Ephesians 2:11
Verse
Context
One in Christ
10For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life.11Therefore remember that formerly you who are Gentiles in the flesh and called uncircumcised by the so-called circumcision (that done in the body by human hands)—12remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.
Sermons
Lance Lambert
Theodore Epp
Lewis Sperry Chafer
John Piper
Arno Clemens Gaebelein Summary
Commentary
- Adam Clarke
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
- John Gill
- Matthew Henry
- Tyndale
Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
Wherefore remember - That ye may ever see and feel your obligations to live a pure and holy life, and be unfeignedly thankful to God for your salvation, remember that ye were once heathens in the flesh - without the pure doctrine, and under the influence of your corrupt nature; such as by the Jew's (who gloried, in consequence of their circumcision, to be in covenant with God) were called uncircumcision; i.e. persons out of the Divine covenant, and having no right or title to any blessing of God.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
The Greek order in the oldest manuscripts is, "That in time past (literally, once) ye," &c. Such remembrance sharpens gratitude and strengthens faith (Eph 2:19) [BENGEL]. Gentiles in the flesh--that is, Gentiles in respect to circumcision. called Uncircumcision--The Gentiles were called (in contempt), and were, the Uncircumcision; the Jews were called, but were not truly, the Circumcision [ELLICOTT]. in the flesh made by hands--as opposed to the true "circumcision of the heart in the Spirit, and not the letter" (Rom 2:29), "made without the hands in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ" (Col 2:11).
John Gill Bible Commentary
Wherefore remember, that ye be in time past Gentiles in the flesh,.... This, with what follows in the next verse, the apostle puts the converted Ephesians in mind of, in order to magnify the grace of God in their conversion; and to humble them in a view of their former state and condition; and to teach them that they could never be saved by any works of theirs: particularly he would have them call to mind, that they were in "time past Gentiles"; which does not so much regard the nation and country they were of, for in that sense they were Gentiles still; but their state and condition; they had been very blind and ignorant, were Gentiles that knew not God; they had been very wicked and profligate sinners of the Gentiles; and they had been "Gentiles in the flesh": not according to the flesh, or by birth, for so they were then; but in the time of their unregeneracy they were carnal, and minded the things of the flesh, walked after it, and fulfilled the lusts, and did the works of it; particular respect seems to be had to their uncircumcision in the flesh, to which circumcision in the flesh is opposed in the next clause: who are called uncircumcision by that which is called circumcision in the flesh made by hands; that is, they were by way of reproach and contempt called uncircumcised persons; than whom none were more abominable to the Jews, and hated by them, who were called circumcised persons from that circumcision which is outward, in the flesh, in a particular part of the body; and which is done by the hands of a man, who was called "the circumciser"; which any one might be, except a Gentile (u); an Israelite adult and skilful was preferred; yet these were not circumcised persons with that circumcision that is inward, and is of the heart, in the Spirit, and is made without the hands of men, and by the Spirit and power of God. (u) Maimon. Hilchot Milah, c. 2. sect. 1.
Matthew Henry Bible Commentary
In these verses the apostle proceeds in his account of the miserable condition of these Ephesians by nature. Wherefore remember, etc., Eph 2:11. As if he had said, "You should remember what you have been, and compare it with what you now are, in order to humble yourselves and to excite your love and thankfulness to God." Note, Converted sinners ought frequently to reflect upon the sinfulness and misery of the state they were in by nature. Gentiles in the flesh, that is, living in the corruption of their natures, and being destitute of circumcision, the outward sign of an interest in the covenant of grace. Who are called uncircumcision by that, etc., that is, "You were reproached and upbraided for it by the formal Jews, who made an external profession, and who looked no further than the outward ordinance." Note, Hypocritical professors are wont to value themselves chiefly on their external privileges, and to reproach and despise others who are destitute of them. The apostle describes the misery of their case in several particulars, Eph 2:12. "At that time, while you were Gentiles, and in an unconverted state, you were," 1. "In a Christless condition, without the knowledge of the Messiah, and without any saving interest in him or relation to him." It is true of all unconverted sinners, all those who are destitute of faith, that they have no saving interest in Christ; and it must be a sad and deplorable thing for a soul to be without a Christ. Being without Christ, they were, 2. Aliens from the commonwealth of Israel; they did not belong to Christ's church, and had no communion with it, that being confined to the Israelitish nation. It is no small privilege to be placed in the church of Christ, and to share with the members of it in the advantages peculiar to it. 3. They are strangers from the covenants of promise. The covenant of grace has ever been the same for substance, though, having undergone various additions and improvements in the several ages of the church, it is called covenants; and the covenants of promise, because it is made up of promises, and particularly contains the great promise of the Messiah, and of eternal life through him. Now the Ephesians, in their gentilism, were strangers to this covenant, having never had any information nor overture of it; and all unregenerate sinners are strangers to it, as they have no interest in it. Those who are without Christ, and so have no interest in the Mediator of the covenant, have none in the promises of the covenant. 4. They had no hope, that is, beyond this life - no well-grounded hope in God, no hope of spiritual and eternal blessings. Those who are with out Christ, and strangers from the covenant, can have no good hope; for Christ and the covenant are the ground and foundation of all the Christian's hopes. They were in a state of distance and estrangement from God: Without God in the world; not without some general knowledge of a deity, for they worshipped idols, but living without any due regard to him, any acknowledged dependence on him, and any special interest in him. The words are, atheists in the world; for, though they worshipped many gods, yet they were without the true God. The apostle proceeds (Eph 2:13) further to illustrate the happy change that was made in their state: But now, in Christ Jesus, you who sometimes were far off, etc. They were far off from Christ, from his church, from the promises, from the Christian hope, and from God himself; and therefore from all good, like the prodigal son in the far country: this had been represented in the preceding verses. Unconverted sinners remove themselves at a distance from God, and God puts them at a distance: He beholds the proud afar off. "But now in Christ Jesus, etc., upon your conversion, by virtue of union with Christ, and interest in him by faith, you are made nigh." They were brought home to God, received into the church, taken into the covenant, and possessed of all other privileges consequent upon these. Note, The saints are a people near to God. Salvation is far from the wicked; but God is a help at hand to his people; and this is by the blood of Christ, by the merit of his sufferings and death. Every believing sinner owes his nearness to God, and his interest in his favour, to the death and sacrifice of Christ.
Tyndale Open Study Notes
2:11-22 Paul now focuses on the grace that God has given particularly to Gentiles (non-Jews), bringing them into his family and uniting them with Jews in a new, unified, multiethnic community—the body of Christ, the church. Paul’s emphasis on the inclusion of Gentiles might suggest they were experiencing discrimination from Jewish Christians. 2:11 Traditionally, Jews disdained Gentiles, considering them “uncircumcised heathens” who were excluded from God’s people (see Gen 17:9-14). Paul argues that judging people by their bodies and not their hearts is superficial—in Christ, physical circumcision means nothing (see Rom 2:28-29).
Ephesians 2:11
One in Christ
10For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life.11Therefore remember that formerly you who are Gentiles in the flesh and called uncircumcised by the so-called circumcision (that done in the body by human hands)—12remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.
- Scripture
- Sermons
- Commentary
Christian Responsibility to the Jew
By Lance Lambert1.2K57:14JewishMAT 8:10LUK 13:28ROM 11:11EPH 2:11EPH 2:13In this sermon, the speaker addresses the question of why the establishment came crashing down upon the people of God. He emphasizes the importance of witnessing and expressing the salvation of God to others, even if they are already considered the people of God. The speaker encourages the audience to pray for Israel and the Jewish people, as well as to dedicate time to learning about them. He also highlights the suffering of the apostles and the need for believers to be witnesses. The sermon references Isaiah 43 and emphasizes the spiritual meaning behind God bringing his redeemed people together.
Israel and the End Times (Time Square Church)
By David Davis7951:10:50IsraelZEC 4:6MAT 23:37MAT 23:39EPH 2:11In this sermon, the speaker discusses the restoration of Israel and the role it plays in the end times. He emphasizes the importance of the Jewish people turning to Jesus as a sign of the approaching end. The speaker also mentions the need for the gospel to be preached to all nations before the end comes. He shares his excitement about a congregation on Mount Carmel that consists of both Arabs and Jews, highlighting the unity and reconciliation that can be found in Christ.
God Has Ended the War
By Theodore Epp1ReconciliationUnity in ChristEPH 2:11Theodore Epp emphasizes that God has reconciled both Jews and Gentiles through Christ, allowing them to be at peace with each other as they are at peace with God. This reconciliation enables believers to call each other 'brother' and highlights that true harmony can only be achieved through a relationship with Christ. Epp asserts that the deepest racial issues can only be resolved when individuals accept Christ as their Savior and yield to His control. He explains that through faith in Christ, believers are united as members of the Body of Christ, transcending nationality and background. Ultimately, Epp encourages believers to identify themselves in Christ rather than their natural identities.
Section 1 - Eph 1:1-2
By Lewis Sperry Chafer0ACT 20:171CO 10:32GAL 1:11EPH 1:3EPH 2:11EPH 3:1EPH 4:4Lewis Sperry Chafer delves into the profound revelations received by the Apostle Paul regarding the gospel of saving grace through Christ and the divine age of the Church, emphasizing the mystery of forming a new heavenly company from both Jews and Gentiles. The Ephesian letter unveils God's plan for the Church, written by Paul in A.D. 64 while in prison at Rome, closely associated with letters to the Philippians and Colossians. The Epistle addresses the saints in Ephesus and all faithful in Christ Jesus, revealing the unique position and privileges of the Church as the New Creation, distinct from the Adamic and Abrahamic stocks.
Remember That You Were Hopeless
By John Piper0EZK 20:42LUK 7:36JHN 4:22ROM 9:24EPH 2:11John Piper preaches on the importance of remembering our hopeless condition before salvation through Jesus Christ, emphasizing the need to feel and be gripped by the memory to deepen our devotion and affection for God. He highlights that salvation is only through Jesus Christ, making us fellow heirs of the promises and partakers of the gospel. Piper urges believers to guard against pride by remembering their former plight without Christ, cherish forgiveness more deeply, and exalt the righteousness of God as the foundation of our salvation and hope.
Identifying With God as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob
By Art Katz0Identity in ChristThe Relationship with IsraelEPH 2:11Art Katz emphasizes the importance of recognizing God as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, arguing that modern Jewry often misunderstands the gospel as a call to abandon their identity. He asserts that true Christianity is not a replacement of Israel's faith but its fulfillment, highlighting the need for Gentile believers to consciously identify with Israel's God. Katz points out that the grandeur of the gospel transcends cultural boundaries and calls for a return to the roots of faith, which is deeply intertwined with Israel's covenants. He challenges believers to acknowledge their relationship with the God of the Jews to fully experience the richness of their faith. Ultimately, he stresses that hope and salvation are found in the Messiah's blood, which connects believers to the commonwealth of Israel.
The Acts of the Apostles
By Arno Clemens Gaebelein0ACT 9:1ACT 10:1ACT 22:3ACT 26:10GAL 1:15EPH 2:11Arno Clemens Gaebelein preaches about the significant transition in the Book of Acts from the rejection of the Gospel by the Jews to the acceptance of the Gentiles. He highlights the conversion of Saul of Tarsus, a fierce persecutor of Christians, into the Apostle Paul, chosen to bring the Gospel to the Gentiles. The sermon also focuses on the obedience of Peter to preach the Gospel to Cornelius, a Gentile centurion, breaking the barrier between Jews and Gentiles. The miraculous events and visions in these chapters demonstrate God's plan to extend salvation to all nations.
Full Assurance of Hope
By Harry Ironside0Hope in ChristAssurance of SalvationEPH 2:11Harry Ironside emphasizes the transformative power of hope in Christ, contrasting the hopelessness of our unregenerate state with the 'good hope through grace' that believers possess. He explains that true hope is rooted in faith and the assurance of salvation, which enables Christians to endure trials and tribulations with patience and joy. Ironside encourages believers to maintain diligence in their spiritual lives to avoid backsliding and to cultivate a personal relationship with God, which strengthens their hope. He highlights that this hope is not only for the present but also for the future, as believers await the glorious return of Christ. Ultimately, he calls for a life of service and readiness, living in the light of the hope that Christ brings.
- Adam Clarke
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
- John Gill
- Matthew Henry
- Tyndale
Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
Wherefore remember - That ye may ever see and feel your obligations to live a pure and holy life, and be unfeignedly thankful to God for your salvation, remember that ye were once heathens in the flesh - without the pure doctrine, and under the influence of your corrupt nature; such as by the Jew's (who gloried, in consequence of their circumcision, to be in covenant with God) were called uncircumcision; i.e. persons out of the Divine covenant, and having no right or title to any blessing of God.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
The Greek order in the oldest manuscripts is, "That in time past (literally, once) ye," &c. Such remembrance sharpens gratitude and strengthens faith (Eph 2:19) [BENGEL]. Gentiles in the flesh--that is, Gentiles in respect to circumcision. called Uncircumcision--The Gentiles were called (in contempt), and were, the Uncircumcision; the Jews were called, but were not truly, the Circumcision [ELLICOTT]. in the flesh made by hands--as opposed to the true "circumcision of the heart in the Spirit, and not the letter" (Rom 2:29), "made without the hands in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ" (Col 2:11).
John Gill Bible Commentary
Wherefore remember, that ye be in time past Gentiles in the flesh,.... This, with what follows in the next verse, the apostle puts the converted Ephesians in mind of, in order to magnify the grace of God in their conversion; and to humble them in a view of their former state and condition; and to teach them that they could never be saved by any works of theirs: particularly he would have them call to mind, that they were in "time past Gentiles"; which does not so much regard the nation and country they were of, for in that sense they were Gentiles still; but their state and condition; they had been very blind and ignorant, were Gentiles that knew not God; they had been very wicked and profligate sinners of the Gentiles; and they had been "Gentiles in the flesh": not according to the flesh, or by birth, for so they were then; but in the time of their unregeneracy they were carnal, and minded the things of the flesh, walked after it, and fulfilled the lusts, and did the works of it; particular respect seems to be had to their uncircumcision in the flesh, to which circumcision in the flesh is opposed in the next clause: who are called uncircumcision by that which is called circumcision in the flesh made by hands; that is, they were by way of reproach and contempt called uncircumcised persons; than whom none were more abominable to the Jews, and hated by them, who were called circumcised persons from that circumcision which is outward, in the flesh, in a particular part of the body; and which is done by the hands of a man, who was called "the circumciser"; which any one might be, except a Gentile (u); an Israelite adult and skilful was preferred; yet these were not circumcised persons with that circumcision that is inward, and is of the heart, in the Spirit, and is made without the hands of men, and by the Spirit and power of God. (u) Maimon. Hilchot Milah, c. 2. sect. 1.
Matthew Henry Bible Commentary
In these verses the apostle proceeds in his account of the miserable condition of these Ephesians by nature. Wherefore remember, etc., Eph 2:11. As if he had said, "You should remember what you have been, and compare it with what you now are, in order to humble yourselves and to excite your love and thankfulness to God." Note, Converted sinners ought frequently to reflect upon the sinfulness and misery of the state they were in by nature. Gentiles in the flesh, that is, living in the corruption of their natures, and being destitute of circumcision, the outward sign of an interest in the covenant of grace. Who are called uncircumcision by that, etc., that is, "You were reproached and upbraided for it by the formal Jews, who made an external profession, and who looked no further than the outward ordinance." Note, Hypocritical professors are wont to value themselves chiefly on their external privileges, and to reproach and despise others who are destitute of them. The apostle describes the misery of their case in several particulars, Eph 2:12. "At that time, while you were Gentiles, and in an unconverted state, you were," 1. "In a Christless condition, without the knowledge of the Messiah, and without any saving interest in him or relation to him." It is true of all unconverted sinners, all those who are destitute of faith, that they have no saving interest in Christ; and it must be a sad and deplorable thing for a soul to be without a Christ. Being without Christ, they were, 2. Aliens from the commonwealth of Israel; they did not belong to Christ's church, and had no communion with it, that being confined to the Israelitish nation. It is no small privilege to be placed in the church of Christ, and to share with the members of it in the advantages peculiar to it. 3. They are strangers from the covenants of promise. The covenant of grace has ever been the same for substance, though, having undergone various additions and improvements in the several ages of the church, it is called covenants; and the covenants of promise, because it is made up of promises, and particularly contains the great promise of the Messiah, and of eternal life through him. Now the Ephesians, in their gentilism, were strangers to this covenant, having never had any information nor overture of it; and all unregenerate sinners are strangers to it, as they have no interest in it. Those who are without Christ, and so have no interest in the Mediator of the covenant, have none in the promises of the covenant. 4. They had no hope, that is, beyond this life - no well-grounded hope in God, no hope of spiritual and eternal blessings. Those who are with out Christ, and strangers from the covenant, can have no good hope; for Christ and the covenant are the ground and foundation of all the Christian's hopes. They were in a state of distance and estrangement from God: Without God in the world; not without some general knowledge of a deity, for they worshipped idols, but living without any due regard to him, any acknowledged dependence on him, and any special interest in him. The words are, atheists in the world; for, though they worshipped many gods, yet they were without the true God. The apostle proceeds (Eph 2:13) further to illustrate the happy change that was made in their state: But now, in Christ Jesus, you who sometimes were far off, etc. They were far off from Christ, from his church, from the promises, from the Christian hope, and from God himself; and therefore from all good, like the prodigal son in the far country: this had been represented in the preceding verses. Unconverted sinners remove themselves at a distance from God, and God puts them at a distance: He beholds the proud afar off. "But now in Christ Jesus, etc., upon your conversion, by virtue of union with Christ, and interest in him by faith, you are made nigh." They were brought home to God, received into the church, taken into the covenant, and possessed of all other privileges consequent upon these. Note, The saints are a people near to God. Salvation is far from the wicked; but God is a help at hand to his people; and this is by the blood of Christ, by the merit of his sufferings and death. Every believing sinner owes his nearness to God, and his interest in his favour, to the death and sacrifice of Christ.
Tyndale Open Study Notes
2:11-22 Paul now focuses on the grace that God has given particularly to Gentiles (non-Jews), bringing them into his family and uniting them with Jews in a new, unified, multiethnic community—the body of Christ, the church. Paul’s emphasis on the inclusion of Gentiles might suggest they were experiencing discrimination from Jewish Christians. 2:11 Traditionally, Jews disdained Gentiles, considering them “uncircumcised heathens” who were excluded from God’s people (see Gen 17:9-14). Paul argues that judging people by their bodies and not their hearts is superficial—in Christ, physical circumcision means nothing (see Rom 2:28-29).