And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:
Parallel translations
- WEB and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, having killed the hostility thereby.
- BSB and reconciling both of them to God in one body through the cross, by which He extinguished their hostility.
- NKJV and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity.
- NASB and that He might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the hostility.
- NLT Together 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.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Through the cross Christ reconciled both Jew and Gentile to God in one body, killing the hostility. It shows reconciliation with God and one another flowing from the cross.
Overview
The cross accomplishes a double reconciliation: it joins Jew and Gentile 'in one body' and reconciles them 'to God.' Christ 'killed the hostility' — both the enmity between peoples and the enmity against God. Peace with God and peace among God's people are inseparably won at Calvary.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Col 1:20–22And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.
- Rom 5:10For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
- 2 Cor 5:18–21And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
- Col 2:14Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
- 1 Pet 4:1–2Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;
- Gal 2:20I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
- Rom 8:3For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
- Rom 6:6Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
- Rom 8:7Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
- Eph 2:15Having 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;
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Christ at the center
Every spiritual blessing is 'in Christ,' the head over all things for the church, in whom Jew and Gentile are made one new man by his blood.
How Ephesians 2:16 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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