Interpreting Ephesians 2:8--9 and the Nature of Faith

Believing is an activity of the person; we are the ones who believe. The question is whether Ephesians 2:8--9 teaches that our believing (faith) itself is not "of ourselves," or whether Paul is saying something slightly different.

The key is to examine the grammar and the flow of the passage:

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.’’

In Greek, nouns and pronouns must agree in gender and number. The word for "faith" in the verse is feminine singular. The pronoun translated "that" (touto) is neuter singular. A neuter singular pronoun does not refer back to a feminine singular noun. Likewise, the word for "grace" is also feminine. If Paul had meant, "that faith is not of yourselves," or, "that grace is not of yourselves," he would have used a feminine pronoun, or a plural form if he meant both.

Instead, the neuter pronoun is best taken as referring to the entire preceding concept as a package: the state of "being saved by grace through faith." That whole reality of salvation-by-grace-through-faith is not of ourselves; it is the gift of God. The Calvinist move that makes "faith" itself the gift here simply ignores the grammatical disagreement.

So what does this mean for the question, "Is believing of ourselves?"

Believing, in the sense of being persuaded and trusting, is performed by the person. Ephesians 2:8--9 is not denying that. It is teaching that the whole salvation arrangement we receive by faith is not sourced in us; it is God's gracious gift, received apart from works.

Is believing a "work"?

Verse 9 adds, "not of works, lest any man should boast." This raises another concern: if we must believe, does that make belief a work?

Scripture itself distinguishes believing from working. Romans 4:4--5 says:

"Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.’’

Here Paul explicitly contrasts "him that worketh" with "him that worketh not, but believeth." Believing is set over against working. In biblical terms, works are deeds, actions, accomplishments in time and space. The common New Testament word for "works" (ergon) is used of visible deeds: "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works" Matthew 5:16. It is also used in Titus 3:5: "Not by works of righteousness which we have done," where the idea is righteous deeds.

Faith, by contrast, is inward persuasion and trust. James can speak of works cooperating with faith (James 2:22), but that only underscores that they are distinct things. James, writing in a law context, requires both faith and works. Paul, writing in the grace dispensation, insists that justification is by faith apart from works (Romans 4:5; Ephesians 2:8--9).

Thus:

• Believing is indeed something we do; it is of ourselves in the sense that we are the ones who believe.
• Ephesians 2:8--9 is not saying faith is not of ourselves; grammar will not allow that interpretation.
• The phrase "and that not of yourselves" refers to the whole salvation-by-grace-through-faith arrangement as a God-given gift.
• Believing, biblically defined, is not counted as a work; it is the opposite of working in the sense of meritorious deeds.

So we avoid the Calvinist redefinition of the verse, maintain the grammatical sense of the text, and preserve the biblical distinction between faith and works.

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