The Unfathomable Riches Of Christ For The Gentiles

Here Paul turns his attention on the saved Gentiles in Ephesus, and extolls God’s unfathomable grace in what He has done for them.

Teaching Notes:

The Unfathomable Riches of Christ for the Gentiles

Ephesians 2:11-22

Ephesians 3:8 says, “To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ.” This is the subject in Ephesians 2:11-22 – the unfathomable riches of Christ for the Gentiles.

Paul has been expounding glorious riches that are ours in Christ. According to 1:3-14 we have been chosen by the Father, redeemed by the Son, and sealed by the Spirit. Then he prays they might understand their future inheritance, and the almighty power that has caused them to believe the gospel. It is the same power that raised Jesus from the dead and caused Him to ascend to heaven and sit down at the Father’s right hand. Paul’s point is that the very same power that was necessary to raise and enthrone Christ is also necessary to raise, and seat us with Christ who were dead in sins. Christ was dead – we were dead in our sins. Christ was raised – we were made alive together with Christ. Christ was seated at the Father’s right hand – we were seated with Him in the heavenly places in Christ. All that happens to Christ physically, happens to us spiritually, because we are in Him.

2:1-10 describe Christian’s Position Individually. 2:11-22 describe Christian’s Position Corporately. Notice who Paul is writing about in 2:11. The Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “Uncircumcision.” This whole section is describing God’s amazing riches toward Gentile believers. That’s you and me!

Notice the “formerly” of 2:11 and the “at that time” of 2:12. Notice also the “but now” of 2:13 and the “no longer” of 2:19. In 2:11-12 Paul describes the Past Wretchedness of the Gentiles in 2:11-12; and the Present Riches of the Gentiles in 2:19-22. But how did this great change take place? The Powerful Reconciliation of the Cross which he describes in 2:13-18.

1. The Past Wretchedness of the Gentiles: 2:11-12. “Uncircumcision” was a term of derision by Jews. It was an ethnic slur like nigger, wetback, or gringo. David uses it in 1Sam.17:26 of Goliath when he says, “who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should taunt the armies of the living God?” Jews despised gentiles, and looked on them as fuel for the fires of hell. If a Jew married a gentile, his family would hold a funeral service for him. Some Jewish women refused to help a gentile woman give birth, because they would be bringing a gentile into the world. When a Jew entered the Holy Land, he would shake the dust off his sandals so he wouldn’t contaminate Palestine with Gentile dust. This hostility was centuries old. Now, what was true about these gentiles in their unsaved condition?

1. They Were Without Christ: the gentiles had no promise of a Messiah. They had no vital union to Jesus Christ. They had no use for a crucified Jew! What did this result in?
2. They Were Without the Commonwealth of Israel: Rom.9:4-5. The Jewish people were enriched (wealthy) to have the Old Testament Scriptures, the promises, the prophecies, the Law, the priesthood, the sacrifices, the presence of Jehovah. The gentiles were entirely excluded from all this.
3. They Were Without the Covenants: God made many covenants w/ Israel. He made a covenant with Abraham, and Moses, David. A covenant is an agreement in which God binds Himself to carry out certain promises to His people. In His covenant with Abraham God promised to give them a land and provide a Descendant who would bless all the nations. In His covenant with Moses God promised to provide physical blessings to Israel as long as they were obedient to Him. In His covenant with David God promised to provide a Descendant to sit on his throne forever. The gentiles had no certified promises from God to bless, prosper and save them as the Jews had!
4. They Were Without Hope: Because they had no knowledge of the true God, the gentiles had no hope for the future. Hope is based on a promise. It arises out of confidence in someone who can perform what they promise. Most gentiles believed death ended all existence, or released their spirit to wander aimlessly in the nether world through eternity. Death brought nothingness & everlasting despair.
5. They Were Without God: Because they were without Christ, they were also without God. No one can come to the Father except through Christ. They were not atheists. They believed in many gods. But they had no saving relationship with the true and living God. In fact, they were experiencing a living death!

2. The Present Riches of the Gentiles: 2:19-22

1. They Are Citizens in God’s Kingdom: Ephesians 2:19 speaks of these gentiles being fellow citizens with the saints. Formerly, they were strangers to the covenants of promise (2:12) but now they are no longer strangers. Formerly they were excluded from citizenship in God’s kingdom. Israel was God’s chosen nation, but she rejected her Messiah. The kingdom was taken from the Jewish leaders and given to a nation bringing forth the fruit God was looking for (Mt.21:43). The Church is a holy nation (1Pet.2:9). The Church (made up of Jew and Gentile) has become the True Israel. There are no 2^nd class citizens in God’s kingdom. All Christians are 1^st class, whether they are Jews or gentiles – each has all rights of citizenship as the other does.
2. They Are Members of God’s Family: These believing gentiles have now become members of God’s household. Formerly they were without God in the world (2:12). A member of a family is a much more intimate relationship than a citizen of a kingdom. Why are these believing gentiles members of God’s household? Because God has adopted them (1:5). They were born into the family of Satan, but transferred by free grace into God’s family. All saints are part of the same family no matter what their ethnic distinctions may be.
3. They Are Stones in God’s Temple: Ephesians 2:20-22 tells us that the church is a building, a holy temple. The foundation for this temple is not the apostles & prophets themselves, but rather the truth they taught about Jesus Christ. 1Cor.3:11 says, “For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” When Peter made that wonderful confession of Jesus, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” Jesus responded with “you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My Church” (Mt.16:16-18). What rock was Jesus referring to? Was He saying Peter would become the rock upon which His church would be built? Hardly! Rather, it would be the truth that Peter had just confessed about Christ that would become the foundation, the truth that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the Living God. When Peter later writes about the foundation of the church, he doesn’t claim it is himself, but rather Christ as the corner stone (1Pet.2:6-8). Do we have apostles and prophets today? If we do, they are not the same kind of apostles and prophets. We no longer have any apostles and prophets who lay the foundation for the church in authoritative inspired teaching about Jesus Christ. After a foundation is laid, don’t keep digging it up and laying it again! Being Fitted Together: In 1Kings 6:7 we are told that the stones for the temple were cut exactly to specification, hammered & chiseled before being brought to the temple site and erected. There was a special place for every stone in the building. So too, the Holy Spirit has special place for every believer in the Church. He hammers and chisels away to prepare us for our place and function in the body. In 1 Peter 2:5, Peter tells us that we are living stones in God’s spiritual house. We are being fitted together in exactly the place in the body God wants us to be. Dwelling of God: in the Old Testament God walked with His people (Adam, Enoch, Noah), then He dwelt in the tabernacle, then in the temple. In the New Testament, He dwelt in Jesus Christ, and then after Christ’s ascension, He dwelt in the Church. Holy Temple: Interestingly, whenever we read of God’s temple we are told it must be holy! 2Cor.6:16-17; 1Cor.3:16-17; 1Cor.6:18-20. The most common adjective applied to the church is HOLY (not victorious, mighty, or successful).

Summary: Formerly we were separated from Christ – now we are in Christ (2:13). Formerly we were excluded from the commonwealth of Israel – now we are fellow citizens with the saints. Formerly we were without God – now we are the dwelling of God. God has reversed everything! He has taken us out of the deepest and most miserable poverty and raised us to unfathomable riches in Christ!

3. The Powerful Reconciliation of the Cross: 2:13-18.

1. The Cross of Christ: How did all this happen? Notice the following phrases, the blood of Christ (2:13); in his flesh (2:15); through the cross (2:16). That’s how all this happened – the almighty work of Jesus Christ on Calvary!
2. Both – One: notice in verses 14-18 how Paul emphasizes the concepts of “both” and “one.” His point is that the division between Jew and Gentile has been abolished by the cross.
3. Broke Down Barrier of Dividing Wall: What was that barrier? The Law of commandments contained in ordinances (2:15). It was the Mosaic law consisting of circumcision, Sabbaths, feasts, sacrifices, laws of purification, dietary laws, etc. All of these laws brought separation between Jew and gentile. Jews and gentiles couldn’t associate together, eat together, or worship together because gentiles didn’t follow Jewish rules. The only way for reconciliation between them was for these laws to be set aside.

How Would God Have Us Apply The Truths in This Passage?

1. The Church should experience Unity between all Races! God is color-blind! When churches separate based on race, color, or nationality, it is a great sin! As we grow, it should be our goal that people from all ethnic distinctions are represented in our churches. It doesn’t matter whether we are Jewish, Russian, Chinese, African, Hispanic, American, male or female, young or old. The Cross is the great leveler!

2. The Church should experience the Presence of God! Notice 2:22 – we are a dwelling of God in the Spirit. When the church gathers in the Spirit, God dwells there! That is not to say, God is not with us when we are alone, but there is a special manifestation of His presence when we gather. Oh, how we should long for more and more of God’s presence!

3. The Church should be holy! Are we as a church holy? What are we supposed to do to ensure that the church is holy? Jesus told us in Mt.18:15-17. We are to exercise church discipline by reproving those who live in sin, first privately, then with 1 or 2 witnesses, then the whole church. If a “member” of the church still lives in sin he is to be put out. That’s how seriously God takes the church’s holiness!

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