Tear Down This Wall!
article by Kevin Epps
Nearly 18 years ago President Reagan challenged the Soviets to tear down the infamous Berlin Wall. But the apostle Paul talked about the tearing down of an even more important wall that separates people.
"General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization: Come here to this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall! " (Ronald Reagan, June 12, 1987, at the Brandenburg Gate, West Berlin, Germany).
In perhaps his most memorable speech, President Reagan helped change the course of history (in ways still to be seen, prophetically). From 1961 to 1989, an estimated 1,000 people died trying to cross the Berlin Wall from East Germany to West Germany. One man reportedly "bled to death after being shot during a 1962 escape attempt..." ("Berlin Wall Stirs Emotions," Aug. 13, 2002, cnn.com/world). Walls can carry tremendous significance, both good and bad.
Death Penalty and Wall Removed
The Bible speaks of the removal of a wall, resulting in a far more profound change to the course of history. Christ broke down the wall that divided Jews and gentiles—people of every ethnic group:
"For He Himself is our peace , who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation , having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace " (Ephesians 2:14-15 [14] For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
[15] 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;
See All..., emphasis added throughout).
The "law of commandments contained in ordinances" alludes to a man-made law (not God's law) that was posted on a temple wall, separating the Jewish inner courts from the court of the gentiles.
"These two courts were separated by a low wall, as Josephus states, some 41⁄2 feet high... a stone was discovered by M. Ganneau in 1871, built into the wall, bearing the following inscription... ' No stranger is to enter within the partition wall and enclosure around the sanctuary. Whoever is caught will be responsible to himself for his death, which will ensue'" (Easton's Bible Dictionary).
It's interesting that a low wall, only 41⁄2 feet high, could sustain such intense segregation. Yet this placed the threatening sign at about eye-level.
Paul, a former Pharisee, had to unlearn this man-made practice before he could be the apostle to the gentiles. He experienced what it's like to be on the other side of this law: "... For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple... Now as they were seeking to kill him... all Jerusalem was in an uproar" (Acts 21:29-31 [29] (For they had seen before with him in the city Trophimus an Ephesian, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.)
[30] And all the city was moved, and the people ran together: and they took Paul, and drew him out of the temple: and forthwith the doors were shut.
[31] And as they went about to kill him, tidings came unto the chief captain of the band, that all Jerusalem was in an uproar.
See All...).
It's not that Jews and gentiles were committing hate crimes against one another. There was peace, as long as the gentiles didn't get too close . Yet the Jews' definition of "too close" did not reflect God's definition.
Such deeply rooted viewpoints did not vanish instantaneously when Jews and gentiles entered God's Church. Likewise, it's possible for the lingering effects of man-made social norms to skew our perspective of "godly" boundaries between members in God's Church.
In Ephesians 2, was Paul "digging up" racial issues from the past? What relevance could this predominately gentile congregation glean from a temple wall analogy? Actually there were many gentiles, known as "God-fearers," who regularly worshipped in this gentile court before converting to Christianity. Paul and Barnabas targeted this group.
"Their policy was to visit the Jewish synagogue in each place . . . because there they could usually be sure of finding a group of 'God-fearing' Gentiles who might become the nucleus of a Christian church" (F.F. Bruce, New Testament History , 1969, page 272).
Former God-fearers were probably keen about the idea of being "neither Jew nor Greek" (Galatians 3:28There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
See All...). Their spiritual status would no longer be restricted by their ethnic identity.
While some walls maintain God-ordained barriers, the "middle wall" is absent from diagrams of the first temple, which Solomon built. But Herod's motives for building the second temple were geared more toward gaining favor from the Jews.
A House for All People
Though gentiles were barred from the Jewish inner courts, many Jews regularly visited in the court of the gentiles. Jesus displayed a zealous concern for the activities within this court:
"Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple. Then He taught, saying to them, 'Is it not written, "My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations "? But you have made it a "den of thieves"'" (Mark 11:15-17 [15] And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves;
[16] And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple.
[17] And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves.
See All...).
Money changers made excessive profits while exchanging currency and doing business with foreign Jews. But Jesus' outrage was not limited to this materialism. Christ quoted Isaiah 56:7Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.
See All..., which describes the conversion of gentiles from "all nations." Expositor's Bible Commentary discusses this significance:
"The first passage quoted by Jesus is Isaiah 56:7Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.
See All..., a prediction that non-Jews who worship God will be allowed to worship in the temple. By allowing the Court of the Gentiles, the only place in the temple area where Gentiles were allowed to worship God, to become a noisy, smelly public market, the Jewish religious leaders were preventing Gentiles from exercising the spiritual privilege promised them. How could a Gentile pray amid all that noise and stench? And God's house was supposed to be 'a house of prayer for all nations.'"
Similarly, God intends for the climate in His spiritual house to be cleansed of things that are counterproductive to it being a unified and spiritual dwelling for all ethnic groups.
Unlearning Biases
Ironically, even relationships between Jews had ethnic challenges in the first century. A mental obstacle developed internally between Judean Jews and Galilean Jews. Fausset's Bible Dictionary notes:
"The northern part of Naphtali . . . was inhabited by a mixed race of Jews and Gentiles... Hence called (Isa 9:1Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation, when at the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterward did more grievously afflict her by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the nations.
See All...) 'Galilee of the nations,' or 'Gentiles' (Matt 4:13And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim:
See All..., 15-16)... Galilee's Gentile character caused the southern Jews of purer blood to despise it (John 1:46And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.
See All...; 7:52)... Galilee's debasement made its people feel their need of the Savior, a feeling unknown to the self right . . . its freedom from priestly and pharisaic prejudice, were additional grounds for its receiving the larger share of His ministry" ("Galilee," 1998).
Pride always leads to division. Physical Jews had to unlearn biases even against one another. Spiritual Jews are also capable of rebuilding arm's-length approaches within our fellowship. If, or when, we fall short in this area, we should ask God to give us wisdom concerning the best way to encourage one another, "... in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted" (Galatians 6:1Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
See All...).
By the end of the first century, the apostle John resided in the predominantly gentile city of Ephesus. The Church's overall demographic had transitioned from being all Jewish to heavily gentile. God's calling had worked out differently than most anticipated (John 6:44No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
See All...; 1 Corinthians 1:26For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
See All...; Romans 11).
This would have been a major challenge had mental barriers been sustained in God's Church. Such a mindset would have been inclined to "keep score" regarding the Church's ethnic identity, as is done in today's society. The potential results of this type of quota mentality were documented by a Swedish sociologist, Gunnar Myrdal, in his detailed 1944 study of race relations, An American Dilemma :
"It is also true that many white churches in the North have a few Negro members, and that they rarely would turn away Negro visitors . . . But usually they cannot afford to let the Negro membership grow too large... A prominent white church leader explained... 'I for one would like to have them stay. I believe it is in accordance with the doctrine of Christ, but the proportion is growing so large that white people are drifting away from us... Our organization is expensive to keep up... If we allow the Negroes to attend freely it means that eventually all of the white people will leave..." (pages 869-870, vol. II, 1996 edition).
The primary issue here was not behavioral—morality, sin or righteousness. Instead they stumbled at fellowshipping across ethnic lines and money issues. Diversity was a good thing, until it exceeded unwritten quotas and disturbed comfort zones. This same mistake could occur in a congregation that's predominantly African-American or any other race.
Gunnar Myrdal used a term, "moral overstrain," to describe one who "believes in and aspires to something much higher than its plane of actual life" (page 21, vol. I). That which is in accordance with the doctrine of Christ should not succumb to the actual life of our society. To some degree, all Christians are confronted with a moral overstrain in some aspect of life (Romans 7:14-25 [14] For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.
[15] For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.
[16] If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.
[17] Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
[18] For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
[19] For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
[20] Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
[21] I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
[22] For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
[23] But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
[24] O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
[25] I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
See All...; 1 John 1:8-9 [8] If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
[9] If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
See All...).
Globally, there are many walls, even between people of similar ethnic background. Consider this report about Sudan: "It may seem strange that here in the middle of Africa, one type of black person—they call themselves Arabs—would drive another blacker type of person from their homes. But then remember, the Hutus massacred the Tutsis in Rwanda. And whites ethnically cleansed whites in Bosnia. Ethnic cleansing always seems to be rooted in dark historical feuds and it is the same here" (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/3752871... ).
Thankfully, God's Church today has experienced progress in regard to fellowship and unity among members from diverse racial backgrounds. The Church's international efforts today have certainly been positive steps toward this end. However, as long as there's room for growth, biblical standards will continually point us toward overcoming. "Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall" (1 Corinthians 10:12Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
See All...).
We, as firstfruits, have an awesome task ahead of us in the Millennium. It will take a miracle for people to overcome the "historical feuds" that have embittered them. However, we have already received the type of miracle needed to rise above these obstacles—the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the more we are lights to the world in this regard, the more God can use us to bring ethnic enemies together after Christ returns.
Tear Down This Wall, Repeatedly
Can you imagine one trying to rebuild the Berlin Wall? Actually plans are already underway!
"They spent 40 years trying to tear [it] down, but a German artist now wants to rebuild the entire Berlin Wall for its 45th anniversary in 2006, coinciding with the city holding the football World Cup...
"Mr. Blaesius said: 'The World Cup shows all nations can communicate and cooperate with each other while the wall separates. Today there are still several divided nations, such as the Koreas, Israel and Ireland, and we want to remind people of both the past and the future in a meaningful way. Walls are not just physical, but also exist in your head '" ( Guardian Newspapers , Aug. 13, 2003, "Artist Aims to Rebuild Berlin Wall," www.buzzle.com/editorials/8-13-2003-44166.asp ).
Walls exist in your head? Not if we don't let them! UN
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