines 132449–132452
2:8. For by grace you are saved through faith: and that not of yourselves, for it is the gift of God. 2:9. Not of works, that no man may glory.
Lines 132485–132489
2:19. Now therefore you are no more strangers and foreigners: but you are fellow citizens with the saints and the domestics of God, 2:20. Built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone: