Ephesians 2::12,13 - Without hope and without God

2:12

As Paul did at the start of chapter 2 when talking about how we are in Christ, he starts here be reminding them of their previous situation. They were separated from Christ and excluded in Israel. They had no connection with the promises of God in the Old Testament. They were without hope and without God in the world. So Paul is reminding them of their previous state, and he talks about things that are specific to their relationship to Israel (ie they were excluded) and to their general state (ie the state they were in regardless of Israel). In the Old Testament there is a clear distinction between Israel and everyone else (there are also many promises and prophecies that things would extend to the whole world). They were not part of Israel, and so excluded from many things. But even if they had never heard of Israel, or if Israel had not existed, they were still in a mess. For they were separated from Christ. They did not know God and were without hope.

2:13

Once we were far off, but no longer! We have now been brought near in Christ, and this has been achieved by the blood of Christ. Indeed, the Jews were separated from God by the Law as well, because of their sin. Christ is the only means of reconciliation between man and God, and between man and man. The whole root of alienation is our separation from God because of our sin. Walls of division between men are a a fruit of the alienation from God. It is only by the blood of Christ that this division is resolved.