REFLECTIONS FOR A NEW HEART: The Wall Torn Down (Ephesians 2:14-18)

Christ Our Peace and Access to God

Main Idea of Ephesians:

Ephesians reveals God’s eternal plan to unite all things in Christ, detailing our spiritual riches, the Church’s unity as His body, and our calling to live out this new identity.

Questions to Consider:

Verse 14 says Christ “is our peace.” What does it mean for Christ to not just bring peace, but to be peace?

What specific “dividing wall of hostility” is Paul referring to? How did Christ’s death (“in his flesh”) tear it down?

According to verses 15-16, Christ’s work has two main goals. What is the horizontal goal (between people) and what is the vertical goal (between people and God)?

Who are the “far away” and the “near” that Christ preached peace to in verse 17?

How does verse 18 present the involvement of all three members of the Trinity (Father, Son, and Spirit) in our salvation and access to God?

The Text:

“For he is our peace, who made both groups one and tore down the dividing wall of hostility. In his flesh, he made of no effect the law consisting of commands and expressed in regulations, so that he might create in himself one new man from the two, resulting in peace. He did this so that he might reconcile both to God in one body through the cross by which he put the hostility to death. He came and proclaimed the good news of peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.”

– Ephesians 2:14-18 (CSB)

Observations:

Verse 14: Christ as Peace: Paul declares that Christ Himself is our peace, and that He is the one who made the two groups (Jew and Gentile) one by tearing down the dividing wall of hostility between them.

Verse 15: The New Creation: He specifies that Christ accomplished this “in his flesh” (His death), rendering the law with its commands obsolete as a dividing instrument. His purpose was to create one new, unified humanity (“one new man”) from the two, thereby making peace.

Verse 16: Reconciliation to God: Paul adds that Christ’s work was also to reconcile this single body to God through the cross, which is where the hostility between humanity and God was put to death.

Verse 17: Peace Proclaimed to All: He states that Christ came and preached peace to both Gentiles (“far away”) and Jews (“near”), indicating the universal scope of the gospel message.

Verse 18: Unified Access to the Father: The result of Christ’s work is that both groups now have access to the Father through the same single Spirit.

Interpretation:

The Person of Peace and the Demolished Wall (vv. 14-15a): Paul’s declaration, “he is our peace,” is profound. Christ does not merely broker a peace treaty; He embodies peace itself. The “dividing wall of hostility” He tore down is a direct reference to the Mosaic Law, which, with its specific commands and regulations, created a functional and spiritual barrier between Jew and Gentile. This is powerfully illustrated by the physical wall in the Jerusalem temple that kept Gentiles out of the inner courts. Paul explains that Christ achieved this “in his flesh,” meaning through His sacrificial death. He made the law “obsolete” not in its reflection of God’s moral character, but in its function as a wall of separation and a system for earning righteousness. As many commentators would note, such as Thielman (BECNT), Christ’s fulfillment of the law terminated its role as a boundary marker for God’s covenant people.

The Creation of One New Man (vv. 15b-16): The purpose of demolishing the wall was not just destruction, but creation. Christ’s goal was “to create in himself one new man from the two.” This is the Church—a new humanity where the old hostilities are dead and one’s primary identity is found in union with Christ. This new man experiences peace because the source of enmity has been removed. Crucially, Paul connects this horizontal reconciliation (people to people) to the vertical reconciliation (people to God). He reconciles this “one body” to God “through the cross.” This shows that Christian unity is not just a social goal but a direct consequence and evidence of our shared peace with God. As John Stott (BST) would emphasize, the vertical reconciliation is the foundation for the horizontal.

Universal Access to the Father (vv. 17-18): Christ, having accomplished peace, then “proclaimed peace” through the apostolic message. This good news was for everyone: for the Gentiles who were “far away,” spiritually and covenantally alienated from God, and for the Jews who were “near” through the covenants but still in need of reconciliation through their Messiah. Verse 18 presents the magnificent result in a beautiful Trinitarian formula: It is through Him (Christ the Son) that both groups have access in one Spirit to the Father. This unified access is the pinnacle of our spiritual privileges. As commentators like O’Brien (PNTC) highlight, the equal access for all believers underscores the complete abolition of any previous religious hierarchy or privilege.

Application:

Live as a Peacemaker: Since Christ is our peace and has torn down walls, we are called to be agents of reconciliation, actively working to break down walls of hostility (racial, cultural, economic, social) in our spheres of influence.

Ground Your Unity in the Gospel: Recognize that true Christian unity is not based on shared culture or preferences, but on our shared reconciliation to God through the cross. Let your love for other believers be a direct reflection of the grace you have all received.

Embrace Your Access to God: Do not neglect the incredible privilege of direct access to the Father. Because of what Christ has done, you can approach God in prayer with confidence and intimacy, empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Value Every Believer: Understand that Christ’s work was to bring together people who were “far away” and “near.” This means every believer, regardless of their background, now has the exact same worth, standing and access to God as you do.

Connection to the Main Idea:

This passage is absolutely central to the “Main Idea of Ephesians.” It powerfully sets the stage for the “Church’s unity as His body” by first describing the profound alienation that existed. By showing that Gentiles were formerly excluded, Paul magnifies the miracle of grace that brings them “near.” This act of creating “one new man” is a key aspect of their “spiritual riches” and the foundation of their “new identity,” demonstrating God’s “eternal plan” to create one new people in Christ.

How Does This Text Point to Christ?

Christ is the sole agent and very substance of the reconciliation described. He is our peace. The demolition of the wall happens in his flesh. The new man is created in himself. Reconciliation to God happens through the cross. Peace is proclaimed by Him. Access to the Father is through Him. This entire passage is a magnificent portrait of the all-sufficient, reconciling, and foundational work of Jesus Christ.

Summary:

Ephesians 2:14-18 explains that Jesus Christ Himself is our peace, who through His death on the cross tore down the dividing wall of the Law that created hostility between Jews and Gentiles. In its place, He created one new humanity, the church, and reconciled this unified body to God. As a result, all believers, regardless of their background, now have equal and direct access through the one Spirit to God the Father.

Be Intentional:

This week, identify one “wall of hostility” in your own life or community—perhaps a prejudice, a misunderstanding, or a division between groups. Pray specifically that Christ, who is our peace, would give you the grace and wisdom to be an agent of reconciliation in that situation.

Take a moment each day to consciously thank the Father for the direct access you have to Him through Christ and the Spirit.

Ask Yourself:

When I think of peace, do I think of it as just an absence of conflict, or do I think of the person of Jesus Christ?

Does my relationship with other believers truly reflect the reality that the primary “dividing wall” has been demolished?

How does the truth that I have direct access to the Father change how I should approach my prayer life?

Bibliography:

(Note: Book titles and series are generally kept in English as standard references).

Carson, D. A. (General Editor). NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible (NIVBTSB). Zondervan.

Merida, Tony. Exalting Jesus in Ephesians (Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary – CCE). B&H Publishing Group.

O’Brien, Peter T. The Letter to the Ephesians (Pillar New Testament Commentary – PNTC). Eerdmans.

Thielman, Frank. Ephesians (Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament – BECNT). Baker Academic.

Baugh, S. M. Ephesians (Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament – ZECNT).Zondervan.

Stott, John R. W. The Message of Ephesians (The Bible Speaks Today – BST). InterVarsity Press.