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You asked

what was 'the middle wall of partition' in the historical context of ephesus and jerusalem?

The passage, plainly, with room to sit with it.

Ephesians 2:14

For he is our peace, who made both one, and broke down the middle wall of partition of the fence,

The Apostle Paul, writing from prison, is reminding Gentile Christians in Ephesus of their past exclusion from God's covenant with Israel and explaining how Jesus has now brought them near. This verse is part of a larger explanation of how Jesus created one new humanity out of two distinct groups.

What barriers, visible or invisible, might still need breaking down for unity to flourish in our communities?

Keep thinking

Read alongside it

  • Acts 10:28

    Peter's vision and visit to Cornelius illustrate the breaking of Jewish-Gentile separation in practice.

  • Galatians 3:28

    This verse states that in Christ, traditional distinctions like Jew/Gentile are overcome for spiritual equality.

  • Isaiah 57:19

    A prophecy speaking of peace for both the far and the near, which Paul may be alluding to.

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