COMMENTARY ON EPHESIANS
LESSON NUMBER 24
Eph 2:11 "Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; 12 That at that time ye 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." (Eph 2:11-12)
AS GENTILES OUR FORMER STATE
INTRODUCTION
Paul continues to elaborate on what the saved were before the love and kindness of God appeared. This time, however, he fastens his attention on the Gentiles, while previously mankind was considered as a whole. The fact that there were Jews and Gentiles further complicated the matter of salvation - at least from the human point of view. For fifteen hundred years God had fastened His attention on the Jews. He isolated them from the other nations, and dealt with them as an separate people. Therefore it is written, "For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto Himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth" (Deut 7:6). And again, "Only the LORD had a delight in thy fathers to love them, and He chose their seed after them, even you above all people, as it is this day" (Deut 10:15). While the prophets did speak of the eventual acceptance of the Gentiles (Isa 11:10; 42:1,6; 49:6,22; 60:3,5; 66:12; Jer 16:19, etc), it was not at all clear to the people prior to Jesus. This is because it was not an emphasis, but was only mentioned. The emphasis was placed upon the Jews themselves. As Paul said, "Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen" (Rom 9:4-5). The details of the conversion of the Gentiles were not provided. Therefore, the whole matter was glossed by the people. Notwithstanding this circumstance, God was going to accomplish His will, and the working would be marvelous. Now Paul will show how the saving of the Gentiles contradicted every form of human reasoning.
REMEMBER WHAT WE WERE IN TIME PAST
Eph 2:11 "Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands."
REMEMBER. When the word of the Lord says "remember," it is always within a certain context. That is, what we remember is not a mere generality. Nor, indeed, are men to extract the things they want to remember without regard to Divine directives. Remembering is like selecting fruit for the soul. You must be in the right field, and viewing the proper tree of thought. The "mixed multitude" traveling with Israel once murmured when they "remembered" the fish, cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic that they ate in Egypt (Num11:5).
In this text, the Gentile believers are admonished to reach into the past and recall the condition in which Christ found them. It was, in reality, a hopeless one. The purpose for this recall is to highlight the magnitude of what the Lord has accomplished in our salvation.
IN TIME PAST. This language presumes a line of demarcation that separates the old manner of life from the new. It is a line that identifies a change wrought by God. "Time past: is not from today backward, but from conversion backward. It is a period that no longer exercises dominating power over us, and it is all owing to the marvelous working of the Lord.
Paul said his life outside of Christ was lived "in time past" (Gal 1:13). In the first part of the second chapter of Ephesians, Paul referred to life before the experience of salvation as "time past" (Eph 2:2). Peter writes that "in time past" we "were not a people" (1 Pet 2:10). He also writes, "For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles" (1 Pet 4:3).
This language is more than a simple reference to the past - a kind of historical point in time. This is the language of confidence and assurance. It is a statement of faith, so to speak. It recognizes that those in Christ are no longer what they used to be. A every real change has taken place that redefined them, effectively separating them from alienation and enmity. This redefinition is not "in word only," but is matched by the expressions of newness of life. There is too much being said these days about being Christian, in Christ, saved, etc., that is not attended by any observable evidence. The "newness of life" realized in Christ Jesus is actually a domain in which we "walk," or live (Rom 6:4). It is not a mere formal designation, but a habitat in which living is acceptable to God.
All living prior to this "walk" is here defined as "time past." That means that those in Christ are no longer what they were, and do not lives now as they did then. Where this is not true, there is, in the sense of this text, no "time past." That time does not end until a person is born again. Until that time unacceptable life is contiguous, with wrath being treasured up day by day for the person, and will issue forth on the day of wrath (Rom 2:5). For those in Christ, each day is a new beginning. For the unreconciled, however, there is nothing but an extension of the time in which the state of the individual is one of condemnation.
GENTILES IN THE FLESH. Other versions read, "Gentiles by birth," NIV "nations in the flesh," DARBY "carnal Gentiles," MRD "gentiles by physical descent," NJB "heathen," LIVING "not Jewish," IE "Gentiles as to your bodily condition," WEYMOUTH and "heathen in a physical sense." WILLIAMS
The point here is that the Gentiles had no reason to hope - none at all. Prior to Christ the ONLY ones with whom God identified Himself were the Jews. Everything God gave, including the Law, the Prophets, and the promises, were to the Jews (Rom 9:3-5) - and they were the fleshly descendants of Abraham.
When God chose and called Abraham, and delivered the promise to Him and His offspring, there was a sense in which all other peoples were excluded. Technically speaking, there was no spiritual generation until Jesus. The Gentiles are classified as "the Gentiles that know not God" (1 Thess 4:5).
CALLED "UNCIRCUMCISION." The point here is that circumcision was the "sign and seal" of the promise God made with Abraham, and the "righteousness of the faith" he possessed before he was circumcised (Rom 4:11). This refers to "the covenant of circumcision" (Acts 7:8) which was the means of defining the people favored by God, and through whom the Messiah would come. All male Jews were to be circumcised on the eighth day after their birth (Lev 12:3).
The term "uncircumcised" was one of derision, and denoted an unacceptable people. (Judges 14:3; 1 Sam 17:26; Isa 52:1). As they were in the flesh, they had no formal identity with God other than that of being His creation. God made no covenant with them, gave them no written, law, made no promises directly to them, did not provide a means of serving Him (like the tabernacle service), and gave them no prophet. All such things were given only two the Jews. It is difficult to imagine a more formidable hurdle standing between a body of people and God than this. The Gentiles may have had a Socrates and a Plato, but they did not have a Moses. A David, or an Isaiah. Their condition was most serious, and they ought to remember it.
WE WERE WITHOUT CHRIST
2:12a "That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise . . ."
AT THAT TIME. The expression "at that time" does not refer to a juncture in time, but a period of time during which the following conditions prevailed. It was the period from birth until they were baptized into Christ (Gal 3:27), and became a part of His lineage. There were not ups and downs, seasons of acceptance interspersed with seasons of rejection. The following was the status of us Gentiles always and without exception until we were born again (1 Pet 1:213), and were "joined unto the Lord" (1 Cor 6:17).
WITHOUT CHRIST. Other versions read "separate from Christ," NASB "separated from Christ," RSV "had no Messiah," CJB "without the Messiah," CSB "apart from Christ," YLT "utterly apart from Christ," LIVING "living apart from Christ," WEYMOUTH "without any connection with Christ," WILLIAMS "did not know about Christ," CEV "hadn't the faintest idea of Christ," MESSAGE and "Remember] that you were at that time separated (living apart from Christ [excluded from all part in Him]." AMPLIFIED
The word translated "without" has the following lexical meaning: "separate, apart 1a) without any." THAYER "at a space, i.e. separately or apart from." STRONG'S It does NOT mean merely lacking knowledge, as represented by some versions.
CEV/ MESSAGE
To be "without Christ" is to be excluded from any of the benefits that are appropriated through and in Him. With one broad stroke, this would be "salvation." In its details it would be forgiveness, acceptance, Christ's fellowship, righteousness, reconciliation, sanctification, intercession, guidance, help, the new birth, Christ's love, the gift of the Holy Spirit, and a host of other benefits. In our former lives, we Gentiles had none of these things in any form - either in promise, or in actual possession.
There was no remnant of our being that God could use to reshape or renew us. We were devoid of any association with Christ, and therefore spiritually impoverished with no ray of light shining into the place of our occupancy. No matter how morally good we may have appeared to be to others, or to ourselves, this was our true condition.
ALIENS FROM THE COMMONWEALTH OF ISRAEL. There was a body of people upon the earth who had been given certain promises, and had solid ground for hope. Here they are referred to as "the commonwealth of Israel." Other versions read, "citizenship Israel," NIV "Israel's rights as a nation," BBE "the national life of Israel," CJB "conversation of Israel," DOUAY "the community of Israel, " NAB "membership of Israel," NJB "enemies of God's children," LIVING and "outlawed from the rights of Israel as a nation." AMPLIFIED
Simply by virtue of their birth in the flesh, the Gentiles were excluded from all of the benefits of the Jews, who were the chosen people of God. Here we are being exposed to a Divine manner in which the people trump the individual. Sacred privileges were not vouchsafed because of the attainments of each individual - by works, so to speak. Rather, it was identity with the body of chosen people that became the basis for any kind of involvement with God. Further, the acceptability of the group was strictly based upon the acceptance of their progenitor - which, in the case of the Jews, was Abraham generally, and Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob specifically.
Those who have confidence in the flesh must learn from this circumstance that, of itself, flesh brings no advantage in the matter of dealings with God. ,The only person in the flesh that experiences ultimate benefit from God is the person God chooses -and even then advantages are only in the flesh. However, the Gentiles lacked even these benefits.
STRANGERS FROM THE COVENANTS OF PROMISE. Other versions read, "foreigners to the covenants of promise," NIV "no Part in the covenants of the Promise," NJB and "strangers with no share in the sacred compacts of the [Messianic] promise [with no knowledge of or right in God's agreements, His covenants." AMPLIFIED
The "covenants of promise" were the unilateral covenants that were not contingent upon the obedience of the Israelites. They included the promise of a Seed through whom the whole world would be blessed (Gen 12:3); the circumcision of the heart (Deut 30:6); a Son being born upon whose shoulders the government would be placed )Isa 9:6); the pouring out of the Spirit upon all flesh (Acts 2:16-18,39); One upon whom the iniquities of us all would be laid (Isa 53:6); a new covenant in which God would write His laws upon the hearts of the people (Jer 31:31-34); and the rising of the Sun of righteousness with healing in his wings (Mal 4:2). None of these promises had conditions that were to be fulfilled by men. There was no earthly condition, no matter how bleak it may have been, that could have stopped these things from occurring.
Yet, none of them were promised to the Gentiles. Any participation in therm by the Gentiles was by virtue of their association with the chosen people. During the period of the Old Cotenant, this was depicted as the Gentiles coming to the Jews (Jer 3:17; Isa 60:1-3; Zech 8:23). In the time of the New Covenant it is particularized as being grafted into the Jewish olive tree, and thus partaking of its root and fatness (Rom 11:7). This is a great work, indeed!
HAVING NO HOPE AND WITHOUT GOD
212b " . . . , having no hope, and without God in the world."
The situation of the Gentiles was simply this: God had made no commitment to them. He had made no agreement with them, or sent a prophet to them to assure them that good things were appointed for them. Other than being among the offspring of Adam, they had no formal association with the Jews, who had been selected by God as the premier people in the flesh. This was done in order that the Messiah might come through them. They were also the ones through whom the Law was given, that brings us to Christ, and among whom the prophets spoke who declared what God had purposed to do in the world.
Paul has already said they were "without Christ," were "aliens from the commonwealth of Israel," and having no "covenant of promise" addressed to them. Now he adds some chilling words to seal up the matter.
HAVING NO HOPE. Other versions read, "without hope," NIV "He had promised you no help," LIVING and "you had no hope (no promise)." AMPLIFIED
What does it mean to be "without hope?" Remember, this is a condition that exists outside of Christ, and especially for those who are not Jews. In the obtaining of salvation, the Jews have a distinct advantage. It is not because of anything they have done. From that perspective they are under the dominion of sin like everyone else (Rom 3:9). Yet, the promises delivered to them gave ground for hope. Therefore there were some - the Spirit refers to them as a remnant - who "looked for redemption"(Lk 2:38). Others were described as "waiting for the consolation Israel" (Lk 2:25). There was also a just man from Arimathaea who "waited for the kingdom of God" (Lk 23:51). Cleopas and his companion had been waiting for the One who would "redeem Israel" (Lk 24:21). These people had hope because they were Jews, and had familiarized themselves with the Scriptures, which were given to them.
The Gentiles, however, had no Scriptures - at least none that were given particularly to them. They could not look at the creation and obtain hope, for hope presumes a promise from God, and God had not spoken to them as a people.
Having no hope means there was nothing they could do about their situation. The requirement for extrication from their dilemma exceeded their ability. They could not study their way out of the condition. They certainly could not "will" themselves out of it. The pit in which they found themselves was too deep for them to devise a way to escape from it. There was no secret method that could be employed to salvage them from their condition. They were "without hope." Their condition would not improve with time, and finally just go away. No mighty deliverer could rise from the Gentile ranks to rescue the people. Although there was a multitude of Gentiles, they could not produce a Savior, one who could reconcile them to God, or One who could stand in the gap for them. There was not a shred of hope among them!
WITHOUT GOD IN THE WORLD. To be "without God" is a most dreadful consideration. This is the only place in Scripture where this expression is used. Paul told some Athenian philosophers that God "is not far from each one of us" NKJV (Acts 17:27). However, that is a far cry from being "with us," and it is worsened by the fact that the carnal man is not even aware that God is not far away.
There are some people before Christ of whom it is said, "God was with him." Solomon is so described (2 Chron 1:1). The same is said of Asa (2 Chron 15:8-9). Stephen said that God was with Joseph, even though his brothers sold him (Acts 7:9). But these men were all Jews, numbered with the chosen people. Paul affirms this cannot be said of we Gentiles. We were "without God." The situation is accentuated by virtue of the fact that we were "in the world." This is a world dominated by the devil (1 John 5:19), who is described as "the God of this world" 2 Cor 4:4). Truly, it is a "present evil world" (Gal 1:4), and we were in it "without God."
As Gentiles we had no access to Divine help, illumination, or comfort. We were locked into nature, with no way of getting out of it. All of the accumulated wisdom of men could not find a way out. Our adversary was more powerful and crafty that us. Our frailty, when compared to principalities and powers aligned against us, made us victims of our foes.
And what has Paul accomplished by accentuating what we were? He has reminded us that we were "dead in trespasses and sins, "living in step with the world, and dominated by the prince of the power of the air. We were children of disobedience, and subjects of the wrath of God. We were a non-people: Gentiles. We were aliens to the only people on the face of the earth with whom God had identified Himself. No covenants of promise were directed toward us. We were without hope and without God in a world where both are sorely needed.
The truth of the natter is that if God did not take the initiative in salvation, there would have been none. If He did not send a Savior, there would have been none. If His kindness was not toward us, we would not have received any from anyone else. Salvation is wholly of the Lord, and there is absolutely no question about it. It is "not of works, lest any man should boast."