Ephesians 2:8-9 - By grace you are saved through faith?

Does Ephesians 2:8-9 have conditions?


Ephesians 2:8: "For (by) GRACE you-are SAVED through FAITH. And this (is) not out-of you. (It is) the gift (of) God —"

Ephesians 2:9: "not out-of WORKS, in-order-that no one may-boast."


Grace:

It is written: "(by) GRACE you-are saved" (Ephesians 2:8).

God is giving "GRACE" upon meeting certain conditions. 

One condition is for example to be humble, as it is written: "God opposes (the) proud, but gives GRACE (to the) humble" (James 4:6, 1 Peter 5:5).

For more information:
Is grace conditional?:
Click here



Faith:

It is also written: "you-are saved through FAITH" (Ephesians 2:8).

Someone does not HAVE FAITH automatically. 

For more information:
Does someone automatically believe?:



Saved (in the past tense):

Paul wrote that one can be "SAVED through faith" (Ephesians 2:8). 

The word for "SAVED" (Ephesians 2:8) here is in a past tense (the perfect tense in ancient Greek manuscripts). 

Salvation can be described for example in the past tense, but also in the present tense and the future tense

For more information:
Salvation can be described in the past, present, and future tense:
Click here

The verb for "SAVED" (Ephesians 2:8) in the past tense in "(by) grace you-are SAVED" (Ephesians 2:8) may be associated with a past event 3 verses earlier as it is written that God "MADE(-US)-ALIVE-WITH Christ — (by) grace you-are SAVED" (Ephesians 2:5). The Greek verb for "MADE(-US)-ALIVE-WITH" (Ephesians 2:5) is in the aorist indicative, which can be used to indicate a past event.



Saved... out of death (from sin)?

Paul wrote: "(BY) GRACE YOU-ARE SAVED" (Ephesians 2:8). 

A few verses earlier, Paul wrote that "God [...] even we being DEAD (ones in) trespasses, MADE(-US)-ALIVE-with Christ — (BY) GRACE YOU-ARE SAVED" (Ephesians 2:4-5). 

So here "(BY) GRACE YOU-ARE SAVED" (Ephesians 2:5) is the action to pass from "being DEAD (ones in) trespasses" (Ephesians 2:5) to then be "MADE-ALIVE-with Christ" (Ephesians 2:5). 

This would described being SAVED out of DEATH (from sin and trespasses).

For more information:
Salvation from what?:
Click here



Not out-of works:

It is also written: "(by) GRACE you-are SAVED through faith" (Ephesians 2:8), "NOT OUT-OF WORKS" (Ephesians 2:9).

This would include "works which we did in righteousness", as Paul also wrote somewhere else: "HE-SAVED us — NOT OUT-OF WORKS WHICH WE DID IN RIGHTEOUSNESS, but according-to His mercy" (Titus 3:5).

This would also include "our works", as Paul also wrote somewhere else that God is: "the (One) HAVING-SAVED us and called (us with a) holy calling, NOT ACCORDING-TO OUR WORKS but according-to (His) own purpose and GRACE" (2 Timothy 1:9). 


Not out-of works... grace and faith can be distinct from works:

It is also written: "(by) GRACE you-are saved through FAITH" (Ephesians 2:8), "NOT OUT-OF WORKS" (Ephesians 2:9).

Both GRACE and FAITH can be distinct from WORKS

For more information:
Is everything a work?:
Click here



By "grace"... "through faith"... it is the "gift" of God:

Paul wrote: "(by) GRACE you-are saved THROUGH FAITH. And this (is) not out-of you. (It is) the GIFT (of) God" (Ephesians 2:8). 

Paul used similar terms somewhere else, writing: "being-declared-righteous AS-A-GIFT (by) His GRACE [...] THROUGH FAITH" (Romans 3:24-25).


↺ Click here to return to the Table of Contents.

Comments

Popular Posts