Ephesians 2:15 Meaning: Abolished the Hostility, Created One New Man
having abolished in his flesh the hostility, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man of the two, making peace,
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;
having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; that he might create in himself of the two one new man, so making peace;
the enmity in his flesh, the law of the commands in ordinances having done away, that the two he might create in himself into one new man, making peace,
having annulled the enmity in his flesh, the law of commandments in ordinances, that he might form the two in himself into one new man, making peace;
Meaning in one sentence
Christ's death ended the law that divided Jew and Gentile, creating one new humanity in peace. Understand what this means for your life today.
Context
Paul is writing to a church made up of both Jewish and Gentile believers. In the first part of chapter 2, he describes how every person was once separated from God. Then he turns to the division between Jew and Gentile. The Gentile Christians reading this letter knew what it felt like to be outsiders. They had been called 'uncircumcised' and kept at a distance. But Paul insists that in Christ, that distance is gone. The wall that kept them apart has been broken down. This verse gives the reason: Christ abolished the very law that marked the separation. He did it in his own flesh, and his purpose was not just to remove a barrier but to create something new, one humanity, united in him.
Key Words
The word Paul uses for 'abolished' is katargeō. It means to render something inoperative, to strip it of its power. Christ did not ignore the law that divided Jew from Gentile. He made it powerless to separate anymore. The word for 'create' is ktizō, the same verb used in the Greek Old Testament for God making the world. This is not a repair job. It is a fresh creation. And the result is 'peace' (eirēnē), not just a quiet truce, but the kind of wholeness where people who once kept their distance become one family. Every word in this sentence carries weight.
How Christians Read This Verse
Most Christians have understood the 'law of commandments contained in ordinances' as the ceremonial system, the rules that made Jewish identity visible and kept Gentiles outside. The Reformers, especially Calvin and Matthew Henry, taught that Christ's death abolished these ceremonies, which were the wall of separation. Methodist voices like Wesley and Clarke agree, tying the abolition directly to the cross. Other interpreters, the Cambridge Bible and Jamieson-Fausset-Brown, see it including the condemning power of the law itself, without setting aside the moral law. Catholics and Orthodox likewise hold that the ceremonial precepts of Moses are no longer binding, while the moral law remains. All traditions affirm that Christ's death created one new people of God.
A common misunderstanding
Some people read this verse and think Paul means Christ abolished the Ten Commandments, setting Christians free from all moral obligations. That is not what the verse says. In fact, Paul writes elsewhere, 'Do we then nullify the law through faith? May it never be! No, we establish the law' (Romans 3:31). The law Christ abolished here is the law of commandments contained in ordinances, the specific rules and decrees that separated Jew from Gentile. The moral law remains as a guide for holy living, fulfilled in us through love.
Living This Out
This verse asks you to look at the walls you still build. Maybe it is someone from a different political party, a different denomination, a different background. The same Christ who tore down the wall between Jew and Gentile can tear down that wall too. This week, when you feel the tug of division, remember that Christ's death already abolished the separation. You do not have to keep the distance he already closed. You can pray for that person and look for ways to see them as part of the one new humanity you both belong to.
Main takeaway: Christ's death destroyed every barrier between people, creating one new humanity united in him, the foundation of true peace.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Before Jesus came, some people thought they were better than others because of special rules. Jesus died to take away those rules so everyone could be one family. Now we can love each other like brothers and sisters.
For ages 9, 12
Paul says Jesus abolished the law that made Jews and Gentiles separate. Think of a fence that kept two groups apart. Jesus took that fence down completely. Now everyone who follows Jesus, no matter their background, becomes part of one new people. You are not just a member of your church or family; you are part of God's new humanity. That means you can treat every Christian as your true brother or sister, even if they are very different from you.
Questions People Ask
What law did Jesus abolish in Ephesians 2:15?
Christians have understood this as referring primarily to the ceremonial law, the system of commandments and ordinances that separated Jews from Gentiles. Christ's death ended those separations. Some also see it as removing the law's power to condemn those who are in Christ. The moral law continues as a guide.
Does Ephesians 2:15 mean the Ten Commandments are abolished?
No. The context is about what divided Jew from Gentile. The phrase 'law of commandments contained in ordinances' points to specific ceremonial decrees, not the moral law. Paul affirms elsewhere that the law is holy and that we uphold it through faith (Romans 3:31).
What does 'one new man' mean in Ephesians 2:15?
It means a single new humanity created by Christ from both Jews and Gentiles. Not two groups merged, but something entirely new, a people defined by union with Christ, not by ethnic or religious background.
How did Christ abolish the law in His flesh?
By dying on the cross. His physical body became the sacrifice that ended the ceremonial system. His death also satisfied the law's demands, removing its power to condemn. This is what Paul calls 'making peace.'
Is the peace in Ephesians 2:15 only between people, or also with God?
Both. The verse focuses on peace between Jews and Gentiles, but the surrounding passage (especially v16) shows this peace flows from being reconciled to God through the cross. The horizontal peace depends on the vertical peace first.
For pastors & researchers
Greek interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study