In light  of eternity

How Paul dismantles any notion of two separate peoples or programs and affirms one unified redemptive plan in Christ

Welcome back to our 12-week Sunday school series: The Israel of God. This series began Sunday, April 5, 2026, and this week we confront one of the most important corrections Paul makes in his letters: there has never been a Plan A for Israel and a Plan B for the church. Paul insists on one single, seamless redemptive plan that finds its fulfillment in Christ — a plan that unites believing Jews and Gentiles into one people of God.

Key Scriptures (NASB)

• Ephesians 2:14-16 – “For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall… that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace.”

• Ephesians 3:6 – “to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.”

• Galatians 6:16 – “And all who will follow this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.”

What Paul Is Really Saying

Paul’s critique of separation is sharp and unrelenting. Any theology that drives a wedge between Israel and the church, or that treats the church as a temporary parenthesis, misses the heart of the gospel. From the beginning God has had one plan: to create one people for His glory through the promised seed, Jesus Christ.

Herman Ridderbos summarizes the apostolic preaching as the proclamation and explication of the eschatological time of salvation inaugurated with Christ’s advent, death, and resurrection (Paul). There is no separate track for ethnic Israel; the promises were always pointing to this unified, multi-ethnic fulfillment. O. Palmer Robertson reinforces the point: the covenants always had conditions that only Christ could fulfill perfectly on behalf of His people, and that fulfillment creates one family — not two.

The “one new man” of Ephesians 2 is the Israel of God. Gentiles are not second-class citizens or a Plan B; they are fellow heirs, fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise. Paul’s message is clear: there is one olive tree, one new humanity, one people of God — and that people is defined by faith in Christ alone. This truth liberates us from division and calls us into the glorious unity God has always intended.

Discussion / Application Questions (use these in class or small group)

1. Why does Paul so strongly emphasize “one new man” in Ephesians 2, and how does this critique any form of separation theology?
2. In what ways does Ephesians 3:6 show that Gentiles are not an afterthought but full participants in God’s single plan?
3. How does Paul’s unified vision challenge popular teachings that treat Israel and the church as two distinct peoples with two distinct destinies?
4. What practical dangers arise when we separate God’s plan for Israel from His plan for the church?
5. How does recognizing one redemptive plan deepen our appreciation for the continuity of Scripture from Genesis to Revelation?
6. How can our church actively live out Paul’s “one people” reality in the way we worship, serve, and relate to one another across ethnic lines?

Memory Verse to Hide in Your Heart

“For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall… that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace.” (Ephesians 2:14-16 NASB)

Closing Prayer

Father, thank You that in Christ You have torn down every wall that once divided us. Thank You for one beautiful, unified plan that brings Jews and Gentiles together as one new people in Your Son. Forgive us when we have imagined separate tracks or programs. Root us deeply in this single gospel story and make us a living demonstration of the peace and unity that only Christ can create. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

For Further Insight

These three posts from the blog will give you deeper background and context for everything we covered today:

→ The Israel of God in Galatians – Paul’s direct dismantling of the two-peoples framework in Galatians 3–6.

→ The Israel of God in Ephesians – The “one new man” and “fellow heirs” argument at the heart of Ephesians 2–3.

→ The Covenantal Framework – Paul’s Eschatological Unity – The unified redemptive plan grounding everything Paul teaches.