Ephesians is the Word of God. It was written by the Apostle Paul. I mention this because anyone looking at Ephesians will find themselves firmly on the firefight that is being waged in the Evangelical subculture over the so-called “New Perspective on Paul.” They will find themselves embroiled in it because Ephesians directly addresses the issue of whether or not our general moral works can obtain salvation for us. As you may or may not know, some people are saying that Paul was not addressing quite that general a question in Romans and Galatians. My hope is that we might find a way of agreeing on seeing some essential Pauline Theology by moving to some the texts in Ephesians, especially passages in chapters 2 and 3. We start, then, in Ephesians 2.8-10:

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

The so-called “new perspective” I just mentioned involves a question, position, or dispute within modern secular academia. It involves the question of what was Paul arguing against when he spoke against “the works of the law” in Romans and Galatians. I’m not interested in talking much about Romans and Galatians more than I have to. I’m here to talk about Ephesians. It is interesting that here there is no question that the works Paul refers to are simply generic moral good works. Contextually, there is no way these works can refer to especially to any badges of Jewish identity. Some people claim that this is the case in Romans and Galatians, but it is not possible here. Paul is dealing with any sort of moralistic legalism that would claim our salvation is earned or accomplished by our good deeds. He declares it all untrue. Our salvation is solely by grace; it is a gift of God which leads into, rather than comes from, good works.

It seems to me that we have a great proof text here for justification by faith. True, Paul doesn’t use the word “justified,” but I still think he is referring to justification or something identical with it.

After all, in Romans 5, Paul uses the word “saved” to refer to something will happen in the future. Romans 5.9, 10: “Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.” Here justification and reconciliation are something that has already happened for believers, but salvation is still in the future. But here in Ephesians Paul says that we have been saved by faith. That initial salvation which guarantees our inheritance means we are no longer guilty before God, no longer “children of wrath” according to 2.3. Rather, we have been united to Christ so that his resurrection and ascension are predicated of us (2.7). Rather than regarded as deserving condemnation or wrath, believers share in Jesus’ status as the one raised from death and exalted to God’s right hand. God’s verdict on Jesus’ faithfulness even to death is given to all who belong to Jesus, so that Jesus’ faithfulness and his suffering under the curse are imputed to them. It seems to me that “saved” here has to function as synonymous with “justified” or “reconciled” in Romans 5. We are justified by grace through faith, not by moral works.

Furthermore, even though Paul usually writes of justification “by faith” he does not do so exclusively. In Romans 3.30 he states that the uncircumcised are justified “through faith.” Galatians 2.16 says the same for both Jew and Gentile. There are several other places that speak of something co-extensive with justification being received “through faith.” Colossians 2.12 is the most interesting: “having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.” In short, this passage teaches justification by faith in opposition to any kind of winning God’s acceptance by moral good works.

We might ask ourselves here: Is Paul emphasizing right standing with God through faith by grace because there are others who would teach that sinners are saved by their good works rather than by faith? Does Paul specifically write about God’s grace because of a merit theology that is out there teaching the contrary? There is no evidence of any such false teaching in Ephesians.

Consider the precedent in the Pentateuch. When Moses is telling the Israelites about the mercy they have received in being rescued from Egypt and given the Promised Land, he makes a point of emphasizing God’s sovereign grace in the face of their complete lack of worthiness.

To you it was shown, that you might know that the Lord is God; there is no other besides him. Out of heaven he let you hear his voice, that he might discipline you. And on earth he let you see his great fire, and you heard his words out of the midst of the fire. And because he loved your fathers and chose their offspring after them and brought you out of Egypt with his own presence, by his great power, driving out before you nations greater and mightier than yourselves, to bring you in, to give you their land for an inheritance, as it is this day, know therefore today, and lay it to your heart, that the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other. Therefore you shall keep his statutes and his commandments, which I command you today, that it may go well with you and with your children after you, and that you may prolong your days in the land that the Lord your God is giving you for all time (Deut 4.35-40).

For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations, and repays to their face those who hate him, by destroying them. He will not be slack with one who hates him. He will repay him to his face. You shall therefore be careful to do the commandment and the statutes and the rules that I command you today (Deut 7.6-11).

“Take care lest you forget the Lord your God by not keeping his commandments and his rules and his statutes, which I command you today, lest, when you have eaten and are full and have built good houses and live in them, and when your herds and flocks multiply and your silver and gold is multiplied and all that you have is multiplied, then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, who led you through the great and terrifying wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water, who brought you water out of the flinty rock, who fed you in the wilderness with manna that your fathers did not know, that he might humble you and test you, to do you good in the end. Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’ You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day. And if you forget the Lord your God and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I solemnly warn you today that you shall surely perish. Like the nations that the Lord makes to perish before you, so shall you perish, because you would not obey the voice of the Lord your God (Deut 8.11-20).

Do not say in your heart, after the Lord your God has thrust them out before you, ‘It is because of my righteousness that the Lord has brought me in to possess this land,’ whereas it is because of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord is driving them out before you. Not because of your righteousness or the uprightness of your heart are you going in to possess their land, but because of the wickedness of these nations the Lord your God is driving them out from before you, and that he may confirm the word that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. Know, therefore, that the Lord your God is not giving you this good land to possess because of your righteousness, for you are a stubborn people (Deut 9.4-6).

Notice here that I am bypassing all the OT texts from which Paul argues in Romans 9.6-18. I think these passages show that the Israelites were taught that they were saved by grace apart from any works of righteousness. Their good works did not save them. Rather, good works were prepared beforehand for them to walk in because they were already saved. Furthermore, no one has ever felt a need to explain why Paul emphasized God’s grace. No one has ever said that Moses had to mention this because the Egyptians or the Canaanites taught salvation by works. No! That is not even an issue.

The fact is that it is rather insulting to the doctrines of grace in election and salvation to say that Paul wouldn’t spell it out clearly unless there were people who taught otherwise. Paul taught salvation by grace because it was glorious and because all kinds of arrogance or boasting superiority are an abomination in God’s sight. Every time God saves his people there is the chance that they might be misled to say that they have done something to earn God’s salvation. The people of Israel might have grown prideful in themselves rather than grateful to God.

The point here is that it makes no sense to claim that unless we have some version of merit theology condemned in Scripture we can’t condemn merit theology from Scripture. We don’t need negative teaching to arrive at a negative conclusion. Whether or not there were proto-Romanist merit theologians for Paul to refute, Paul’s positive teaching about grace is itself sufficient for us to condemn all forms of self-righteousness. And Ephesians definitely has this teaching. Nor is this the only place. Titus 3.1-8:

3:1 Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, 2 to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. 3 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. 4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. 8 The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people. (Titus)

Now here we have a specific issue to which Paul is responding when he emphasizes in v. 5 that God “saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy.” The reason is stated in vv. 1 & 2: Paul wants Christians to be submissive to tyrants and gentle with pagans in general–and perhaps also with antichristian Jewish zealots. To encourage a loving attitude, he reminds them that they were no better themselves. (Notice how this passage fits with Eph 2.8-10 ending in an exhortation to good works.) Here the doctrine of grace and justification by grace is mentioned to encourage humility, gentleness, and love for the wicked. The only thing missing here for a complete soteriology is the unique role of faith. But there is certainly a repudiation of all self-righteousness.

Before I move on in Ephesians, I want to point out another text which shows Paul’s commitment to salvation solely by the grace of God and not be anything done on the part of the sinner. First Corinthians 1.26-31:

For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom and our righteousness and sanctification and redemption. Therefore, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

4.6, 7: I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers, that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another. For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?

Here Paul is responding to pride, which is causing division. This pride has to do with some regarding themselves as more spiritual than others, or their teachers as more spiritual than other teachers. Reformed Pastors have always found plenty of material here and elsewhere in First Corinthians to preach God’s sovereign grace–to promote the Augustinian view over against the Pelagian, or even the semi-Pelagian view. But I am not aware of anyone feeling the need to claim that the Corinthians whom Paul is correcting had adopted a theology of merit legalism. There is nothing in the text that indicates such a theology. The Corinthians were prideful and Paul reminds the Corinthians of their dependence on grace.

So, while I am not interested in arguing the nature of the theology held by Paul’s opponents in Romans and Galatians, I do want to point out that Paul’s own commitment to grace, and to justification by faith alone as opposed to any and all meritorious or allegedly-effective works is simply unaffected by that question. It doesn’t matter. Paul’s soteriology is clear and consistent. Justification is only by or through faith, not by meritorious works or through any other deeds.