Ephesians 2:11 11Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, those called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands, 12because you were at that time apart from Christ, alienated from the people-group of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
Paul now reminds the Ephesians of what they used to be as Gentiles. He focuses in on an obvious matter of circumcision, which was one of the key indicators of the covenant community of Israel. The Gentiles were not descendants of Abraham or part of the people of Israel. From the perspective of Israel and the Jews, the Gentiles also did not participate in God’s special promises made to Abraham or have the special law given through Moses. Circumcision represented a clear distinction between those in Israel and those outside. It created an “us/them” way of thinking, especially for the Jews. This created a wall of separation which kept the Gentiles away from participating in the promises made to Abraham. The Gentiles were lost because of their “trespasses and sins” (v. 1).
Paul narrows this down to his readers in v. 12. They came to believe in Jesus Christ as some point. Paul uses several descriptive words and phrases to describe their old life. One is that they were apart from Christ. There were not “in Christ”–in relationship with Christ through the Holy Spirit. Basically, they were outside of salvation. Second, they were alienated from the people-group of Israel. The word behind “people-group” is difficult to capture in one English word and has many possible translations, including citizenship, political body, group of people, or more broadly as way of life or conduct. Basically, the Gentiles had no part of the people of Israel. Third, they were strangers of the covenants of promise. They were not part of the promises made to the patriarchs, at least from a pre-Christ perspective. Fourth, they had no hope. Paul is giving this list from a common Jewish perspective that the Gentiles were lost because they did not have Abraham and Moses. Fifth, they were without God. They were ignorant of God and had become caught up in the immorality and idolatry of pagan culture (Romans 1:18-23).
Paul will show in the following verses that all of these barriers have been in Christ. The alienation of the Gentiles has been removed because of God’s grace. God’s plan was always to include the Gentiles in his plan of salvation. The Jews had the wrong perspective, if what they thought reflected Paul’s list here. The Gentiles who came to be concerned about their eternal status and aware of their sin and thought there was no hope could not have hope through Jesus Christ. This is the good news in Paul’s day and it is still true for people today. Our issues may not be so narrow as Jew and Gentile but the principles are the same. The walls that separate people from hope and eternal life are removed through Jesus Christ.
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