One New Man

[1] ...To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus:

[11] ...remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— [12] remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

[13] But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. [14] For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility [15] by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, [16] and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.

[17] And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. [18] For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.

[19] So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, [20] built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, [21] in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. [22] In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

‭Ephesians 1:1; 2:11-22

Israel was the nation that God had chosen to bring the Messiah through, and to which He sent Jesus to first, to bless by calling them to repentance and offering them salvation (Genesis 3:12; Galatians 3:8; Acts 3:29; 4:12; Romans 1:16; Mark 1:15; Matthew 15:24). 

When the Jews rejected God by rejecting Jesus as His Son and their Messiah, and had Him crucified, God sent His disciples also to the Gentiles, so that they too might be justified by faith, just as the Scriptures foretold (John 19:15; Matthew 21:43; Galatians 3:8).

Though the early church consisted of primarily Jewish converts, many Jews rejected that Jesus was the Son of God and the Messiah and resisted the notion that God had included Gentiles among the Jews as His people, and among the Israel of God. Because of this, there was fierce hostility and opposition towards the Christians by the Jews.The Jews persecuted the Christians, causing them to disperse from Jerusalem, taking the Good News of Jesus Christ to both Jews and Gentiles in other regions of the world (Galatians 6:16; Acts 8:1).

Before God sent the disciples to the Gentiles, they were called "the uncircumcision" by the Jews, because circumcision was the sign of being a part of Israel. At that time, Gentiles were "separated from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel, strangers to the covenants of promise, and had no hope because they were without God in the world."

But because God sent Jesus to them, the Gentiles who were once far off from God, have been brought near to Him by the blood of Christ. He is their peace who made both Jew and Gentile one new man, and has broken down in His flesh, the dividing wall of hostility between them, and between them and God. He abolished the law with its commandments and ordinances, in order to create in Himself one new man in place of the two (Jew and Gentile), by doing so, making peace between them, so that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, killing the hostility between them, and between them and God. 

Jesus came and preached peace to those who were far off (the Gentiles), and to those who were near (the Jews). Through Jesus, both Jew and Gentile have access to the Father in one Spirit. Therefore Gentiles are no longer strangers and aliens, but are fellow citizens [in Israel] with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets, with King Jesus Himself being the cornerstone in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together [both Jew and Gentile] into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit (Ephesians 2:11-22).

God does not have two people - His "chosen" people the Jews over there, and His secondary people, the Christians, over here. No, He has one people who consist of those who have faith in Jesus, both Jew and Gentile. "For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. There is neither Jew nor Greek..., for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise." Both Jew and Gentile are being built into a holy temple of the Lord (Galatians 3:7, 9, 26-29, 6:16; Romans 2:29, 9:6-8; Philippians 3:3).

Agreeing with Paul, Peter wrote to the "pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia", who consisted of both Christian Jews who were dispersed from Jerusalem in Acts 8:1, and Gentile Christians who were their disciples, saying that they were being built-up together into a spiritual house who are:

"... a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light... you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 1:1, 2:5, 2:9-10). 

Where Moses wrote that Israel was chosen by God among all the peoples of the earth to be God's treasured possession, holy to the Lord, Peter wrote through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that both Jew and Gentile Christians are "a chosen generation, a holy nation, His own special people." He does not distinguish between Jew and Gentile, but includes them both as one people, which Paul describes as "one new man made from the two." Israel is God's chosen people, but Israel includes, and has always included, both Jews and Gentiles (although this is not entirely true because "Jew" is a term that describes someone who practice the religion of Judaism, which did not exist until the intertestamental period. It would be more accurate to say, "Hebrews". In the Old Testament, Israel is not referred to as "Jewish", or "Jews", but in many ways, including, "Israelites", and "the Kingdom of Israel." However, the New Testament uses the term "Jews" to describe practitioners of Judaism, and who claim to be Israel. Being an Israelite, that is someone who is a part of Israel, was never based on race, ethnicity, or which nation you lived in).