2:14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.There it is: Paul's understanding in this text of the gospel work of Jesus is wrapped up and summed up in one word: peace. This peace is made:
1. In Christ (alone).
2. By reconciling Gentiles and Jews.
3. By means of abolishing that which separated them: the law "with its commandments and regulations."
4. In order to create one people: the church.
5. So Christ, in effect and via the Spirit in the post-resurrection/post-Pentecost time zone, preached peace to Jews and to Gentiles.
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It would be interesting to merge this discussion with the "can Darwin be saved" dicsussion .. . I'm sure that Paul is doing the same kind of thing with Romans that he is here in Ephesians. . . .
phil_style
Interesting. I think that you are right - to interpret Romans properly we need to look at the message of the Gospel and the meaning of the text. Romans is not a statement of ancient history. It is an exposition and discussion of the gospel. There is no other way forward.
Scot,
I don't know about comparing this with the Kingdom preached by Jesus though. Paul preaches the good news of what God through Jesus has done. It has created one people - one church, and has done more. In the teachings of Jesus there is much more emphasis on the "so what" - the consequence and calling. It would be interesting some time to look through the letters of Paul and concentrate on the "so what" - what impact did Paul expect his gospel to have on the churches we taught and what actions did he expect to result. This would help to define gospel and, perhaps, break away from the idea that the impact of the gospel is first and foremost inner peace and personal salvation.
I'm not sure I ever thought about this before, but it is interesting that Paul says Jesus abolished the law and Jesus says in Matthew 5:17 to "not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets . . ."
Scot, how would you explain this?
RJS,
It is the word "peace" and understood as the creation of a people of God no longer in alienation that connects to Jesus' use of kingdom. That kingdom, as made clear in Magnificat and Benedictus, is a nation at peace and no longer dominated by the Romans. Paul takes this in a new direction: Jews and Gentiles together, in Christ, is how he frames peace.
Your Name,
It seems clear to me that Paul is abolishing the wall that separated Jew from Gentile and the Law so far as it created that wall.
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