… who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility,
Summary: Jesus can do amazing things … if we let him.
Continue reading “Ephesians 2:14b – The Thing About Jesus”Ephesians 2:14a – Peacemaker
For he himself is our peace,
Summary: Peace is something that many of us want but not everyone agrees. Peace has a cost and not everyone is willing to pay their share. In Christ, we find a peace that is life-changing.
Continue reading “Ephesians 2:14a – Peacemaker”Ephesians 2:13 – A Simple Picture
But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
Summary: Paul’s words in this passage are unusually clear and direct. Enjoy them!
Continue reading “Ephesians 2:13 – A Simple Picture”Ephesians 2:12c – The Lonely Place
… without hope and without God in the world.
Summary: Paul uses words to describe the stark contrast between life with Jesus Christ and life without Jesus. Life without Jesus is hopeless.
Continue reading “Ephesians 2:12c – The Lonely Place”Ephesians 2:12b – Sour Grapes
… excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise,
Summary: Being on the “inside” is cool. Being on the “outside” is a pain. This is a lesson that we all learn early in life.
Continue reading “Ephesians 2:12b – Sour Grapes”Ephesians 2:12a – The Gratitude Attitude
… remember that at that time you were separate from Christ …
Summary: Paul is a unique individual. Privileged from birth, Paul was raised to be one of the elite members of society. Then he met Jesus.
Continue reading “Ephesians 2:12a – The Gratitude Attitude”Ephesians 2:11c – The Bright Light of the Spirit
… and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)—
Summary: The debate over whether or not believers should be circumcised was really a debate about what “signs” we should look for to determine whether someone is a believer or not.
Continue reading “Ephesians 2:11c – The Bright Light of the Spirit”Ephesians 2:11b – Homeless
… remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth …
Summary: Being a Gentile raises some interesting questions about how we relate to Jews, Israel, and our fellow Christians.
Continue reading “Ephesians 2:11b – Homeless”Ephesians 2:11a – Then What?
Therefore …
Summary: Paul’s writing is a challenge to keep up with. His thoughts are complex and deeply interrelated. When we get to a point where he says, “therefore…” it is always good to stop and think about where he has been and where he is going.
Continue reading “Ephesians 2:11a – Then What?”Ephesians 2:10c – Gardeners
… which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Summary: What kind of “good works” does God have for us to do? Looking through the Scriptures it seems clear that one way of looking at our work for God is to be caretakers for his Garden.
Continue reading “Ephesians 2:10c – Gardeners”