From the TeachingtheWord Bible Knowledgebase

Part five (last) of a series. Read part four.

Christ our Great High Priest has made one Church of both Jew and Gentile, who have all been brought from plight to privilege, from poverty to riches, from shame to honor, from ruin to glory!

At the end of his meditation on the great statement of Christ's eternal priesthood in Hebrews 8:1-2, J. Sidlow Baxter pointed us to the writer's encouragement to "hold fast the confession of our hope" (10:23). Baxter also comments on a similar theme in Ephesians 1:18 - "the hope of His calling."

That new condition for the believer, Baxter notes, is true because of our new relationship to our Great High Priest which the Apostle Paul sets forth under Divine inspiration in Ephesians 2:11-22:

Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh - who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands - that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.

Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit." (Ephesians 2:11-22)

In expounding this momentous passage, Baxter notes that it "turns on three pivotal expressions" -

"At that time you were." (verses 11-12)

Five things are said here of our past: (1) at that time we were "without Christ," having no title-right to the Messianic expectations of Israel; (2) we were "aliens from the commonwealth of Israel," having no part or lot in the inheritance of the chosen people; (3) we were "strangers from the covenants of [the] promise," having no share by birth in the provisions of the covenant with Israel; (4) we had "no hope," for apart from this Messiah-Savior there was no hope either for man in general or men as individuals; (5) we were "without God in the world," being without the true knowledge of God.

"But now in Christ Jesus." (verses 13-18)

The "But now" marks a break. Verses 13-18 show how the situation has been completely transformed by the Calvary work of our Lord. The five big barriers between Jew and Gentile have been swept away: (1) He has destroyed distance, for in verse 13 the "far off have been brought near"; (2) He has destroyed disunion, for in verse 14 "He Himself is our peace, who has made both one"; (3) He has destroyed division, for in verse 15 down goes "the middle wall of separation"; (4) He has destroyed dissension, for in verse 15 He "has abolished the enmity.thus making peace"; and (5) He has destroyed all distinction, for, as verse 15 again says, He makes "one new man from the two."

"Now therefore you are." (verses 19-22)

Finally, at verse 19 comes the further break, marked by the words, "Now, therefore, you are." Here, in verses 19 to 22, the contrast between what we were and what we are now is consummated, and our new relationship is set forth in five striking particulars. First, we are all "fellow citizens" of the one heavenly city (verse 19). Second, we are all members of the one heavenly household (verse 19). Third, we are all built on the one imperishable foundation (verse 20). Fourth, we are all living stones in the one spiritual building (verse 21). Fifth, we are all indwelt by the one renewing Spirit (verse 22).

"Marvel at the Wonder"

Baxter then exults:

Now see the whole movement at a glance: marvel at the wonder of this salvation as seen in the total structure of this passage.

The Old Relationship
"At that time you were." (verses 11-12)
"Without Christ"
"Aliens"
"Strangers"
"Having no hope"
"Without God"

The New Relationship
"New therefore you are." (verses 13-18)
Citizens of the one city (verse 19)
Members of the one family (verse 19)
Built on the one foundation (verse 20)
Parts of the one building (verse 21)
Indwelt by the one Spirit (verse 22)

How the Change Was Wrought
"But now in Christ Jesus." (verse 13-18)
Distance done away ("You who once were far off have been brought near")
Disunion done away (He "has made both one")
Division done away (He "has broken down the middle wall")
Dissension done away ("thereby putting to death the enmity")
Distinction done away (He "made one new man from the two")

Both Jew and Gentile -
Are now reconciled to God
(He "reconciled them both to God in one body through the cross")
Have peace with God
("peace to you who were far off and to those who were near")
Have access to God
("through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father")

Baxter concludes:

What beauty and wonder there is in the paragraph when thus viewed in its complete structure! And what a salvation it is that has brought us from such plight to such privilege, from such poverty to such riches, from such shame to such honor, from such ruin to such glory!

Adapted from J. Sidlow Baxter, Explore the Book, Volume 6: Acts to Revelation (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1966), pages 172-175.

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