It seems unlikely that Paul would teach the present reality of peace between Jew and Gentile on the basis of Messiah’s having abolished the separating wall in the Temple if, in fact, it were still standing! So we need to keep coming back to the cross of Christ. Matt. 8:8; m.Shek. What situation was that? There are so many ideas about what the church is should be. b. Erubin 4.5; Acts 1:12. them doing it again. ourselves down. Liddel and Scott list only δρυφάκτον (drufakton), noting that δρυφάκτος (drufaktos) is an erroneous form. He is accused of bringing Greeks into the Temple (Ac 21:28), and the issue in Ac 18:13ff consists of issues relating to “words and names and your own law” (v. 15). “decree”—a formal communal decision aiming to interpret the Law of Moses for the Christ “tore down the dividing-wall of 7:10). 6:32, 33). DuBois published a broad and exhaustive study of the quote “Negro problem in the United States.” The book was entitled: “The Souls of Black Folk.” [The prohibition of Ex. violence. What Does Ephesians 2:14 Mean? Tearing Down the Dividing Wall November 23, 2018 by Renee Dugan. Matt. 8:1; T.YomHaKipp. All., 1, 54f; Spec. [54] The verbal form of the word is used in Col. 2:20, δογματίζομαι (dogmatizomai). It’s because of between work and rest, and we need all sorts of other boundaries too. The Greek term translated “broke down” is λύω (luo ) which can mean “to loose,” “untie,” “set free,” “break up,” “destroy,” “bring to an end,” “abolish,” or “do away with.”[27] It is used of demolition of buildings, as in the famous saying of Yeshua regarding the Temple (John 2:19) or of the destruction of the ship on which Paul was traveling (Acts 27:41). I’ve done that elsewhere. They were to be given full participation in matters of Torah and Torah-life (Sabbath, Ex. 63a. So vital is this aspect of community that Paul is willing to view Jew and Gentile as though both were “one new man.” He does not negate the necessity of the Jew to remain a Jew, nor of a Gentile to remain a non-Jew, but he requires that these divergencies be lived out in the context of unity, not in separate cultures which do not touch each other and where unity is therefore impossible. You can see all the posts in the series, and connect to the audio podcast using the platform of your choice, by following this link. D. R. DeLacey, “The Sabbath/Sunday Question and the Law in the Pauline Corpus” in D. A. Carson, ed., From Sabbath to L-rd’s Day: A Biblical, Historical and Theological Investigation (Zondervan, 1982), 173-4, writes, “The law that was destroyed was precisely the law viewed from the perspective of the covenant between God and the people that was to be exclusively His people. and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us. But sometimes the fear is not legitimate. understand where this wall came from, we need to go back to the Old Testament. Important for our study is the fact that the verb περιφράσσειν, (perifrassein) “to fence about” (the verbal root related to the noun φραγμόϛ, fragmos “wall” used in Eph 2:14), is found in the Epistle of Aristeas to refer to the oral Torah as the fence around the Law which effects separation between Jew and non-Jew. sense of self: our boundaries enable us to define who we are and who we are Christ has achieved peace between And the prophets pronounce judgment upon any who would neglect their God-given responsibilities to the “stranger,” on the same grounds as neglect of orphans and widows (Ps. That's where Carl Trueman's book is so incredibly valuable. Yeshua argues that the Temple actually sanctifies the gold. So Christ’s Too often the mitzvot are kept as a means of obtaining personal identity or significance, or because of pressure from the community. fact made believers holy—believers both from Israel and the nations. As Messianic believers we may be disgusted with the way the Christian church has lost her Jewish roots, or how much of man’s “religion” has overtaken the community of God. 23:19). 22:21; 23:9; Lev. Matt. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, [NIV], For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us. Torah Resource.) The Dividing Wall of Ephesians 2:14 May 12th, 2012 This is the third message I ministered to my congregation when our Rav was away ministering in Africa to Torah Observant congregations that are beign raised over there. 22:40 – Yeshua quotes the Shema and Lev. Human The decree is probably based on Numbers 1:51, which prohibits The oral Torah expanded this to include any money obtained for unlawful hire (cf. Here's a video where I explain how the free online resource works. in the first place. This is about Israel’s holiness boundaries, given to them by God. But sometimes, we can unfortunately did something far greater: he destroyed the very reason that the wall was there Then it would be certain that the balustrade or the higher wall was meant. Sanders (Paul and Palestinian Judaism [Fortress, 1977], pp. in his presence” (1:4). Introduction Initially, my interest in the "dividing wall" spoken of by Paul in Eph 2:14 centered on the place of the Torah in the life of the Messianic believer. Ac. Ephesians 2:14 - For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, on StudyLight.org 1.3d; b. Yoma 87a. [6] Of course, the motivation for doing the mitzvot must be right. The unity Paul is talking But Jesus doesn’t stop there. סורג (soreg) does not occur in the Tanakh. facebook. Wha...". In this series, I don’t go into detail justifying every statement I make about the background and meaning of Ephesians. It is because of Messiah’s having come in the flesh that shalom is now preached as good news to those who are near as well as to those who are far away (v. 17) in fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy (Is 57:19). Saying the berakah before eating is part of the oral Torah. Who are you praying to? referring to Jewish people and gentiles. The Rabbinic injunction regarding a fence around the Law is common, as in Abot: . the entire world: they were to be “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (see It is only used here in the NT. The Lord Jesus Christ has rightly been called the Prince of Peace, for Christ is the propitiation for our sins bringing peace with God for all who believe in Him. 32:9ff; Amos 3:2. Enter your email address to subscribe to Forget the Channel and receive notifications of new posts by email. The Mishnah and Bavli refer to the balustrade by the term סוֹרֶג (soreg)[37], “lattice-work fence.” As Barth writes: If only in Eph 2:14 one of the technical names of the temple wall, dryphakto lithinos or soreq, had been used! fenced us about [περιφράσσειν] with impenetrable palisades and with walls of iron to the end that we should mingle in no way with any of the other nations, remaining pure in body and in spirit’ (139) and ‘so that we should be polluted by none nor be infected with perversions by associating with worthless persons, he has fenced us about [περιφράσσειν] on all sides with prescribed purifications in matters of food and drink and touch and hearing and sight’ (142)[39]. It is a unity that is based on Jesus’ death on the cross, and comes about through the preaching of the gospel (see verses 17–18). The one new humanity to survive and we need them to thrive. But in In our desire to recover what has been lost (and, in some cases, removed) from the Church, we dare not rebuild a wall between Jew and Gentile that was removed by the very work of our Messiah. DeLacey claims that the “ritual law” constituted a barrier between Jew and non-Jew, and that even the “resident alien” (גֵר תוֹשָׁב), who was expected to keep the ritual law was nonetheless never considered part of Israel. The key to this question of “how” may be found in the words “in one body” of v. 16. This call admonishes us to go further by living an authentic Jewish life that would mark us as distinct in culture from both the non-believing Jewish community as well as from the non-Jewish Christian church. longer applies to the situation. This was the “dividing wall, the (Rabbinic) law contained in the ordinances (of the oral Torah).” Those parts of the oral Torah that affirm the written Torah or are in harmony with it remain viable for the Messianic believer as the traditions of the fathers. m.Shabbat 22.5. 26:20 – Reclining is the position of eating at the Pesach meal, but is not prescribed in the written Torah. The line in question is: But Dositheus, known as the son of Drimylus, a Jew by birth who later changed his religion and apostatized from the ancestral traditions… (ὕστερον δε ματαβαλών τὰ νόμιμα καἱ τῶν πατρἰων δογμάτων απηλλοτριωμένοϛ)[51], The phrase τῶν πατρἰων δογμάτων (ton patrion dogmaton, literally “the dogma of the fathers”) is best understood not to refer to the Mosaic Torah but to the “traditions of the fathers,” the halakah of the community. In fact, it was the out-pouring of the Ruach upon the house of Cornelius (Acts 10) along with the vision that Peter had previously which convinced him and the rest that God had united the believing Gentiles together with the Jewish believers. [55] Kremannumi usually translates תָּלָה (talah) in the Tanakh, the meaning of which is “to hang.” The NASB “depends upon” as a translation is a dynamic equivalence or extension and is not supported lexicographically. So, the middle wall of division was broken down by the death of Messiah because it was by His death that the promise of the Ruach was made sure. [3] Gal 6:10; Eph 2:19; 1 Tim 3:5, 15. beings need boundaries. m. Hagiga 1.8; b. Ber. Whoever is caught will have himself to blame for his subsequent death.[34]. There is very little evidence (if any at all) that “salvation by works” was a major tenant of the 1st Century Judaisms. Ultimately, in all of the mitzvot, we ought to strive to perform them first and foremost from a heart that longs to obey God andis satisfied with the joy that comes merely from obeying God. does not mean uniformity; equality does not mean homogeneity; the killing of Furthermore, in the inscription engraved on the balustrade itself, the wall is referred to by a different term: No foreigner is to enter within the forecourt and the balustrade (δρυφάκτου, drufaktou) around the sanctuary. Share This. Now some might object that the present call to a separate Messianic Jewish culture is not a separation based upon calling non-Messianic believers “unclean.” In fact, those who propose such a “third culture” are quick to acknowledge that people in the Christian church are brothers and sisters who have the indwelling Ruach, and that we are all part of the body of Messiah. 12:49; Lev. [15] For Paul, each of these perspectives was ultimately a “different gospel,” since union with Messiah was the sole basis of entrance and privilege within the family of God, and this union was a matter of grace, not of the works of the Torah. From these brief notes we may summarize: First, the wall spoken of by Paul in Eph 2:14 was not the dividing wall in the 2nd Temple, because (a) it was still standing at the time Paul wrote Ephesians, and (b) the terminology Paul uses to describe the wall is different than the terms regularly used for the dividing wall in the Temple, terms Paul no doubt was familiar with. Ephesians 2:14-15 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances Note how it is that Christ becomes our peace and how he deals emphatically with the Jewish controversy, To do that, I need to understand the people around me. 2:15 is καταργήσας (katargesas, from καταργέω, katargeo). [22] The Gentiles have been “brought near” because the dividing wall that prohibited them from coming near has been broken down through the cross. The first thing to note is that the term δόγμα (dogma) is never used in the Lxx of any of the commandments, judgments, statutes, or laws of which, e.g., according to Genesis 26:5, the total written Torah consists. 15.417; cf. a railed barrier) in the Temple in Jerusalem. Ephesians 2:14-16 NIV For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside … How were those who were far off to be brought near? [26] Contrary to D. R. DeLacey, Op. But if Pauline authorship of Ephesians is maintained, this is impossible. Mexico is a tangible symbol that taps into the fear of a nation: the fear that The ‘Dividing Wall’ in Ephesians 2:14 Ephesians 2:14-15: What has been abolished? 22:3; Zech. . 52) . was a literal barrier in the Temple, but it pointed to a greater wall of hostility. For the Greek, “community” may exist purely within the realm of ideas. occupation, where the Jewish people felt they were in danger of being overrun He lived a life unto you that went beyond obeying commands. God has made us to be holy, and he wants us to hold Thus, we must be careful to maintain the biblical mandates, but equally careful not to divide over man-made traditions. Either you go down the (common) route or (clean) you are still shooting your self ...", "Just one question. present-day situation. boundaries involved various laws, ranging from moral commandments to [4] James likewise assumes that the commands he gives are fulfilled within a community that weeps and rejoices together, prays together, where elders are called when one is sick.[5]. But it’s They said three things: Be deliberate in judgment, raise up many disciples, and make a fence [סְיָג ,סְיָיג in the Prayerbook] round the Law. . Reading Ephesians and Colossians after Supersessionism, Read all the posts in this series or subscribe to the audio podcast, http://media.blubrry.com/liftyoureyes/p/content.blubrry.com/liftyoureyes/22-Christ-the-wall-breaker-Ephesians-2-14-16.mp3, Reading Ephesians and Colossians After Supersessionism: Christ’s Mission through Israel to the Nations, The blood that brings us close (Ephesians 2:11–13), Christ the missionary (Ephesians 2:17–18). Cf. Some apparently felt that a non-Jew had fewer privileges within the community than a Jew[13], some considered full-fledged salvation impossible apart from becoming a proselyte[14], and still others refused to fellowship in fullness with the non-Jews of The Way. walls. gentiles past this barrier, and stirred up a mob to get him killed. in this situation, they felt they needed to kill. [49] Some have concluded that the use of the word in 3 Maccabees 1:3 refers to the “Law of Moses,”[50] but an investigation of the text in no way substantiates this claim. Here, then, is my “bottom line”: I agree that Messianic believers should be encouraged to accept the mitzvot of the Torah and live a Torah lifestyle. To suggest that Jews have an obligation to Torah which Gentiles do not is to suggest something foreign to the thrust of the Prophets and the Apostles. [47] b.Shabbat 14b; y.Shabbat I, 3c; T.Parah 3:10. But Christ, by dying on the cross for their sins, has rescued both For other instances where the Sabbath may be profaned, cp. and afraid that our boundaries might be transgressed, so we feel we need to But a great deal of what I heard caused me no small alarm. Ephesians 2:14-17 – For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. The Bavli notes that these gates were closed up, cf. Press here to find out more: House of Windsor Editing Services. And when we define ourselves primarily as the holy The word has been found in two inscriptions in the sense of “partition” or “barrier.”[30], The genitive τοῦ φραγμοῦ (tou fragmou) is appositional: “the barrier consisting of the fence.” φραγμός (fragmos, “fence”) is found 3 other times in the Apostolic Writings, all with the sense of “fence.”[31] The Lxx uses the term with this same meaning. 583-5; F. F. Bruce, Ephesians in NICNT (Eerdmans, 1957), p. 61. The boundaries were there to mark them out as holy. We can start to define ourselves as people who are always behaving For *he* is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of enclosure, World English Bible For he is our peace, who made both one, and broke down the middle wall of partition, Young's Literal Translation for he is our peace, who did make both one, and the middle wall of the enclosure did break down, Ephesians 2:14 Parallel Paul But Paul uses a Greek formulation (mesotoichon tou phragmou) which suggests that his imagery may be taken from someplace else.[38]. This is the issue that Paul is talking about [28] The compound form (καταλύω, kataluo) is used in Matthew 5:17, “Do not think I am come to abolish (καταλῦσαι, katalusai) the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish (καταλῦσαι, katalusai) but to fulfill.” The compound form is probably intensive or perfective, in the sense of “utterly destroy,” see Johannes P. Louw and Eugene A. Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (UBS, 1988), 1.234 who show that λύω (luo) and καταλύω (kataluo) fall into close semantic ranges. in a way that is holy—holier than others. So the Most the nations both need to see themselves as forgiven sinners, not as hostile [9] The “two will become one” language hearkens back to Gen 2:24. But the commands of the Scriptures, both the Tanakh and the Apostolic Writings, are given to be lived out in actual life-to-life contexts, not in the ethereal world of philosophy. Which wall is Paul talking about? world, this is where the walls can easily be constructed. Gentiles and Jews, he has made the two one, and in his own body of flesh and blood has broken down the barrier of enmity which separated them; for he annulled the law with its rules and regulations, so as to create out of the two a single new humanity in himself, thereby making peace. sending the nations against them. If you’re interested in the reasons I say what I say here, and want to chase it up further with lots of ancient Greek, technical stuff, and footnotes, check out my book Reading Ephesians and Colossians After Supersessionism: Christ’s Mission through Israel to the Nations. We dare not take that which God has given to all His people, and relegate it to a select group on the basis of the non-biblical teaching of “unique callings.” But this means we will have to die to ourselves at times, as we bear with those who not only disagree with us, but are even at times antagonistic toward us. In this sinful and broken world, we [29] It may have been in the mind of the Apostle that while the dividing wall was destroyed (luvw, luo), the enmity found in the “law of commandments contained in ordinances” was simply rendered ineffective, though still existing. To maintain the biblical mandates, but it pointed to a wall mean. 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