the Priesthood, Sacrifice and True Tabernacle of the Mediation of the Son of

God, Who has by virtue of His one Offering fulfilled and made it more

glorious than the exploits of Judas Maccabeus, Whose dedication opens heaven

itself, and an entrance is provided that was not made manifest while the

first Tabernacle yet stood.

To return therefore after this long, explanatory digression, we rejoice

to see that this boldness of access has been dedicated by a new and living

way through the veil, that is to say His flesh.  That veil was rent, and by

the offering of the body of Jesus Christ, the believer is not only redeemed,

but renewed, not only forgiven but sanctified, not only restored but

translated to a better and more perfect order, where pollution can never

defile, where the blood of Jesus Christ speaketh better things than that of

Abel or of Aaron, or of the Levitical offerings.  Such is the testimony of

the reference to His flesh in the Epistle to the Hebrews.

The Epistle to the Hebrews, as we have seen, uses the figure of the

'rent veil'.  The Epistle to the Ephesians uses the figure of the 'broken

middle wall', the one setting aside the law of type and shadow, under which

'the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest' (Heb. 9:8), the

other setting aside certain 'ordinances' which caused and perpetuated

'enmity'.  Both figures have access in view, the one for the Hebrew, the

other for the church of the One Body; the one setting aside the law of Moses,

the other setting aside the decrees of Acts 15.  The last statement, however,

has to be proved:

'Having abolished in His flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments

contained in ordinances; for to make in Himself of twain one new man,

so making peace' (Eph. 2:15).

This verse belongs necessarily to a larger context, which may be visualized

if shorn of all detail as follows:

A

2:1 -3.

in time past

children of wrath.

B

2:4 -10.

but god

entirely new sphere.

'made to sit together'.

A

in time past

aliens and strangers.

B

2:13 -19.

but now

entirely new company.

'one new man'.

It will be seen that in the first pair, doctrine predominates, and

salvation by grace is the issue.  In the second pair the alienation is not

one of wicked works, but arises out of the fact that there was a

dispensational disability in being born a Gentile, quite irrespective of

individual merit or demerit.  This was cancelled when the time came for the

truth of the Mystery to be made known.  In both sections the sequel brings

the believer into an entirely new and unique position.  'Made us sit together

in heavenly places' is a position of grace and glory never before revealed or

enjoyed by any believer of any previous calling.  'To make in Himself of

twain one new man' we shall see is nothing less than an entirely new

creation, blotting out all pre -existing fellowship and bringing into

existence a condition that is nothing less than a new creation.  The word

translated 'to make' in Ephesians 2:15 is the Greek word ktizo, 'to create'.

This word occurs fourteen times in the New Testament and only once, namely in