Read Eph. 2:1-10, Gleanings from Ephesians (5)

 We are considering the question, what is the gift of God in Eph. 2:8-9?

·       Not only is “faith” the absence of works; “grace” is the absence of works.  And if by grace, then it is no longer of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace.  But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work (Rom. 11:6).  Grace is the absence of “our” works because God has done all the work.  That is what Eph. 2 is describing, the work that God did.  Thus, it makes sense that what grace did, which is to provide salvation for poverty-stricken humanity, that is the gift of God. 

·       William Hendriksen is a commentator I deeply appreciate.  He is from a Reformed position and sees this differently.  He agrees with a view that sees Paul’s argument like this: “I had the right to speak about ‘the surpassing riches of his grace’ for it is, indeed, by grace you are saved, through faith; and lest you should now begin to say, ‘But then we deserve credit, at least, for believing,’ I will immediately add that even this faith (or: even this exercise of faith) is not of yourselves but is God’s gift.”  (NT Commentary: Exposition of Ephesians, William Hendriksen, Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, MI, 1967, on Eph. 2:8.) 

o   My response to this is to say that the Bible seems to be clear that “faith” is the active choice of the one who believes.  As we have said, it is a non-work, simply receiving the gift offered.  But we know that the offer of the gospel calls for “action” on the part of the person.  We see this in the Greek “voice” where verbs are either active (the work is done by the person), passive (the work is done to the person by someone else) or middle (the work is a combination of the person and some other person).

o   What do we find in the NT?  Take Eph. 1:13: The Gentiles having believed (active voice).  Or Rom. 4:3: Abraham believed God (active voice).  Or Acts 16:31: Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ (active voice).  This need not be continued because all acknowledge this “active voice” to be the case.  My conclusion is this: if God has given me the faith then it denies my “active” role.  To me this makes sense, since “faith” is extending an empty hand (i.e. no works are involved) and “receiving” Christ (Jn. 1:12), “receiving” the grace-gift of salvation (Eph. 2:8-9).

I will repeat what was indicated at the beginning.  This is not a matter of heresy.  It is a reasonable argument of people who are sincere and serious about the truth of God’s word.  Were they not, there would be no discussion.  Thus, the conclusion we can agree on is to be Bereans, who received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so (Ac. 17:11).