Yes, the division was healed between God and man through Christ. But, the one new man in Ephesians means one new humanity. The breaking down of the middle wall of partition was an allusion to the wall in the temple where Gentiles could not pass upon the pain of death. IOW, Paul was saying that the new humanity that God had created, was the unity of former enemies, Jew and Gentile, in Christ. The enmity that was broken down was primarily that between Jew and Gentile, as signified by the dividing power of the Torah/ law as privilege, defining who was in and who was out. Christ brought all such distinction and division to an end.
The text of Ephesians is filled with this. He made the two one, he brought those who were far off (Gentiles) near to God, giving both (Jew and Gentile) equal access to God. This is the mystery hidden from the creation of the world now made a spectacle to the universe, the uniting of former enemies into the one people of God.
Jews still remained Jews and Gentiles remained Gentiles, but the miracle was that they could sit at the same table in fellowship, because of Christ. It’s why Peter’s walkout from the table at Antioch was so damaging, as seen in Galatians. He struck at the heart of the truth of the gospel. It is why Paul confronted him, and why Paul’s teaching of righteousness by faith is so important, and linked to that incident in the letter. Because, it fights the idea that God accepts people based on religious or ethnic pedigree or privilege. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, but all are one in Christ Jesus.
God makes no distinction, not only concerning entrance into his family, but concerning ranking or perceived importance or privilege within his family. Neither should we.
Thanks…
Frank
@Sirje
It’s why Paul goes to great lengths to level the playing field. Those who were near were equally in need of the saving and reconciling grace of God in Christ as those who were far off. IOW…all have sinned, no matter upon what side of the wall they began. Jews and Gentiles, male and female, slave and free, all needed to become "spiritual Jews, " all needing to come to faith in Christ, and all becoming equally accepted and welcomed by God into his new creation, on that basis alone. God made and still makes no distinction. Sadly, we still do!
@Harry_Elliott
Right on, Harry! In Galatians, Paul never portrayed that meeting as if James and Jerusalem had any authority over his mission. Rather, if they rejected his Torah free gospel, the reputed pillars would have been out of step with the Spirit. In Paul’s thought, the gospel had priority over the church, it’s councils, and decisions. The only thing in their power was to acknowledge or reject the diversity that his preaching of the gospel and the power of the Spirit had already created. To reject this would have destroyed united gospel mission. Seems we get this whole order in reverse in Adventism, and are bearing the bitter, divisive fruit that results, which Paul called the works of the flesh. From all reports, that’s what the maneuvering in SA 2015 seemed to be!
Additionally, his gospel truly rendered the law as unnecessary, not only for Gentiles, but for Jews as well. No wonder why he was vilified, misunderstood, hunted, and persecuted. This was a seismic shift under a millennium of religious world view and practice! The messiah had come, the banquet was on, get out of the kitchen and quibbling in there over the cookbook! In our own contemporary way, it seems that we’re good at pointing people to quibbling back in the kitchen, as well. For Adventism and its self identity, the gospel and what it implies, especially in Galatians, also represents a seismic shift.