You asked

what were the specific divisions or tensions paul was addressing in the ephesian church, if any?

Adds the setting and its conversation across both testaments.

Ephesians 2:11-16

“Therefore remember that once you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called Circumcision, in the flesh, made by hands; that you were at that time separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off are made near in the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who made both one, and broke down the middle wall of partition, having abolished in the 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 letter to the Ephesians is a rich theological work, traditionally attributed to Paul, written likely from prison around 60-62 CE. In this section, Paul addresses Gentile believers in Ephesus, reminding them of their former spiritual separation and the profound change brought about by their inclusion in Christ, emphasizing unity between Jewish and Gentile followers.

What old divisions in our lives or communities does this passage challenge us to see differently?

Then — the setting

Paul is writing to a mixed community of Jewish and Gentile believers in Ephesus, a significant Roman city in Asia Minor. The tensions he addresses were not always open conflict but deep-seated cultural and religious distinctions. Jewish identity was profoundly shaped by the Law, including circumcision, which set them apart as God's chosen people. Gentiles, by contrast, were considered 'outsiders' to God's covenants. Paul is confronting the lingering sense of superiority from some Jewish Christians and the feeling of inferiority or exclusion among Gentiles, asserting that Christ's work has fundamentally reshaped these categories, creating a new, unified body.

Across the Testaments

This passage is in the New Testament and directly addresses the long-standing division between Israel and the 'nations' (Gentiles) central to the Old Testament narrative. The Old Testament established a covenant relationship primarily with Israel, distinguishing them through laws, circumcision, and dietary codes. While prophets like Isaiah spoke of Gentiles eventually coming to God's light (e.g., Isaiah 49:6), the practical reality was one of separation. Paul argues that Jesus, through his death, has fulfilled the Law in a way that dismantles this 'dividing wall,' making a way for both groups to be reconciled to God and to each other, not by erasing their distinct histories, but by uniting them in a new identity in Christ. This reinterprets the 'chosenness' of Israel not as exclusive privilege but as a means through which God's reconciliation extends to all.

Keep thinking

Read alongside it

Galatians 3:28
Echoes the radical equality and unity in Christ, transcending social and ethnic divides.
Romans 10:12
Affirms that in Christ, there is no distinction between Jew and Gentile regarding salvation.
Isaiah 57:19
A prophetic anticipation of peace for both 'far off' and 'near' people, foundational to Paul's argument.

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