Ephesians 2:11-13: Remembering Our Former Separation

Introduction: The Distance We Couldn’t Cross

There’s something unsettling about being on the outside looking in. Think about standing outside a warm house on a winter night, watching a family gathered around a table, sharing laughter and good food. You can see the glow of the fire, the warmth of community, but you’re not part of it. That feeling of exclusion—of knowing you don’t belong—is something Paul wanted the Gentile believers in Ephesus to grasp as he reminded them of their past. They had been spiritual outsiders, cut off from God’s covenant people, strangers to his promises, and without hope.

In Ephesians 2:11-13, Paul isn’t trying to shame them but to magnify the grace of God. If they didn’t first understand their former separation, they couldn’t fully appreciate their new identity in Christ. And the same is true for us. Before we can rejoice in our unity with God and one another, we have to remember how far off we once were.

The Division: A Wall of Separation (Ephesians 2:11-12)

Paul begins with a call to remember: “So then, remember that at one time you Gentiles by birth, called ‘the uncircumcision’ by those who are called ‘the circumcision’—a circumcision made in the flesh by human hands—remember that you were at that time without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world” (Ephesians 2:11-12).

In the ancient world, the division between Jews and Gentiles was more than just a cultural or religious difference—it was an insurmountable wall. The Jews were the chosen people of God, marked by circumcision as a sign of the covenant given to Abraham (Genesis 17:9-14). They were heirs to God’s promises, the keepers of the Law, and the recipients of divine revelation. The Gentiles, however, were outsiders. They had no share in these blessings. They were not part of the commonwealth of Israel. They had no knowledge of the covenants, no access to the promises, and no hope of belonging.

This exclusion was not simply horizontal—between people—but vertical—between humanity and God. The Gentiles were not just alienated from Israel but from the God of Israel. They were “without Christ,” meaning they had no knowledge of the Messiah. Paul’s words here echo the Old Testament, where the nations are often depicted as distant from God’s presence (Psalm 147:19-20). The only way they could be brought near was through divine intervention.

Echoes of Separation in the Old Testament

This theme of exclusion and separation runs deep in Scripture. Think of the temple in Jerusalem. The temple itself was a place where God’s presence dwelled among his people, but access was limited. The Gentiles could enter only the outermost court—the Court of the Gentiles—but a stone wall separated them from going any further. Signs were posted warning that any Gentile who crossed the barrier would be put to death. The message was clear: You do not belong here.

Even within Israel, access to God was restricted. Only the priests could enter the Holy Place, and only the high priest, once a year, could enter the Most Holy Place on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:2). The entire sacrificial system reinforced this reality: sin separates humanity from God. Without a mediator, without atonement, without divine grace, the distance was uncrossable.

This is why Paul presses the point so strongly. Before Christ, the Gentiles were utterly without hope. They had no covenant, no promise, no way to bridge the gap between themselves and the living God.

The Tragedy of Being Without God

Paul’s description of the Gentiles’ condition reaches a climax in the final phrase of verse 12: “having no hope and without God in the world.” This is one of the most devastating statements in all of Scripture. To be without God is to be without hope. Hope is what anchors the soul (Hebrews 6:19). It’s what gives us a future beyond the brokenness of this world. But before Christ, the Gentiles had no such anchor. They were adrift in a sea of false gods and empty philosophies.

This wasn’t just an abstract theological statement—it was the reality of the ancient world. The Greco-Roman religions offered no assurance of salvation, no personal relationship with a loving God. Their gods were fickle, distant, and unconcerned with human struggles. Unlike the God of Israel, who revealed himself through covenant and prophecy, the pagan deities provided no firm promises. The result? A world filled with religious rituals but no real hope.

The Human Condition Apart from Christ

This condition isn’t just an ancient problem—it’s a universal one. No amount of morality, religion, or human effort can bridge the gap between us and God. The Heidelberg Catechism, in its first question and answer, declares that our only comfort in life and in death is that we belong to Jesus Christ. But apart from him, we are hopeless.

John Calvin, in his Institutes of the Christian Religion, describes humanity’s natural state as one of blindness and bondage to sin. He writes, “For until men recognize that they owe everything to God, that they are nourished by his fatherly care, that he is the author of every good, that they should seek nothing beyond him—they will never submit to him in voluntary obedience.” The Gentiles, before Christ, were in exactly this condition—wandering, lost, and without a true knowledge of God.

But Now: Brought Near by the Blood of Christ (Ephesians 2:13)

Then comes the turning point: “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ” (Ephesians 2:13). These two words—“But now”—signal the radical shift that the gospel brings. The distance that once defined the Gentiles’ relationship with God has been erased. They were far off, but now they are near. They were excluded, but now they are part of God’s family. And the reason? The work of Christ.

The “But now” echoes the “but God” in Ephesias 2:4-7.

Paul doesn’t say they were brought near by their good deeds, their religious efforts, or their newfound knowledge. It is solely through the atoning work of Jesus on the cross which reconciled those who were once enemies of God (Romans 5:10). This is the heart of the gospel. The barriers that once separated humanity from God have been torn down, not by human effort but by divine grace.

Fulfillment of the Old Testament Promises

This moment is the fulfillment of what the prophets had long foretold. Isaiah 57:19 declares, “Peace, peace, to the far and to the near, says the Lord; and I will heal them.” The “far off” Gentiles and the “near” Jews are both reconciled through the same Savior. Christ’s death didn’t just forgive individual sins—it created a new people, united under his lordship.

This is why the Apostles’ Creed emphasizes belief in “the holy catholic church” and “the communion of saints.” In Christ, there is no longer Jew or Gentile, insider or outsider. There is one body, one faith, one baptism (Ephesians 4:5). The blood of Christ has done what no law, temple, or human effort ever could—it has made us one.

Conclusion: Remembering Our Separation, Rejoicing in Our Reconciliation

Paul’s words in Ephesians 2:11-13 remind us of two essential truths. First, we must never forget where we came from. We were once far off, separated from God, without hope. But second, we must rejoice in what Christ has done. We have been brought near, not by our merit but by his mercy.

So as you reflect on this passage, ask yourself: Do you remember the depth of your need for Christ? Do you live in gratitude for the nearness he has given you? And do you welcome others into this same grace, tearing down walls rather than building them?

In Christ, the lost are found, the distant are brought near, and the outsiders are made family. That is the power of the gospel.