Ephesians 2:14 kjv

For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;

Ephesians 2:14 nkjv

For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation,

Ephesians 2:14 niv

For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility,

Ephesians 2:14 esv

For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility

Ephesians 2:14 nlt

For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us.

Ephesians 2 verses

Ephesians 2 14 Meaning

Ephesians 2:14 declares that Jesus Christ himself is the source and embodiment of peace, not merely a bringer of it. He accomplished reconciliation by taking two previously divided groups, specifically Jews and Gentiles, and making them one unified body in Him. He achieved this profound unity by dismantling the deep-seated spiritual and social barrier that separated them, identified as "the dividing wall of hostility." This highlights Christ's singular role in ending ancient enmities and establishing a new spiritual reality of unity through His atoning work.

Ephesians 2 14 Context

Ephesians 2:14 sits within a powerful section (Eph 2:11-22) addressing the radical transformation brought about by Christ for Gentiles and the new reality of unity in the church. Prior to this verse, Paul reminds Gentile believers of their past state: separated from Christ, alienated from Israel, without hope or God in the world (Eph 2:11-12). He then proclaims that through the blood of Christ, those who were once "far off" have been "brought near" (Eph 2:13). Verse 14 then explains how this bringing near occurs: by Christ Himself being peace and actively dismantling the wall of hostility. The historical context is crucial, referencing the palpable socio-religious division between Jews (God's chosen people, with the Law and covenants) and Gentiles (often seen as unclean outsiders). The "dividing wall" held a potent symbolic meaning, reminiscent of the soreg in the Jerusalem Temple, a physical barrier marking off the outer Court of the Gentiles from the inner courts forbidden to non-Jews on pain of death. Beyond the physical, it represented the profound spiritual, legal, and cultural chasm of hostility rooted in distinct covenants and ways of life.

Ephesians 2 14 Word analysis

• For he himself: Greek: Autos gar estin. "He" emphatically refers to Jesus Christ. It underscores His unique, active, and personal agency in achieving this reconciliation. It's not something he just enables, but something He is.
• is our peace: Greek: eirēnē hēmōn. "Peace" (eirēnē) signifies far more than the mere absence of conflict; it conveys the Hebrew concept of shalom—wholeness, well-being, reconciliation, harmony, prosperity, and covenantal relationship. Christ isn't just a mediator for peace, but peace personified. He embodies and establishes ultimate harmony between God and humanity, and among humanity.
• who has made the two groups one: Greek: ho poiēsas ta amphotera hen. "Two groups" refers explicitly to Jews and Gentiles. "Made... one" signifies creating a singular, unified entity in Christ. This doesn't erase ethnic identity but removes the basis for division, creating a "new man" (Eph 2:15).
• and has destroyed: Greek: kai to mesotoichon tou phragmou lysas. "Destroyed" (lysas) implies breaking down, tearing apart, rendering powerless, or dissolving. It's a forceful action, not a gradual decay, highlighting the decisive nature of Christ's work.
• the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility: Greek: to mesotoichon tou phragmou tes echthras. This phrase is rich in meaning.
  • dividing wall (mesotoichon): Literally "middle wall." This immediately calls to mind the soreg (a stone balustrade) in the Herodian Temple in Jerusalem, which separated the Court of the Gentiles from the areas only permissible for Jews. Inscriptions on this wall warned Gentiles against entering, threatening death.
  • barrier (phragmou): A "fence" or "partition," further emphasizing the separating function.
  • of hostility (tes echthras): This defines the nature of the barrier. The "wall" itself was filled with enmity; it represented the mutual animosity, misunderstanding, and deep-seated animosity between Jew and Gentile, often fueled by interpretations of the Law and Gentile idolatry. Christ removed this enmity itself, which had its physical manifestation and spiritual reality. This hostility was rooted in legal distinctions, cultural differences, and spiritual alienation that fostered mutual contempt.

Ephesians 2 14 Bonus section

The destruction of the "dividing wall" by Christ wasn't an abrogation of God's holy Law but specifically targeted its function in generating hostility and separation between Jew and Gentile. Christ "fulfilled" the Law (Matt 5:17), effectively taking its demands upon Himself and rendering its covenantal stipulations for distinct Jewish national identity and practice obsolete as a means of salvation or source of division in the new creation. This means access to God is no longer mediated through a specific temple or through ethnic lineage but directly through faith in Christ. The impact of this statement on early believers, particularly Jewish Christians who clung to their unique heritage and Gentile exclusion, was profound and transformative. Paul's own life experiences, having been falsely accused in Jerusalem for bringing Gentiles into the temple (Acts 21), demonstrate the deeply rooted nature of this very "wall" he describes. The "one new man" (Eph 2:15) signifies not a blend of two previous identities, but a third, entirely new identity in Christ that supersedes and transcends former distinctions, all centered in the reconciled community of believers.

Ephesians 2 14 Commentary

Ephesians 2:14 encapsulates the core of Christ's reconciling work. Christ, being the ultimate shalom, fundamentally altered the landscape of human division. Before Him, Jew and Gentile stood in diametric opposition, estranged not just culturally, but by what seemed to be divine decree – the Law and covenant given to Israel seemingly reinforced their unique standing, leading to Gentile exclusion. Paul makes it clear that Christ, in His very person, embodying peace, abolished this historical enmity. The symbolic "dividing wall" speaks to both a physical reality in the Temple and, more significantly, the spiritual and socio-legal distinctions of the Mosaic Law as it served to delineate and separate God's people from the nations, thereby generating "hostility." By His sacrificial death on the cross, Christ rendered the Law's divisive function null and void in establishing boundaries between believing Jews and Gentiles. He didn't abolish the moral righteousness of the Law, but rather the system of ceremonial and ritual ordinances that, in their strict application, created an impassable barrier and basis for antagonism. Through Christ, one new humanity is formed, not by Gentile assimilation into Judaism, nor by the dissolution of Jewish heritage, but by both groups being integrated into Christ. This provides the theological basis for the radical inclusivity of the church, where all believers share equal access to God and mutual fellowship.

• Examples:
  • This unity challenges modern-day divisions based on ethnicity, socio-economic status, or theological secondary issues within the church, calling believers to embody the peace Christ created.
  • It encourages evangelism across cultural boundaries, recognizing that Christ's peace transcends all human-made barriers.