The Great Divide: Why Many Were Without Christ

“Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands—that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world” (Ephesians 2:11-12).

Without Christ and Without Hope

Circumcision was the outward sign of God’s covenant with Abraham’s descendants through Isaac and Jacob. Eight days following their birth, every Jewish male and any other male born in a Jewish home was to be circumcised. The failure to comply with this command resulted in death. Circumcision distinguished the Jews from all other nations. The covenant of circumcision represented the core of the Jewish identity; it said, “We are God’s chosen nation, His chosen people.” This made the uncircumcised—the Gentiles—aliens from the commonwealth of Israel. They lived without Christ and were excluded from the religious heritage of the Jewish people.

The Plight of Being Without Christ

The Jews believed circumcision symbolized their place as the rightful heirs of the promises to Abraham. The Jews, and the Jews alone, would receive what God promised Abraham in Genesis 17. The uncircumcised sat on the outside as strangers to the covenants of promise. Jesus was sent to the circumcised. He was a descendant of Abraham through Judah, the rightful heir of the house of David. Several times in the gospel accounts, Jesus emphasized how God sent Him to “the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” He commanded His disciples and early apostles to preach the kingdom to the Jews only, leaving many without Christ initially.

Remembering Life Before Grace

The early Christians were either Jews or proselytes to Judaism. So, from the ministry of Jesus to the earliest days of the church, the Gentiles were “without Christ.” The divide created by circumcision left the Gentiles with no hope and without God. It is helpful to remember who we were and what Jesus has done for us. This historical divide created a state where most of the world was separated from the promises of God. Without the intervention of Jesus, the status of the Gentile was one of total spiritual alienation. Understanding this background helps us appreciate the magnitude of the peace Christ eventually brought to all nations.