Ephesians 2:11-22. I Hate, Hate, Hate Being Left Out
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I Hate, Hate, Hate Being Left Out.
Whenever I think about the idea of exclusion or being left out, my mind goes to this clip from The Office:
I hate, hate, hate being left out. Whether it's not being picked for a team...or being picked for a team and then showing up and realising the team doesn't exist. Or that the sport doesn't exist! I should've known. 'Poop ball?'
Michael Scott, The Office
While most of us can’t relate to being invited to join a poopball team, we can all relate to that feeling of being left out. Whether it’s a team, a party, a social gathering, a family gathering, a work meeting, whatever it might be, being left out sucks.
In Ephesians 2:11-22, we discover that this was the situation facing nearly the entire human race. Thankfully, God always had a plan to reverse this situation.
Verse 11 begins with a “therefore”, reminding us of what we’ve just read in 2:1-10. In Ephesians 2:1-10, we discover that we’ve been saved by grace and made alive with Christ.
In light of this, 2:11-22 calls us to remember our past exclusion and rejoice in our new inclusion.
1. What You Once Were
Verses 11-12 tell us what God’s people once were: uncircumcised, separated, excluded, foreigners, without hope and without God.
You = Gentiles. In an earlier post, I mentioned that when Paul refers to “you” in Ephesians, he’s usually talking about the Gentiles. This is because of verse 11, where he writes to “you who are Gentiles by birth”. While verses 1-10 addressed the former and present realities of the individual, verses 11-22 switch to consider the former and present realities of the Gentiles, which basically consists of all ethnic groups other than the Jewish people—God’s people in the Old Testament.
Uncircumcised. The Gentiles are then referred to as “the uncircumcised”. In the Old Testament, circumcision—the physical act of removing the foreskin—was a sign of being God’s chosen people (see Genesis 17). It wasn’t just a physical distinction—it was a badge of spiritual exclusivity. To be uncircumcised meant being labelled as outsiders to God’s promises. In Paul’s day, the Jewish people referred to themselves as “the circumcision” to make this point.
Separated. In verse 12, Paul tells the Gentiles to “remember” that they were formerly separate from Christ. All nations other than the Israelite and then Jewish nation had been outside the blessings and promises that pointed to Christ.
Excluded. This separation meant that they were excluded from citizenship in Israel. They were left out.
Foreigners to the covenants. As such, they were treated as “foreigners to the covenants of the promise”. In the Old Testament, God made covenants (binding agreements) with his people, especially with Abraham, Moses, and David. These covenants came with promises: things like land, family, blessing (Genesis 12:1-3), relationship with God (Exodus 19:1-6), and especially the coming of a King who would bring salvation and rule the world forever (2 Samuel 7:12–16). To be a foreigner to the covenants meant you were outside those promises. The Gentiles had no rightful claim to God's blessings and presence.
Without hope and without God. Therefore, the Gentiles were “without hope” for the future, and “without God” (verse 12).
That is what they were. And that’s what you were if you are not of Jewish origin. You, too, were considered uncircumcised, separated, excluded, a foreigner to the covenant, without hope, and without God.
2. What Christ Did
In what follows, Paul unpacks what Christ has done for us (2:13–18). We were uncircumcised, separated, excluded, foreigners to the covenant, without hope, and without God. Christ brought us near by his blood.
Brought near. Though Gentiles were once far from God, Jesus has brought them near through his blood: “you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ” (verse 13). This isn’t just geographical or emotional nearness; it’s about being welcomed into God’s presence and promises.
United. Jesus didn’t just bring people near at the individual level—he made them one collectively (verse 14). Historically, Jews and Gentiles had been divided and hostile to one another—it was like there was a “barrier” or “dividing wall of hostility”. Jesus destroyed this barrier or wall. Consequently, all believers, whether Jewish or Gentile ethnically, are united as one new humanity.
Setting aside. The Old Testament law (especially its commands and regulations) created the barrier between Jews and Gentiles. Think stuff like circumcision, food laws, and purity rules that marked Israel as separate. These laws weren’t bad, but they distinguished God’s people from the nations. When Jesus came and died—in human flesh—he set aside these barriers. The purpose of this was to create “one new humanity out of the two” (verse 15).
Peace. Jesus is our peace (verse 14) and he brings peace at the horizontal and vertical levels. In verse 15, we discover that by setting aside the barriers and uniting Jew and Gentile, Jesus has established a horizontal peace between these two groups. In verses 16-17, we see that through the cross and in his preaching, he has also established a vertical peace between humanity and God. This vertical peace serves as the foundation for our horizontal peace. Since Jesus made peace with us when we were far off, we really should try to reflect that peace by seeking peace with those we beef with.
Access. This means that both Jews and Gentiles now have access to the Father (verse 18). There’s a cool Trinitarian angle to this: “through him [the Son] we both have access to the Father by one Spirit”. The Spirit gives us ongoing access to the Father as the one who seals us (Ephesians 1:13; 4:30), indwells us (Ephesians 2:22), empowers us (Ephesians 3:16), and unites us (Ephesians 4:3–4). This is all made possible through the reconciling work of the Son at the cross.
So, we were uncircumcised, separated, excluded, foreigners, without hope and without God. Now we’ve been brought near by the blood of Christ.
3. What You Are Now
In verses 19-22, we discover what we are now: members of God’s household.
The logic of these verses follows something like this:
You were excluded → now you’re included → now you belong → now you’re part of God’s temple → now you’re where God lives by his Spirit.
Let’s unpack that.
You were excluded. Verse 17 recaps what we learned in verses 11-12: we were “foreigners and strangers”.
Now you’re included. We’re “fellow citizens with God’s people”, no longer excluded from Israel.
Now you belong. In 2:5, we discovered that we’re now seated in the heavenly realms with Christ—we get to go to Jesus’ house. In 2:18, we discovered that we have access to Jesus’ Father. In verse 19, we realise that we’re now part of his Father’s household as well. We’re insiders. This shouldn’t surprise us—in chapter 1, we discovered that we’ve been adopted as his children.
The Foundation. This household is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ as the cornerstone (verse 20). This means that the church is grounded in the authoritative teaching of those whom God appointed to reveal his word—the apostles and prophets—and held together by Christ himself, who is the essential reference point and support for the whole structure.
For what it’s worth, I used to think that “the prophets” referred to the Old Testament prophets. Ephesians 3:5 made me change my mind. Here, Paul refers to “God’s holy apostles and prophets” as those to whom the mystery of Christ has “now been revealed”, suggesting they are New Testament figures, not Old. Unlike the OT prophets who pointed forward to Christ, these NT prophets were given insight after Jesus came.
The apostles would include people like Peter, James and John. The prophets would include other significant figures like Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (13:1) and Agabus (Acts 11:27-28).
Now you’re part of God’s temple. This spiritual household or building is “joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord”. This family is growing into a temple. We get to be a part of this temple. Even better than that?
Now you’re where God lives by his Spirit. In verse 22, we discover that because we’re God’s temple, he dwells in us by his Spirit. In the Old Testament, God made his dwelling in the temple. Now that we are the temple, God chooses to dwell in us. How? By the Spirit.
So, previously, we were separated and excluded. Now we are so included that God has let us move in with him, joining his household—and he has moved in with us, dwelling in us by his Spirit.
I Love, Love, Love Being Included
Like Michael Scott, I hate, hate, hate being left out. But I love, love, love being included.
As a Gentile, I was uncircumcised, separated, excluded, a foreigner, without hope and without God. Through the blood of Christ, I’ve been brought near. Now I’m a member of God’s household. If you’re a Gentile, the same is true for you too.
Remember your past exclusion. Rejoice in your present inclusion.
Discussion Questions
Pray and Get Going
1. Why might someone feel like they don’t belong somewhere? (e.g., school, youth, church, a team)
Read Ephesians 2:11-22
2. What does Paul want us to remember in verses 11-12? Why is it important that we remember this?
3. Unpack the difference Jesus makes in verses 13-18.
4. Jesus brings peace. Is this peace horizontal (between God and us) or vertical (between us and us)?
5. Is there anyone you’re not at “peace” with? How might this passage change how you relate to that person?
6. Spell out the consequences of what Jesus has achieved in verses 19-22.
7. How does Jesus give us a sense of “belonging”? How does this compare with belonging to a group of friends or to a sporting team?
8. How might this passage impact the way we think about welcoming people at Youth?
9. What practical steps can we take to ensure that people feel included rather than excluded? Think of what you can do personally and as a group.
Pray and Give Thanks
Other Posts in this Series
Ephesians 1:1-14 (marticles.net/eph1a)
Ephesians 1:15-23 (marticles.net/eph1b)
Ephesians 2:1-10 (marticles.net/eph2a)
Ephesians 2:11-22 (marticles.net/eph2b)
Ephesians 3 (marticles.net/eph3)
Ephesians 4:1-16 (marticles.net/eph4a)
Ephesians 4:17-5:20 (marticles.net/eph4b)
Ephesians 5:22-6:9 (marticles.net/eph5b)
Ephesians 6:10-24 (marticles.net/eph6)
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