New Living Translation
Ephesians 2:15
15He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups.
Ephesians 2:15 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
- New International Version (NIV)by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace,
- English Standard Version (ESV)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,
- New King James Version (NKJV)having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace,
Context of Ephesians 2:15
13But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ. 14For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups. 16Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death. 17He brought this Good News of peace to you Gentiles who were far away from him, and peace to the Jews who were near.
Read all of Ephesians 2Ephesians 2:15 word by word
τὸν νόμον τῶν ἐντολῶν ἐν δόγμασιν καταργήσας, ἵνα τοὺς δύο κτίσῃ ἐν αὐτῷ εἰς ἕνα καινὸν ἄνθρωπον ποιῶν εἰρήνην,Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Having abolishedκαταργέωkatargeō · to abateG2673
- inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- fleshσάρξsarx · fleshG4561
- the enmityἔχθραechthra · hostilityG2189
- the lawνόμοςnomos · lawG3551
- of commandmentsἐντολήentolē · commandmentG1785
- ordinancesδόγμαdogma · decreeG1378
- forεἰςeis · towardG1519
- toἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
- makeκτίζωktizō · to createG2936
- himselfἑαυτοῦheautou · themselfG1438
- of twainδύοduo · twoG1417
- oneεἷςheis · oneG1520
- newκαινόςkainos · newG2537
- manἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444
- makingποιέωpoieō · to do/make: doG4160
- peaceεἰρήνηeirēnē · peaceG1515
Cross-references for Ephesians 2:15
- Colossians 1:22Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.
- Hebrews 10:19And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus.
- Galatians 3:10But those who depend on the law to make them right with God are under his curse, for the Scriptures say, “Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the commands that are written in God’s Book of the Law.”
- Colossians 2:14He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.
- Hebrews 7:16Jesus became a priest, not by meeting the physical requirement of belonging to the tribe of Levi, but by the power of a life that cannot be destroyed.
- Hebrews 8:13When God speaks of a “new” covenant, it means he has made the first one obsolete. It is now out of date and will soon disappear.
- Hebrews 9:9This is an illustration pointing to the present time. For the gifts and sacrifices that the priests offer are not able to cleanse the consciences of the people who bring them.
- Hebrews 10:1The old system under the law of Moses was only a shadow, a dim preview of the good things to come, not the good things themselves. The sacrifices under that system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship.
- Ephesians 4:16He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.
- 2 Corinthians 5:17This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
- Galatians 6:15It doesn’t matter whether we have been circumcised or not. What counts is whether we have been transformed into a new creation.
- Colossians 3:10Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.
Commentaries on Ephesians 2:15
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15Having abolished in his flesh - By his incarnation and death he not only made an atonement for sin, but he appointed the doctrine of reconciliation to God, and of love to each other, to be preached in all nations; and thus glory was brought to God in the highest, and on earth, peace and good will were diffused among men. The enmity of which the apostle speaks was reciprocal among the Jews and Gentiles. The former detested the Gentiles, and could hardly…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15Having abolished - Having brought to naught, or put an end to it - ́ katargēsasIn his flesh - By the sacrifice of his body on the cross. It was not by instruction merely; it was not by communicating the knowledge of God; it was not as a teacher; it was not by the mere exertion of power; it was by his flesh - his human nature - and this can mean only that he did it by his sacrifice of himself. It is such language as is appropriate to the doctrine of the…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 14-18Verses 14-18 Jesus Christ made peace by the sacrifice of himself; in every sense Christ was their Peace, the author, centre, and substance of their being at peace with God, and of their union with the Jewish believers in one church. Through the person, sacrifice, and mediation of Christ, sinners are allowed to draw near to God as a Father, and are brought with acceptance into his presence, with their worship and services, under the teaching of the Holy…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 15by abolishing in His flesh the law of commandments and decrees: See Romans 10:4; Colossians 2:14; compare Romans 6:14; 7:4–6. The church is one new people. It is a community where love and acceptance are valued, and ethnic differences do not cause division (see Romans 15:7–12; Galatians 3:28; compare John 10:16).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1515. Rather, make "enmity" an apposition to "the middle wall of partition"; "Hath broken down the middle wall of partition (not merely as English Version, 'between us,' but also between all men and God), to wit, the enmity (Ro 8:7) by His flesh" (compare Ep 2:16; Ro 8:3). the law of commandments contained in--Greek, "the law of the commandments (consisting) in ordinances." This law was "the partition" or "fence," which embodied the expression of the…Read the comment
Topics related to Ephesians 2:15
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Ephesians 2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
New Living Translation — © 1996, 2004, 2015 Tyndale House Foundation
Commentaries