Explanation of Ephesians 2:5-9

[AquinaSavio]

Could anyone please help explain this passage?

 

[rwoehmke]

“[Ephesians 2:4-10] But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ–by grace you have been saved and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.”

Indeed, one needs both verses 4 and 10 to make total sense out of this. Through Baptism we receive Sanctifying grace which raises our human nature up to the point where we can share in the life of the trinity, a life which is love. We can lose this grace by serious sin, but regain it through repentance or the Sacrament of Penance which piles even more grace on top of that awarded us in Baptism. Good works avail us nothing except in that they are part of the package; i.e. God does increase the gifts of grace and strengthens and maintains the faith of those who are properly disposed. Good works are part of being properly disposed. As James says in his letter, “Faith without works is dead.”

 

[AquinaSavio]

Thank you very much. I thought that was the case, since the man I am debating conveniently left the beginning and ending verses out. He seems to do that a lot.

I just wanted to make sure I was interpreting it correctly. Thanks.

 

[ryanoneil]

Good post rwoehmke!

The “works” in verse 9 are of the Mosaic law or any works performed in a legalistic sense, where we view God as a debtor to us, and not as our heavenly Father. Paul is teaching us that, with the coming of Christ, we are now saved by grace through faith, not by Mosaic or legal works.

In verse 10, Paul says we are created in Christ for “good works” - a clear distinction between “works of law” (Mosaic law/legal payment) and “good works” (law of Christ/reward of grace).

Peace,

Ryan

 

[RobbyS]

Good post rwoehmke!

The “works” in verse 9 are of the Mosaic law or any works performed in a legalistic sense, where we view God as a debtor to us, and not as our heavenly Father. Paul is teaching us that, with the coming of Christ, we are now saved by grace through faith, not by Mosaic or legal works.

In verse 10, Paul says we are created in Christ for “good works” - a clear distinction between “works of law” (Mosaic law/legal payment) and “good works” (law of Christ/reward of grace).

Peace,

Ryan

Agree. As background, we need to remember how in the Pre Vatican II days, the faith was often pitched as a rulebook, with the Priesthood often in the position of the Levitical priesthod. Going back to Exodus 20-21, we might envision instead of Moses entering the cloud and presenting the people with the law, that God himself reveals himself in the form of Jesus and we pledge ourselves to the new “Torah.”

 

[COPLAND_3]

Here is what St. Thomas has.

8 For by grace you are saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, for it is the gift of God. 9 Not of works, that no man may glory. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus in good works, which God hath prepared that we should walk in them.
When the Apostle was recounting above the blessing of God by which we have been freed from sin, he inserted [the thought] that we had been saved by Christ’s grace (2:5). Now he intends to prove that; he makes two points concerning it:
First, he sets down his intention.
Secondly, he clarifies the point in question (2:8b).
I rightly declared, he says of the first, by whose grace you were saved; and indeed, I still confidently say For, in place of “because,” by grace you are saved. “By the grace of God, I am what I am” (1 Cor. 15:10); "being justified freely by his grace” (Rom. 3:24). For to be saved is the same as to be justified. Salvation implies a freedom from dangers; hence, man’s perfect salvation will be in eternal life when he will be immune from all dangers, as a ship is said to be safe when it has arrived at port. “Salvation shall possess thy walls, and praise thy gates” (Is. 60:18).
Men receive the hope of this salvation when they are justified from sin in the present, and are thus referred to as saved according to the expression of Romans 8 (24): “For we are saved by hope.” But this salvation of grace is by faith in Christ. In the justification of an adult who has sinned, the movement of faith towards God coincides with the infusion of grace. “Thy faith hath made thee whole. Go thy way in peace” (Lk. 8:48). “Being justified, therefore, by faith, let us have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:1).
When he next says and that not of yourselves, he clarifies what he had spoken of:
First, regarding faith, which is the foundation of the whole spiritual edifice.
Secondly, regarding grace (2:10).
He eliminates two errors concerning the first point. The first of these is that, since he had said we are saved by faith, any one can hold the opinion that faith itself originates within ourselves and that to believe is determined by our own wishes. Therefore to abolish this he states and that not of yourselves. Free will is inadequate for the act of faith since the contents of faith are above human reason. “Many things are shewn to thee above the understanding of men” (Ecclus. 3:25). “The things also that are of God, no man knoweth, but the Spirit of God” (1 Cor. 2:11). That a man should believe, therefore, cannot occur from himself unless God gives it, according to that text of Wisdom 9 (17): "And who shall know thy thought, except thou give wisdom, and send thy Holy Spirit from above."50 For this reason he adds for it is the gift of God, namely, faith itself. “For unto you it is given for Christ, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him” (Phil. 1:29). “To another, faith is given in the same Spirit” (1 Cor. 12:9).
The second error he rejects is that anyone can believe that faith is given by God to us on the merit of our preceding actions. To exclude this he adds Not of preceding works that we merited at one time to be saved; for this is the grace, as was mentioned above, and according to Romans 11 (6): “If by grace, it is not now by works; otherwise grace is no more grace.” He follows with the reason why God saves man by faith without any preceding merits, that no man may glory in himself but refer all the glory to God. “Not to us, O Lord, not to us; but to thy name give glory. For thy mercy and thy truth’s sake” (Ps. 113:1-2 or 9-10). “That no flesh should glory in his sight. But of him are you in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and justice, and sanctification, and redemption” (1 Cor. 1:29-30).
Next (2:10), he clarifies what he had said regarding grace. Concerning this he does two things:
First, he clarifies the infusion of grace

 

[COPLAND_3]

Secondly, he declares the predestination of grace (2:10b)
There are two essential characteristics of grace, they have already been spoken of. The first of these is that what exists through grace is not present in man through himself or by himself, but from the gift of God. In reference to this he states For we are his workmanship, whatever good we possess is not from ourselves but from the action of God. “Know ye that the Lord he is God: he made us, and not we ourselves” (Ps. 99:3). “Is not he thy Father, that hath possessed thee, and made thee, and created thee?” (Deut. 32:6). This is immediately linked with what went before: that no man may glory for we are his workmanship. Or, it can be joined with what was said above: For by grace you are saved.
The second essential characteristic of grace is that it is not from previous works; this is expressed when he adds created. To create anything is to produce it from nothing; hence, when anyone is justified without preceding merits, he can be said to have been created as though made from nothing. This creative action of justification occurs through the power of Christ communicating the Holy Spirit. On this account he
adds in Christ Jesus, that is, through Christ Jesus. “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but a new creature” (Gal. 6:15). “Thou shalt send forth thy Spirit, and they shall be created” (Ps. 103:30). Moreover, not only are the habits of virtue51 and grace given to us, but we are inwardly renewed through the Spirit in order to act uprightly. Whence he goes on in good works since the good works themselves are [made possible] to us by God. “For thou hast wrought all our works for us” (Is. 26:12).
Since “whom he predestinated, them he also called” through grace, as Romans 8 (30) expresses it, therefore he adds something concerning predestination, saying, which good works God hath prepared. For predestination is nothing else than the pre-arrangement of God’s blessings, among which blessings our good works themselves are numbered. God is said to prepare something for us insofar as he disposes himself to give it to us. “Thou hast prepared their food, for so is its preparation” (Ps. 64:10).
Lest anyone imagine that good works are prepared for us by God in such a way that we do not cooperate in their realization through our free will, he annexes that we should walk in them. As though he said: Thus has he prepared them for us, that we might perform them for ourselves through our free will. “For we are God’s coadjutors” (1 Cor. 3:9). For this reason the Apostle said of himself: “But, by the grace of God, I am what I am. And his grace in me hath not been void; but I have labored more abundantly than all they. Yet not I, but the grace of God with me” (1 Cor. 15:10). He expressly said we should walk to designate a progress in good works, in line with that saying: “Walk whilst you have the light, that the darkness overtake you not" (Jn. 12:35); “Walk then as children of the light" (Eph. 5:8).