12. Remember that in the past you were without Christ. You were not citizens of Israel. And you had no part in the agreements with the promise that God made to his people. You had no hope, and you did not know God.
13. Yes, at one time you were far away from God. But now in Christ Jesus you are brought near to God through the blood of Christ’s death.
14. Because of Christ we now have peace. Christ made both Jews and non-Jews one people. They were separated as if there were a wall between them. But Christ broke down that wall of hate by giving his own body.
15. The Jewish law had many commands and rules. But Christ ended that law. Christ’s purpose was to make the two groups of people become one new people in him. By doing this Christ would make peace.
16. Through the cross Christ ended the hatred between the two groups. And after Christ made the two groups to be one body, he wanted to bring them back to God. Christ did this with his death on the cross.
17. Christ came and preached peace to you non-Jews who were far away from God. And he preached peace to those Jews who were near to God.