For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace,
In this passage, Paul described what Jesus did to heal the rift between Jews and Gentiles. The Jews were God’s covenant people, while the Gentiles were on the outside looking in. But Christ’s death on the cross destroyed the barrier between them. And in doing so, he created a new humanity.
This new humanity includes all who God’s grace has saved through faith (Eph. 2:8-9). It does not matter what we were before. Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female (Gal. 3:28), we are now one in Christ, fellow citizens of the kingdom, and members of his household (Eph 2:19).
Paul specifically addressed the conflict between the Jews and Gentiles and the creation of the new humanity in this passage. But I believe it is relevant for us today within the church, the new humanity that Christ brought into existence. Roman Catholic, Orthodox, or Protestant. Presbyterian, Baptist, or Pentecostal. We are divided in many ways in doctrine, tradition, and practice.
But regardless of those divisions, all who have been saved by grace through faith are a part of that new humanity Christ died to create. We are fellow citizens of the kingdom of God. Members together of his household. Rather than fighting and dividing over our differences, we should embrace our commonality as one body in Christ. Despite our differences, love as brothers and sisters of our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself on the cross to redeem us and make us into a new humanity.
