Ephesians 2:11

My Notes

What Does Ephesians 2:11 Mean?

Paul commands the Gentile believers to remember where they came from: wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands.

Wherefore remember — the command is deliberate: do not forget. The remembering is essential because the Gentile believers, now included in God's people, are in danger of taking their inclusion for granted. Memory of the former condition preserves gratitude for the current one.

Ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh — in time past (pote — formerly, once). The Gentile identity was their defining condition: Gentiles — the nations, the outsiders, the ones without covenant access to God. In the flesh — their physical identity marked them as outside: uncircumcised, not bearing the covenant sign.

Who are called Uncircumcision — the designation is a label applied by the Jewish community. Uncircumcision (akrobustia) was a term of exclusion — defining the Gentiles by what they lacked rather than what they possessed. The label functioned as a boundary marker: you are not one of us.

By that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands — the label came from those who called themselves the Circumcision — the Jewish community that defined its identity by the physical mark of the covenant. Paul adds a subtle qualifier: in the flesh made by hands (cheiropoietos). The circumcision they boasted in was a physical operation performed by human hands on human flesh. The qualifier anticipates Paul's later argument that the true circumcision is internal (Romans 2:28-29, Philippians 3:3).

Verses 12-13 complete the picture of the former condition: without Christ, aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. The remember of v.11 sets up the but now of v.13 — the contrast between what was and what is produces worship.

The passage teaches that spiritual memory is essential: remembering the hopelessness of the former condition prevents the presumption that takes the current position for granted.

Reflection Questions

• 1.Why does Paul command Gentile believers to remember their former condition — and what does spiritual memory preserve?
• 2.What did it mean to be called 'Uncircumcision' — defined by exclusion rather than inclusion — and how does that label feel?
• 3.How does Paul's qualifier 'in the flesh made by hands' subtly challenge the value of external religious markers?
• 4.What does remembering where you were (v.11-12) do for your appreciation of where you are (v.13)?

Devotional

Wherefore remember. Remember. Do not let the present blessing erase the memory of the former condition. The Gentile believers who are now inside the covenant — included, welcomed, made near — need to remember when they were outside. The remembering is not guilt. It is gratitude. You cannot appreciate where you are if you forget where you were.

Ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh. In time past. Once. Formerly. There was a time when your defining identity was outsider. Gentile. Uncircumcised. Without the covenant sign, without the covenant community, without the covenant promises. You were on the outside — and the people on the inside had a name for you: Uncircumcision.

Who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision. The labels. The categories. The us-versus-them that defined the ancient world: the circumcised and the uncircumcised. The included and the excluded. The covenant people and the nations. You were the nations. You were the excluded. You were defined by what you lacked.

In the flesh made by hands. Paul's subtle qualifier. The circumcision they boasted in was a physical operation — flesh cut by human hands. The true circumcision (Romans 2:29) is of the heart, by the Spirit. The external marker that divided humanity into two categories was a human-made distinction. The real division — and the real inclusion — operates at a deeper level than flesh.

Verses 12-13 complete the memory: without Christ. Aliens. Strangers. No hope. Without God. That was your condition. But now — the two most transformative words in Paul — in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. The blood that brought you near is the reason you remember the distance. The inclusion that defines your present is the reason you recall the exclusion of the past.

Remember. Not to wallow. To worship. The distance you once occupied makes the nearness you now enjoy extraordinary. Do not forget where you were — because forgetting will make you take for granted where you are.

Commentary

Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.

Cross References

Related passages throughout Scripture