Chapter 2

Download Notes

Ephesians 2 describes the relationship of non-Jewish believers to the Commonwealth of Israel and it also goes into great detail explaining the removal of the dividing wall by the work of Yahusah.

Our job is to determine what that ‘dividing wall’ is.

Ephesians 2 the ‘ecclessia’ united (Genesis 28:3)!

Ephesians 2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 

Ephesians 2:2  Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

Death was a result of disobedience to יהוה, understood from time memorial – the Creation.

A biblical maxim is:’without law man is nothing but a natural idolater.’

Ephesians 2:3  Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

A spiritual formula: a person who pursued fulfilling the desires of the flesh, in turn leaves the man an empty vessel that holds only anger and self loathing as he’s turned his body, soul and spirit over to be weapons of destruction against himself and His loving Creator.

Ephesians 2:4  But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 

Ephesians 2:5  Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Messiah, (by grace ye are saved;)

YHWH’s mercy/rachamin is from the Torah, it’s not some NT idea:

By religion re-defiining biblical terms and meanings, religion has been able to redefine the messiah and redefine the faith. Selah,

A redefined Messiah = anti-Messiah.

A redefined faith = a counterfeit faith.

Ephesians 2:6  And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Messiah Yahusha: 

Ephesians 2:7  That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Messiah Yahusha.

ssunegeirō/olah – raised up, as in its usage of a priesthood in Ex 24.9 that went up ascending the Mount to heavenly places: Then went up/ olah/ ssunegeirō/ Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel:10  And they saw the Elohim of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness.

Ephesians 2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of Elohim: 

Ephesians 2:9  Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Salvation is not ‘by works’ but ‘for works’ which is concurrent with the original call of יהוה upon Ancient Israel, which was to obey Him as a Kingdom of priests and a holy nation.

Matthew 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Ephesians 2:10  For we are his workmanship/poiēma, created in Messiah Yahusha unto good works, which Elohim hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

One in Messiah. 

Our workmanship is rooted and grounded in the priesthood and the tabernacle: 

Exodus 31:2 See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah: 3  And I have filled him with the spirit of El, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship/mel-aw-kaw’

Ephesians 2:11  Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands. 

‘Cheiropoiētos’ ‘Made by human hands’ used in the Lxx in relation to idol making, Paul views those holding to outward forms of doctrine as those in rebellion to Elohim making idols.

Ephesians 2:12  That at that time ye were without Messiah, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without Elohim in the world:

Genesis 11 the table of nations were truly alienated from the promises of Elohim. Just as they had built a wall of partition due to their rebellion (the tower of babel), Israel had also had built a wall of partition due to their rebellion (Golden Calf – BoL).

By removing wall of partition – the BoL – Yahusha has not only removed the obstacle to unity in Israel. He’s removed the obstacle to unity in the nations.

Ephesians 2:13  But now in Messiah Yahusha who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Messiah. 

Biblical context of V.13 ’made nigh’/‘brought near’  – Isaiah 56:3: Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to יהוה , speak, saying, יהוה  hath utterly separated me from his people: neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree. 4  For thus saith יהוה  unto the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant; 5  Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off. 6  Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to יהוה , to serve him, and to love the name of יהוה , to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant.

Psalms 148:14  He also exalteth the horn of his people, the praise of all his saints; even of the children of Israel, a people near unto him. Praise יהוה.

Deuteronomy 4:7 For what nation is there so great, who has יהוה so near  unto them, as יהוה our Elohim is in all things that we call upon him

Revelation 21:12 And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel! 

Ephesians 2:14  For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; 

Ephesians 2:15  Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; 

Ephesians 2:16  And that he might reconcile both unto Elohim in one body by the tree, having slain the enmity thereby:

Terms: “Both one”, “middle wall broken”, “abolished the enmity clause” -“which is the ‘law’ of commandments contained in ‘ordinances’”, “one new man”, “reconcile the two” (houses) by “slaying the enmity clause” – (the BoL).

Ephesians 2:15-16 is in direct contrast to Ephesians 2:12 “Promise”.

The ‘law of commandments’ ‘contained in ordinances’ – isn’t a record of sin debt.

Notice that the ‘law of commandments’ “contained in ordinances” (Ephesians 2:15) is very different from the ‘Commandment Laws’ ‘contained in Covenant’ at Ephesians 2:12.

These Melchizedek Covenants contain Melchizedek Covenant Law that very much still stands.

Yahshua both set aside the Levitical (Hebrews 7:11) ‘Book of the Law’ (Galatians 3:10; 3:17 / Colossians 2:14 / Ephesians 2:15 /Hebrews 10:9) ‘and’ took away our debt of sin (Romans 6:23; 8:10 / 1 John 1:9).

But the one is not to the exclusion (or in the context) of the other.

Unlike the Levitical Book of the Law (Galatians 3:10/Hebrews 7:11); the Malki-tzedik Book of the Covenant (Exodus 19:5 -24:8) could not be ‘Against Us’,  it was the Marriage Katubah – it’s how YHWH married Abraham’s descendants to become YHWH’s family. (Katubah means a Hebrew Binding Marriage Proposal).

The Levitical Book of the Law (Galatians 3:10) is ‘The Law’ that was: Ephesians 2:16 ‘reconciled.’ That same Law that was Ephesians 2:15 ‘abolished.’

The transference of priesthood from Levi to Malki-tzedik is then further sealed with the destruction of the Temple in 70 C.E.

4 different worldview’s of the dedicated phrase, “the law of commandments contained in ordinances.”

1. Evangelical Christianity’s worldview: This law is the totality of the law of Moses – the Torah! If this worldview’s correct then Ephesians 6:2 poses quite an embarrassment; ‘Honor your father and mother.’ It’s utterly ridiculous to consider that Paul would consider the Torah as a whole abolished and then go on to appeal to it’s instruction a few paragraphs later within the same letter!

2. Christian Reformed theologies worldview (Westminster Confession of Faith 1643-1647) and a mainstay of Protestantism up until the 19th Century: This law composes of the ceremonial commandments of the law, particularly in relation to the priestly rites, the regulations of clean and unclean and the death penalty for high crimes in the law. This ‘law’ doesn’t eradicate the ‘ethical’ and ‘moral precepts’ of the law. The problem with this worldview is that it stands alone upon man-made theological divisions and sub-divisions that cannot be substantiated with biblical text or phrasing.

3. 20th Century Messianic Judaism’s worldview: This ‘law’ is a reference to what caused the dividing wall seen in Jerusalem’s temple  – a construct of rabbinic oral law, not of Mosaic origin. This interpretation has become very popular within the Hebrew Roots Movement today; but it falls flat on it’s face when you take into account that Paul makes no reference whatsoever to the temple in Jerusalem and it’s highly doubtful that Gentiles in Asia would’ve recognized any such allusion to the partition wall of the Jerusalem Temple since they’d of never of been to the temple would they!

4. Melchi-Tzedik worldview: the ‘law of commandments’ ‘contained in ordinances’, (Ephesians 2:15) being distinct from the‘commandment laws’ ‘contained in covenant’ at (Ephesians 2:12) identifies the Book of the Law (Galatians 3:10) as being ‘the law’ instituted as the Golden Calf enmity clause! that enmity from the Golden Calf covenant breach is now reconciled;  thus abolished;  as the Book of the Covenant-Torah is now fully inaugurated for all believers by Yahusha’s inauguration of the New Covenant – a return to covenant Torah in Messiah. The Book of the Law is the middle wall that is struck down.

Hebrews 7:11 If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law (BoL) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchizedek, and not be called after the order of Aaron?

Hebrews 7:12  For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.

Hebrews 7:16  Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.

Ephesians 2:17  And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh (the prophetic fulfillment of Isa. 52.10, 56:3 & 57:19).

Ephesians 2:18  For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. 

Ephesians 2:19  Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of Elohim;

Ephesians 2:20  And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Yahusha the Messiah himself being the chief corner stone; 

Ephesians 2:21  In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Kurios: 

Yahusha has built, yet we’re called to raise this fallen tabernacle of David:

Exodus 26:15 Make boards for the tabernacle of shittim wood standing up. Make forty sockets of silver under the twenty boards; They shall be coupled together beneath, and they shall be coupled together above the head of it unto one ring: 

Make bars of shittim wood; Overlay the boards with gold, and make their rings of gold for places for the bars: and thou shalt overlay the bars with gold. 30 And thou shalt rear up the tabernacle according to the fashion thereof which was shewed thee in the mount.

We were bought with the currency of redemption, the body, the metal of Moshiach! We are the building boards coupled together by the currency of redemption, silver.

”The  bride is purchased with silver by Yeshua, cleansed and refined to become the rebuilt tabernacle of David housed within Maximus Israel.

Ephesians 2:22  In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of Elohim through the Spirit.

Silver is the currency of man and is what holds the building boards together to construct the holy habitation of יהוה .