We’re learning about chiasms in Scripture. Remember it’s a structure that’s distinctive in Hebrew writing. It is a parallel mirror structure. The most important point is in the center with the subpoints building up to and stepping down from that high point. When you recognize it, the structure gives some insight into what the key point in a passage or section is. That helps us correctly interpret and apply what God’s word says. We started with a chiasm in Proverbs and last week we looked at 1 Peter 1:23-25. This week we’ve got one that’s a little bigger. Ephesians 2:12-19 says
12 remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
13 But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
14 For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall,
15 by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace,
16 and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity.
17 AND HE CAME AND PREACHED PEACE TO YOU WHO WERE FAR AWAY, AND PEACE TO THOSE WHO WERE NEAR;
18 for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father.
19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household,
There are some clues that we have a chiasm here. Strangers is repeated within a few verses. We also have citizens and commonwealth which could go together. If we add the indentations, Ephesians 2:12-19 looks like this:
At level 1 we were excluded strangers. In its mirror, we are fellow citizens in the household of God.
At level 2 we were hopeless and without God.
At level 3 Paul explains that the Gentiles were far off, but that the blood of Christ brings us near God AND reconciles us to the the Jews, those who were near.
At level 4 Jesus abolishes, puts to death, the enmity between Jew and Gentile. We used to be divided by the Law. They had it and we didn’t.
In the center is the reason why: So that in Him, through the work of Christ, we would be one body.
The level 4 mirror shows now we’re reconciled.
Stepping out to level 3, we see Jesus preached peace (with the Gentiles through peace with God) to the Jews.
At level 2 we have access in the Spirit to the Father through the work of Christ. (Notice that the Trinity is included showing our full access.)
And at level 1 we are fellow citizens in the household of God.
So in this chiasm in Ephesians, the work of Christ is the key. It is the center of God’s redemptive plan in eternity past, in history, and in our daily reality. There is no peace between God and man or among men without the work of Christ. Explain a lot about what’s on the evening news, doesn’t it?
We’ll do one more chiasm next week.