Reconciliation
At the conclusion of our previous article we saw how Paul was stressing the unity, in the Lord Jesus, of Jew and Gentile. Now, in verse 16 of Ephesians 2, he pursues the same theme, using the word “reconciling”, as reconciliation is always a necessary preliminary for peace to prevail. Warring nations or factions have to abandon their enmity and recognize their common need for understanding and peace. The irreconcilable differences between Jew and Gentile had been done away by God in His grace, for, as ever, God had to take the initiative. In the case of those prepared to acknowledge their common need, their need to be reconciled to God, this reconciliation and sharing in a common salvation had been made accessible in the Lord Jesus, through his death on the cross. Understandably, the subject of “reconciliation” appears in Romans:
“For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life” (5:10, RSV).
That the initiative comes from God is made crystal clear in a passage to which we often refer:
“But all things are of God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and gave unto us the ministry of reconciliation; to wit, that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not reckoning unto them their trespasses and having committed unto us the word of reconciliation” (2 Cor. 5:18,19).
With regard to the term used in Ephesians 2:16, Vine comments that this is a stronger form of the Greek term for “reconcile” (“apokatallaso”), and means “to reconcile completely”.1While this common salvation was created by the Lord upon the cross, its achievement was an historical process. Again the Book of Acts is invaluable in this connection. We have already seen in our study of “the fullness” of the Lord, how this was brought about by the preaching of the Gospel. The Twelve all played their part but the proclamation was spearheaded by Peter (see Acts 2,3). Initially this process was limited to Jews and proselytes. It was quite a momentous development, in which Peter, accompanied by six witnesses, played the vital role in establishing that salvation was now available to the Gentiles (see Acts 10:1—11:18). It was thus, and in no other way, that those previously far off, were brought nigh (see Isa. 52:7; 57:19). So “the one body” of Ephesians 2:16 came into being, and peace, the peace of sins forgiven, was made available to Jew and Gentile.
Peace
This unity in the Lord is underlined in verse 17 and Paul here uses “we”, thereby indicating Jews and Gentiles are now included. But all must remember this is a shared access and can become a personal experience only for those who demonstrate there is one spirit, the spirit which unites. If we truly belong to the Lord, then his spirit animates us. This all-important subject of unity is dealt with by the Apostle in detail in chapter 4:1-13.
Fellow citizens
We note the “we” of verse 18 is replaced in verse 19 by “ye”, as once more Paul addresses his Gentile readers. Now, in Christ Jesus, they are “no more strangers and sojourners” but “fellow citizens with the saints” and “members of the household of God”. It is fascinating to note how constantly the Apostle reminds former Gentile disciples never to forget how the divine purpose was connected with Abraham and his seed. The terms “strangers” and “sojourners” speaks of the former status of Gentile believers, and this Paul has already spelled out in verse 12 of this chapter. Now their former status has given way to a much more privileged one: they are no longer strangers and sojourners but enjoy full citizenship in God’s commonwealth. When we recall that Peter describes Christian believers also as “sojourners” (1 Pet. 1:1; 2:11), we begin to appreciate how one form of citizenship is set over against another. In the great chapter on faith, Hebrews 11, we are told that those united by their faith in the God of Israel…
“…all died in faith, not having received the promises… having confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth” (v. 13).
As for Abraham, he looked forward to the city whose builder was God (v. 10).
Paul’s position
We do well to remember the exceptional position of the Apostle when we consider the subject of citizenship in his day. He was certainly a member of the commonwealth of Israel and — to the astonishment of Claudius Lysias, who had paid a great price for his citizenship — Paul was a freeborn citizen (Acts 22:26-28). The Apostle had also acquired, through his faith and baptism, the privilege of belonging to the commonwealth of which the Lord Jesus was the head. This was what he prized above all, and he regarded all his other privileges as “but dung” (“rubbish”: NIV), so that he might truly win Christ (Phil. 3:8). There is a great lesson here for disciples of all ages: they need to have their priorities right.
Members of God’s household
Also in verse 19 the Gentiles are now declared to be members of God’s household. The Greek word corresponding to this expression is used only two other times in the New Testament, on each occasion in Paul’s letters:
- In 1 Timothy 5:8, we read: “But if any provideth not for his own and especially his own household (‘family’: RSV)…”
- In the other instance, the term is extended to embrace “the household of the faith” (Gal. 6:10).
This second is clearly the sense in Ephesians 2:19. The Gentiles have now been welcomed into God’s own family. Briefly then, Gentile believers enjoy full and unqualified membership in the family, because, through faith, they form part of the body of the Lord Jesus. He is the firstborn in the family; all who wish to be members must be conformed to his image, for he is the image of God (see Rom. 8:29; 2 Cor. 4:4; Col. 1:15).
The chief cornerstone
The expression “household” in verse 19 leads to the development of the concept of a building, and this is enlarged upon in verse 20. The edifice is erected “on the foundation of the apostles and prophets”, thus stressing once more how the work of the Lord had been continued by his followers, and notably by the Twelve. What is especially interesting here is that the Apostle who had declared to the Corinthians: “For other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 3:11) now refers to him as “the chief cornerstone”. The passage in Paul’s mind is Isaiah 28:16, quoted from the Septuagint, according to Robinson.2The other Old Testament reference is to Psalm 118:22:
“The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner. This is the LORD’s doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.”
This sense of wonder at what the LORD God was to achieve, and did achieve, in His Son must be echoed by all his followers. The Lord Jesus was well aware of the relevance of the Old Testament passages to himself; moreover, in the parable of the householder and his vineyard, he concluded with this prophecy:
“And he that falleth on this stone shall be broken in pieces: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will scatter him as dust” (Matt. 21:44).
Here, evidently, Jesus is evoking Daniel 2:34,35. While this points to the uniqueness of the Lord Jesus, the question now arises: in what kind of structure did the Lord Jesus become an all-important part, the chief cornerstone? In other words, who exactly constitute “the foundation of the apostles and prophets”?
Digression: Prophets and apostles
The question is important, and once more we are brought back to the concept of the fullness of Christ. If we pause to review the situation when Ephesians is being written, it is more than doubtful that a single person reading the letter had ever heard the Lord himself. In Ephesus the Gospel had been mediated by Paul (see Acts 19). In the case of the ecclesias in the Lycus valley, as we have discovered, it was the faithful Epaphras who had been the minister of the Good News (see Col. 1:7, 4:12). If we examine the occurrences of the term “prophet”, we are led to a conclusion that endorses what Paul affirms in Ephesians. The examination of the New Testament, especially Acts and the epistles, reveals how important was the witness of the prophets in the new dispensation. We take note of Acts 15:32 where Judas and Silas (the latter Paul’s companion on his Second Missionary Journey) are both designated “prophets”. There are many other passages that could be called upon (see, for example, Acts 13:1).
The priority, however, is given by Paul to the apostles in Ephesians 2:20. As ever, Acts is here helpful; no other “apostle” comes to prominence until we reach chapter 6 and there we read about the selection of the Seven (see 6:1-6). Amongst these was Stephen, “full of grace and power” and he opens a window on a wider world, for which he paid a price, being the first of the Lord’s followers to be put to death. With the call of Saul of Tarsus and the admission of the Gentiles in Acts 10, the scene changes and the converted Saul, “the apostle to the Gentiles”, becomes a leading figure.
Back to the chief cornerstone…
What may seem a major digression has been necessary to understand why Paul — who understood perfectly the unique place occupied by the Lord in the process of salvation, and who in one place calls him the only foundation — changes the figure to designate him “the chief cornerstone”. On this matter, Armitage Robinson comments:
“They [the cornerstones] are straight blocks which run up to a corner, where they are met in the angle by similar stones, the ends of which come immediately above or below them. These straight blocks are of great length, frequently measuring fifteen feet. The longest that has been found is described by Sir Charles Warren (in Jerusalem Recovered, p.121) in his account of the excavation of the southern wall of the sanctuary area. It measures 36 feet and 9 inches, and belongs to a very ancient period of building. It was such a stone as this that furnished the ancient prophet with his image of the Messiah.” 3
A new “temple”
The symmetry and stability of a building can be ensured only if each part fits in with all the others. Here the Apostle envisages the actual process of erecting the temple, for as it takes shape, it grows into a “holy temple in the Lord”. Why at this stage does Paul develop the figure of a temple? If we look back at verses 14 and 15 of this chapter, while he does not specifically mention the Temple at Jerusalem, it is clearly implied: the barrier that excluded Gentiles had effectively been done away in the Lord, and was to become history in AD 70. However, God’s purposes of redemption and salvation cannot be frustrated through the destruction of the works of men. As ever, our Lord is the primary source, using the figure, now to be extended by the Apostle. Early in the ministry, Jesus had said to the Jews, to their consternation and mystification: “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2:19). The hearers bridled at the thought of the destruction of their beloved Temple; who was this deluded man who spoke of restoring it in three days? Lest his readers should have problems in understanding the Lord’s words, John explains: “But he spake of the temple of his body” (v. 21).
This same figure is used with great effect by Paul himself, in writing to the Corinthians who needed to be reminded of the holiness of their calling:
“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man destroyeth the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are” (1 Cor. 3:16,17).
This stern lesson is repeated in chapter 6:16-20. It seems to have been lost on at least some of the Corinthians, for Paul reminds them of this fundamental truth (see 2 Cor. 6:16). The moral corruption of the city appears to have influenced practices in the ecclesia; the temple on Acrocorinth was dedicated to Aphrodite, the goddess of love, with its cultic prostitutes. Corinth was well known in the contemporary world for its immorality.
Before leaving verse 21, we observe the expression “fitly framed together”, which reminds us of the detailed instructions given to the Israelites when the Tabernacle was being prepared. The observance of these instructions led to the Tabernacle being “one”: each component part executed according to stringent specifications formed one harmonious whole (see Exod. 26:6,11).
It is these great truths, so fundamental an element of the Christian calling, that the Apostle presents to his reader as he concludes this chapter:
“In whom ye also [Gentiles] are builded together for a habitation in the Spirit” (v. 22).
This, then, is no structure made by human hands destined to decay, but a permanent structure. Those who endeavour in love and humility to live according to the pattern left by the Lord Jesus will know the change which will make their corruptible body like that of the glorified Jesus. One day, in fulfilment of the divine purpose, this spiritual edifice will be revealed in all its beauty.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One