Thomas Aquinas

Having recalled the benefits conferred on the Ephesians in general through Christ, here he recalls them in particular. Concerning this he does two things. First he shows how they drew near to the Jewish people; second, how they were made nearer to God, there, "that he might reconcile both," etc. The first is again divided into three, because first he shows the cause of the drawing-near, second the manner, third the end. The second is there, "and the middle wall," etc. The third is there, "that the two," etc.

Now the cause of the drawing-near is Christ, on account of which he says, "for he himself is our peace," etc. And this is an emphatic manner of speaking, for the greater expression of the matter, as if he were to say: I say well that you have been made near, but this was done through Christ, because he himself is our peace, that is, the cause of our peace. Hence he was saying, John 14:27: "My peace I give to you." Now this manner of speaking is accustomed to occur when the whole that is in the effect depends on the cause, just as when we say of God that he himself is our salvation, because whatever there is of salvation in us is caused by God. Since, therefore, whatever there is of peace in us is caused by Christ, and consequently whatever there is of drawing-near — because when a man has been made peaceful with another, he can securely walk or draw near to him — therefore he says that he is our peace. For at his nativity the Angels announced peace. Luke 2:14: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace," etc. Also, with Christ himself existing in the body, the world had the greatest peace, such as it had not had before. Psalm 71:7: "In his days shall justice arise," etc. He also, rising again, announced peace. Luke, the last chapter: "he said to them: Peace be to you."

There follows, "who made both one," namely because Christ joined both peoples into one — that is, the Jews who worshipped the true God, and the Gentiles, who were alienated from this worship of God. John 10:16: "I have other sheep that are not of this fold," etc., up to there: "and there shall be one fold and one shepherd." Ezekiel 37:22: "one king shall rule over all," etc.

Now the manner of the drawing-near is shown when he adds, "and the middle wall," etc. Now this manner is through the removal of that which divided. For the understanding of the letter we ought to imagine one great field, and many men gathered there, in which indeed there is stretched out and raised up through the middle one wall dividing them, so that there is not seen to be one people, but two. Whoever, therefore, should remove the wall, would join the gathering of those men into one crowd, and one people would be made. Thus is what is said here to be understood. For this world is like a field — Matthew 13:38: "the field is the world." Now this field, namely the world, is full of men — Genesis 1:28: "increase, and multiply, and fill the earth." Now in this field there is a wall, because some are on one side, some on the other; and this wall can be called the old law according to its carnal observances, in which the Jews were kept shut up, as is said in Galatians 3:23: "we were kept under the law, shut up unto that faith which was to be revealed." Song of Songs 2:9: "he stands behind our wall"; namely because Christ was prefigured through the old law. But Christ removed this wall, and thus, since no gap remained, one people of Jews and Gentiles was made.

And this is what he says: I say that he made both one, in this manner, namely by loosing the middle wall. I say a wall of loose stone, not of a mortared wall. For a wall is then a wall of loose stone, when the stones in it are not glued together with mortar, and it is not erected for this purpose, that it endure forever, but until a predetermined time. The old law, therefore, is a wall of loose stone on account of two things. First, because it was not glued together by charity, which is, as it were, the mortar gluing each one to another, and all together to Christ. Below, 4:3: "careful to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace." For the old law is a law of fear, inducing men through punishments and threats to the observance of the commandments. And if any, in that time of the law, observed it out of charity, they already belonged to the New Testament, as Augustine says, which is the law of love. Romans 8:15: "For you have not received the spirit of bondage again in fear," etc. Second, the old law is a wall of loose stone because it was not given to last forever, but until a predetermined time. Galatians 4:1ff: "As long as the heir is a child, he differs nothing from a servant, though he is lord of all, but is under tutors and guardians until the time predetermined by the father: so we also, when we were," etc.

But here a question arises, because he says "loosing the wall of loose stone," yet the contrary is said, Matthew 5:17: "I have not come to destroy the law, but to fulfill it." I respond. It must be said that in the old law there were moral precepts and ceremonial precepts. The moral precepts indeed Christ did not destroy, but fulfilled, by adding counsels over and above, and by expounding those things which the Scribes and Pharisees understood badly. Hence he was saying, Matthew 5:19: "unless your justice abound more than that of the Scribes," etc. And again: "It was said to the ancients: You shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy. But I say to you: love your enemies," etc. But the ceremonial precepts he indeed destroyed as to their substance, but fulfilled as to that which they prefigured, applying the thing prefigured to the figure. It is therefore to be understood that here he says "loosing," namely as to the observance of the carnal law. And to loose this, namely the wall of loose stone, is to dissolve the enmities that were between the Jews and the Gentiles: because these wished to keep the law, but those not at all, from which arose between them anger and envy. But certainly Christ dissolved these enmities in his flesh which he assumed. For at his nativity, peace was immediately announced to men. Luke 2:14. Or "in his flesh," namely as immolated, because, as is said below, 5:2: "he delivered himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God." In which sacrifice indeed all those sacrifices were fulfilled, and ceased. Hebrews 10:14: "For by one oblation he has perfected forever those who are sanctified."

Now what this wall is he intimates, saying that it is "the law of commandments," as if he were to say: loosing the wall, that is, the law of commandments, etc. Now the old law is called "the law of commandments," not because other laws lack commandments; for the new law also has commandments. John 13:34: "A new commandment I give to you." But it is called so on account of two things: first indeed on account of the great number of the legal commandments, to such an extent that they cannot be kept by men, according to that word, Acts 15:10: "this is a burden which neither we nor our fathers were able to bear." Job 11:6: "that his law is manifold," etc. Or it is called "of commandments," that is, of works. Romans 3:27: "Where then is your boasting? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith." Hence, just as the Baptism of John is called the Baptism of water, because it only cleansed outwardly, but did not sanctify inwardly, so also the old law is called the law of works, because it only prescribed what they ought to do, but did not confer grace, by which they might be helped to fulfill the law. But the new law directs in what is to be done, by prescribing, and helps toward fulfilling it, by conferring grace.

I say "making void," just as the imperfect is made void by the perfect, and the shadow by the truth. 1 Corinthians 13:10: "But when that which is perfect has come, that which is in part shall be made void," namely the imperfection and shadow of the old law, concerning which, Hebrews 10:1: "for the law, having a shadow of the good things to come," etc. And this "by decrees," that is, by the precepts of the New Testament, through which the law is excluded. Leviticus 26:10: "You shall eat the oldest of the old," that is, the precepts of the law of nature together with the new law; and, its precepts having been taken up, "you shall cast away the old," that is, the ceremonial precepts of the old law as to their substance, as has been said.

Now he shows the end of the drawing-near, saying, "that he might create the two in himself," etc. Which end indeed is that the two said peoples be made one people. Now the things that are united must be united in some one thing, and because the law divided, they could not be united in the law; but Christ, succeeding in place of the law, and faith in him — as the truth succeeds the figure — created them in himself. John 17:22: "that they may be one, as we also are one." Matthew 18:20: "For where there are two or three gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."

And this, "making peace," in one new man, that is, in Christ himself, who is called the new man on account of the new manner of his conception. Jeremiah 31:22: "The Lord has created a new thing upon the earth: a woman shall compass a man." Likewise, on account of the newness of grace which he conferred. Galatians, the last chapter: "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision avails anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature." Below, 4:23: "be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new man, who," etc. Likewise, on account of the new commandments which he brought. John 13:34: "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another," etc. And although this seems to be the intention of the Apostle, nevertheless in the Gloss the wall is doubled: because on the part of the Jews the law is posited as a kind of obstacle, but on the part of the Gentiles it is idolatry.

Consequently, when he says, "that he might reconcile both," etc., he shows how they drew near to God. Concerning this he does two things. First he manifests their reconciliation to God; second he sets forth the manifestation of the reconciliation, there, "and coming, he preached," etc.

It must be known that the love of neighbor is the way to the peace of God; because, as is said, 1 John 4:20: "for he who does not love his brother whom he sees, how can he love God whom he does not see?" And Augustine says that no one should think he has peace with Christ, if he is at discord with a Christian. First, therefore, he sets forth the peace of men with one another made through Christ, and from that the peace of men with God. On account of which he says, "that he might reconcile both," now united, in the one body of the Church, namely in Christ. Romans 12:5: "we, being many, are one body in Christ." He might reconcile them, I say, to God through faith and charity. 2 Corinthians 5:19: "God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself." And this he did through the cross, "killing the enmities in himself," because he killed the enmities of the Jews and the Gentiles, which were through the law, fulfilling the figures of the Old Testament; but the enmities that were between God and men through sin, he killed in himself, when through the death of the cross he blotted out sin. Galatians 1:4: "who gave himself for our sins." Hebrews 9:28: "Christ was offered once to exhaust the sins of many." He says therefore: "killing the enmities," that is, sins, "in himself," in the immolation of his own body. Colossians 1:20: "making peace through the blood of his cross, whether the things that are in the heavens, or the things that are on the earth." Romans 5:10: "when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son." Likewise Colossians 1:19: "it pleased that in Christ all fullness should dwell, and through him to reconcile all things in himself." Since, therefore, Christ satisfied sufficiently for our sins, it followed that, the price having been paid, reconciliation should come about.

Now he sets forth the manifestation of this reconciliation, saying: "and coming, he preached," etc. Now he sets forth, first, the announcement of the peace or reconciliation; second, the cause and reason of the peace, there: "for through him we have access," etc. The reconciliation of God to man through Christ is therefore manifest, because Christ himself not only reconciled us to God, and killed the enmities, but also, "coming," namely in the flesh, "preached," that is, announced, "peace." Or "coming" after the resurrection, when he stood in the midst of the disciples, and said to them: "Peace be to you," Luke, the last chapter. Isaiah 61:1: "he has sent me to announce to the meek," etc. And Isaiah 52:7: "how beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who announces and preaches peace, who announces good, who preaches salvation," etc. "He preached," I say, not to one people only, but "to you Gentiles who were far off," to whom, even if not in his own person, yet through his apostles he announced peace. Matthew, the last chapter: "Going therefore, teach all nations, baptizing," etc. Isaiah 33:13: "Hear, you who are far off, what I have done, and acknowledge," etc. And "peace to those who were near" — supply: Christ announced it in his own person. Romans 15:8: "For I say that Christ Jesus was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the fathers." Isaiah 54:15: "Behold, a sojourner shall come who was not with me; he who was formerly your stranger shall be joined to you."

Now he shows the cause and form of the peace, saying, "for through him we both have access," that is, the two peoples, "in one Spirit," that is, united by the union of the Holy Spirit. Below, 4:3: "careful to keep the unity of the spirit," etc. 1 Corinthians 12:11: "But all these things one and the same Spirit works," etc. Now in this way we have access to the Father through Christ, because Christ works through the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:9: "But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not his." And therefore whatever is done through the Holy Spirit is also done through Christ. Also, by this that he says, "to the Father," it is to be understood that it also pertains to the whole Trinity, because on account of the unity of essence, in the Father is the Son and the Holy Spirit, and in the Holy Spirit is the Father and the Son. Therefore, when he says "to the Father," he specially shows that whatever the Son has, he has from the Father, and also acknowledges that he has it from him.