Sunday, November 28, 2010

Paul's calling and purpose

In this section of chapter 3, Paul articulates additional details of his calling, its purpose, and the shared bond it brings.

7 Of this Good News I became a minister, in virtue of the charge with which God entrusted me in the exercise of his power-- 8 Yes, to me, who am less than the least of all Christ's People, was this charge entrusted!--to tell the Gentiles the Good News of the boundless wealth to be found in the Christ, 9 And to make clear what is God's way of working out that hidden purpose which from the first has been concealed in the mind of the Creator of all things; 10 So that now to the Archangels and to all the Powers on high should be made known, through the Church, the all-embracing wisdom of God, 11 In accordance with that purpose which runs through all the ages and which he has now accomplished in Jesus, the Christ, our Master. 12 And in union with him, and through our trust in him, we find courage to approach God with confidence. 13 Therefore I beg you not to be disheartened at the sufferings that I am undergoing for your sakes; for they redound to your honor. Twentieth Century New Testament

7 ου εγενηθην διακονος κατα την δωρεαν της χαριτος του θεου της δοθεισης μοι κατα την ενεργειαν της δυναμεως αυτου 8 εμοι τω ελαχιστοτερω παντων αγιων εδοθη η χαρις αυτη τοις εθνεσιν ευαγγελισασθαι το ανεξιχνιαστον πλουτος του χριστου 9 και φωτισαι τις η οικονομια του μυστηριου του αποκεκρυμμενου απο των αιωνων εν τω θεω τω τα παντα κτισαντι 10 ινα γνωρισθη νυν ταις αρχαις και ταις εξουσιαις εν τοις επουρανιοις δια της εκκλησιας η πολυποικιλος σοφια του θεου 11 κατα προθεσιν των αιωνων ην εποιησεν εν τω χριστω ιησου τω κυριω ημων 12 εν ω εχομεν την παρρησιαν και προσαγωγην εν πεποιθησει δια της πιστεως αυτου 13 διο αιτουμαι μη εγκακειν εν ταις θλιψεσιν μου υπερ υμων ητις εστιν δοξα υμων Westcott-Hort Nestle-Aland United Bible Societies Greek New Testament

Humility of his calling (verse 7)
"Of this Good News I became a minister..." so begins the TCNT in verse 7. Looking at the original language, it is more humble stated: ου εγενηθην διακονος "of which (the Gospel referenced at the end of verse 6) I (implied by verb conjugation) became a servant (διακονος, the word from which we derive 'deacon'). The word for "became" is a deponent verb, a verb having no active form yet carries some sense of the active (i.e., the subject is acting, not being acted upon and not reflexive). The Greek word for "become" is γινομαι, which means "I become, begin to be, receive 'being', come into existence". Paul's use of such a word would indicate is confession of transformation; no longer a man of the flesh, a man of the Law, a man of his own making; rather, he is something different now, a new creation, a servant, nothing of which is by his own hand...

"in virtue of the charge with which God entrusted me in the exercise of his power" completes verse 7 in the TCNT, which I find a bit complicated, as if we examine the rendering of the Greek κατα την δωρεαν της χαριτος του θεου της δοθεισης μοι κατα την ενεργειαν της δυναμεως αυτου "according to the gift of the grace of God given to me, according to the inward working of His power". In my rendering from the Greek, the emphasis upon God's grace, both in Paul's calling and the execution of the calling, are paramount. The word from which I translated "inward working" is ενεργεια, from which we derive the word "energy", the presence of which is attributed to God's power. I think it is important, as a side note to believers, to not confuse natural talents with God's giftedness. A person who is a great orator by training before his redemption will continue to have those skills, but it is not a spiritual gift. A person who sings beautifully before redemption will sing beautifully after redemption, perhaps with a different purpose, but it is not a spiritual gift. Both of these examples are of training and genetics, but are not spiritual gifts. A spiritual gift is only given after redemption, and while the Lord can certainly use our natural abilities, the spiritual gift He gives is the one intended for His glory and the greatest blessing of the Body.

When it comes to his calling, Paul readily confesses the working of God and Christ in all that he is and that he does. There is a great humility which Paul readily pours forth, as one who understands, as much as humanly possible, the grace of God upon his life.


The activities of his calling (verses 8-11)
In spite of the many things we see Paul as being for the early church, or even for us today, his own understanding of his purpose was very clear and simple.

8 Yes, to me, who am less than the least of all Christ's People, was this charge entrusted!--to tell the Gentiles the Good News of the boundless wealth to be found in the Christ, 9 And to make clear what is God's way of working out that hidden purpose which from the first has been concealed in the mind of the Creator of all things; 10 So that now to the Archangels and to all the Powers on high should be made known, through the Church, the all-embracing wisdom of God, 11 In accordance with that purpose which runs through all the ages and which he has now accomplished in Jesus, the Christ, our Master.

8 εμοι τω ελαχιστοτερω παντων αγιων εδοθη η χαρις αυτη τοις εθνεσιν ευαγγελισασθαι το ανεξιχνιαστον πλουτος του χριστου 9 και φωτισαι τις η οικονομια του μυστηριου του αποκεκρυμμενου απο των αιωνων εν τω θεω τω τα παντα κτισαντι 10 ινα γνωρισθη νυν ταις αρχαις και ταις εξουσιαις εν τοις επουρανιοις δια της εκκλησιας η πολυποικιλος σοφια του θεου 11 κατα προθεσιν των αιωνων ην εποιησεν εν τω χριστω ιησου τω κυριω ημων

"Yes, to me, who am less than the least of all Christ's People, was this charge entrusted!--to tell the Gentiles the Good News of the boundless wealth to be found in the Christ", verse 8 from the TCNT, Paul pours forth his own sense of humility in his calling. εμοι τω ελαχιστοτερω παντων αγιων εδοθη η χαρις αυτη τοις εθνεσιν ευαγγελισασθαι το ανεξιχνιαστον πλουτος του χριστου "to me, the least of the least of all saints, the grace itself had been given to proclaim good news to the nations (other than the Hebrews), the untraceable riches of Christ".

There is an interesting word construction as Paul describes himself, and the word construction is the 'comparative superlative'. The word ελαχιστος means 'least' and is the superlative of μικρος, which means 'little'. Paul adds the comparative ending to ελαχιστος to get the word ελαχιστοτερω (dative), and hence, "lessor of the least".

Paul states his primary purpose, the proclamation of the "boundless riches", or more literally, the "untraceable riches" of Christ to the nations of the world. The word ανεξιχνιαστον from which we get 'untraceable', is derived from the preposition αν, which in composition, negates what is to follow, and the word εξιχνιαστος, which means "to trace, to track, to follow".

Verse 9 begins, "And to make clear...", from the Greek φωτισαι "to enlighten", which also turns out to be a "hanging infinitive", that is, it has no direct object in the usual sense. This has prompted some scribes to put in a word to complete the infinitive phrase, usually "all", so that the phrase becomes "to enlighten all". This scribal correction has some support, though it is weak. Rather than the traditional accusative noun one would expect to follow an infinitive in Greek, I suggest that the oldest manuscripts omitting "all" are correct: the phrase that follows is the object of the infinitive:
"what is God's way of working out that hidden purpose which from the first has been concealed in the mind of the Creator of all things"
τις η οικονομια του μυστηριου του αποκεκρυμμενου απο των αιωνων εν τω θεω τω τα παντα κτισαντι (what is the administration of the mystery which had been in secret from all of the ages in God Who created all things)

Some render in English "what is the fellowship of the mystery", which is an incorrect aberration of the Greek. The TCNT does a very good job in explaining the use of οικονομια (administration, management, oversight; literally "house law") which is nowhere close to the Greek word for fellowship, κοινωνια, the root meaning of which is "common". This second element of Paul's calling, to bring light to the workings of God, or, "explain the mysteries of God" as they relate to the Gospel, is perfectly congruent to the Great Commission: preach the Gospel and then teach them all things.

10 So that now to the Archangels and to all the Powers on high should be made known, through the Church, the all-embracing wisdom of God, 11 In accordance with that purpose which runs through all the ages and which he has now accomplished in Jesus, the Christ, our Master.
10 ινα γνωρισθη νυν ταις αρχαις και ταις εξουσιαις εν τοις επουρανιοις δια της εκκλησιας η πολυποικιλος σοφια του θεου 11 κατα προθεσιν των αιωνων ην εποιησεν εν τω χριστω ιησου τω κυριω ημων

I have thought long and hard about verse 10, trying to understand Paul's direction. But now, I think I understand. We, as the redeemed of Christ, simultaneously live in two worlds. Okay, I know this sounds a little strange, but bear with me. There are, in fact, two realities in which we live: one is of the earthly realm where we live, see, touch, smell, act; the other is the heavenly realm, which is unseen to us at this time, the realm into which John looked and would compose the book The Revelation. Whether we know it or not, whether we realize it or not, we are functioning in both realms at the same time. Paul, in declaring his purposes of ministry -- which were given to him by God and empowered by God -- demonstrates to us the connection between the seen reality and the unseen reality. As we declare the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and declare the wonders of his mysteries, we are not doing it only to be humans in our midst, the souls we are trying to reconcile to God, but we are also doing it to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms: the angels and all of those in the unseen reality. Even as Paul wrote in Ephesians chapter 2, that God would "show us off to all creation", so also are we declaring to that same creation the glories of God Himself through the proclamation of the Gospel and the teaching of its mysteries. In effect, we stand alongside our Father God and Jesus Christ our Lord in the unseen reality proclaiming Their glories. Mystical? Yes, but exciting as well, as our reign with Him has already begun for us even now. Verse 11 emphasizes this fact, "according to the eternal purpose which He made in Christ Jesus our Lord". Paul gives us the bigger picture of both his ministry and our ministry as we labor together to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the wonders and riches of its mysteries.

The shared bond in his ministry (verses 12-13)
12 And in union with him, and through our trust in him, we find courage to approach God with confidence. 13 Therefore I beg you not to be disheartened at the sufferings that I am undergoing for your sakes; for they redound to your honor.

12 εν ω εχομεν την παρρησιαν και προσαγωγην εν πεποιθησει δια της πιστεως αυτου 13 διο αιτουμαι μη εγκακειν εν ταις θλιψεσιν μου υπερ υμων ητις εστιν δοξα υμων

Paul once again draws himself close to the Ephesians, that he is not above them, not great zero more significant than they, but as one who is redeemed by grace, the same grace by which they were also redeemed.

"in whom we have the boldness and freedom and confidence through His faith", a more literal translation of verse 12 from the Greek. As you can see, my interpretation of the Greek differs from that of the TCNT. My translation "through His faith" is absolutely literal, whereas the TCNT changes the meaning of the phrase to "through our trust in Him". For the TCNT to be correct, the voice and wording of the Greek would have to be altered. It was Jesus Christ Who was faithful to His eternal purpose, and through His faithfulness, the Possession, the Elect, the Called Out Ones, the Body are redeemed. It is because of His faith in the Father, and the Spirit's work in the Elect, that we, by faith (which is a gift to us), are redeemed. We all pass into a state of redemption through the faith of Jesus Christ. Therefore, there can be no hierarchy among us, for all that we are and all that we have for him are the works of the grace of God through Jesus Christ.

As a result, Paul articulates verse 13: "therefore I ask to not lose courage in my tribulations on behalf of you, for it is your glory". Paul considered all that happened to him to be a part of God's great plan and purpose for him in the Gospel, and therefore the Ephesians should not be discouraged, should not grow weary, should not lose courage, for the eternal battle is already won. Maybe for you and for me.

Grace and peace,

Mark

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Ephesians 3, Paul's Calling and Prayer

Ephesians chapter 3

Ephesians chapter 3 can be broken into two major segments: Paul's brief dissertation on his ministry to the Gentiles, and his prayer on behalf of the Ephesians themselves. Today in Ephesians chapter 3, we will be looking at the first six verses of the chapter. In these verses, Paul gives the framework of his calling. As we will see next week, he articulates the specifics of his calling in verses seven through 13.

Ephesians 3
1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Jesus, the Christ, for the sake of you Gentiles-- 2 For you have heard, I suppose, of the responsible charge with which God entrusted me for your benefit, 3 And also that it was by direct revelation that the hidden purpose of God was made known to me, as I have already briefly told you. 4 And, by reading what I have written, you will be able to judge how far I understand this hidden purpose of God in Christ. 5 In former generations it was not made known to mankind, as fully as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to the Apostles and Prophets among Christ's People-- 6 That, by union with Christ Jesus and through the Good News, the Gentiles are co-heirs with us and members of one Body, and that they share with us in God's Promise. Twentieth Century New Testament (TCNT)

1 τουτου χαριν εγω παυλος ο δεσμιος του χριστου ιησου υπερ υμων των εθνων 2 ει γε ηκουσατε την οικονομιαν της χαριτος του θεου της δοθεισης μοι εις υμας 3 [οτι] κατα αποκαλυψιν εγνωρισθη μοι το μυστηριον καθως προεγραψα εν ολιγω 4 προς ο δυνασθε αναγινωσκοντες νοησαι την συνεσιν μου εν τω μυστηριω του χριστου 5 ο ετεραις γενεαις ουκ εγνωρισθη τοις υιοις των ανθρωπων ως νυν απεκαλυφθη τοις αγιοις αποστολοις αυτου και προφηταις εν πνευματι 6 ειναι τα εθνη συγκληρονομα και συσσωμα και συμμετοχα της επαγγελιας εν χριστω ιησου δια του ευαγγελιου Westcott-Hort Nestle-Aland United Bible Societies Greek New Testament

Verse 1:
For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Jesus, the Christ, for the sake of you Gentiles
τουτου χαριν εγω παυλος ο δεσμιος του χριστου ιησου υπερ υμων των εθνων

"Of this grace, I, Paul the prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you the Gentiles", and so Paul begins his writing of Ephesians Chapter 3. The statement "of this grace", refers the reader back to the latter part of chapter 2, where Paul describes the fullness of the grace of God in the redemption of the Gentiles. Further, he refers to himself as "the prisoner of Christ Jesus". We must remember that Paul was imprisoned in Rome at the time of the writing of Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians. But he did not regard himself as a prisoner of the Roman Empire, though legally that was his status. Rather, he thought of himself bound to Jesus Christ and Him alone, no matter where that took him. Completing verse one, he writes that he was a prisoner "for the sake of you Gentiles". This is a common translation, but a more literal translation would be "on behalf of you of the tribes/nations". In this way, Paul is referring to the Ephesians as being representative of all the peoples of the earth who need to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ, removing the derogatory Jewish name for non-Jews.

Verse 2
For you have heard, I suppose, of the responsible charge with which God entrusted me for your benefit
ει γε ηκουσατε την οικονομιαν της χαριτος του θεου της δοθεισης μοι εις υμας

Paul begins to articulate the framework of his calling with "For you have heard, I suppose, of the responsible charge with which God entrusted me for your benefit..."; more literally, " if it is a fact you heard of the administration of the grace of God given to me into you." Paul is explaining to them that as a prisoner of Jesus Christ, this is an act of grace brought forth by God. He regarded his condition as being a part of God's plan, as an act of grace, and that it had been given to him, as though it were a gift, for the Ephesians. The phrase της χαριτος του θεου της δοθεισης μοι εις υμας "of the grace of God given to me in you" is rather dynamic. Paul recognizes that what God has blessed him and charged him to do was a gift from God himself. But it was not a gift for Paul to keep and to relish and to enjoy unto himself. That which was given was intended to be shared, and the proposition that is used for "in", is the Greek word εις, which creates a dynamic sense of movement toward the recipients, in this case, the Ephesians.

Verses 3-4
3 And also that it was by direct revelation that the hidden purpose of God was made known to me, as I have already briefly told you. 4 And, by reading what I have written, you will be able to judge how far I understand this hidden purpose of God in Christ.

3 κατα αποκαλυψιν εγνωρισθη μοι το μυστηριον καθως προεγραψα εν ολιγω 4 προς ο δυνασθε αναγινωσκοντες νοησαι την συνεσιν μου εν τω μυστηριω του χριστου


"According to the revelation which has been made known to me the mystery just as I wrote before in a small amount with which you are able to read to understand/perceive the insight and knowledge I have in the mystery of Christ" there are several things of importance here as Paul lays out the framework of his calling. "According to the revelation that have been given to me", Paul did not receive his understanding of Jesus Christ from the teachings of other men. Rather, as we look at the first chapter of Galatians, we find that Paul received the gospel directly from Jesus Christ Himself, sometime after his conversion. Paul does not speak on the authority of any of the other apostles or disciples, but rather only authority of Jesus Christ. There is apparently another letter, which we do not have today, which Paul wrote to the Ephesians prior to this one. He continues in verse four, "with which you are able to perceive, to understand the insight and knowledge I have in the ministry of Christ". It would be interesting to have that previous letter to the Ephesians. It would almost seem as though Paul were boasting at this point, but he is being emphatic, not exerting his authority for his own sake, but reminding them of his authority for their own sake.

Verse 5
5 In former generations it was not made known to mankind, as fully as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to the Apostles and Prophets among Christ's People
5 ο ετεραις γενεαις ουκ εγνωρισθη τοις υιοις των ανθρωπων ως νυν απεκαλυφθη τοις αγιοις αποστολοις αυτου και προφηταις εν πνευματι

In verse five Paul writes, "which other generations that had not been made known to the sons of men has now it has been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets in Spirit". Paul quickly moves from the authority of his calling to the uniqueness of what the Ephesians have experienced. But there is a history to that which has been made known to them, and previous generations did not get to enjoy it, but in this generation it has been revealed, and revealed through the apostles of Christ, and the prophets, in Spirit. Not something conceived in the mind of man, but beyond humanity into the realm of the Spirit. Paul draws this distinction to help them understand the link between his calling and the message that is preached by the other apostles and prophets, and that they are all bound in one Spirit.

Verse 6
That, by union with Christ Jesus and through the Good News, the Gentiles are co-heirs with us and members of one Body, and that they share with us in God's Promise.
ειναι τα εθνη συγκληρονομα και συσσωμα και συμμετοχα της επαγγελιας εν χριστω ιησου δια του ευαγγελιου

And here we arrive at the clincher for this whole framework that follows: "to be (that) the tribes/nations are fellow heirs, part of the same body, and fellow participants of the promises of Christ Jesus through the Gospel".

The Jews wanted an earthly king to establish them as the premier people upon the earth, that they might demonstrate that they were right all along about the one true God. But that which was to come, that which was promised in Genesis 3:16, was for everyone. Paul spent the latter half of chapter 2 explaining how Jesus Christ bought those who were far-off together with those who are near, and Paul reiterates this underlying aspect of his ministry and the gospel that the nations the tribes would be fellow heirs, of one body, participants together in the promises of Christ Jesus. The preposition συν (with, signifying togetherness) is used in composition with these nouns to intensify the unity and bond of all believers one to another: συγκληρονομα (heirs together with), συσσωμα (together as one body), συμμετοχα (participants together with). But all of this is not outside of one important element: the Gospel. Some may say that there are many roads to God, but they all lead to destruction. Paul says the only way to partake of the promises of Christ Jesus is through the Gospel itself.

Let us remember the authority for which the Gospel is brought to us, the Word of God. Let us remember that it's authorship was not of men, but of the Spirit. Let us remember that regardless of the station of a man's life, whether high or low, whether far or near, whether clean or dirty, whether one race or another race, all the nations of the earth will participate in the promises of Jesus Christ through the proclamation of His Gospel, and it is unto this purpose we are all called.

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Blood, and The Man of Peace, part III

In the third part of this study, we see the consummation of Jesus as the Man of Peace.

God's Construct through the Man of Peace
Paul writes of Christ's work as the Man of Peace, and encourages the Ephesians believers with a more thorough description of the impact of this work.

 17 and having come, he did proclaim good news--peace to you--the far-off and the nigh, 18 because through him we have the access--we both--in one Spirit unto the Father. 19 Then, therefore, ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens of the saints, and of the household of God, 20 being built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being chief corner- stone , 21 in whom all the building fitly framed together doth increase to an holy sanctuary in the Lord, 22 in whom also ye are builded together, for a habitation of God in the Spirit. (Young's Literal Translation)

17 και ελθων ευηγγελισατο ειρηνην υμιν τοις μακραν και ειρηνην τοις εγγυς 18 οτι δι αυτου εχομεν την προσαγωγην οι αμφοτεροι εν ενι πνευματι προς τον πατερα 19 αρα ουν ουκετι εστε ξενοι και παροικοι αλλα εστε συμπολιται των αγιων και οικειοι του θεου 20 εποικοδομηθεντες επι τω θεμελιω των αποστολων και προφητων οντος ακρογωνιαιου αυτου χριστου ιησου 21 εν ω πασα οικοδομη συναρμολογουμενη αυξει εις ναον αγιον εν κυριω 22 εν ω και υμεις συνοικοδομεισθε εις κατοικητηριον του θεου εν πνευματι

Paul returns the Ephesians to the notion found in verse 12, that they are "far off from God". Paul writes, και ελθων ευηγγελισατο ειρηνην υμιν τοις μακραν και ειρηνην τοις εγγυς, "and having come, he (Jesus) preached the good news of peace to you who are far off and peace to those who are near". And by "far-off" we mean, those who were previously ignorant of the counsel of God, and "those who are near" referring to the Jewish nation who were familiar with the covenants of God. When Jesus came, He came to the house of Israel first, but also blessed the Gentiles. And this can be found in numerous passages in the Gospels. In verse 18, Paul writes that οτι δι αυτου εχομεν την προσαγωγην οι αμφοτεροι εν ενι πνευματι προς τον πατερα, "it is through Him we have the delivery, both in one spirit unto the Father. "The both" referring to the ones who are far off and the ones who were near, the Gentiles and Jews, "in one spirit", emphasizing the unity, the absolute unity, that exists among all those who are called into redemption by Christ. Jesus Christ has made the two absolutely one, and in this fashion; that is to say, they are indistinguishable, He has placed us all before the Father.  The preposition used to describe our "placement" is προς, meaning "with, perfectly aligned with, face-to-face with", emphasizing His and our unity with the Father.  Further, this preposition is strengthened by the presence of την προσαγωγην, which is the noun form of the verb προσαγω, meaning "I lead toward/bring/approach".  What Jesus did for us in delivering us to the Father was aligned with the Father's purpose in Him.   αρα ουν ουκετι εστε ξενοι και παροικοι αλλα εστε συμπολιται των αγιων και οικειοι του θεου, "therefore no longer are you aliens and outsiders, but you are citizens together of the saints and members of the household of God".  The work of Christ is complete in this unity, from reconciling Jew to Greek, to reconciling both to the Father.

Paul further reinforces the notion of this unity through the metaphor of Jesus Christ as the cornerstone of the holy sanctuary of God, which is the Saints themselves:

20 εποικοδομηθεντες επι τω θεμελιω των αποστολων και προφητων οντος ακρογωνιαιου αυτου χριστου ιησου 21 εν ω πασα οικοδομη συναρμολογουμενη αυξει εις ναον αγιον εν κυριω 22 εν ω και υμεις συνοικοδομεισθε εις κατοικητηριον του θεου εν πνευματι

20 being built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being chief corner- stone , 21 in whom all the building fitly framed together doth increase to an holy sanctuary in the Lord, 22 in whom also ye are builded together, for a habitation of God in the Spirit.


Verses 20-21 clearly establish the metaphor, but also serves as a reminder:  the holy sanctuary of God has nothing, NOTHING to do with brick and mortar -- such objects have NEVER honored Him!  When I think of all the resources of Christendom which have been WASTED to create such idols I cringe, and you should, too.  OK, off the soapbox, back to the WORD, our only true guide.  Paul preserves the continuity of the oracles of God in the statement επι τω θεμελιω των αποστολων και προφητων "...upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets..."  The apostles ordained by Christ have this status, none since.  I repeat, none since.  Continuing to verse 22, εν ω και υμεις συνοικοδομεισθε εις κατοικητηριον του θεου εν πνευματι "...in whom you also have been built together into a dwelling place of God in spirit."  The dwelling place of God is not a building, not even the Holy of Holies, rather, God's dwelling place is the Body, the Possession, the Chosen, the Bride of Christ, and it is a spiritual realm of dwelling, not ever something made by mortal flesh or mind.

The far off and the near -- together.  The Jew and Gentle -- together.  What separated them -- destroyed.  Who destroyed their separation, their enmity? -- Jesus, Who also delivered the same unto the Father, Whom also dwells with them, in Spirit.  There are only two who acted throughout this passage -- God and Jesus Christ, and we are redeemed by grace through their works in our lives.