Why Ephesians 2:8-9 Doesn't Support Calvinism feat. @RuslanKD

Dr. Leighton Flowers, Director of Evangelism and Apologetics for Texas Baptists, briefly explains why Ephesians 2:8-9 doesn't support the Calvinistic claim that faith is a meritorious and a work.

[mualim]

In Romans 4:4-5, Paul clearly differentiated between works and faith and faith is not works.

In Romans 3:24-25, we understand that the gift is justification by grace, to be received by faith.

[ShowCat]

If I gave my brother a car as a gift he can say that it is a gift, but it is also his car now. So both is true, it is now my brother's car, and it is also a gift. However it is up to him how he uses it. He can go to the store, take people to church, or take a vacation. He also has the choice to put it in the garage and never use it for anything. The gift of faith from the Father is not a mandate.

[jbiv]

You are saved by grace and saved through faith. The main topic of the verse is being saved, therefore "not of yourselves" is refering back to the main topic of becoming saved.

[christophersnedeker]

This is a true story from an author called GK Chesterton. I think it works well as a parable for Calvinism.
Two homeless people where cought sleeping outdoors which was illegal. They where brought before a judge and they judge asked them why they couldn't have gotten a hotel. They said they had to save their money and choose not to. The cop asked how much money they had and it turns out they couldn't afford a hotel. They where then arrested and and imprisoned for not doing a thing they could not do.

[sergeiklein]

I speak fluent Russian, its my native language. Russian language is a combination of Greek and Latin so it works very similarly to Greek. Our language has three genders, masculine, feminine and neuter. When I read this verse in my Russian Bible, it help me understand this verse more clearer. The word "it" as in "it is the gift of God" is a neuter gender. What does this mean? Well it means it is referring to something that is also neuter. Its the way language works. So for it to refer to the faith it would have to be feminine gender because word faith is feminine gender. Likewise for grace. Also, if it referred to both of these (grace and faith) it would have to be plural. Word "it" is not plural. So what is it? Word "it" is singular and neuter meaning its referring to a singular neuter concept which is the summary of "by grace through faith" which is the salvation. Or salvation process. However you define the way God saves. Hope this helps and is not too confusing. English language is very limiting.

[edwardwicks]

And that's why I don't embrace Calvinism. This was explained so well...

[apilkey]

FUN FACT:

In Acts 17:31 G4102 is the same Greek word for “faith” that we find in Ephesians 2:8.

G4102 πίστις is transliterated as “pistis.”

It means persuasion that is credence; moral conviction (of religious truth or the truthfulness of God or a religious teacher) especially reliance upon Christ for salvation; abstractly constancy in such profession; by extension the system of religious (Gospel) truth itself: - assurance belief believe faith fidelity.

ACTS 17:31

31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given ASSURANCE{G4102} unto
👉ALL👈 men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

G4102 is given to ALL men.

πίστις is given to ALL men.

Pistis is given to ALL men.

FAITH is given to ALL men.

Nowhere in scripture does it say that some people are withheld faith or not created with the GOD-given ability to believe.

That notion comes from outside of scripture.

[pszuszkiewicz]

If faith is work (as Calvinist say), then Ephesians 2:8-9 would be contradicting itself. Since we could substitute "faith" in Eph. 2:8 with the word "work" (since according to Calvisinst this is what faith is) and we would get:

8 For by grace you have been saved through "work". And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

So on one hand we would get "you have been saved through "work"" and on the other hand: "And this is ... not a result of works", which is clear contradiction.

[grahck]

One thing about this passage in Ephesians is that in the Greek, the main clause statement is "You are saved". You are saved by Grace. You are saved THROUGH Faith. You are saved, not of yourself. You are saved as a gift of God. Everything in those verses reflect back on the statement "You are saved."

[analyticalfaith]

The main sentence is "ye are saved." "Ye"- - Subject; "are" - - be verb; "saved" - -Predicate. "BY Grace" and "THROUGH faith" - - are prepositional phrases that are modifying "ye are saved". So "that" refers to the main sentence "ye are saved." You could write it in English as "Ye are saved by Grace through faith." Although, I think Paul is emphasizing "by Grace" by putting it at the beginning of the sentence. But I agree with Leighton that, "that" is referring to the complete thing because "that" is Neuter and Saved is Masculine, Grace and Faith are feminine.

[TheDrummaBen]

I’m a Calvinist (I prefer reformed) and I don’t think faith is a work. Nor did Calvin. His explanations of the the will are for more robust and detailed than merely saying that faith is a work, therefore must come from God lest it be “works salvation.” The whole topic of the biblical teaching of human will is covered and debated at great length by many church fathers 1000 years before Calvin. But dear brothers and sisters, I can promise you it’s not as simple as at least this video made it seem.

[jethroscooter]

Everyone is chosen, the path is wide and short.

[John.]

Calvinism teaches the opposite of this verse. They teach that a few are secretly elected to salvation before time began, no one knows that they are elect for sure, so they have to do good works in order to demonstrate that they are the elect, however even that may be a false conversion according to Calvin. So sad.

[aidanmcmanus]

There should be no problem saying that faith is a work, for how else are we to work the works of God? (John 6:28-29). How else are we to work for the food which endures to eternal life? “Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you, for on Him the Father, God, has set His seal”? (John 6:27). Not all works are forbidden!

[EmperrHrde]

Paul's works vs faith dichotomy is not talking about doing good deeds versus merely affirming that Jesus is Lord. Paul was pushing back against the Judaizers; the first heretics of the early church. Confused Jewish Christians who thought they still had to observe the Law of Moses, and were trying to get Gentile converts to do the same. That is what Paul means when he mentions "works, " "the law, " or "works of the law, " in his epistles. Because that's what he's addressing. Christians *are, * however, called to do good deeds, *in order* to enter the kingdom of heaven.

[bobmortimerisweird]

What if doing the best you can is glorifying to God? Not necessarily mentioning God in every song, but making great songs, operating to the full potential that God created us to operate? Honestly i think humanism has something christianity misses... God created us. All we can do is because of Him and can never be greater than Him. I mean we have the capacity to go to the moon! And maybe even beyond, if we werent so sinful and selfish. In Genesis He commanded mankind, He gave them the authority, we were to be his representation and rule the earth. Maybe, dispensation like, we were to travel out and subdue the universe? I personally think the ability to have faith is a gift from God to everyone and He gave us the choice to have it in Him or not. Ya know? People, non believers and believers, have faith. But believers believe God. Unbelievers dont. He made it clear He wants us. Now its up to us to decide if we want Him.

[quincysthillaire]

Imagine street preaching as a Calvinism. Salvation is not always to all. It's only for the elect. Repent you might be an elect.

[GratiaPrima_]

Right, the verse says grace saves, not faith. Faith is the tool. As a Catholic, I believe this to be provided through the sacraments. Every sacrament is coming to Jesus in faith for His saving grace ☺️🙌 Thanks be to God.

[Brii.Z]

Calvinist’s like to say faith is a work apparently which Ephesians 2: 8-9 clearly tells us otherwise

[markhaney]

He (God) chooses to do so because He is both just and the justifier!!!! All we can do is accept it or as I like to see it, accept that He already accepted me. At The Cross, finished job, no work