16 On the cross Christ did away with our hatred for each other. He also made peace between us and God by uniting Jews and Gentiles in one body.
17 Christ came and preached peace to you Gentiles, who were far from God, and peace to us Jews, who were near God.
18 And because of Christ, all of us can come to the Father by the same Spirit.
19 You Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens with everyone else who belongs to the family of God.
20 You are like a building with the apostles and prophets as the foundation and with Christ as the most important stone.
21 Christ is the one who holds the building together and makes it grow into a holy temple for the Lord.
22 And you are part of that building Christ has built as a place for God's own Spirit to live.