"and having come he proclaimed the gospel, peace to you who were afar and peace to you who were near."1
The message of the gospel is peace to both the Jew, who was near, and the Gentile, who was afar. To understand what this peace means we look at the surrounding scriptures. The Jews were kept under the law until Christ, so for them peace has a somewhat different meaning, one can say a different dividing fence, wall, or barrier. The Gentiles were strangers and aliens,2 and "were by nature children of wrath."3 Christ proclaimed the good news to both, "peace to you who were afar and peace to you who were near."4
"indeed, he himself is our peace, having made both one and the barrier of the fence broken down, the hostility in the flesh of Him, the law of commandments in ordinances annulled, that the two he creates in himself into one man, making peace."5
The dividing wall could be seen as separation because of the sin of Adam. We can say this caused the "barrier" of the fence, or separation from man and God. We can develop this idea of a righteous God too holy to be in the presence of sin. However, interestingly after their sin God appears to Adam and Eve, so we don't see a barrier do we? in the presence of fallen man God is. And we do not seem to see the barrier with Abraham, who as Paul writes believed God and was righteous by faith. We do see the veil at the time of the Mosaic Law. Moses sat in a seat of judgement and dispensation of God's law but the new covenant is a dispensation of grace. In the new covenant, by faith in Christ man can approach God and stand before Him in Grace.
"The mind of the flesh is enmity toward God, indeed, it can not be subject to the law of God."15
We see the problem of the flesh and the issue of the law. Sin dwells in the flesh and the mind is at enmity or hostile against God. We see the hostility is not man, nor was the enmity the Law itself, no, it was holy, but the enmity was the flesh, thus because of the hostility of the flesh, the law caused sin to abound. God makes a clear separation of flesh and spirit. In the new we serve in the newness of the Spirit, not the letter of the law. Really we can approach God as we are born of Spirit, and this new creation is perfect before God in spirit.
"We know that the law is spiritual, I however am fleshly having been sold under sin."14
In the Spirit we now are able to fulfill the righteous requirements of God. The Law was spiritual but because we are flesh, we are hostile toward God's law, not subject to it, thus sin abounds under the law. We see the solution is to become spiritual, thus a new creation, born of Spirit. But even after a new creation, whereby we become one in Christ Jesus, transformation is necessary and it is a process, "taught to put off your former way of life," With the goal, "to be renewed in the spirit of your minds,"19 Jesus condemned sin in the flesh and "the hostility in the flesh of Him" Jesus took this enmity through the cross, thus "the law of commandments in ordinances annulled..."
"you also were put to death to the law through the body of Christ, for you belong to another."6
The barrier broken down. No flesh could approach the mountain while God was there with Moses, we see this barrier put in place. We see the smoke of the Incense, during the tent meetings, used to "veil" the sin of people from the wrath of God. We see when the Temple was constructed a veil would reside between the Holy Place and Most Holy Place where God's Spirit would reside. This veil was introduced at the time of the Law? yes, we see judgement of the law placed into the hands of man. We know the veil was split or the barrier torn down at the death of Christ. Was the barrier of the Law? surely hostility was created by the law, because of the weakness of the flesh. Jesus condemned sin in the flesh but also the enmity created by the law, "by abolishing in His flesh the law of commandments and decrees."
"and might reconcile both in one body to God, through the cross, thus killing the enmity."7
This word for enmity, properly means enemy (hatred, hostility); enmity. Your enemy is against you, he is hostile toward you so you build a wall, a fence, a barrier, so that your enemy can not come into your presence. Or you place a veil so that your wrath is not poured out against him. Paul writes this enmity is a work of sin in the flesh.2 One can not overcome the enmity by works of the Law. Justification, which is approval by God thereby taking down the enmity, is by faith, righteousness through the blood of Christ. This is reconciliation in Christ, to change from enmity to friendship.8 Abraham was called a friend of God, by faith.
"Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called God's friend."9
So we see we are friends of God in the new covenant, we are reconciled to God by grace through faith in Christ. Christ condemned not man, which the law did, a very important point, He condemn instead sin in the flesh, on the cross. He reconciles man through the cross, breaking down the dividing wall of hostility, "by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace."10
"Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division."11
The peace Jesus brings is not an earthly peace, it brings justification by faith, thus to the Jew and their proselytes, who found justification in the Law, it causes division. Some would have to dishonor their father, breaking the law of commandments, to follow Jesus. Today, we see this division among Christianity, those who find justification by the law against those who live by faith. I will chose to walk by faith. Now, such in the Spirit, in love, as true worshipers walk in Truth and Spirit, not by the letter of the law. By faith we please God, and without love faith is nothing.
"indeed, in Christ neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any power but only faith through love working"12
Reconciliation is often used in terms of marriage, and this is how it is expressed in the scriptures, Judah broke covenant, leaving God's love for another, the penalty for adultery by the Law was death, but the Son of God paid the price thus reconciled him to the Father. Judah is released from the Law as under the Law there would be a barrier, condemnation and judgment, not reconciliation, that the gentiles would be fellow heirs
"But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even we being dead in our trespasses, made us alive with Christ, by grace you have been saved."21
This was proclaimed by a heavenly host at the birth of Christ, "peace on earth and good will toward men."22 Peace to those near, "by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances" and peace to those far off, who were without a covenant of promise and having no hope, without God in the age. This dispensation of grace makes known the mystery of Christ, which includes this reconciliation of man to God. Christ reconciled, thereby breaking down the hostility, making peace with God.
"members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone,"23
The reconciliation is in two becoming one body, the Church, God's people. Both made one "by the blood of Christ," one in Spirit, and where Christ is Head of the Church, and He is called the Prince of Peace.22 The children of God are peacemakers, and the Church proclaims the gospel on sandals of peace, as reconcilers, as the good news is of reconciliation, the enmity or hostility has been torn down, peace with God.
Broken Vessels
The message of the gospel is peace to both the Jew, who was near, and the Gentile, who was afar. To understand what this peace means we look at the surrounding scriptures. The Jews were kept under the law until Christ, so for them peace has a somewhat different meaning, one can say a different dividing fence, wall, or barrier. The Gentiles were strangers and aliens,2 and "were by nature children of wrath."3 Christ proclaimed the good news to both, "peace to you who were afar and peace to you who were near."4
"indeed, he himself is our peace, having made both one and the barrier of the fence broken down, the hostility in the flesh of Him, the law of commandments in ordinances annulled, that the two he creates in himself into one man, making peace."5
The dividing wall could be seen as separation because of the sin of Adam. We can say this caused the "barrier" of the fence, or separation from man and God. We can develop this idea of a righteous God too holy to be in the presence of sin. However, interestingly after their sin God appears to Adam and Eve, so we don't see a barrier do we? in the presence of fallen man God is. And we do not seem to see the barrier with Abraham, who as Paul writes believed God and was righteous by faith. We do see the veil at the time of the Mosaic Law. Moses sat in a seat of judgement and dispensation of God's law but the new covenant is a dispensation of grace. In the new covenant, by faith in Christ man can approach God and stand before Him in Grace.
"The mind of the flesh is enmity toward God, indeed, it can not be subject to the law of God."15
We see the problem of the flesh and the issue of the law. Sin dwells in the flesh and the mind is at enmity or hostile against God. We see the hostility is not man, nor was the enmity the Law itself, no, it was holy, but the enmity was the flesh, thus because of the hostility of the flesh, the law caused sin to abound. God makes a clear separation of flesh and spirit. In the new we serve in the newness of the Spirit, not the letter of the law. Really we can approach God as we are born of Spirit, and this new creation is perfect before God in spirit.
"We know that the law is spiritual, I however am fleshly having been sold under sin."14
In the Spirit we now are able to fulfill the righteous requirements of God. The Law was spiritual but because we are flesh, we are hostile toward God's law, not subject to it, thus sin abounds under the law. We see the solution is to become spiritual, thus a new creation, born of Spirit. But even after a new creation, whereby we become one in Christ Jesus, transformation is necessary and it is a process, "taught to put off your former way of life," With the goal, "to be renewed in the spirit of your minds,"19 Jesus condemned sin in the flesh and "the hostility in the flesh of Him" Jesus took this enmity through the cross, thus "the law of commandments in ordinances annulled..."
"you also were put to death to the law through the body of Christ, for you belong to another."6
The barrier broken down. No flesh could approach the mountain while God was there with Moses, we see this barrier put in place. We see the smoke of the Incense, during the tent meetings, used to "veil" the sin of people from the wrath of God. We see when the Temple was constructed a veil would reside between the Holy Place and Most Holy Place where God's Spirit would reside. This veil was introduced at the time of the Law? yes, we see judgement of the law placed into the hands of man. We know the veil was split or the barrier torn down at the death of Christ. Was the barrier of the Law? surely hostility was created by the law, because of the weakness of the flesh. Jesus condemned sin in the flesh but also the enmity created by the law, "by abolishing in His flesh the law of commandments and decrees."
"and might reconcile both in one body to God, through the cross, thus killing the enmity."7
This word for enmity, properly means enemy (hatred, hostility); enmity. Your enemy is against you, he is hostile toward you so you build a wall, a fence, a barrier, so that your enemy can not come into your presence. Or you place a veil so that your wrath is not poured out against him. Paul writes this enmity is a work of sin in the flesh.2 One can not overcome the enmity by works of the Law. Justification, which is approval by God thereby taking down the enmity, is by faith, righteousness through the blood of Christ. This is reconciliation in Christ, to change from enmity to friendship.8 Abraham was called a friend of God, by faith.
"Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called God's friend."9
So we see we are friends of God in the new covenant, we are reconciled to God by grace through faith in Christ. Christ condemned not man, which the law did, a very important point, He condemn instead sin in the flesh, on the cross. He reconciles man through the cross, breaking down the dividing wall of hostility, "by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace."10
"Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division."11
The peace Jesus brings is not an earthly peace, it brings justification by faith, thus to the Jew and their proselytes, who found justification in the Law, it causes division. Some would have to dishonor their father, breaking the law of commandments, to follow Jesus. Today, we see this division among Christianity, those who find justification by the law against those who live by faith. I will chose to walk by faith. Now, such in the Spirit, in love, as true worshipers walk in Truth and Spirit, not by the letter of the law. By faith we please God, and without love faith is nothing.
"indeed, in Christ neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any power but only faith through love working"12
"But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even we being dead in our trespasses, made us alive with Christ, by grace you have been saved."21
This was proclaimed by a heavenly host at the birth of Christ, "peace on earth and good will toward men."22 Peace to those near, "by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances" and peace to those far off, who were without a covenant of promise and having no hope, without God in the age. This dispensation of grace makes known the mystery of Christ, which includes this reconciliation of man to God. Christ reconciled, thereby breaking down the hostility, making peace with God.
"members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone,"23
The reconciliation is in two becoming one body, the Church, God's people. Both made one "by the blood of Christ," one in Spirit, and where Christ is Head of the Church, and He is called the Prince of Peace.22 The children of God are peacemakers, and the Church proclaims the gospel on sandals of peace, as reconcilers, as the good news is of reconciliation, the enmity or hostility has been torn down, peace with God.
Broken Vessels