Ephesians 2: 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
Good Biblical exegesis Bionic! I had never noticed the "we", "you" distinction in that way before, but your observations are persuasive. There is also a passage in Ephesians where Paul says Jesus tore the wall down between the two peoples: Jew and Gentile. So I see this in the context of the letter too. There were distinctions before Christ and now there aren't.
Ephesians 2: 14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, 15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, 16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. 17 And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. 18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.
I did not include this in the four posts on this topic (three of which are to come, once a week), but "having abolished...the law of commandments contained in the ordinances" is also a key to what I have come to understand about 2: 8-10. This will become more clear in the subsequent posts.
Good Biblical exegesis Bionic! I had never noticed the "we", "you" distinction in that way before, but your observations are persuasive. There is also a passage in Ephesians where Paul says Jesus tore the wall down between the two peoples: Jew and Gentile. So I see this in the context of the letter too. There were distinctions before Christ and now there aren't.
https://thecrosssectionrmb.blogspot.com/
Thank you.
The passage in question:
Ephesians 2: 14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, 15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, 16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. 17 And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. 18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.
I did not include this in the four posts on this topic (three of which are to come, once a week), but "having abolished...the law of commandments contained in the ordinances" is also a key to what I have come to understand about 2: 8-10. This will become more clear in the subsequent posts.