DAY 278
CHALLENGE
“Doesn’t Paul’s statement that we are saved ‘not because of works, lest any man should boast’ (Eph. 2:9) show he teaches justification by ‘faith alone’?”
DEFENSE
This misunderstands the kind of boasting in question.
Paul never uses the phrase “faith alone,” and we elsewhere cover how the context of this passage shows it’s about the Jewish-Gentile question found elsewhere in Paul’s writings, meaning the “works” are actions done to obey the Law of Moses (see Days 63, 136, and 204).
This is also indicated when, in the next verse, Paul praises “good works” as part of the Christian life, in contrast to the “works” he says don’t save us. It would be awkward to pivot from the non-necessity of “works” to the importance of “good works” if they were the same thing. (Indeed, Paul stresses their importance greatly, saying we are “created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them”; Eph. 2:10.) It is more natural to take “works” and “good works” as different things, with “works” being works of the Mosaic Law, as elsewhere in Paul.
The reference to boasting doesn’t show the “works” belong to the moral sphere. The word translated “boast” (Greek, kauchaomai) also means “glory,” “rejoice,” and Paul frequently uses it to refer to things other than boasting about one’s own accomplishments.
Specifically: He speaks of both Jews and Christians “boasting” in an evangelistic sense before non-believers. Thus he speaks of Jews boasting “in God” (Rom. 2:17) and “in the Law” (Rom. 2:23). Using the same Greek word, he also speaks of Christians boasting “in our hope” (Rom. 5:2) and “in God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:11).
Non-Christian Jews thus aren’t boasting of their moral accomplishments, but telling pagan Gentiles of God and how they have a special relationship with him through the Law. Christians, similarly, aren’t boasting of their moral accomplishments, but telling unbelievers of God and how they have a special relationship with him through Christ.
Read in context, Paul’s saying salvation is “not because of works, lest any man should boast” means neither Jew nor Gentile can boast of having a special, saving relationship with God in preference to the other: Both are saved through faith in Christ.
TIP
See Jimmy Akin, The Drama of Salvation, chapter 6.