Exegesis of Eph 2:8-9

[Arial]

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
This post is in response to a statement made by @Eternally-Grateful in another thread. "Salvation is the gift. Not faith."

By grace you have been saved
Grace (χάριτι) is the unmerited favor of God. The verb "you have been saved" (σεσῳσμένοι) is in the perfect passive participle, showing a completed action with ongoing results. The passive voice signifies that salvation is entirely God's action upon the sinner, not something the sinner contributes to.

Through faith
Faith (πίστεως) is the instrument, not the ground, of salvation. In Reformed theology faith is not a
human-generated condition God responds to but is itself a gift from God (Phil1:29). Faith is the
channel by which the grace of salvation is received, but not a meritorious act.

This is not your own doing; it is the gift of God
"This" (τοῦτο) refers back to the whole process of salvation---grace, salvation, and faith----not just
salvation. This fits Greek grammar and Reformed theology, as Paul's emphasis in on total divine
initiative.
The "gift of God" affirms monergism---God alone acts in the sinner's salvation. Man contributes
nothing.

Not a result of works, so that no one may boast
Paul explicitly excludes works from any role in the cause of salvation. This refutes synergistic or
semi-Pelagian views that treat faith or cooperation as man's contribution.
The goal is God's glory alone so that no human being can boast of having earned or enabled
salvation (1 Cor 1:28-31).

Paul's intent in Eph 2:8-0 is to emphasize that salvation is entirely a work of God from beginning to end. Man cannot cooperate in Salvation apart from regenerating grace. The faith by which we are saved is a result of that grace, not the cause .

Grace, salvation, faith are all one package and all are a gift, because it is ours only by the grace of God, not merit. To say that only salvation is the gift, not faith, is to separate what cannot be separated. If the faith is self-generated rather than God generated through the grace of regeneration, then merit has been introduced, no matter how subtle. It becomes man's contribution to his salvation. If only salvation is a gift, and the necessary faith is not a gift but something we must do to activate grace, something is wrong with that picture. To make matters worse, the gift becomes not a gift at all, but only an offer, and the salvation it is said to singularly apply to, contradicts the sentence as it states we are saved by grace



Breakdown of the Greek syntax and grammar (particularly how "this" relates to the gift, to further clarify.)
τοῦτο οὐκ ἐξ ὑμῶν, θεοῦ τὸ δῶρον ("this is not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.")
Does it refer to the whole of salvation as the gift

• τῇ…χάριτί – by grace (dative feminine singular)
• ἐστε σεσῳσμένοι – you have been saved (perfect passive indicative)
• διὰ πίστεως – through faith (genitive feminine singular)
• τοῦτο – this (neuter singular pronoun)
• οὐκ ἐξ ὑμῶν – not from yourselves
• θεοῦ τὸ δῶρον – it is the gift of God

τοῦτο is neuter.
χάρις (grace) is feminine.

If τοῦτο (this) referred to just faith or grace, we would expect a feminine pronoun in Greek grammar and syntax. Paul uses neuter deliberately. In Greek, it is common to use a neuter pronoun to refer to a general idea, action, or clause.


The entire process---salvation by grace through faith---is not of yourselves, but the gift of God.

 

[Eternally-Grateful]

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
This post is in response to a statement made by @Eternally-Grateful in another thread. "Salvation is the gift. Not faith."

By grace you have been saved
Grace (χάριτι) is the unmerited favor of God. The verb "you have been saved" (σεσῳσμένοι) is in the perfect passive participle, showing a completed action with ongoing results. The passive voice signifies that salvation is entirely God's action upon the sinner, not something the sinner contributes to.

100 % agreements

Through faith
Faith (πίστεως) is the instrument, not the ground, of salvation. In Reformed theology faith is not a
human-generated condition God responds to but is itself a gift from God (Phil1:29). Faith is the
channel by which the grace of salvation is received, but not a meritorious act.

Again, 100 % Faith is the channel. not the means.

This is not your own doing; it is the gift of God
"This" (τοῦτο) refers back to the whole process of salvation---grace, salvation, and faith----not just
salvation. This fits Greek grammar and Reformed theology, as Paul's emphasis in on total divine
initiative.
The "gift of God" affirms monergism---God alone acts in the sinner's salvation. Man contributes
nothing.

Again, agree 100 %

Not a result of works, so that no one may boast
Paul explicitly excludes works from any role in the cause of salvation. This refutes synergistic or
semi-Pelagian views that treat faith or cooperation as man's contribution.
The goal is God's glory alone so that no human being can boast of having earned or enabled
salvation (1 Cor 1:28-31).

here is where we get into disagreement

Faith does not earn salvation

it is not the means of salvation

we both agree.

faith is also something i can not conjure up on my own. It must be given by God. which he spends a lot of time bringing us to the point., where we see him as trustworthy. at least in the area of salvation, it is not our work. it is not us conjuring up in ourself faith. not even sure where this thinking comes from to be honest,. It is all of God

again, it is seen in john 1:

He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.

The jews (as a nation) did not recieve him. But to say all jews did not recieve him would be in error. Because they church was started by jews. who did recieve him)

12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:

Those who did not reject him, but did recieve him, He made children of God. based on their faith


13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

this salvation was not by blood (not passed from parent to child)
not by the will of the flesh ( i can not will myself to recieve him,
Not by the will of man ( I can not will my children or my friends recieve him and become a child of God)

but of God.

Paul's intent in Eph 2:8-0 is to emphasize that salvation is entirely a work of God from beginning to end. Man cannot cooperate in Salvation apart from regenerating grace. The faith by which we are saved is a result of that grace, not the cause .

again, no one is arguing against this, it is all a work of God.

Grace, salvation, faith are all one package and all are a gift, because it is ours only by the grace of God, not merit. To say that only salvation is the gift, not faith, is to separate what cannot be separated. If the faith is self-generated rather than God generated through the grace of regeneration, then merit has been introduced, no matter how subtle. It becomes man's contribution to his salvation. If only salvation is a gift, and the necessary faith is not a gift but something we must do to activate grace, something is wrong with that picture. To make matters worse, the gift becomes not a gift at all, but only an offer, and the salvation it is said to singularly apply to, contradicts the sentence as it states we are saved by grace

No.

God does not force you to have faith. and he does not just give it to you against your will

Breakdown of the Greek syntax and grammar (particularly how "this" relates to the gift, to further clarify.)
τοῦτο οὐκ ἐξ ὑμῶν, θεοῦ τὸ δῶρον ("this is not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.")
Does it refer to the whole of salvation as the gift

• τῇ…χάριτί – by grace (dative feminine singular)
• ἐστε σεσῳσμένοι – you have been saved (perfect passive indicative)
• διὰ πίστεως – through faith (genitive feminine singular)
• τοῦτο – this (neuter singular pronoun)
• οὐκ ἐξ ὑμῶν – not from yourselves
• θεοῦ τὸ δῶρον – it is the gift of God

τοῦτο is neuter.
χάρις (grace) is feminine.

If τοῦτο (this) referred to just faith or grace, we would expect a feminine pronoun in Greek grammar and syntax. Paul uses neuter deliberately. In Greek, it is common to use a neuter pronoun to refer to a general idea, action, or clause.


The entire process---salvation by grace through faith---is not of yourselves, but the gift of God.

salvation is BY GRACE through FAITH

I am not saved by Faith

faith is just the means or as you said the Chanell for which grace is applied.

the one who trust God and recieves is saved

the one who remains in unbelief is not saved.

again, if anything, salvation is a man stopping his work.

Jesus said come to him and he will give us rest.

why?

the people he spoke to tried their whole life trying to get to God through the law.

God is telling them. stop working and trust me

 

[Arial]

God does not force you to have faith. and he does not just give it to you against your will

It is not against our will. When we are regenerated (that is, made a new creature in Christ; regenerated from our first natural generation in Adam; brought from death to life) we are willing. That is the magnificent grace in it.

If God did not extend grace to save and the faith with it, by regenerating a person, no one would ever be willing. They would remain in Adam. And if he regenerates changing the person from unwilling to willing, then there is no option to reject. The place where you and I differ on this, and what you present, at least to me, becomes unclear, a muddle of apparent contradictions and no precision, is that you reject election, effectual grace, and predestination, as they are defined in Reformed theology.

When arriving at a belief, it is best to start with God, who he declares himself to be, keeping him always in mind and never arrive at anything that would make him less than that. We will never see him ordering his purposes in a way that is reactive to man in his revelation of himself, the Scriptures. Never. And to say that to elect some and not all is an assault on his character, is to blind one's eyes to the fact that he says he elects, not just for salvation, but regarding everything. To say that he is sovereign over his creation is to say that he rules it, down to the tiniest snowflake or grain of sand. He did not send his Son to die to redeem a people in the hopes that some would accept his gift. And Jesus did not give himself to ransom us from the kingdom of darkness, not knowing exactly who he was doing it for, whose place he was taking. This knowing was not a knowing simply because he has the ability to know all things before they happen, but because they do as he ordained before the creation of our world. He is either fully sovereign or he is not sovereign at all.

 

[Eternally-Grateful]

It is not against our will. When we are regenerated (that is, made a new creature in Christ; regenerated from our first natural generation in Adam; brought from death to life) we are willing. That is the magnificent grace in it.

you may not see it that way, but it is

If Gods grace is irresistable. it means we have no choice but to accept it.

plus. the fact that unless God did that. we would never chose to recieve him.. well that to shows. it was against my will (my flesh)

If God did not extend grace to save and the faith with it, by regenerating a person, no one would ever be willing.

Thats not true. the word is filled with people who repented and came to christ after God called on them

They would remain in Adam. And if he regenerates changing the person from unwilling to willing, then there is no option to reject. The place where you and I differ on this, and what you present, at least to me, becomes unclear, a muddle of apparent contradictions and no precision, is that you reject election, effectual grace, and predestination, as they are defined in Reformed theology.

When arriving at a belief, it is best to start with God, who he declares himself to be, keeping him always in mind and never arrive at anything that would make him less than that. We will never see him ordering his purposes in a way that is reactive to man in his revelation of himself, the Scriptures. Never. And to say that to elect some and not all is an assault on his character, is to blind one's eyes to the fact that he says he elects, not just for salvation, but regarding everything. To say that he is sovereign over his creation is to say that he rules it, down to the tiniest snowflake or grain of sand. He did not send his Son to die to redeem a people in the hopes that some would accept his gift. And Jesus did not give himself to ransom us from the kingdom of darkness, not knowing exactly who he was doing it for, whose place he was taking. This knowing was not a knowing simply because he has the ability to know all things before they happen, but because they do as he ordained before the creation of our world. He is either fully sovereign or he is not sovereign at all.

yes. they would remain dead if they did not have faith. in adam.

he who does not believe is condemned already

the condemned state does not reverse until one responds to Gods call in faith and recieved his grace gift,., because God proved himself trustworthy..

 

[Arial]

If Gods grace is irresistable. it means we have no choice but to accept it.

It means we want to accept it. It means we don't and won't resist it. Change that word "irresistable" which was used as the closest thing to the meaning of the doctrine and still spell "TULIP", to a more accurate expression of the doctrine, as many theologians have in expounding on the internal workings of the Doctrines of Grace. "Effectual" is a more accurate term. God extends grace unto salvation and it accomplishes what he sends it out to do. In this case, save.

plus. the fact that unless God did that. we would never chose to recieve him.. well that to shows. it was against my will (my flesh)

It was not against your will after he had done a regenerating work in your heart. This is a cause for great rejoicing in the power and love of God. Not a place to insist that we always get to have our own way, and determine our own destiny; and to further compound that insistence, do so in the name of defending what we determine is his justice. Good grief! Do we learn nothing from the account of the fall?

Thats not true. the word is filled with people who repented and came to christ after God called on them

That's because it is exactly as Jesus said, "My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me." In that same passage he also says it is the one's God is giving to him. No one ever came to Christ before God called them.

yes. they would remain dead if they did not have faith. in adam.

he who does not believe is condemned already

the condemned state does not reverse until one responds to Gods call in faith and recieved his grace gift,., because God proved himself trustworthy..

They would remain dead unless the Holy Spirit regenerated them. Until that happens they cannot have faith because the gospel is foolishness to them.