Good answer..but what did His death have to do with it [the bringing of the Jews and Gentiles together]?
Col. 1:21 Once you [Paul's talking to Colossians but we assume this applies to all Gentiles]
were separated from God. The evil things you did showed your hostile attitude. 22
But now Christ has brought you back to God by dying in his physical body. [Christ's death is associated by bringing the Gentiles into the fold with the Jews] He did this so that you could come into God’s presence without sin, fault, or blame. 23 This is on the condition that you continue in faith without being moved from the solid foundation of the hope that the Good News contains.
How were they brought near by the blood of Jesus
By His death (see above). God says Christ's death is the instrument of His Grace to us.
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Fastfredy0 said: 14 For He Himself is our peace
and our bond of unity.
You responded:
How? Is it because They are part of the "world " in Saint
John 3:16?
Is it because when He died He freed Israel off an under the law so that everyone could come to Him by faith in who He was/is.
Or believe on Him for what He did for the Jews
that showed who He is.
Question 1: That's a long story with an explanation of the meaning of WORLD that is a long story.
World is an ambiguous word. It can mean "everyone without exception" or "everyone without distinction". If you study all the verses with the word WORLD you will it can't always mean "everyone without exception". World can also mean the planet, the world system, the entire universe. Now everyone has bias' so when they see the word WORLD they will usually define it according to their bias. So, without yapping forever, be suspicious when people refer to WORLD. In regards to John 3:16 and WORLD and keeping in mind I have a bias ... I believe it means both Jews and Gentiles as opposed to just Jews. That being said, when you have a verse with dubious meaning, seek out other verses that are explicit to determine the meaning of the implicit verses.
Question 2:
... do you have any simple questions? This complication. The LAW is used in so many different ways in the bible. Anyways, I will first point out that there may be a false premise in your question. People were never saved by the law (Gal. 2:16). Salvation is always by faith.
Back to the question ... as I understand it, Christ death is the reason that the Law has no power to condemn us and thus we are not under the law in regards to salvation. We are still under the law (well, some of the laws have been set aside) in regards to obedience.
Question 3: Hmmm, not sure I understand. I think I've lost the context in which the question is asked.
Re: Eph. 2:14 you asked
Here what was the wall? The law?
To understand this verse we must discover what dividing wall Paul had in mind. Perhaps it was the wall in Herod’s Temple courtyard that separated the Court of the Gentiles from the Court of the Jews. [Note: Morris, p. 65. Cf. Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, 15:11:5; ibid., The Wars of the Jews, 5:5:2.] This seems improbable since that wall still stood and divided Jews and Gentiles when Paul wrote this epistle. Perhaps he had in mind the veil between the holy and most holy places in that temple. However, that veil-it was not a wall-did not separate Jews from Gentiles but all people from God. It seems most probable that Paul had in mind a spiritual rather than a physical barrier that had separated Jews and Gentiles since Abraham’s time. This is in harmony with Paul’s emphasis on spiritual realities that marks Ephesians.
"This new institution [the church] does not dissolve ethnic distinctions, but displays reconciliation, with every believer equally qualified to share in the benefits of salvation and peace that emerge from the uniting of Jews and Gentiles into a new living community." [Note: Bock, p. 314.]
This verse is a strong testimony to the fact that with the death of Jesus Christ God began dealing with humankind on a different basis than He had in the past. He now stopped working with and though the Jews and Judaism primarily (though temporarily, cf. Romans 11). Instead He began dealing with Jews and Gentiles on the same basis, namely, their faith in His Son. In others words, He began a new dispensation or administration in His dealings with humanity. Tom Constable
Re: Romans 1:19 and 2:14
OK, THIS DOES NOT SAY THEY WERE UNDER IT
IN THE SENSE THAT GOD GAVE THEM THE COVENANT. NOR DOES IT SAY HE DIED TO GET THEM OFF AN UNDER THE LAW. Jesus was able to forgive sin long before He died.
Agreed, Gentiles not under written Law of Jews or Covenant (well, technically Gentiles were in covenant with Abraham Gen 12:7, Gen 17:4 ... and covenant with Adam Gen 3:15) ... The Gentiles did have the law of God via their conscience.
Agreed, my verses don't say Jesus died to get people off from under the law. I think my verses addressed another question if I recall correctly.
Yes, God has always made FAITH the instrument of forgiveness.
Right now what I see is Jesus blood took those off under the law so everyone could live by the power of His Spirit by faith in who He is.
Agreed. I would clarify "Jesus blood took those off under the law". I would state is as: "Jesus blood took those off
the penalty of those under the law". We are still obedient and our obedience is powered by the Spirit.
2 Corinthians 3:5