How are Gentiles made near to God according to Ephesians 2:13?
Paul writes that Gentiles who were sometimes far off are made nigh to God in Christ Jesus, not by the Law or the covenants, but by the blood of Christ—His finished work of the cross. This is the hope that follows the hopeless condition described in Ephesians 2:12.
Les explains that Ephesians 2:13 is the flip side of verse 12's hopelessness. The little three-letter word "but" is one of the most important words in Scripture because Paul does not leave us without hope or without God in this world. In Christ Jesus, Gentiles who were sometime far off are made nigh to God—not by the Law, not by the covenants, but by the blood of Christ, the finished work of the cross. Israel was under the covenant promises and the Gentile had no part in it, but when Israel refused and rejected it, God set them aside temporarily and turned to the Gentile in grace.
But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
More Questions
How are Gentiles who were far off made near to God?
Gentiles who were at one time far off are made near to God by the blood of Jesus, not by keeping the Law, practicing temple worship, or offering animal sacrifices.
How are the far-off Gentiles brought near to God?
In the next verse, Ephesians 2:13, the glorious hope for us Gentiles is that those who were once far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
Why were the Gentiles described as 'far off' in Ephesians 2:13?
The Gentiles in Ephesians 2:13 were 'far off' because they were steeped in paganism and had no knowledge of the God of Abraham, and they are brought near by the blood of Christ.