“To Create In Himself One New Man”

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(God’s Magnificent Work Through Christ)

Ephesians 2:11-22

The year was 1977. I was 18 years old studying English language in Beirut to enter the School of Theology in Beirut. Lebanon was in Civil War and Beirut city was divided between “Christian” and “Muslim” militias. As a Syrian citizen, I was not welcome in certain parts of Beirut. Along with my studies, I was involved in a lot of Christian outreaches and I was helping my friend, the director of the Lebanon Youth for Christ, organize a Christian concert. We were distributing posters around the city inviting people to the concert. Suddenly we were stopped at checkpoint belonging to the Christian Phalangist party. They could not stand any Syrians in their sections. They soon found out my identity. The man with machine gun in his hand quickly escorted me outside my friend’s car. My friend did not leave me alone. He wanted to come with the soldiers who put me in a jeep to take me somewhere, God knows where. We went to places I have not seen before. I was terrified. They were telling me I was not welcome in their area. Although they were “Christians” and I was an Armenian Christian, being a Syrian was a big problem. For the first time in my life I was segregated and excluded from the society; they made their point very clear that I was not “one of them.” The end of the story was good. I was interrogated by an officer, and my Lebanese friend told them and we were planning a concert. We showed them our concert posters, and we even invited them to come. Eventually they let us go, but they asked me to leave that section of Beirut.

We are moving to the second part of the chapter 2 of Ephesians. In this section, Paul will talk about removing the “walls” between the Christians coming from Gentile and Jewish backgrounds. Remember our main topic: God is working in us to bring magnificent miracles through Christ.

The ESV commentary divides this section to three main areas:

1. Unity of Christ’s People (11-13)

2. Peace with God (and each other) (14-18)

3. Implications of Christ’s peace (19-22)

1. Unity in Christ’s People (11-13)

Please notice that the letter to Ephesians is a letter sent to many churches around Ephesus located in today’s western Turkey. In those churches, believers were primarily of Gentile background and some from a Jewish background. The first point Paul is addressing is that no one is EXCLUDED.

Please remember how the nation of Israel was chosen to be a light to the nations. Unfortunately, they did not become the light; instead they became self-focused. When they received the Law from the Lord, they felt they have the privilege of having received the Law. The same trap can be ours as church members. Instead of letting Christ’s light shine, we can turn into a self-sufficient closed church.

Paul writes to the churches reminding the Gentiles about their situation before Christ. The Jews, “the circumcised”, looked down on them and called them the "uncircumcised" by birth. “You”, namely gentiles, did not make a covenant with God, but “we” did. On one hand, the Jews closed themselves to other nations and cultures thinking they were the chosen and privileged, on the other hand, the “gentile” world treated the Jews badly. There was a huge tension between these two groups.

In the church of Ephesus both parties, Gentiles and Jews, needed to learn that Christ will “create in himself one new man.” This will be elaborated later on in the sermon.

This “new man” should remember who they are and what God did in their life through Jesus Christ. We spoke last week about sin Hamartia in Greek. Paul is saying to both groups that they should remember their sinful situation and how they were alienated from each other. Part of sin’s delusion is that it keeps us unaware of our sins. Each group could stay in their situation without a relationship with the other. God is a God of relationships and communication; please notice verse 13: “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.” (Vs 13)

We will continue in the English sermon.