v11 You *Gentiles were not born as *Jews, (who call you not circumcised). They call themselves 'the circumcised' (something done to the body by the hands of men).
v12 Remember that you were at that time separate from Christ. You were foreign, and did not belong to God's chosen people (the *Jews - Israel). God had made no *covenant promises to you. You had no hope and no God in this world. v13 But now, in Christ Jesus, God has brought you near to himself through the blood of Christ.
God had chosen the *Jews, the people of Israel, to be his special people. He promised that he would give them many good things. But they must do as he told them. He would *punish them if they did not obey his rules. These special promises were called *covenants.
To be circumcised was a part of one of the *covenants that God made with Israel. Men cut the skin from the sex part of a man or boy. This was to show that he belonged to God.
v14 Christ himself is our *peace.
He has made *Jews and those who are not *Jews into one people. He has, with his
own body, broken down the wall that separated them. They were enemies.
v15 The *Jewish *law and all its rules became of no use, when he took away this wall. He wanted to join *Jews and other peoples into one group with himself. He would make *peace by doing this.
v16 Christ on the cross broke down the *anger that *Jews and other peoples have for each other. He has made one new body from all those who believe in him. This was so that they could come near to God.
v17 Christ came and told you all the *Good News of *peace. He wanted you all to have *peace. He wanted *peace for those who were far away and for you who were near.
v18 We can all come to the Father through one Spirit.
v19 So then, you *Gentiles belong in God's country with his people and you are no longer strangers, foreign to us. Now you are God's people and part of his family.
v20 This family is like a building. The things that the *apostles and *prophets taught people are its lowest stones. Jesus Christ himself is the most important stone in the building.
v21 He holds the whole building together so that it becomes a *holy *temple for the *Lord.
v22 God is building you together with Christ into a house where God lives by his Spirit.
Paul wanted the *church to be united. He did not want it to break into small groups that argued with each other. This is why he said that it was like one living body, or one building. Each of these has many small, different parts, but each is one whole.
[Based on Wycliffe UK Commentary on Ephesians and Boston Club Bible Study Resources' study on Ephesians]