The World Fellowship of Christians

GOLDEN TEXT: “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God.” —Ephesians 2:19

EPHESIANS 2:11-22

FROM the death of Jacob, when his descendants were still in the land of Egypt, until shortly after Pentecost, the Israelites were exclusively God’s people. The Lord said to them, “You only have I known of all the families of the earth.” (Amos 3:2) Through Moses, God gave this people his Law. His prophets were sent to them. All the rich promises of life in a restored paradise were made to this people.

God’s exclusive dealing with Israel was emphasized when Jesus came and confined his ministry to the people of this nation, explaining that he was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. This point was stressed again by Jesus when, in sending his disciples into the ministry, he commanded them not to go to the Gentiles, nor to the Samaritans.—Matt. 10:5

However, this did not mean that God had no love for the people of other nations. It was simply that he had chosen the descendants of Abraham to be his representatives, and the ones through whom his blessings of health and life would eventually reach all nations in harmony with the promise made to Abraham.—Gen. 12:3; 22:15-18

In the plan of God, He had determined upon a certain number to constitute the promised “Seed” of Abraham. Jesus, of course, himself a natural descendant of Abraham, was the Head of this class, and we are informed that all who are baptized into him are also a part of the Seed. (Gal. 3:8,16,27-29) However, no one could be of this class simply because he could claim Abraham as his progenitor. Faithfulness to God, through obedience to his will, was the basic requirement to qualify for this high position in the plan of God.

We read concerning Jesus that he came “unto his own”; that is, to the Israelites, “and his own received him not.” It is true that the Israelites as a nation rejected Jesus as their Messiah, and this disqualified them for continuing to be exclusively God’s people. However, quite a few individuals of the nation accepted Jesus, and to these he gave the power to become the sons of God.—John 1:11,12

But there were not enough of the Israelites who accepted Jesus to make up God’s desired number, so in due time, and in harmony with God’s arrangements, the Gospel went to the Gentiles. Cornelius was the first Gentile convert. Many of the Jewish converts found it difficult to accept this situation. Their background of training as God’s people caused them to feel very strongly that his blessings were exclusively for the children of Abraham.

This often created a difficult situation for Gentiles who desired to associate with their Jewish brethren, for they would be made to feel that they were not wanted, and that God would not bless them. The Apostle Paul was well aware of this situation, and in our lesson we find him assuring the Gentile converts at Ephesus that all the rich promises originally made to Israel now applied with equal force to them.

Speaking of Jesus, and of his atoning work on behalf of all, Paul wrote that through him both Jews and Gentiles are reconciled to God, and are now in “one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby [margin, or, in himself]: and came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh”; that is, to both Gentiles and Jews.—Eph. 2:16,17

Paul explains that through Christ both Jews and Gentiles have access by Holy Spirit unto the Heavenly Father. He emphasizes to the Gentiles in the church at Ephesus that they are “no more strangers and foreigners,” but, as our Golden Text states, “fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone; in whom the whole building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: in whom ye [Gentiles] also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.”—vss. 19-22

These must have been comforting words to any of the Gentile Christians in the Early Church who had misgivings as to their standing before the Lord. It would also help to clarify the issue in the minds of Jewish believers. It would help all to see that there is only one way now to have God’s favor, and that is through Christ and complete dedication to the will of God as revealed through him. And what a blessed and world-wide fellowship this constitutes for all the truly consecrated followers of the Master.

QUESTIONS

Explain the background of understanding which called forth the clear statement of truths contained in this lesson.

How alone can the people of any race have access to God, and be assured of his favor, and of being his children?

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