Who Is the "New Man" in Ephesians?

Paul's use of the phrase “one new man” in Ephesians 2 has led many to read his words as a break from the Jewish and Gentile distinction—a celebration of universalism and the dissolution of covenantal uniqueness.

But for Paul, a trained Pharisee—experienced in the interpretive traditions of Second Temple Judaism—there may be another clue from Rabbinic thought that he had in mind. And this challenges the popular interpretation.

We'll explore why this tradition plays a major role in Paul's worldview, both eschatologically and practically, and look at some of the key sources from the tradition to reframe this misunderstood idea.

Rather than erasing Jewish-Gentile distinctions, Paul’s phrase ‘one new man’ builds upon a deeply Jewish framework—the mystical and Midrashic understanding of Adam and Messianic redemption.

The First Adam

Throughout the Epistles of Paul, he frequently leverages his Rabbinic training, using familiar Midrashic ideas to convey messages to his audiences.

As we've explored, Midrash is an important tool to understand the Apostolic writings. Midrash are the interpretive traditions that uncover hidden meanings in the biblical text, often imaginative and theological.

One recurring concept at the forefront of his teachings is the tradition surrounding Adam HaRishon (אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן), the first Adam¹. This concept is featured throughout all levels of Jewish hermeneutics and is deeply connected to the role of Messiah².

We see this concept emerge in 1 Corinthians 12, where Paul describes the community as a unified body—with diverse people groups comprising different body parts. This is an idea found in the Midrash, as we will see below.

Paul portrays a reintegration of humanity back into wholeness - a tikkun (repair) for the aftermath of the first Adam's miscalculation and the separation of the nations at the Tower of Babel.

Paul sees room for both Jews and Gentiles in this body.

Jewish and Gentile Distinctions

In Ephesians 2, Paul encourages and builds up the Gentile audience, reminding them of the life of paganism that they had been redeemed from. Paul seeks to assure them they have indeed been included in the commonwealth of Israel, though without the formal (and still valid) process of conversion.

This distinction is reflected in Ephesians as Paul maintains the language of "us" (ie, Jews) and "you" (Gentile G_D fearers). In this letter and others, Paul recognizes them as a new category of Gentiles among the Jewish communities.

Though he doesn't consider them Jews, he does not exactly consider them to be among the predominantly pagan Gentile world they once belonged to, either³.

For Paul, these distinctions remain an important part of his eschatological expectation in the Messianic era; that is, Jews and Gentiles standing side by side in service of G_D.

Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which G_D has called him. This is my rule in all the congregations. Was anyone at the time of his call already circumcised? Let him not seek to remove the marks of circumcision. Was anyone at the time of his call uncircumcised? Let him not seek circumcision.
- 1 Corinthians 7:17-18

This idea itself might also be Rabbinic in origin⁴.

Maintaining Distinctions

For many who have come from Christian influence, the idea of distinctions might seem counterintuitive to the universal message of the Gospel. However, it is quite logical as each group has a unique role and a unique relationship with the commandments of the Torah⁵.

Paul's language indicated that all of these groups were already in the synagogue communities⁶. For example, in Acts 13, upon entering the synagogue in Antioch, Paul says:

... “Men of Israel (Jews) and you who fear G_D (Gentiles), listen. - Acts 13:16

In Acts 13:26, and with a little more nuance, we read:

Brothers (Jews), sons of the family of Abraham (a nickname for converts), and those among you who fear G_D (Gentiles),...

For Paul, this was a picture of the Messianic Kingdom - Israel and the nations together.

Now that we understand that Paul maintained distinctions, we should seek another explanation for what he meant by the phrase "one new man."

The Midrash - Second Adam

In Hebrew, the word "Adam" literally translates as "man," so we might refer to Adam as first Adam, or the first man.

Following this, Messiah is connected to the idea of second Adam, or the second man. We see this language in 1 Corinthians 15:7:

The first man (Adam Harishon) was of the dust of the earth; the second man is of heaven.

Paul uses this as a framework to compare the destruction caused by the "first man" to the restoration brought by the "second man".

The Body of Adam

In the Talmud, we see a similar idea to that in 1 Corinthians 12. The tradition shares that the body of Adam was a composite of the dust of all of the nations.

… his torso was fashioned from dust taken from Babylonia, and his head was fashioned from dust taken from Israel, the most important land, and his limbs were fashioned from dust taken from the rest of the lands in the world. ... - Sanhedrin 38b

In a similar fashion to Paul, the First Adam was made up of the nations.

The Soul of Adam

The same is said for the soul of Adam, from which all human souls would derive.

All the souls that would exist in the future were fashioned with the first man, and they will exist to the end of the world. All of them were created on the sixth day of creation. - Tanchuma Pekudei 3

The Zohar hints at this idea (Zohar 1:55a-b; Pritzker, 310-313) through the generations of Adam, and Lurianic Kabbalah expands upon this idea further. The idea we take away is that all of the souls of humanity were also a part of Adam before the sin in the garden. Thus the ultimate redemption is that all of humanity, body and soul, will be reintegrated into a unified whole. This is the job of Messiah!

To me, this is what Paul is alluding to. The "New Man" is a play on the Midrash, based on his belief that Jesus was helping to reconcile the world, Jew and Gentile, Body and soul - into the New Man, or Second Adam.

... that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to G_D in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. - Ephesians 2:15-16

Conclusion

It is a brilliant use of the Midrash, provided that someone is familiar with it.

This reading will alter the subject of the “one new man,” challenging the prevailing Christian interpretation, which is often viewed in an individualistic sense. Instead, we see an inversion of Adam's mistake, the global harmonization expected in the Messianic era.

When taken out of context, the conclusion drawn over the centuries is that a new man exists, a third option that is neither Jewish nor Gentile. However, practically, this assumption has largely sought to make a casualty of the Jewish people, expecting them to assimilate into Gentile Christian culture.

This unfortunate interpretation walks the Jewish people away from their covenantal responsibilities, their heritage, and their role in the future redemption.

Thus said the LORD of Hosts: In those days, ten men from nations of every tongue will take hold—they will take hold of every Jew by a corner of his cloak and say, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that G_D is with you.” - Zechariah 8:23

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Notes:

¹ Adam Kadmon

² The Mission of Messiah

³ Gentiles and Goyim

⁴ Paul's Rule and the Conversion Controversy

⁵ The Roots of Gentile Inclusion: Noahide Laws and the Jerusalem Council

⁶ Paul's Audience in the New Testament

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