Ephesians 2:11-13

The previous part of Chapter 2 has dealt with our alienation from God, and reconciliation to Him in Christ. Now Paul turns to the alienation between Jews and Gentiles. The Jews looked down on the Gentiles, calling them "uncircumcised". For circumcision was the sign of the Abrahamic covenant (Gen 17), and the Jews were very clear in their mind that there was an enormous gulf between themselves and the rest of the world.

Paul calls on the Gentiles to remember that "at that time" they were separate from Christ and excluded from Israel and the covenant promises. "at that time" refers to the time before they were saved. It is useful for us to remember where we have come from, not in the sense of dwelling or living in the past, but to remind ourselves what Christ has done for us. They were without hope and without God. Now for most of us the Jewish-Gentile divide does not mean a lot, but it is still true that we were without hope and God before we knew Christ. Before we came to know Christ we did not know God.

Now, in Christ and through His blood, we have been brought near. The gospel is about bringing us close to God, it is not about separation from God.

It is worth remembering that it was always God's intention that the whole world would be blessed through Abraham (Gen 12:1-3). In Christ this promise is now being fulfilled.