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had sinned He also made peace, so the shed blood o f Christ brought peace all around, peace between Jew and Gentile, peace between God and both Jew and Gen tile. The further purpose for which Christ broke down the “middle wall o f partition” and abolished the enmity, was in order that He “might reconcile them both in one body unto God through the cross, having slain the enmity thereby. The one body in which they were both reconciled was the Church which they together had become (cf. Col. 3:15). The word “reconcile” in, its New Testament usage means primarily, to “ reconcile” the offender to the one offended, by the appeasing o f the offended party’s just wrath at the offender’s offense (cf. 2 Cor. 5:19; Rom. 5:10; Col. 1:20, 21; 1 Cor. 7:11; 2 Cor. 5:18, 20, see notes). This reconciliation Christ effected “through the cross,” where He made a “propitiation” for sin (i. e., a means o f appeasing God’s wrath at our sin—cf. 1 John 2 :2 ; Rom. 3:25, R. V .). By His owo death Christ Jesus put to death (slew) the enmity (pri marily perhaps the law, as in v. 15, but furthermore the enmity between God and man). It was not only the Lord Jesus who was slain at Calvary, but, praise God, the law (Col. 2:14), and all enmity between G od’ and us, and all enmity toward one another o f believers, Jew or Gentile, black or white, was also slain at the cross. Jesus indeed is the world’s peace. Friday, July 5 . Eph. 2 : 17 , 18 . From the cross Jesus “came (at His res urrection—cf. John 20:19; Acts 3:26; 10:36), and preached peace (more exactly, preached good tidings o f peace) to you that (as Gentiles) were afar off, and peace to them that were nigh (i. e., the Jews).” 'Both Jew and Gentile has his “access” to the Father “through Him” (i. e., through Jesus Christ). The word translated “access” means primarily introduction, and here, introduction tp the Father. Our first bring- . ing into the Father’s presence, and each day’s bringing into the Father’s presence, is through Christ (cf. John 14:6; Heb- 10:19). Jesus Christ the Son o f God is
Thursday, July 4 : Eph. 2 : 15 .
“ The law o f commandments contained in ordinances,” (i. e., the whole Mosaic law, ceremonial and moral) was an “enmity,” (i. e., a cause o f hatred). It was an enmity between Jew and Gentile. Deeper yet it was an “enmity” between the Holy God and man, the law-breaker, the sinner (cf. Rom. 4:15; 5:20; 7:10, 11; 8:7 ). This “enmity,” the Mosaic law, Christ Jesus “abolished.” (The word translated “abol ished” means “annulled,” “ rendered nuga tory,” “made o f none effect,” “ rendered inoperative.” ) It was “ in His flesh” that the Lord Jesus annulled this enmity. By “His flesh” is meant His crucified body (cf. 1:21, 22; 1 Peter 2 :24). By His crucifixion Jesus satisfied every demand o f the law and thus put it away forever. W e are now under no obligation to the Mosaic law. That is not to say we are under no obli gation, but our obligation is not to the Mosaic law, but to Christ and His law. Christ’s law is the all-inclusive one, “love,” (cf. John 13:34; Gal. 5:13, 14; Rom. 13:9, 10). This enmity with our Lord Jesus annulled by His crucifixion was, Paul here tells us, “the law o f commandments con tained, in ordinances,” i. e., the Mosaic law with its many prescriptions or ordinances. The purpose for which Christ broke down the “middle wall o f partitions” (the law) and abolished the enmity (i, e., the law again, in another aspect) was “that (more exactly, in order that) He might create in Himself o f the twain (i. e., Jew and Gen tile) one new man.” The two men were the Jew and the Gentile: the one new man were no longer two men, but Jew and Gentile become one in Christ. It was "in H im self’ that the Lord Jesus created of the two men one new man. That is to say, it was in the vital union o f each one of them with Himself that the two became one. By thus making o f the two one new man, Christ made peace, i. e., peace between the two men formerly at enmity with one another and made one in His own atoning person, and also between the two now become one and the God against whom they
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