14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; 15 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;16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: 17 And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.
This passage demands careful reading and context. There are references throughout these verses that address two groups of humanity. While it is not immediately verified here, based on verses 11-13 that proceed and verses 18-22 that follow, we can infer that the two groups are the Jews and the Gentiles. Throughout the New Testament we see that the historical exclusivity of the Jews and their enmity toward the Gentiles remained a point of friction in the early days of the Church. What remains uncertain is why Paul felt the need to include it here. Was it a mixed congregation? Was the letter to Ephesus likely to be shared with churches where this friction was present? Or is he merely emphasizing the one of the doctrinal truths – in this case, the Body of Christ – for the new dispensation? The latter seems the most likely, though all are plausible.
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