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Author: Will

Ephesians 2:18 – Three In One

Posted on September 11, 2015 by Will

For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.

Truth to Learn

All three persons of the Godhead have a part in our salvation.

Behind the Words

“Through” is translated from the Greek preposition dia, which indeed means “through.” As in English, it can mean motion through something or it can refer to something as the instrument of action, which is how it is used in the current verse.

The word translated “both” is amphoteros. This is the comparative form of amphi, meaning “around.” It can mean either “each of two things” or “both of two things.”

“Access” is from prosagōgē, which is made up of pros, meaning “forward to” or “toward” and a form of agō, which means “to lead” or “to bring.” So, literally, prosagōgē refers to “something that has been brought near;” that is, “something or someone that has permission to draw near.”

The word “Spirit” is pneuma, which is derived from the verb pneō, which means “to breathe hard” or “to blow.” Pneuma, therefore, refers to “a current of air” or, figuratively, “a spirit.”

Meaning Explained

Before we get into this verse, let’s do a little review to properly set the stage for today’s verse. Paul began his current train of thought back in verse eleven, where he reminded us that we Gentiles were previously called “the uncircumcision” by the Jews. Because we were not circumcised, we were excluded from the spiritual nation of Israel, which meant that we were not included in the covenant of promise (that a Messiah would come and save Israel). Therefore, we did not have a relationship with God and we were without hope of salvation.

In fact, Paul tells us that we were far away from God. Not only were we a long way away, but there was a wall between us and the chosen nation of Israel so that we were prevented from getting near to God. And – there was hostility between us and the children of Israel. At that time, the only way for a person to get close to God was to adopt the Jewish faith and become circumcised, thereby committing to be bound by all the requirements of the law.

God, in His infinite wisdom, however, has made a way for us to be at peace with our Jewish brothers and to be at peace with God. Through the blood of Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son, the wall has been broken down, we have peace with our Jewish brothers, and we have peace with God. Jesus, who was completely man and completely God, lived a life without sin, perfectly fulfilling the law. He is righteous! On the cross, Jesus offered up His perfect life as payment for our sins. All who believe and accept that payment have their sins forgiven and are credited with the righteousness of Christ. This is the Gospel message of peace.

Now, therefore, through Jesus Christ, both Jews and Gentiles have access to God the Father by the indwelling work of the Holy Spirit.

Application

As you can see, all three persons of the Godhead have a part in our salvation. The Father called us, The Son shed His blood for us, and the indwelling Holy Spirit gives us access. Thank you, God, for a perfect plan of salvation.

In God's service, for His glory,

Ephesians 2:17 – His Mouth Peace

Posted on September 10, 2015 by Will

And having come, He preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near.

Truth to Learn

All Christians should be proclaiming peace with God through the gospel message of the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ as payment for our sins.

Behind the Words

The words “having come” are from the verb erchomai, which means “to come” or “to go.” It is expressed as an aorist participle, thus we translate it as “having come.”

“Preached” is translated from euangellidzō, which is a compound verb made up of eu, meaning “good” or “well” and aggellō, which means “to proclaim.” Thus, this word literally means “to proclaim the good news.” This is the word from which we get our English verb “to evangelize.”

“Peace” is translated from eirēnē, which means, as we saw back in verse fourteen, “to be at peace with someone.” In the current verse, the best Greek manuscripts have the word eirēnē appears twice. Therefore, the verse should be translated:

And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and peace to those who were near.

The words “afar off” are from makran, which we saw back in verse thirteen. It means “a great distance away.”

“Near” is translated from the Greek word engus, which is based on the verb agchō, meaning “to squeeze.” Engus indicates that something is “nearby” or “close at hand.”

Meaning Explained

The current verse indicates a direct fulfillment of the words of Isaiah:

“I create the fruit of the lips: Peace, peace to the ones far off and near,” Says the LORD, “And I will heal him.” (Isaiah 57:19)

In verse fourteen we learned that Christ is our peace. In verse fifteen we learned that He made peace between Jews and Gentiles. Now we learn that Christ proclaimed (or announced) peace, both to those who were near and to those who were far away. In verse thirteen we learned that Gentiles are the ones who were once far away. By inference, we know that “those who were near” refers to the Jews.

There are a number of verses in the New Testament in which Jesus proclaimed peace, so it’s not hard to understand what Paul means by saying that he proclaimed peace to those who were near. But, we have to ask ourselves the question, “How did Jesus preach peace to those who were far off?” For the key to the answer to this question let’s look at John’s gospel. He recorded this statement that Jesus made to his disciples in the upper room after He was raised from the dead,

Therefore Jesus said to them again, "Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you." (John 20:21)

Jesus sent his disciples (and by extension, you and me) into the world to proclaim the gospel of peace. That’s how He proclaims peace to those who are far off.

Application

You and I are the means by which Jesus Christ is still proclaiming peace to those who are far off. When was the last time you shared the Gospel message to people around you?

In God's service, for His glory,

Ephesians 2:16 – Deadly Reconciliation

Posted on September 9, 2015 by Will

and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity.

Truth to Learn

We are reconciled to God because of Jesus Christ’s death.

Behind the Words

“He might reconcile” is translated from the Greek verb apokatalassō. This is made up of apo, meaning “from” or “away from,” kata, used as an intensifier, and allassō, meaning “to change.” The word katalassō (without apo added) implies the setting up of a relationship of peace that did not exist before. Apokatalassō, however, implies a restoration of a relationship which comes from a dramatic change. In other words, it refers to restoring harmony or fellowship (which existed previously) between two parties as a result of a dramatic change on the part of one of them.

Amphoteros is the Greek word that is translated “both.” It refers to “both of two,” that is, “both the one and the other.”

The word “body” is soma, which refers to “a body, either literally or figuratively.” In this case it refers to the physical body of Jesus Christ.

“Cross” is from the Greek noun stauros, which is derived from the base of the verb histēmi, meaning “to stand.” It refers to “a tree,” “a stake,” or “a cross” (something set upright) to which criminals were tied or nailed as a form of execution.

The expression “putting to death” comes from the verb apokteinō, which is composed of apo, meaning “from” or “away from” and the verb kteinō, meaning “to slay.” Thus, apokteinō means “to kill” or “to put to death.”

Meaning Explained

This verse really focuses on the Greek word apokatalassō, the reconciliation of mankind to God. In other words, God has restored harmony and fellowship between us and Him as a result of a change in our status. That change is from a condition of us being a condemned sinner to the condition of us having the righteousness of Christ. But Paul makes a special point of declaring that both Jews and Gentiles have been reconciled to God. Jews needed reconciliation because they failed to keep the whole law. And Gentiles needed reconciliation as well because we were estranged from God and His blessing.

This reconciliation took place in the physical body of Jesus Christ. As the second person of the Godhead, Jesus is completely God. But, because He took on human form, that is, a physical human body just like you and I have, subject to pain, suffering, and death, He is also completely human. Because He became completely human and lived a life without sin, he was able to offer up His human life in that body, through the pain and suffering of the cross, as the payment for our sins.

At this point Paul employs one of his “play on words” for which he is noted. He tells us that because of the death of His body, Jesus put to death the enmity, the hatred and hostility between Jews and Gentiles. By His death, He reconciled both Jew and Gentile with God and put to death the hostility between us.

Application

In his letter to the Romans, Paul said:

For in that He died, He died to sin once for all; but in that He lives, He lives to God. So also you count yourselves to be truly dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:10-11)

If we are dead to sin then it cannot have mastery over us, and we can live our lives to God as a result of the bodily death of Jesus Christ. So, now the question we all have to ask ourselves is, “Do we consider ourselves to be dead to sin and alive to God?” Think about that for a few minutes.

In God's service, for His glory,

Ephesians 2:15 – No Distinction

Posted on September 8, 2015 by Will

in His flesh having done away with the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, that He might create in Himself one new man from the two, making peace,

Truth to Learn

In the church there is no distinction between races or sexes.

Behind the Words

The word “flesh” is from sarx, which refers to “the flesh of a living creature in distinction from that of a dead one.” This word is often used metaphorically in reference to the sensual part of a person’s being. However, in today’s verse it is used to refer to the physical portion of Christ’s body which was sacrificed as payment for our sins.

“Having done away with” is translated from the Greek verb katargeō. This is made up of kata, used as an intensifier and the verb argeō, meaning “to be inactive” or “to be idle.” Thus, katargeō means “to make something completely inactive,” “to abolish,” or “to do away with.”

The word “enmity” is from echthra, which refers to “hatred” or “hostility.” It is also used metaphorically, as it is here, to refer to the cause for such hatred or hostility.

“Commandments” comes from the Greek noun entolē. This is derived from the verb entellomai, meaning “to charge” or “to command.” It refers to “a charge” or “an edict” as from a public or religious authority.

Dogma is the Greek word translated “ordinances.” It is derived from the verb dokeō, meaning “to think.” Dogma actually refers to “an opinion, proposition, or conclusion,” not to “a firmly fixed religious truth” as it is frequently used today.

Meaning Explained

In yesterday’s verse Paul introduced us to the idea that Christ is the one who made peace between the Jews and the Gentiles. He did so by destroying the partitioning wall between us. In the Greek text the word translated enmity (echthra) immediately follows the words translated “the middle wall of separation.” Being placed in apposition (side by side) like this indicates that enmity further defines “the middle wall of separation” not “the law of commandments.” So, an alternate translation of verses fourteen and fifteen might be:

For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, even the enmity, by having deactivated in His flesh the law of commandments contained in ordinances, that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, making peace,

Now, what we learn here is that Christ completely fulfilled the Law, and then He offered up His sinless life as the sacrificial lamb (completing the fulfillment of the law). In so doing, His righteousness can now be credited to all who believe. Therefore, the enmity between Jews and Gentiles, like the wall that separated us in the Temple court, has been destroyed. And, by fully satisfying the law and offering Himself as the sacrificial lamb, He has deactivated the Law of Moses.

In the book of Romans, Paul goes to great lengths to show that we are no longer bound by the law, as slaves to it like the Jews were. Instead, we have a new master, God, who has purchased our redemption and has adopted us as His children. Now that the enmity has been destroyed, we are at peace with our Jewish brothers in Christ. Together we all make up the body of Christ and we work together in serving God.

Application

In the church, the body of Christ, there is no distinction between the races or the sexes as there was in the Jewish faith. We are all one in Christ, co-equal servants of Almighty God.

In God's service, for His glory,

Ephesians 2:14 – Peace Without Fences

Posted on September 7, 2015 by Will

For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation,

Truth to Learn

We now have access to God through the new covenant.

Behind the Words

The word translated “peace” is eirēnē, which means “peace or tranquility.” The root of this word is probably the verb eirō, which means “to join.” Hence, to be at peace with someone implies that you are joined together with them for your mutual benefit. It does not simply imply a passive act (that you leave each other alone) but an active one (that you join together with another person to produce good).

“Both” is translated from amphoteros, which is an inclusive comparative form of the word amphō, meaning “the two.” Therefore, amphoteros means “each of two” or “both.”

The words “broken down” are from the verb luō, which literally means “to loosen,” “to dissolve,” or “to destroy.”

Mesotoichon (used only here in the New Testament) is the Greek word translated “middle wall.” It is a compound word made up of mesos, meaning “middle” and toichos, which refers to the wall of a building (a different word, teichos refers to the wall of a city). Thus, mesotoichon literally refers to “an inner separating wall, as opposed to a protective wall.”

“Separation” is from phragmos, which is derived from the verb phrassō, meaning “to enclose with a fence or a hedge.” Phragmos refers to a “fence intended to keep someone out.”

Meaning Explained

In yesterday’s verse we learned that Gentiles were not included in the covenant made between God and Abraham. But, we also learned that God abolished the old covenant and created a new one, sealed with the blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Now we learn that because of this new covenant, He (Jesus) is our peace. Paul is not talking here about the same personal sense of peace which he told the Philippian Christians about,

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

The peace that Paul is talking about here is the peace between Jews and Gentiles. We are now joined together in a special way. Paul explains this peace further by saying that both Jews and Gentiles have been made one and that the partition separating us from one another has been dissolved.

In the middle of the courtyard of the former Jewish Temple in Jerusalem, a special partition wall divided the court of the Gentiles from the court of Israel. On that wall was an inscription forbidding Gentiles from going any further. That wall was symbolic of the partition wall separating Jews and Gentiles. However, the partition between us has now been demolished by the new covenant through the blood of Jesus.

Application

Mankind no longer has to practice all the ordinances of the Jewish faith in order to be children of God. Through faith in the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ, we are cleansed of our sins and we are adopted into His family.

In God's service, for His glory,

Ephesians 2:13 – A New Covenant

Posted on September 4, 2015 by Will

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

Truth to Learn

God has made a new covenant for us.

Behind the Words

“Now” is translated from nuni, which is a strengthened form of nun, meaning “now.” The strengthened form adds emphasis on the present.

“Once” is from the Greek word pote, which has several nuances of meaning and is used of both the past and the future. It can mean “at some time,” “one time or another,” “when,” “formerly,” or “at last.”

The Greek word translated “far off” is makran, which is derived from makros, meaning “long.” Makran means “a great distance away.”

The words “have been brought” are from the verb ginomai, which means “to begin to be” or “to come into existence.” Thus, Paul is really saying, “you … have become near.”

Meaning Explained

Paul’s current train of thought began back in verse eleven where he reminded us that previously we were Gentiles in the flesh and we were called “the uncircumcision” by the Jews. So what’s the big deal about circumcision? Back in Genesis chapter fifteen, Abraham was declared to be righteous because he believed God’s promise that the Messiah would be one of his descendants. Fifteen years later (Genesis 17) he still had no children by his wife Sarah. At that time God promised him again that He would be a father of many nations, telling him that in one year Sarah would give birth to a son. He then made another covenant with Abraham, promising him that He would be God to Abraham’s descendants and that He would give him and his descendants the land of Canaan. This covenant required Abraham and his entire household to be circumcised.

The fact that we were not descendants of Abraham means that we aren’t part of the Commonwealth of Israel. Therefore, we were not included in the promise of the coming Messiah or the promise that Jehovah would be our God. And, as a result, as Paul said in verse twelve, we were without hope. Now that Abraham’s descendant, the Messiah, has come and shed His blood as payment for our sins, things have changed. We, who were aliens and far away from the promises and covenants, have been brought near by a new covenant. Luke recorded the following words of our Lord at the Last Supper:

This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you. (Luke 22:20)

In other words, by shedding His blood, he was making a new covenant. And, in the book of Hebrews we are told:

In that He says, "a new covenant," He has made the first obsolete.” (Hebrews 8:13)

Because of this new covenant, sealed with Christ’s blood, we who were once far off have now become near to God.

Application

If you believe that the blood of Christ saved you from your sins, then God has declared you to be righteous. Because you are righteous, you can stand (actually, we will sit) in His presence. All who refuse to believe are unrighteous and can’t stand (or sit) in His presence; they will be cast into the Lake of Fire, separated from God for all eternity. This is referred to as “the second death.” Christians will not experience the second death. Instead, we will have life because of the new covenant in His blood. Praise be to God!

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

Truth to Learn

God has made a new covenant for us.

Behind the Words

“Now” is translated from nuni, which is a strengthened form of nun, meaning “now.” The strengthened form adds emphasis on the present.

The Greek word translated “far off” is makran, which is derived from makros, meaning “long.” Makran means “a great distance away.”

The words “have been brought” are from the verb ginomai, which means “to begin to be” or “to come into existence.” Thus, Paul is really saying, “you … have become near.”

Meaning Explained

This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you. (Luke 22:20)

In other words, by shedding His blood, he was making a new covenant. And, in the book of Hebrews we are told:

In that He says, "a new covenant," He has made the first obsolete.” (Hebrews 8:13)

Because of this new covenant, sealed with Christ’s blood, we who were once far off have now become near to God.

Application

In God's service, for His glory,

Ephesians 2:12 – Without Hope?

Posted on September 3, 2015 by Will

that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

Truth to Learn

Through faith in Christ we are no longer without hope.

Behind the Words

The word “without” is translated from the Greek word chōris, which means “without” or “separated from.”

“Being aliens” is from the verb apallotrioō, which is made up of apo, meaning “from” or “apart from” and allotrioō, meaning “to alienate” or “to separate from.” Thus, this word means “to be completely separated from.”

“Commonwealth” is translated from politeia (from which we get our English word politics). It is indirectly derived from polis, meaning “a city.” Politeia refers to a community or commonwealth of citizens.

Xenos is the Greek word translated “strangers.” It refers to someone who is not a citizen of a commonwealth.

The words “without God” are from atheos, which is made up of a, meaning “not” or “without” and theos, which is the Greek word for “god.” Therefore, we see that atheos refers to someone “without God” or “Godless.”

“Hope” is translated from the Greek word elpis, which refers to more than just a wish. It is “a hope for something with the full expectation that it will happen.”

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse Paul noted that before we were saved we were called “the uncircumcision” by the Jews, because we were not part of the covenant that God made with them through Abraham. Even though the Jewish faith had degenerated into a works oriented religion, they still were the recipients of God’s covenant because they were descendants of Abraham.

Paul now expands on what he has just said. He tells us that before we were saved, we were without Christ. That’s pretty obvious. But, he also tells us that we were not part of the political entity called Israel either. The significance of this is that only Israel was privy to the covenant. Now, we have to ask, what covenant is Paul talking about?

Shortly after the day of Pentecost, when the Spirit of God was poured out, Peter preached a message to the Jews in the temple area. As part of that message, he said:

You are sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, “and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Acts 3:25)

This is the covenant referred to by Paul, the promise of a Messiah. Before the coming of Christ, we were outside the commonwealth to whom the promise was made. Therefore, before Christ, we were without hope and we were without God. We were alone in this world system.

Application

Before we were saved, we were hopelessly lost and destined for eternal punishment in Hell. But now, through faith in the blood of Christ, we have hope and the assurance that we will spend eternity in God’s holy presence. There is hope for us!

In God's service, for His glory,

Ephesians 2:11 – Spiritual Snobbery

Posted on August 28, 2015 by Will

Therefore remember that you, previously Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands—

Truth to Learn

Spiritual snobbery should not exist in the life of any Christian, for we are saved by God’s grace.

Behind the Words

The word “therefore” is translated from dio. This is a compound of dia, meaning “through – indicating motion or causation” and hos, meaning “which.” So, it literally means “through which,” but is usually translated as “therefore.”

“Remember” is from the Greek verb mnēmoneuō, from which we get our English word mnemonic (a device to help you remember). This particular Greek word means “to recall to one’s mind” or “to remember.”

“Gentiles” is translated from ethnos, which simply means “a race” or “a tribe;” specifically, a foreign one. From the Jewish viewpoint, anyone of a foreign race (not a Jew) is a Gentile. In Paul’s writing it sometimes refers to someone who is not a Jew, but usually means someone who is not a believer.

We looked at the word translated “flesh” back in verse three. It is the word sarx, which literally refers to “the flesh of a living creature.” This word is commonly used to refer to the physical part of our existence as opposed to the spiritual part.

“Uncircumcision” is from akrobustia, which is made up of akron, meaning “the tip” and a form of the verb buō, meaning “to cover.” It us a word that refers specifically to the foreskin of a penis. Therefore, this word refers to someone who has not had his foreskin cut off. Since circumcision was the sign of God’s ownership given to Abraham by God, Abraham’s descendants often refer to non-Jews (Gentiles) as uncircumcised.

The word “Circumcision” is translated from peritomē, which is a compound word made up of peri, meaning “around” and a form of the verb temnō, meaning “to cut off.” Hence, this word refers to a circular cutting off of the foreskin.

Meaning Explained

On first glance, one might think that Paul is suddenly changing the subject on this verse. However, a rule of thumb in Bible study is “when you see a ‘therefore’ or a ‘wherefore,’ you need to see what it is there for.”

Paul has been talking about God’s mercy and how by His grace we have been saved through faith. In the past two verses he specifically pointed out that we are not saved by works, but that good works should be the evidence of our salvation. He now contrasts this faith with the religion of works that the Jews have been steeped in for millennia. The Jewish faith goes all the way back to Abraham, who was saved by faith just as we are. As a result of his faith and God’s covenant with him concerning a coming Messiah, Abraham was commanded to circumcise himself and every male in his household (several hundred at that time).

Through the years, the Jews have held fast to circumcision as a sign of their religion and their relationship with God. Because it is an indication in the flesh that they are God’s people, the Jews look down on all uncircumcised foreigners and declare the gods of the uncircumcised to be false gods. It is as if they built a wall between themselves and everyone else. But, in the coming verses Paul will tell us that the wall has been broken down.

Application

Lest we be too hard on the Jews for their spiritual snobbery, we Christians need to make sure that we are not exhibiting the same attitude toward others. We are no better than the unsaved people of the world. Apart from God’s grace, we would be destined for Hell just like they are. Thank you, God, for your grace and for the faith to believe your promises.

In God’s service, for His glory,

Ephesians 2:10 – Salvation and Works

Posted on August 27, 2015 by Will

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

Truth to Learn

We were saved so that we can do good works.

Behind the Words

The word translated “workmanship” is poiēma, which is derived from the verb poieō, meaning “to make” or “to do.” It literally means “that which has been made” or “that which is done.”

“Created” is from ktidzō, meaning “to create” or “to produce from nothing.” In Homer’s writings it is the verb used to indicate the founding of a city.

The words “good works” are from ergois agathois. Ergois is a form of ergon, which we saw in the previous verse, meaning “any work, deed, act, or action.” Agathois is a form of agathos, meaning “good, benevolent, useful;” in other words, “that which is of good character.”

“Prepared beforehand” is translated from a single Greek word, proetoimadzō. This is a compound word made up of pro, meaning “before, in time or place” and hetoimadzō, meaning “to make ready” or “to prepare.”

“Walk” is translated from peripateō. This is also a compound word composed of peri, meaning “through or around” and pateō, meaning “to walk.” So, literally peripateō means “to walk around” or “to walk through.” It is used metaphorically meaning “to walk through the pathways of life.”

Meaning Explained

In the preceding verses we learned some very important doctrinal truths:

We are saved by the grace of God, which He wants to showcase for all of eternity.
We are saved (declared righteous) through faith.
Our faith and our salvation are a gift of God.
We did not do anything to earn or deserve salvation.

These are such important truths, that verses eight and nine are often memorized. The problem with memorizing individual verses is that we often miss what comes immediately before or after them. For instance, most people know John 3:16. Do you know what it says in John 3:15 or John 3:17?

In the verse preceding today’s verse Paul told us that salvation is not attained by works, so that no one would be able to boast about it. God wants to boast about our gracious salvation and He doesn’t want anyone else to be able to. If we did something to earn it, then we could boast, but we didn’t, therefore we can’t. In today’s verse Paul tells us why: we are His workmanship. He did the work of salvation for us!

Then, where do good works come in? Paul says that we are created in Christ Jesus. When we were saved we became a new creation (see 2Corinthians 5:17) and the purpose of that new creation is that we should do good works. Our good works are the evidence that we have become a new creation. That was God’s plan from the beginning; we were saved so that we could walk in good works. That’s precisely what James teaches us in the second chapter of his letter.

Application

We are saved by faith and faith alone! We are not saved by doing good works. However, if you are saved, then you will do good works as a result of that salvation. Do your actions give clear evidence of your salvation?

In God’s service, for His glory,

Ephesians 2:9 – Unearned and Secure

Posted on August 26, 2015 by Will

not of works, that no one may boast.

Truth to Learn

We didn’t do anything to earn our salvation.

Behind the Words

“Not” is translated from the Greek particle ou, meaning “no or not.” It expresses direct and full negation, independently and absolutely.

The word translated “works” is ergon, from which we get our English word ergonomics. Ergon refers to “any work, deed, act, or action;” that is, it refers to “something done.” It is expressed here in the genitive case, which implies “of” or “from.” But here it is coupled with ou by means of the preposition ek, which means “out of” or “from.” Thus we could translate the first part of this verse as “not as a result of something you do.”

“That” is from the Greek conjunction hina, meaning “to the end that” or “in order that.”

“No one” is translated from two Greek words, mē, which indicates a conditional negation and tis, which is an indefinite pronoun meaning “something” or “anything.” It is variously translated as “anyone, someone, or a certain one.” The combination of these two words can be translated as “not anyone” or “no one.”

The words “may boast” are from the verb kauchaomai, meaning “to boast, glory, or exalt, either in a good or a bad sense.” It is expressed in the subjunctive mood, indicating something that is not happening but has the possibility or probability of happening.

Meaning Explained

In order to get the full meaning of today’s verse, let’s look at it along with yesterday’s verse.

For by grace you are saved through faith, and this not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, that no one may boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

In the preceding verses Paul has been talking about the incredible value of God’s grace. We saw in verse seven that God’s purpose in salvation is to shine the spotlight on His marvelous grace. Paul went on to point out in yesterday’s verse that our salvation is the result of this grace of God. We also learned that His grace and our faith unto salvation are a gift to us from God. Now he completes that thought.

Paul tells us that salvation is not the result of any action or actions taken on our part. If we did something to gain this salvation, then it is not a gift; instead, it would be something that we earned. Here’s what Paul says in the book of Romans about earning something as opposed to receiving it as a gift:

Now to him who is working, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who is not working but believing on Him justifying the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, (Romans 4:4-5)

This is a clear statement of the doctrine of election which goes hand-in-hand with the doctrine of eternal security. If we did not do anything to earn this salvation which we count so precious, then we cannot “un-earn” it. That is to say that if we didn’t do anything to earn it, we can’t do anything to lose it, and God does not take away the gift of salvation.

Application

The precious truth which we see in this verse is that we didn’t earn salvation, so we can’t lose it once we have it – ever!

In God's service, for His glory,