THE "ONE NEW MAN" IN EPH. 2:15- WHICH IS IT? CHRIST AND THE CHURCH OR JEWS AND GENTILES?

The Church of Christ : The Church of Christ is the Church that Jesus will save (Acts 20:28 Lamsa Translation) because He made this Church His body and heads it Himself -- BEFORE GOD, THE CHURCH AND CHRIST ARE ONE NEW MAN.

(Eph.2:15 NKJV); Col.1:18 NKJV).

Fundamental Beliefs of the Iglesia ni Cristo (Church of Christ)[1], written by Eraño G. Manalo.


Observations:

1. There is nothing in the two verses referred to (Eph.2:15 NKJV; Col.1:18 NKJV) that says that "before God, the Church and Christ are "one new man".

2. No Bible scholar, modern or of old, rendered the same conclusion. As a matter of fact, even scholars quoted by INC in its official publication Pasugo arrived at the opposite conclusion:

"In this life inaugurated by Christ, JEW and GENTILE (both parties) could find themselves at ONE. Thus Paul speaks of Christ as performing in himself a new act of creation. He became the prototype of a humanity (a new Man) in which the old divisions were fused. Our attention is here directed to only one of those divisions— the agelong cleavage of JEW and GENTILE."

MOFFATT NEW TESTAMENT COMMENTARY
Based on The New Translation by the
REV. PROFEsSOR JAMEs MOFFATT, D.D.
and under nis Editorship

"He made peace by the sacrifice of himself; and came to reconcile, JEWS AND GENTILE to each other. He made both one, by reconciling these TWO DIVISIONS OF MEN."

MATTHEW HENRY' COMMENTARY ON THE WHOLE BIBLE- Commentary on Eph 2:14-22

3. There is no one in Christian history held the same beleif as INCM. It unknown to the early Christian themselves.

But perhaps, Mr. EGM discovered for himself something unknown to these scholars by merely considering the verse in question, specifically in Eph.2:15.

Let as read again Eph.2:15 but this time let us include verse 16:

Eph 2:15-16 NKJV 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, (16) and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity.

According to EGM, the "new man" refers to Church and Christ, let us substitute this belief in Eph 2:16 NKJV.

(Eph 2:16 NKJV) And that He might reconcile them BOTH (Church and Christ ) to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity.

Now, if BOTH refers to Christ and His Church, why did Christ need to reconcile Himself with God?

INCM strange doctrine indeed.