Picture of Pastors Jim and Marie Watt
Pastors Jim and Marie Watt

Two Are Better Than One

(From: EPHESIANS #3 - 2:11-22)


D. 2:11-22. WRETCHED GENTILE CONDITIONS CONTRASTED WITH TEMPLE

  1. 2:11-12. GENTILES REMEMBER HOPELESSNESS

Di’ ho mne-moNEUe-te [3421], HOti poTE huMEIS, ta ETHne[1484] en sarKI,

Wherefore remember, that once you, the nations in the flesh,

hoi leGOme-noi a-kro-busTIa [203] hoPO tes le-goMEnes pe-ri-toMES [4061] en sarKI chei-ro-poiEtou [5499];

who are called Uncircumcision by what is called Circumcision in theflesh made by hands;

HOti Ete tokaiRO eKEInochoRIS ChrisTOU, a-pel-lo-tri-oMEnoi [526] tes po-liTEIas [4174] tou Is-raEL,

12 that you were at that :season apart from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of :Israel,

kai XEnoi [3581] ton di-a-theKON [1242] tes e-pag-geLIas, elPIda meEchon-tes kai Athe-oi en toKOSmo.

and strangers to the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world.


b. 2:13 GENTILES: BROUGHT NIGH THROUGH BLOOD OF CHRIST

nuNI de en ChrisTO IeSOU huMEIS hoi poTE ONtes makRAN

But now in Christ Jesus you that once were far off

e-geNEthete egGUS en toHAIma-ti [129] tou ChrisTOU.

are become nigh in the blood of the Christ.


c. 2:14-18 CHRIST MAKES JEW AND GENTILE ONE NEW MAN

AuTOS GAR es-tin heeiREne[1515] heMON, ho poiEsas ta amPHOte-ra hen,

For HE is our :peace, who made :both one,

kai to meSOtoi-chon [3320] tou phragMOU [5418] LUsas, ten ECHthran [2189] en tesarKI auTOU,

and broke down the middle wall of the partition, 15 having abolished in his :flesh the enmity,

ton NOmon ton en-toLON [1785] en DOGma-sin [1378] ka-tarGEsas [2673];

the law of the commandments containedin ordinances;

HIna tous DUo KTIse[2936] en auTOeis HEna kaiNON [2537] ANthropon, poiON eiREnen;

that he might create in himself of the two one new man, making peace;

kai a-po-ka-talLAxe[604] tous am-phoTErous en heNI SOma-ti [4983] toTheO

16 and might reconcile :both in one body to :God

diA tou stauROU [4716], a-pokTEInas [615] ten ECHthran [2189] en auTO:

through the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:

kai elTHON eu-eg-geLIsa-to [2097] eiREnen huMIN tois makRAN, kai eiREnen tois egGUS:

17and he came andpreached peace to you the far off, and peace to the nigh:

HOti di’ auTOU Echo-men ten pro-sa-goGEN [4318] hoi amPHOte-roi en heNI PNEUma-ti pros ton paTEra.

18because through him we :both have the access in one Spirit unto the Father.


d. 2:19-22 FOUNDATION FOR THE ONE NEW MAN

Ara oun ouKEti esTE XEnoi [3581] kai PAroi-koi [3941],

So then you are no more strangers and sojourners,

alLA es-te sun-poLItai [4847] ton haGIon [40], kai oiKEIoi [3906] tou TheOU,

but are fellow-citizens with the saints, and of :God’s household,

e-poi-ko-do-meTHENtes [2026] ePI tothe-meLIo[2310] ton a-posTOlon [652] kai pro-pheTON,

20being built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets,

ONtos ak-ro-go-niAIou [204] auTOU ChrisTOU IeSOU;

Christ Jesus himself being chief corner stone;

en hoPAsa oi-ko-doME[3619], su-nar-mo-lo-gouMEne[4883], AUxei eis naON [3485] HAgi-on en KuRIo;

21in whom every building, fitly framed together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord;

en hokai huMEIS su-noi-ko-doMEISthe [4925] eis ka-toi-keTEri-on [2732] tou TheOU en PNEUma-ti.

22 in whom you also are built together into a habitation of :God in Spirit.


NOTE: J. Sidlow Baxter in his “Explore the Book,” has an interesting and helpful insight for understanding the 7 city churches of Paul in his first 9 epistles.


Romans represents the Outer Court of the Tabernacle – Justification by Faith. 1 & 2 Corinthians represent how the church of Corinth had moral lapses in relationship to the great standard restored through Martin Luther. Galatians shows how the churches in the area of modern Turkey departed doctrinally from the key teaching of this letter, and through the Judaizers sought to return to the legalism of Jewish standards. Even in the Old Testament, only Gentiles living in close proximity to Jews were required to move in this manner, and in the latter part of Acts 15 were freed by God from even this.


Baxter saw Ephesians as the high point of church truth in the Bible. It is rich in pictures and analogies of the relationship of believers – both Jew and Gentile – to Christ. Philippians is the Holy Spirit through Paul shoring up lapses in Joy and Unity from this high standard. Colossians points out doctrinal aberrations from Ephesus, and tendencies to revert to worship of angels, and departing from God the Father’s true standards for His Son. Greek cults of that day sought to wean true believers from the way God sees these things, and God used Paul by the Spirit to seek to return them to the true Plumbline of truth. Arianism and Jehovah’s Witness cultism was in existence back then! It is herethat believers enjoy being in the Holy Place of God’s Tabernacle and Temple!


1 & 2 Thessalonians prepare God’s people for the Second Coming of Christ and the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. The early church constantly kept this truth in view. George Muller in his day did the same, and Mother Basilea Schlink. Here believers experience the first-fruits of Bridal-Love with Christ. Here one enters the riven veil, and experiences divine relationship in the Holy of Holies.


There is one other key thought that emerges clearly from this passage – “The One New Man.” Reuven Doron has written a book in the early 1990’s with this title. By all means do a “Google-Search” and order it. It is clear, warm and living. The recent writings of Daniel Juster also clearly bring out this truth of Jew and Gentile in one body, the Church. Mike Bickle has partnered with Juster to give a living example of this truth.


The Church has a marvelous privilege and responsibility of praying the Messianic Jewish Movement into the 5-fold ministry and the other 11 Embryonic Revival Principles restored in 1948 in Northern Canada. Next year – 2008 – is the 60thAnniversary of the rebirth of Israel as a nation, and God’s Visitation on February 11that North Battleford, Saskatchewan. The Rev. Dr. John Roddam and Stuart Spani of North Vancouver BC have produced a 3 DVD package of 10 parts featuring Marie and myself as the last living elder of the 1948 July Camp Meeting of that time. Details on how to procure this will soon be available. J.A.W.