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.
18. Yes, through Christ we all have the right to come to the Father in one Spirit.
19. So now you non-Jews are not visitors or strangers. Now you are citizens together with God’s holy people. You belong to God’s family.
20. You believers are like a building that God owns. That building was built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets. Christ Jesus himself is the most important stone in that building.
21. That whole building is joined together in Christ. And Christ makes it grow and become a holy temple in the Lord.
22. And in Christ you, too, are being built together with the Jews. You are being built into a place where God lives through the Spirit.