NOTES for Eph 2:19

The apostle Paul in his letters constantly turns to the theme of Christian universalism. The serious and deep division of people into those to whom the heritage of the faith of the chosen people belongs and those who are alien to it is overcome by Christ's death for all people. The apostle goes on to say that in order for the Gentiles to have the possibility of entering the Church, of entering the covenant with God, a special revelation took place of the mystery of Christ, given to the apostles and prophets by the Holy Spirit. Today those who have come into the Church from the "Gentiles," that is, not from Israel, constitute its absolute majority, and therefore awareness of the greatness of this gift has become dulled.

The differences that arose among people in history are overcome in the Church, and all become, in the apostle's words, "no longer strangers and aliens, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of God's household." Consequently, these differences themselves have a very relative significance. Meanwhile, relations among people in the world around us are arranged as if the divisions of people into historically formed groups existed eternally and had enduring value.

We become aware of and grasp our personhood to a significant degree through identifying ourselves with a certain typical group of people. So it has always been, from primitive ancient tribes to complex and many-sided modern society. In essence, the apostle offers Christians another path of self-identification: to be fellow citizens with the saints and members of God's household.