Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led.
I want to take up the thought that the audience were once Gentiles—but are now brethren. Among the many definitions of the Greek term used here is simply “non-Jewish.” We often think of just two types of people: Jews and Gentiles. A Gentile is anyone who is not a Jew. Talk about isolation! There is no one on earth quite like a Jew.
But the Greek word has more depth. It's ethnos, from which we get ethnicity. It means nations or multitudes.
This audience was once part of the multitude—without distinction, without individuality. You could even say, without purpose. They were certainly without the living God, and without hope.
Ephesians 2:12 – Without God… having no hope.
Just a part of the big, shapeless mass of the nations. And being indistinct, they were easily led away into error—carried away unto dumb idols.
They were Gentiles—but they were no longer Gentiles. They were now brethren.
Mind you, they were not now Jews either. Jews who got saved were also called to come out of that world.
God used Paul to call all men—whether originally Jews or Gentiles—to become members of a brand new body, different and totally distinctive: the Church of the Living God.
Ephesians 2:15 – To make in himself of twain one new man…
This new body cost Paul his freedom, confused many Jewish believers who thought Christians were to become Jews, and has been misrepresented by multitudes of Gentile believers who think the church is some kind of universal entity that one automatically joins by faith and baptism of the Spirit.
It is none of that. It is a local body of believers, united together on purpose. We have a common conversion, a common baptism, a common place of worship, and a common practice of faith.
1 Corinthians 1:2 – Unto the church of God which is at Corinth…
We are no longer Jews, Gentiles, bond or free. We are no longer black or white, Asian or Occidental. We are one new man in Christ. We are covenanted together purposefully, distinctively, and in unity.
We are the Church of the Living God.
#FromGentilesToBrethren #OneNewManInChrist #ChurchOfTheLivingGod #NotJewsNotGentiles #CovenantedTogether
Out of the Multitude, Into the Church: Distinct, United, Local
In a world where we’re easily carried away by false beliefs, it’s crucial to know who we are in Christ. You’re no longer a part of the multitude—you’re a child of God and called to join a local body of believers, united in faith and purpose.
🔑 Take action today! Don’t let your identity be defined by the world around you. Join a local Baptist church and find there a family where you can grow in your faith.
💬 Question: What does it mean to you to be part of the Church of the Living God? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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