Six Sources for Strife (Ephesians 2:11-12)<\/h3>\nWe’re looking at Ephesians 2:11-12 today, where Paul begins by describing six of the differences between Jews and Gentiles. He describes six of the things that caused strife and division between these two people groups.<\/p>\n
All of these damaged relationships are the result of sin. Now if Paul was writing today, he could have written about blacks vs whites, Republicans vs. Democrats, rich vs. poor, police vs. inner city residents, vaccinated vs. unvaccinated, or Christian vs. Muslim.<\/p>\n
All of the racial, political, economic, religious, cultural, and health-related division that exist today existed in the days of Paul between Jews and Gentiles. In Ephesians 2:11-12, Paul commands them to remember six things in regard to their human relationships before they were saved. The first of these six is found in Ephesians 2:11.<\/p>\n
Ephesians 2:11. Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh\u2014who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands\u2014<\/b><\/p>\n
So the first division is that they were Gentiles in the flesh\u2014who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands\u2014<\/b><\/p>\n
Paul is talking here about the differences between the Jew and the Gentile. Prior to Abraham, there was no difference. But God, in choosing Abraham, created a difference. Now God created this difference so that His people could be a blessing to everyone else. The problem, however, was that many Jews saw this difference as a reason to boast and be proud and think that they were superior to the others.<\/p>\n
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But God did not choose Abraham so that the Jews would think they were superior to the Gentiles, but so that they might be a blessing and a help to the Gentiles.<\/p>\n
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And the aspect that Paul mentions here in Ephesians 2:11 about this difference between Jew and Gentile is circumcision. Since circumcision was the outward sign of the covenant with God, the Jews considered any uncircumcised male to be outside of God\u2019s blessing and purpose. The Jews were proud of this outward sign of the covenant, and they despised anyone who was not circumcised.<\/p>\n
In fact, \u201cJews said that the Gentiles were created by God to be fuel for the fires of Hell; that God loved only Israel of all the nations that he had made; that the best of the serpents crushed, the best of the Gentiles killed.<\/p>\n