No Longer Strangers And Foreigners

On or around the 21^st of July each year, school children all over Singapore commemorate Racial Harmony Day, to remember the race riots of 1964, and to foster understanding between the different races so that a similar race riot never happens again. The children are taught that despite having differences in skin colour and cultural practices, there is so much more that unites them, that there is so much more that they have in common.

The 1^st century church in Ephesus faced the problem of racism as well. It was made up of Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians, and evidently, there were those among the Jewish Christians who considered themselves to be superior to the Gentile Christians. Part of the reason for Paul writing the book of Ephesians was to show that the Gentile Christians were “no longer strangers and foreigners”, but “fellow citizens with the saints” (Ephesians 2:19).

Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; That at that time ye 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: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. (Ephesians 2:11-13)

Paul acknowledged that there were differences between the Jews and Gentiles. The Jews were circumcised; the Gentiles were not. The Jews were part of the commonwealth of Israel and of the covenants of promise (e.g. promises made by God to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob); the Gentiles were not. The Jews had God; the Gentiles did not. Indeed, there were many differences between the Jews and the Gentiles.

However, all that had changed under the New Testament. Because God loved the whole world, He sent His son Jesus to die as the atonement for the sins of all men, both Jew and Gentile (cf. John 3:16). As such, regardless of their physical differences, in the church,

“there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28).

The Gentiles, who had been “far off”, had been “made nigh” (drawn near) by the blood of Christ (Ephesians 2:13).

How is this relevant to us today?

Today, the church is still made up of people of different ethnicities, different social-economic standings, different upbringings, different backgrounds. Some have been Christians, faithfully serving the Lord for decades, while others are “new babes in Christ”. Regardless of this, we must remember that we are “no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God” (Ephesians 2:19). This Lord’s Day, let’s try to talk to someone whom we do not usually speak with. Let’s share a meal with someone who is of a different skin colour or socio-economic background from us. Let’s do this, because in the Lord’s church, we are “no longer strangers and foreigners”.