But now in Christ Jesus, ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. Ephesians 2:13
Did you notice the pronoun Paul uses in our text? He uses the word ‘ye’, indicating that he is not including himself in the his remarks. We might have thought he should say ‘we’. After all, wasn’t Saul of Tarsus far off before he was saved? Didn’t he need the blood of Christ to bring him nigh? Well, we need to dig into the context of our text to find the answer. Paul is speaking in Chapter 2 of the different status of the Israelites and the Gentiles in the Old Testament. Without the ordinances and oracles of God, the Gentiles were indeed far off from God. In their idolatry and darkness, they were without hope unless they were brought within the borders and blessings of Israel. The Israelites, on the other hand, had a covenant with God, Who had provided them with His law and His ordinances. By obedience, they could appreciate a nearness to God, a relationship far different from that of the Gentiles. And so, Paul could speak truly about a near position as a member of the commonwealth of Israel. But it was not as near a position as that provided by the blood of Christ.
Think of the folks in Noah’s time who rejected that old preacher’s message, who refused to enter the ark for safety. Some people were far from the ark, perhaps huge distances away and had never even heard of it. But others were close by, had often heard Noah preach, and had certainly taken note of the ark, as it was 100 years in construction. But when the floods came, what benefit did their nearness do them? They died just as surely as those who lived at a distance. Being close to the ark did not save them; they needed to be inside the ark. And that is why Paul uses the term ‘in Christ Jesus’ in our text. Jew of Gentile, the only refuge from the wrath of God is in our Saviour.
When it came to his heritage, Paul appreciated the near position that the Israelites had. He had been taught the Scriptures all his life, and had a deep understanding of much of the background to the Old Testament law and the prophets. That background was what the Holy Spirit could draw upon as Paul would pen his letters, including this one to the Assembly in Ephesus. But Paul was the apostle to the Gentiles, and he never ceased to wonder at how God so freely and so readily brought those Gentiles into the blessing of His salvation. It thrilled Paul’s heart to see the Gospel received among those who had no background in the Jewish religion. During his missionary journeys, he would enter a city and begin his messages in the synagogues and among his own people, but he quickly moved out among the Gentiles and found them receptive to the Gospel. And in our text, he remarks again at the wonder of the grace of God extended to those who were so far away. This should fill our hearts with wonder and joy today, too. -Jim MacIntosh