Jew and Gentile Unity in Ephesians
Quick Summary
Jew and Gentile unity stands at the heart of Ephesians. Paul presents the reconciling work of Christ as the foundation for a new humanity in which ancient hostilities are overcome. This unity is not theoretical. It is the lived expression of God’s eternal plan. The letter frames reconciliation as both a fulfillment of Israel’s story and the creation of a Spirit-formed community that embodies peace, belonging, and shared identity in Christ.
Introduction
Ephesians offers one of the most profound explorations of reconciliation in early Christian literature. In the first century, the divide between Jew and Gentile shaped religious practice, social identity, and communal life. These divisions were deep, rooted in history, covenant identity, purity customs, and cultural expectations.
Paul writes into this context with a staggering claim: through Christ, God has brought peace, destroyed hostility, and created “one new humanity” (Ephesians 2:15). This unity fulfills the promises made to Israel and welcomes Gentiles into the household of God. Jewish and Christian scholars alike have noted helpfully that Paul’s vision is not assimilation but reconciliation, creating a community where distinctions remain yet no longer divide.
Jew and Gentile Unity in Ephesians
Paul’s teaching on Jew–Gentile unity unfolds in several interconnected movements, each shaped by God’s work in Christ and the Spirit’s presence among believers.
1. Remembering a Divided Past
In Ephesians 2:11–12, Paul reminds Gentile believers that they were once “separate from Christ,” “strangers to the covenants,” and “without hope.” This memory is not meant to shame but to highlight the depth of God’s mercy. Paul situates the Gentile story within Israel’s larger narrative, affirming the historical particularity of God’s promises.
Jewish scholars such as Amy-Jill Levine note that Paul’s message assumes a rich understanding of Israel’s covenantal identity. Gentile inclusion is an expansion of God’s promises, not a replacement.
2. Christ as Our Peace
The heart of Paul’s argument comes in Ephesians 2:14–18. Christ “is our peace,” breaking down the dividing wall and abolishing the hostility that separated Jew and Gentile. Through the cross, Christ reconciles both groups to God in one body.
Christian interpreters like Markus Barth emphasize that Paul’s language echoes the imagery of the temple, where a literal wall separated Gentiles from the inner courts. Christ’s self-giving love dismantles this barrier.
3. One New Humanity
Paul describes the newly reconciled community as “one new humanity” (Ephesians 2:15). This does not erase Jewish identity or Gentile identity. Instead, it forms a shared identity in Christ—a community where belonging is rooted in grace.
Jewish-Christian scholars like Paula Fredriksen note that Paul imagines a multiethnic community that honors the story of Israel while embracing the nations.
4. From Strangers to Citizens
Ephesians 2:19–22 describes Gentiles as “citizens with the saints” and “members of the household of God.” They are built into a holy temple where God dwells by the Spirit. This imagery emphasizes belonging, stability, and sacred purpose.
5. The Mystery Revealed
In Ephesians 3:1–6, Paul explains the “mystery” that was hidden in previous generations but is now revealed: Gentiles are “fellow heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus.”
Harold Hoehner and Lynn Cohick both emphasize that Paul does not present a new religion but a revealed truth within God’s longstanding purposes.
6. Unity Sustained by the Spirit
Ephesians 4:1–6 moves from reconciliation to practice. Believers are called to maintain the unity given by the Spirit through humility, gentleness, patience, and love. Paul emphasizes “one body and one Spirit,” grounding unity not in personality or agreement but in God’s work.
This shared life is expanded in Live Worthy of Our Calling.
7. Unity Practiced in Love
Unity is not abstract. It is lived in everyday relationships: speaking truth in love, forgiving one another, and walking in love, light, and wisdom (Ephesians 4–5). These practices reflect the new creation and resist the old patterns of division.
Reflections such as Walking in Love show how unity becomes a way of life.
8. The Church as a Sign of God’s Eternal Plan
Jew–Gentile unity becomes a living testimony to God’s wisdom (Ephesians 3:10). The church reveals what God intends for creation: reconciliation, peace, and shared belonging.
This vision reaches back to Israel’s calling to bless the nations and forward to the gathering of all things in Christ. Ephesians situates the church not as a departure from Israel’s story but as the unfolding of God’s covenantal design.
FAQs
Does Jew–Gentile unity erase cultural distinctions? No. Paul describes unity rooted in Christ, not uniformity. Cultural identity remains but no longer divides.
Is the church a continuation of Israel? Ephesians portrays the church as grafted into Israel’s story, sharing in the promises without replacing Israel.
Why was this unity so radical in the first century? Because Jewish and Gentile communities were historically separated by covenant identity, purity laws, and cultural boundaries.
How is unity sustained in Ephesians? Through the Spirit’s work and practices of love, patience, humility, forgiveness, and truth.
Works Consulted
Barth, Markus. Ephesians: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary. Anchor Yale Bible Commentary. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1974.
Cohick, Lynn H. Ephesians. New International Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2020.
Fredriksen, Paula. Paul: The Pagans’ Apostle. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2017.
Levine, Amy-Jill. The Misunderstood Jew: The Church and the Scandal of the Jewish Jesus. New York: HarperOne, 2006.
