{"id":3698,"date":"2015-06-13T08:58:31","date_gmt":"2015-06-13T14:58:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/?p=3698"},"modified":"2022-12-12T09:03:30","modified_gmt":"2022-12-12T15:03:30","slug":"ephesians-211-13","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/?p=3698","title":{"rendered":"Ephesians 2:11-13"},"content":{"rendered":"

11\u00a0<\/sup>Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh \u2014 who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands \u2014 <\/span><\/em><\/h3>\n

12\u00a0<\/sup>that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. <\/span><\/em><\/h3>\n

13\u00a0<\/sup>But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.<\/span><\/em><\/h3>\n

therefore (v.11) \u2014 an indication that what is to come in the next passage is an application drawn from the preceding passage<\/h3>\n

Gentiles (v.11) = the<\/span> Gentiles \u2014 marking them as a distinct class<\/h3>\n

flesh (v.11) \u2014 (here) the physical body \u2014 their uncircumcised bodies proclaim their position as Gentiles<\/h3>\n

uncircumcision (v.11) \u2014 a further definition of “the Gentiles in the flesh” \u2014 a name of contempt<\/h3>\n

This sentence also is introduced with reference to the poverty of the previous condition of these Godless, Christless Gentiles. The point seems to be that the inferiority in which they were held, and which was expressed by the contemptuous name Uncircumcision, meant all the more as it was fastened on them by those to whom, while proudly calling themselves the Circumcision, the distinction was nothing more than an outward, manual act performed on their bodies. The rite, when its spiritual significance and use are in view, is spoken of with honor by Paul (Romans 4:11<\/a><\/span>). As a mere performance, a barrier between Jew and Gentile, a yoke imposed by the former on the latter, a thing made essential to salvation, he spoke of it in terms of scorn and repudiation. \u2014 Wuest, page 72.<\/span><\/h3>\n

Five distinctions of the former state of the Gentiles:<\/h3>\n
    \n
  1. \n

    without Christ (v.12) \u2014 without Christ as Messiah \u2014 while the Jews were waiting and hoping for Christ, the Gentiles had no connection to Him \u2014 they had no covenant connection.<\/h3>\n<\/li>\n
  2. \n

    aliens from the commonwealth of Israel (v.12) \u2014 aliens = strangers, as contrasted with those who are at home. Commonwealth = state \u2014 the Gentiles had no part in the theocratic state of Israel.<\/h3>\n<\/li>\n
  3. \n

    strangers from the covenants of promise (v.12) \u2014 strangers = foreign to a thing, having no share in it. Covenants \u2014 those made with Abraham and the patriarchs, the Messianic promises<\/h3>\n<\/li>\n
  4. \n

    no hope (v.12) \u2014 no Messianic hope, but also no hope<\/span> beyond this world<\/h3>\n<\/li>\n
  5. \n

    without God in the world (v.12) \u2014 without knowledge of the true God, and so without any God (Galatians 4:8<\/a><\/span>). In the world \u2014 in this present evil world<\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    now (v.13) \u2014 in contrast to that time<\/h3>\n

    Christ Jesus (v.13) \u2014 His Messianic name and His personal name \u2014 the promised Messiah and the actual Savior<\/h3>\n

    There is an old saying that applies to the Gentiles in time past: “You have no one to blame but yourself.” When “they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened … For this cause, God gave them up unto vile affections” (Romans 1:21<\/a><\/span>, 26<\/a><\/span>). Once this took place, God channeled His blessing through Abraham’s seed. Consequently, the nations came to be known as the Uncircumcision \u2014 Gentiles in the flesh. “In the flesh” does not speak of lineage, rather it points to the fact that they were uncircumcised. Insofar as the Gentiles were outside of the Abrahamic covenant, there was little hope of them ever being saved. Although religious circumcision did not guarantee salvation to a child of Abraham, it did show favor and opportunity.<\/span><\/h3>\n

    The promise of the Messiah, who would deliver His people from their sins, was given to Israel<\/em>. Christ sprang out of the tribe of Judah; He was a Jew who came unto His own<\/em> (John 1:11<\/a><\/span>). We did not have a redeemer; we were “without Christ, aliens from the commonwealth of Israel.” Since the covenants of promise find their fulfillment in Christ, we were homeless, strangers to the Theocracy. The Gentiles, as Gentiles, were not citizens of the kingdom, therefore we had no rights or privileges. \u2014 Sadler, pages 98-99<\/span><\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    11\u00a0Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh \u2014 who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands \u2014 12\u00a0that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3698","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ephesians"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3698","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3698"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3698\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7227,"href":"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3698\/revisions\/7227"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3698"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3698"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3698"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}