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what were the most significant 'dividing walls' between jews and gentiles that paul addresses?

Adds the setting and its conversation across both testaments.

Ephesians 2:14-16

“For he is our peace, who made both one, and broke down the middle wall of partition, having abolished in his flesh the hostility, the law of commandments contained in ordinances; that he might create in himself one new man of the two, so making peace; and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, having killed the hostility thereby.”

The Apostle Paul is writing to believers in Ephesus, a significant city in Asia Minor (modern Turkey). In this letter, he's emphasizing the unity that Christ brings between different groups of people, particularly Jews and Gentiles, who previously had deep-seated divisions.

What are the hidden barriers, both personal and societal, that still create 'dividing walls' among people today?

Then — the setting

Paul wrote the letter to the Ephesians around 60-62 CE, likely from prison in Rome. The audience consisted of both Jewish and Gentile converts to Christianity in Ephesus, a city known for its diverse population and the magnificent Temple of Artemis. The 'dividing wall' Paul refers to was profoundly real; it included the Jewish Law (Torah) which set Israel apart from other nations with its specific dietary, ceremonial, and purity codes. This distinction was symbolized physically by a literal stone barrier in the Jerusalem Temple complex, known as the Soreg, which separated the Court of the Gentiles from the inner courts accessible only to Jews, with inscriptions warning Gentiles against entry on pain of death.

Across the Testaments

In the Old Testament, Israel's unique identity as God's chosen people, set apart by the covenant and the Law, created a clear distinction between Jews and Gentiles. While this distinction was meant to preserve their faith and prepare them to be a 'light to the nations' (Isaiah 49:6), it often resulted in social and religious separation. The New Testament, particularly through Paul's teachings, asserts that Jesus Christ fulfills the Law and creates a new covenant, effectively 'breaking down' this 'dividing wall.' This doesn't abolish Israel's heritage but rather extends the promises of God to all humanity, forming a new 'one body' where Jewish and Gentile believers are united in Christ, thereby realizing the Old Testament's ultimate vision of God's blessing reaching all peoples.

Keep thinking

Read alongside it

Acts 15:1-21
Describes the Jerusalem Council's debate over whether Gentile converts needed to follow Jewish law, demonstrating early Christian struggles with these divisions.
Galatians 3:28
Paul's declaration that in Christ there is 'neither Jew nor Greek,' emphasizing radical equality and unity.
Isaiah 2:2-4
A prophetic vision of all nations flowing to Jerusalem, suggesting an ultimate unity among peoples.

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