Answer
Ephesians 2:14–15 is a central passage in understanding Paul’s thought on the reconciliation of Jews and Gentiles through the finished work of Christ. The verse reads, “He himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh 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” (ESV). In this article, we will examine the significance of “one new man” in the context of Ephesians.
The first recipients of Ephesians were primarily Gentiles, highlighting the unity, peace, and reconciliation of all believers, both Jews and Gentiles, in the body of Christ. Thus, Ephesians 2:11–22 specifically deals with the breaking down of “the dividing wall of hostility” (verse 14) that separated Jews and Gentiles, a reference that alludes to the separation of both groups under the Old Covenant.
To grasp the full import of Paul’s reference to “one new man,” it is important to understand what is meant that Christ abolished “the law of commandment expressed in ordinances” (Ephesians 2:15). This does not mean that Christ abolished the moral and ethical teachings of the law (cf. Matthew 5:17–20); rather, it means that Christ fulfilled the law’s requirements and thus abolished the divisive legal and ceremonial ordinances that distinguished Jews from Gentiles. For example, circumcision was historically part of what separated Jews from Gentiles (Ephesians 2:11). But, under the New Covenant, circumcision means nothing; the “dividing wall of hostility” has been broken down, and Jesus is our peace.
The expression one new man is rich with meaning. The Greek word for “new” means “fresh or unused” rather than chronologically new. Here, Paul emphasizes the creative—or re-creative—act of God in Christ that produces a new spiritual community distinct from either former group. This new community, comprised of Jews and Gentiles, is a “new man” who is defined by union with Christ: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28, ESV).
Furthermore, in Ephesians 2:15, Paul draws an analogy to the first Adam. As Adam was the representative of fallen and sinful humanity, Christ, the second Adam, is now the head of a new humanity (1 Corinthians 15:45–49). This new creation is not a return to the innocence of Eden but is a move toward a redeemed humanity unified in Christ. Again, Jews and Gentiles are “one” in Christ.
In making “one new man,” Christ is our peace, having made two groups into one by destroying what divided them. This peace is not only a cessation of hostility between Jews and Gentiles but is also a proactive creation of unity. As the ambassador of peace, Christ perfectly embodies the “Prince of Peace” title that Isaiah prophesied about in Isaiah 9:6. On the cross Jesus reconciled Jews and Gentiles together in His body (Ephesians 2:16).
In Ephesians 2:15, Paul articulates a radical and new transformation obtained through faith in the sacrificial work of Christ. In Christ, there is “one new man” or “one new humanity” that supersedes all natural, social, and religious distinctions. As part of this new man, believers are no longer defined by things that divide them from one another but are instead defined by their union with Christ.
