Ephesians Introduction
For 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 (Ephesians 2:14–15, emphasis ours).
The above verses are often sourced as evidence that the Mosaic Law has been done away with. According to this interpretation, the law stood as a dividing wall between Jews and Gentiles, preventing their unity. When Christ died, he broke down this wall, effectively removing the barrier, ending the rules and regulations found in the first five books of the Bible.
For many Christians, this interpretation makes the most sense. The context of the passage is clearly division between Jews and Gentiles, and the verses in question directly mention the abolishment of the law of commandments. Added to the plain text, most of us have been taught for centuries that the law came to an end at the cross. We have this prior understanding as the foundation on which we build our interpretation.
With this interpretation, several questions arise. What does it mean that Christ abolished the law? Didn't he say he would not do this (Matthew 5:17)? Doesn't God say his Word is eternal (Psalm 119:89,152)? In the Torah, he gives command after command that is to endure through all generations (for example: Leviticus 23:14,21,31,41). How can something that is to endure through all generations come to an end? Also, if Jesus did break down the law and therefore our need to obey it, does this include all of the law, to include the Ten Commandments? Are these no longer binding as well?
An honest examination of our interpretation, and any interpretation, must wrestle with these issues, and more. We must also acknowledge the role played by our previous understandings, worldviews, doctrines, etc. We do not approach this passage, or anything in life for that matter, as an empty slate.
Be that as it may, it is our duty as hearers and then doers of the Word of God, to first hear and understand, and then to apply. With that goal in mind, we approach this passage with our number one rule.
The Number One Rule
Most likely you have heard of the number one rule in real estate: Location, location, location. Similarly, the number one rule to biblical interpretation is context, context, context! In truth, this is the most important rule to understanding any piece of writing, whether it be a book of the Bible, a letter someone wrote to my grandmother, or a poem dated in the 16th century. If we do not understand the context of the writing, we will be hard-pressed to come up with an accurate understanding of what the original author was trying to communicate. With regard to the verses at hand, we simply cannot pull one or two verses out of Ephesians and claim understanding without first looking at the big picture.
Therefore, before we seek to understand Ephesians 2:14-15, let's go through the basic message of chapters one and two and gather some thematic clues as to what Paul is addressing.
Chapter One
Paul opens with a customary greeting, identifying himself as the author, and the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus, as the recipients. These saints include both Jews and Gentiles. We soon learn that Gentiles are a target audience of much of the letter; later in chapters two and three they are specifically addressed. In fact, much of Ephesians is speaking directly to Gentiles.
Paul begins by describing the abundant blessings that have been lavished upon the believers in Ephesus. These blessings allude to Genesis 12:3, where Abraham is told, “in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Through the Seed of Abraham, which is Christ himself (Galatians 3:16), blessing has been poured upon the nations. Paul details this blessing to include adoption as sons (5), redemption (7), forgiveness of sins (7), and the Holy Spirit as a guarantee of our inheritance (11-14). Paul does not specifically mention Abraham here in Ephesians. However, he does mention key words such as blessing, adoption, and inheritance. In some of Paul's other letters, these same words are directly connected to Abraham and the blessing we receive through him. For example, in Romans four and Galatians 3:26-4:7, Paul describes adoption as sons and inheritance as key components of the blessing we receive through our father Abraham.
In addition to these blessings, Paul repeatedly depicts a revelation of knowledge and wisdom (1:8-10,17,18). He clarifies this mystery and knowledge as a uniting of the church as one body under one Head (which is Christ) (1:10, 22-23). Tim Hegg, in his paper on the dividing wall in Ephesians, notes the following:
For many Christians, this interpretation makes the most sense. The context of the passage is clearly division between Jews and Gentiles, and the verses in question directly mention the abolishment of the law of commandments. Added to the plain text, most of us have been taught for centuries that the law came to an end at the cross. We have this prior understanding as the foundation on which we build our interpretation.
With this interpretation, several questions arise. What does it mean that Christ abolished the law? Didn't he say he would not do this (Matthew 5:17)? Doesn't God say his Word is eternal (Psalm 119:89,152)? In the Torah, he gives command after command that is to endure through all generations (for example: Leviticus 23:14,21,31,41). How can something that is to endure through all generations come to an end? Also, if Jesus did break down the law and therefore our need to obey it, does this include all of the law, to include the Ten Commandments? Are these no longer binding as well?
An honest examination of our interpretation, and any interpretation, must wrestle with these issues, and more. We must also acknowledge the role played by our previous understandings, worldviews, doctrines, etc. We do not approach this passage, or anything in life for that matter, as an empty slate.
Be that as it may, it is our duty as hearers and then doers of the Word of God, to first hear and understand, and then to apply. With that goal in mind, we approach this passage with our number one rule.
The Number One Rule
Most likely you have heard of the number one rule in real estate: Location, location, location. Similarly, the number one rule to biblical interpretation is context, context, context! In truth, this is the most important rule to understanding any piece of writing, whether it be a book of the Bible, a letter someone wrote to my grandmother, or a poem dated in the 16th century. If we do not understand the context of the writing, we will be hard-pressed to come up with an accurate understanding of what the original author was trying to communicate. With regard to the verses at hand, we simply cannot pull one or two verses out of Ephesians and claim understanding without first looking at the big picture.
Therefore, before we seek to understand Ephesians 2:14-15, let's go through the basic message of chapters one and two and gather some thematic clues as to what Paul is addressing.
Chapter One
Paul opens with a customary greeting, identifying himself as the author, and the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus, as the recipients. These saints include both Jews and Gentiles. We soon learn that Gentiles are a target audience of much of the letter; later in chapters two and three they are specifically addressed. In fact, much of Ephesians is speaking directly to Gentiles.
Paul begins by describing the abundant blessings that have been lavished upon the believers in Ephesus. These blessings allude to Genesis 12:3, where Abraham is told, “in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Through the Seed of Abraham, which is Christ himself (Galatians 3:16), blessing has been poured upon the nations. Paul details this blessing to include adoption as sons (5), redemption (7), forgiveness of sins (7), and the Holy Spirit as a guarantee of our inheritance (11-14). Paul does not specifically mention Abraham here in Ephesians. However, he does mention key words such as blessing, adoption, and inheritance. In some of Paul's other letters, these same words are directly connected to Abraham and the blessing we receive through him. For example, in Romans four and Galatians 3:26-4:7, Paul describes adoption as sons and inheritance as key components of the blessing we receive through our father Abraham.
In addition to these blessings, Paul repeatedly depicts a revelation of knowledge and wisdom (1:8-10,17,18). He clarifies this mystery and knowledge as a uniting of the church as one body under one Head (which is Christ) (1:10, 22-23). Tim Hegg, in his paper on the dividing wall in Ephesians, notes the following:
That the Gentiles should be blessed within the scope of the Abrahamic promise was never questioned. What had been left a mystery was the exact manner in which the blessing would come upon the nations, and this was revealed to the Apostles and especially to Paul (3).
We see the unveiling of this mystery and the implications of this blessing unfold in the first few chapters of Ephesians: the Gentiles are fully included, co-heirs, adopted into God's family, united with the Jews, citizens of the Kingdom. They are not just blessed through Abraham, but rather become themselves children of Abraham, sons of God.
One more key idea presents itself for the first time (and certainly not the last!) in Ephesians one: Christ is the head, above all other rule and authority (20-23). Everything is under his feet. This is not a separate idea, disconnected from the inclusion of Gentiles into God's family. Rather, it is critically involved, integral to the accomplishment of the mystery of God. We will expand on this as we continue our examination.
Chapter Two
Beginning in chapter two, Paul details what God accomplished through Christ. A primary theme in 2:1-10 is a transfer of kingdoms, and therefore, a transfer of rulership. Previously, the Ephesians were dead in their trespasses and sins (2:1). They followed the ways of this world and the prince of the power of the air (2:2). The “ruler” of their previous kingdom, the “prince of the power of the air,” is the devil. Its citizens were his children, “sons of disobedience” (2:2). He held rule and authority over them. They had an inheritance in him, an inheritance of death. They pursued their sinful passions and were by nature, children of wrath (2:3).
What a desperate, hopeless state. But then we read two glorious words: “But God.” God acted on their behalf and drastically changed everything. He made them alive with Christ (2:5). He seated them with Christ in the heavenly places (2:6; and thus above the rulers and authorities, cf 1:20). This was accomplished not by anything they did (quite obviously, since they were dead and by nature children of wrath) but rather by his amazing grace (2:8-9).
This is intricately related to the great mystery that has been revealed. There has been a transfer of kingdoms and, therefore, a transfer of rulership. The Ephesians (and all believers in Christ) are no longer under the prince of the power of the air. We are not his children. Instead, we have been made alive, reborn if you will, having a new Father, re-created under a new ruler. We are God's workmanship. We belong to him, and we will not walk according to the ways of this world, but according to the good works God has prepared in advance for us to walk in (2:10). This idea is critical to understanding Ephesians, including 2:14-15, as we will soon see.
Paul, like any other, does not write in a vacuum. What follows is connected to what came before it. Paul addresses his readers as Gentiles in the flesh; in other words, they were not physically born into Abraham's family; they were from the nations. The implication of “in the flesh” is that they are still Gentiles in the flesh, but no longer Gentiles “in the spirit.” “Gentile” refers to those who are of the nations, not of God's kingdom. Thus Paul says, they once were separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, strangers to the covenants of promise, without hope and without God (2:12). Remember, their ruler was the prince of the air and their inheritance in him was death. They were Gentiles in flesh and spirit.
Yet in Christ, they are no longer Gentiles in the spirit, but rather spiritual children of Abraham. Before they were alienated from the covenants of promise (2:12); now they are adopted and full members of the covenant that they were once alienated from (1:5, 2:19). They have been brought near by the blood of Christ (2:13). This should, once again, bring to mind the Abrahamic blessing of Genesis 12:3, that through Abraham all nations would be blessed. In other words, Gentiles in the flesh have been adopted into God's family. He has become their inheritance. Their citizenship has been transferred to God's Kingdom.
Now we see why God has brought peace between those who were far off (Gentiles in the flesh who now believe) and those who were near (Jews in the flesh who also believe) (13,17). They are now part of the same Kingdom. They are fellow citizens, members of the same household (19). They are joined together to become a holy temple, a dwelling place for God (21-22).
Sandwiched between this uniting under one kingdom, we find our verses in question:
One more key idea presents itself for the first time (and certainly not the last!) in Ephesians one: Christ is the head, above all other rule and authority (20-23). Everything is under his feet. This is not a separate idea, disconnected from the inclusion of Gentiles into God's family. Rather, it is critically involved, integral to the accomplishment of the mystery of God. We will expand on this as we continue our examination.
Chapter Two
Beginning in chapter two, Paul details what God accomplished through Christ. A primary theme in 2:1-10 is a transfer of kingdoms, and therefore, a transfer of rulership. Previously, the Ephesians were dead in their trespasses and sins (2:1). They followed the ways of this world and the prince of the power of the air (2:2). The “ruler” of their previous kingdom, the “prince of the power of the air,” is the devil. Its citizens were his children, “sons of disobedience” (2:2). He held rule and authority over them. They had an inheritance in him, an inheritance of death. They pursued their sinful passions and were by nature, children of wrath (2:3).
What a desperate, hopeless state. But then we read two glorious words: “But God.” God acted on their behalf and drastically changed everything. He made them alive with Christ (2:5). He seated them with Christ in the heavenly places (2:6; and thus above the rulers and authorities, cf 1:20). This was accomplished not by anything they did (quite obviously, since they were dead and by nature children of wrath) but rather by his amazing grace (2:8-9).
This is intricately related to the great mystery that has been revealed. There has been a transfer of kingdoms and, therefore, a transfer of rulership. The Ephesians (and all believers in Christ) are no longer under the prince of the power of the air. We are not his children. Instead, we have been made alive, reborn if you will, having a new Father, re-created under a new ruler. We are God's workmanship. We belong to him, and we will not walk according to the ways of this world, but according to the good works God has prepared in advance for us to walk in (2:10). This idea is critical to understanding Ephesians, including 2:14-15, as we will soon see.
Paul, like any other, does not write in a vacuum. What follows is connected to what came before it. Paul addresses his readers as Gentiles in the flesh; in other words, they were not physically born into Abraham's family; they were from the nations. The implication of “in the flesh” is that they are still Gentiles in the flesh, but no longer Gentiles “in the spirit.” “Gentile” refers to those who are of the nations, not of God's kingdom. Thus Paul says, they once were separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, strangers to the covenants of promise, without hope and without God (2:12). Remember, their ruler was the prince of the air and their inheritance in him was death. They were Gentiles in flesh and spirit.
Yet in Christ, they are no longer Gentiles in the spirit, but rather spiritual children of Abraham. Before they were alienated from the covenants of promise (2:12); now they are adopted and full members of the covenant that they were once alienated from (1:5, 2:19). They have been brought near by the blood of Christ (2:13). This should, once again, bring to mind the Abrahamic blessing of Genesis 12:3, that through Abraham all nations would be blessed. In other words, Gentiles in the flesh have been adopted into God's family. He has become their inheritance. Their citizenship has been transferred to God's Kingdom.
Now we see why God has brought peace between those who were far off (Gentiles in the flesh who now believe) and those who were near (Jews in the flesh who also believe) (13,17). They are now part of the same Kingdom. They are fellow citizens, members of the same household (19). They are joined together to become a holy temple, a dwelling place for God (21-22).
Sandwiched between this uniting under one kingdom, we find our verses in question:
But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For 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, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility (2:13-16).
Now that we have an understanding of the surrounding context, of the themes of blessing, inheritance, and transfer of citizenship, we are in a better place to interpret these verses. But first, there are a few more things to consider.
Continuing Themes in Ephesians
It is not surprising that these same themes do not stop at the end of chapter two but carry through the remainder of Paul's letter to the Ephesians. It is helpful to look at these to gain the overall picture of Paul's message. Paul has already established that Jews (in the flesh) and Gentiles (in the flesh) have been united as members of the same family. They are all spiritual brothers and sisters. In 3:6, Paul continues this idea, saying the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Jesus Christ. In chapters four and five, Paul gives application to this theology of unity, detailing what a unified body should look like. This is key! Paul's understanding of unity among believers does not stop at theology of what it is and how it is accomplished. Rather, true unity extends to action. If we are members of the same family, we ought to act accordingly.
We also see Paul continue the theme of our mutual inheritance in Christ (God's kingdom/family), contrasted with our previous inheritance (Satan's kingdom/family). In 3:6, he says Jews and Gentiles are fellow heirs. In 3:15, Paul says that every family in heaven and on earth derives its name from the Father. In other words, we belong to him, not to the rulers and authorities. We will show that Gentiles once derived their name from the rulers and authorities, and ultimately from the devil, but do so no longer. In 4:17-19, Paul once again describes the citizens of the other kingdom and their inheritance to the prince of the power of the air. Similar to 2:1-3, here in chapter four, Paul says this about the Gentiles:
Continuing Themes in Ephesians
It is not surprising that these same themes do not stop at the end of chapter two but carry through the remainder of Paul's letter to the Ephesians. It is helpful to look at these to gain the overall picture of Paul's message. Paul has already established that Jews (in the flesh) and Gentiles (in the flesh) have been united as members of the same family. They are all spiritual brothers and sisters. In 3:6, Paul continues this idea, saying the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Jesus Christ. In chapters four and five, Paul gives application to this theology of unity, detailing what a unified body should look like. This is key! Paul's understanding of unity among believers does not stop at theology of what it is and how it is accomplished. Rather, true unity extends to action. If we are members of the same family, we ought to act accordingly.
We also see Paul continue the theme of our mutual inheritance in Christ (God's kingdom/family), contrasted with our previous inheritance (Satan's kingdom/family). In 3:6, he says Jews and Gentiles are fellow heirs. In 3:15, Paul says that every family in heaven and on earth derives its name from the Father. In other words, we belong to him, not to the rulers and authorities. We will show that Gentiles once derived their name from the rulers and authorities, and ultimately from the devil, but do so no longer. In 4:17-19, Paul once again describes the citizens of the other kingdom and their inheritance to the prince of the power of the air. Similar to 2:1-3, here in chapter four, Paul says this about the Gentiles:
They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity (4:18–19).
Here, of course, Paul is referring to those who are Gentiles in the flesh and spirit, spiritual children of the devil.
Another key idea that continues beyond chapter two is the idea of the mystery that has been revealed, which we know from chapter one has to do with unity in Christ (1:10). At the start of chapter three, Paul explains this mystery in more detail:
Another key idea that continues beyond chapter two is the idea of the mystery that has been revealed, which we know from chapter one has to do with unity in Christ (1:10). At the start of chapter three, Paul explains this mystery in more detail:
… how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel … To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places (3:3-6,8-10, emphasis ours).
Here, Paul defines this mystery: that the Gentiles are full participants in the body of the Messiah. They have an equal share in the inheritance (“fellow heirs”), are members of the same body, and receive the same promises granted to Israel. This, in fact, has been God's plan from the very beginning, yet until now this plan was hidden (3:9). Later, in 6:19, Paul again mentions this mystery, asking for prayer that he may boldly preach the mystery of the gospel.
Finally, Paul uses the theme of the “rulers and authorities in the heavenly places” throughout Ephesians. In addition to what we have already examined in chapters one and two, the phrase “rulers and authorities” shows up in chapters three and six. In 3:10, Paul says that God made his manifold wisdom known through the church to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This echoes 1:20-21, in which Christ is seated above all rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. In chapter six, we arrive at one of the most well known passages dealing with spiritual warfare, which states our battle is against the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places (6:12). Because Paul mentions this specific phrase so many times in Ephesians, we ought to consider its significance. Specifically, how is it related to the unity between believers, both Gentile and Jew in the flesh? How is it related to the dividing wall that has been removed? We will examine these in detail.
A Look at Colossians
As we study the opening chapters of Ephesians, we can't help but notice the striking similarities to its sister text, Paul's letter to the Colossians. In Colossians, Paul expresses many similar themes, phrases, and ideas. In 1:9, he prays for the Colossians to be filled with knowledge. In 1:12, he refers to their share in the inheritance. In 1:13, he encourages that the Colossians have been delivered from the domain of darkness and transferred to the kingdom of his beloved Son. In 1:16, he writes that Christ is the creator of all thrones, dominions, rulers, and authorities (cf. Colossians 2:10,15). In 1:17-18, he states that Christ is head over all. In 1:26-28, he writes of the mystery that has been revealed, the riches of God's glory among the Gentiles. In 1:21-22, he discusses how the Gentiles were once alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, but now have been reconciled in his body of flesh by his death. In 2:13, he says they were dead in their trespasses, yet God made them alive together with him. With so many similar wordings and themes, we would be wise to consider Colossians as we seek to understand Ephesians. As we compare the texts, we hope to gain insight into what Paul meant when he said Christ broke down “the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances.”
Rulers and Authorities
Who are the rulers and authorities and why is their subversion so important to the message of Ephesians? The rulers and authorities are beings that exist in the heavenly places. They are given a certain amount of dominion and power. Yet Paul is insistent that Jesus is seated in the heavenly places far above them all (1:21). Moreover, those who were dead in their trespasses have been raised up and seated with Christ in the heavenly places, showing that these believers are above any ruling authority the heavenly powers might claim over them (2:6). The rulers and authorities are not ignorant of this, for God has made this mystery known to them (3:10). Though they are “heavenly rulers,” they are not aligned with God and his kingdom. Rather, they are “spiritual forces of evil” (6:12). Though they have been defeated, they continue to wage war against God's people (6:10-20).
In Colossians 2:15, Paul says that Christ disarmed the rulers and authorities, putting them to open shame and triumphing over them. In Colossians 2:14 we learn how Christ defeated and disarmed them: Paul says the record of indebtedness was nailed to the cross. In our examination of Colossians 2, we argue that this record of indebtedness was to the rulers and authorities. Gentiles were previously under their demonic rulership, and therefore their regulations; they were “indebted” to them. But now, they have been set free from their rule. In Ephesians, Paul reminds his readers of their freedom from the rulers and authorities, and moreover, their position over the rulers and authorities.
Throughout the Bible, we find support for the idea that the Gentiles have been placed under the rulership of demonic beings, and ultimately, under the rule of the devil. In Luke 5, Satan says that he owns all the kingdoms of the earth and that he will give them to Jesus if Jesus will worship him:
Finally, Paul uses the theme of the “rulers and authorities in the heavenly places” throughout Ephesians. In addition to what we have already examined in chapters one and two, the phrase “rulers and authorities” shows up in chapters three and six. In 3:10, Paul says that God made his manifold wisdom known through the church to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This echoes 1:20-21, in which Christ is seated above all rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. In chapter six, we arrive at one of the most well known passages dealing with spiritual warfare, which states our battle is against the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places (6:12). Because Paul mentions this specific phrase so many times in Ephesians, we ought to consider its significance. Specifically, how is it related to the unity between believers, both Gentile and Jew in the flesh? How is it related to the dividing wall that has been removed? We will examine these in detail.
A Look at Colossians
As we study the opening chapters of Ephesians, we can't help but notice the striking similarities to its sister text, Paul's letter to the Colossians. In Colossians, Paul expresses many similar themes, phrases, and ideas. In 1:9, he prays for the Colossians to be filled with knowledge. In 1:12, he refers to their share in the inheritance. In 1:13, he encourages that the Colossians have been delivered from the domain of darkness and transferred to the kingdom of his beloved Son. In 1:16, he writes that Christ is the creator of all thrones, dominions, rulers, and authorities (cf. Colossians 2:10,15). In 1:17-18, he states that Christ is head over all. In 1:26-28, he writes of the mystery that has been revealed, the riches of God's glory among the Gentiles. In 1:21-22, he discusses how the Gentiles were once alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, but now have been reconciled in his body of flesh by his death. In 2:13, he says they were dead in their trespasses, yet God made them alive together with him. With so many similar wordings and themes, we would be wise to consider Colossians as we seek to understand Ephesians. As we compare the texts, we hope to gain insight into what Paul meant when he said Christ broke down “the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances.”
Rulers and Authorities
Who are the rulers and authorities and why is their subversion so important to the message of Ephesians? The rulers and authorities are beings that exist in the heavenly places. They are given a certain amount of dominion and power. Yet Paul is insistent that Jesus is seated in the heavenly places far above them all (1:21). Moreover, those who were dead in their trespasses have been raised up and seated with Christ in the heavenly places, showing that these believers are above any ruling authority the heavenly powers might claim over them (2:6). The rulers and authorities are not ignorant of this, for God has made this mystery known to them (3:10). Though they are “heavenly rulers,” they are not aligned with God and his kingdom. Rather, they are “spiritual forces of evil” (6:12). Though they have been defeated, they continue to wage war against God's people (6:10-20).
In Colossians 2:15, Paul says that Christ disarmed the rulers and authorities, putting them to open shame and triumphing over them. In Colossians 2:14 we learn how Christ defeated and disarmed them: Paul says the record of indebtedness was nailed to the cross. In our examination of Colossians 2, we argue that this record of indebtedness was to the rulers and authorities. Gentiles were previously under their demonic rulership, and therefore their regulations; they were “indebted” to them. But now, they have been set free from their rule. In Ephesians, Paul reminds his readers of their freedom from the rulers and authorities, and moreover, their position over the rulers and authorities.
Throughout the Bible, we find support for the idea that the Gentiles have been placed under the rulership of demonic beings, and ultimately, under the rule of the devil. In Luke 5, Satan says that he owns all the kingdoms of the earth and that he will give them to Jesus if Jesus will worship him:
And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve'” (Luke 4:5–8, emphasis ours).
What is so interesting about these verses is that not only does the devil have authority over all the kingdoms of the world, but also, he has the power to give this authority to whom he wishes. He has delegated his ruling of the nations to the rulers and authorities. Several other passages in the Bible support the idea of demonic control over the nations.
To begin, in Deuteronomy we read:
To begin, in Deuteronomy we read:
And beware lest you raise your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, you be drawn away and bow down to them and serve them, things that the LORD your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven (4:19, emphasis ours).
This verse warns the Israelites not to worship the sun, moon, and stars, and the host of heaven, and appears to state that the LORD gave these things to the nations (non-Israelites) to bow down to and worship.
Compare this to what Paul says in Romans 1 about those who worshipped false gods:
Compare this to what Paul says in Romans 1 about those who worshipped false gods:
Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen (Romans 1:24–25, emphasis ours).
Here in Romans one, Paul explains that God gave these idolators over to the sinful desires of their hearts, allowing them to do what their flesh insisted upon: worship creation instead of the Creator. Likewise, in Deuteronomy, Moses explains that God gave the nations over to this same sinful inclination, and this became their inheritance. Compare this also to Acts 7:42, in which Stephen, referring to the golden calf incident says,
But God turned away and gave them over to worship the host of heaven (emphasis ours).
Note that, in this case, it is Israel itself who has been given over to worship the host of heaven. When Israel worshipped the golden calf, they denied their inheritance, God himself, and accepted the inheritance of the nations. Sadly this was repeated throughout Israel's history, as Stephen further documents, citing Amos 5:25-27.
In Deuteronomy 32, we read that God has given nations different “sons of God” as their inheritance, whereas Israel's inheritance is God Himself:
In Deuteronomy 32, we read that God has given nations different “sons of God” as their inheritance, whereas Israel's inheritance is God Himself:
When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when he divided mankind, he fixed the borders of the peoples according to the number of the sons of God. But the LORD’s portion is his people, Jacob his allotted heritage (Deuteronomy 32:8–9).
Old Testament scholar Tremper Longman III, in reference to this passage, says the following:
The Bible here, we would argue, refers to God's angelic creatures who make up his heavenly council as “the sons of God.” These are angels, in other words, “assigned” to different nation states (251).
These nations have not aligned themselves with the God of Israel. Instead, they have their own angelic rulers, which God has allowed them to have. One day the nations as well as their rulers will be called to judgment:
On that day the LORD will punish the host of heaven, in heaven, and the kings of the earth, on the earth. They will be gathered together as prisoners in a pit; they will be shut up in a prison, and after many days they will be punished. Then the moon will be confounded and the sun ashamed, for the LORD of hosts reigns on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and his glory will be before his elders (Isaiah 24:21–23).
Again, in Psalm 82, God takes his place as judge over the “divine council, in the midst of the gods” (v.1) and over the “sons of the Most High” (v.6). These ungodly spiritual rulers fall (v.7) and God arises and inherits the nations (v.8). All people become His, as they were originally intended to be at the creation of mankind.
We see additional support for the idea that the nations are under some type of angelic authority in Daniel when Gabriel, who was sent with a message from God to Daniel, says the following:
We see additional support for the idea that the nations are under some type of angelic authority in Daniel when Gabriel, who was sent with a message from God to Daniel, says the following:
The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I was left there with the kings of Persia (Daniel 10:13, emphasis ours).
The prince of Persia is commonly understood to be an evil angelic being who rules over and represents that nation. Longman states that there is a “cosmic battle that parallels the earthly struggles of God's people. The 'prince of the Persian kingdom' is a supernatural being who fights on behalf of that human kingdom” (250). Likewise, Gleason L. Archer, Jr., a scholar on the book of Daniel, says this prince is “the satanic agent assigned to the sponsorship and control of the Persian realm” (125). The same idea is found earlier in Daniel, where we read about “the watchers,” who are angelic beings, making rulings, judgments, and decrees (Daniel 4:13-17). This is consistent with Deuteronomy 4:19, in which God allots to the nations the host of heaven. With this understanding, the demonic being named the prince of Persia would be Persia's “allotment,” or inheritance. As discussed above, this nation would first and foremost be ascribed to the devil, and then assigned to its particular demonic ruler.
As we discussed in Colossians, the nations voluntarily chose to serve false gods instead of the One True God. God then turned them over to the created demonic spirits (such as the prince of Persia in Daniel) as their rulers, instead of the Creator. Thus the nations were led by demons, and the nations voluntarily submitted to them, placing themselves into their indebtedness.
According to Colossians, with the coming of Christ, this note of indebtedness was nailed to the cross. Because of his obedience to death on the cross, Christ was exalted above every other ruler. As Paul says in Philippians two,
As we discussed in Colossians, the nations voluntarily chose to serve false gods instead of the One True God. God then turned them over to the created demonic spirits (such as the prince of Persia in Daniel) as their rulers, instead of the Creator. Thus the nations were led by demons, and the nations voluntarily submitted to them, placing themselves into their indebtedness.
According to Colossians, with the coming of Christ, this note of indebtedness was nailed to the cross. Because of his obedience to death on the cross, Christ was exalted above every other ruler. As Paul says in Philippians two,
And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (8-11).
He therefore had the authority and power to cancel anyone's indebtedness to these rulers. Now those among the nations who respond to the gospel are no longer under the authority of the demons, but rather, are under God, and thus salvation has been opened to all nations. Furthermore, this paved the way for its ultimate fulfillment after the seventh trumpet when the angel proclaims:
And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign forever and ever (Revelation 11:15; cf Psalm 82:8)
One day God will declare that those kingdoms whose former inheritance was the heavenly host (i.e. demonic rulers and authorities) now belong to our God and King!