Every Bible reader acknowledges (at least in theory) that context is crucial for understanding the scriptures. If you want to make sure you’ve properly understood a verse, you need to carefully examine the surrounding passage. But when we isolate little bits and pieces of the scriptures, we’re vulnerable to mistaken interpretations.
Unfortunately, this happens frequently in evangelical churches, who’ve become experts at citing one or two “proof texts” in support of some position while quietly ignoring large swaths of the Bible.
Ephesians 2:8-9 is an excellent example of this dynamic. Many Christians use this passage to confidently assert that salvation is purely a matter of belief in Jesus (“faith”), completely independent of human action, behavior or effort (“works”).
Over the last three blogs, I’ve argued that Paul’s meaning is radically different. For Paul, salvation is the result of our loyal submission to Jesus as God’s anointed king, the Messiah. It doesn’t come about through works of Torah for two reasons. (1) Torah was given only to the people of Israel, effectively shutting out the Gentiles. (2) Israel was “in the flesh”; their sinful nature prevented them from obeying God’s commands and enjoying the covenant blessings.
These two barriers have now been overcome through Jesus’ resurrection and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. (1) The Gentiles are now welcomed into the family of God on the basis of their allegiance to Jesus. (2) All those loyal to Jesus (both Jew and Gentile) are no longer “in the flesh” but “in the Spirit.” The Spirit brings about salvation by empowering the followers of Jesus to live in a way that is holy and pleasing to God.
When we examine the broader context of Ephesians 2, this interpretation fits far, far better with the flow of the letter. Meanwhile, the standard evangelical interpretation faces significant problems.
Paul begins chapter 2 by reflecting on the status of the Ephesians before coming to know Jesus the Messiah. “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins…” What did Paul mean by this curious expression?
I’d like to introduce the fancy word prolepsis. Here’s the definition: “the representation or assumption of a future act or development as if presently existing or accomplished.” In other words, an author is writing proleptically when they speak as if some future event is so certain that it can be treated like a present reality.
The quintessential example of proleptic writing is found in Genesis 2: “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”
By taking the fruit of the tree, human beings rejected the wisdom of the one true God. They instead chose to exercise their own notions of right and wrong. Their rebellion was catastrophic, not just for themselves, but for the whole creation. God intended that human beings reflect his image and govern the creation justly, allowing the world to flourish. By violating the divine mandate, humans instead dragged the world into bloodshed, injustice, depravity and death.
Of course, the woman and the man did not literally die at the moment they ate the fruit. God was essentially declaring, “If you reject my authority and transgress my commands, you are cutting yourself off from the source of all life and goodness. This will inevitably result in your death.” God’s warning was the ultimate prolepsis. Disobedience in the present time was inextricably bound up with future death. Thus, God could speak as if the future consequence was already an accomplished reality.
This is the context within which we must understand Paul’s statement, “you were dead in your transgressions and sins.” Paul has in mind the tragic events which transpired in the Garden. And this same drama had played itself out in the lives of the Ephesians. Like the writer of Genesis, Paul writes proleptically: because the Ephesians had embraced rebellion, they were on the road to certain death.
Paul continues: “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath.” (Ephesians 2:1-3)
It’s crucial to note that the entire emphasis in this passage is on behavior. The Ephesians were heretofore solidly on the road to death because of their transgressions and sins. Their lives were wholly characterized by their corrupt patterns of conduct, which were consistent with a world in rebellion against its Creator. Notice the active terms which are heaped up in this passage: they lived in their transgressions and sins, they followed the ways of the world, they were disobedient, they gratified the cravings and followed the desires of their flesh.
Paul celebrates the fact that this tragic state of affairs was dramatically altered by the gracious intervention of God, who “made us alive with the Messiah.” Whatever else we might say about this divine rescue project, we must recognize that it requires turning people away from the sinful, destructive patterns of behavior which characterized their previous existence.
There are (at least) two additional features of this context which resonate strongly with the interpretation I’ve proposed. Humans had previously (1) gratified the cravings of their flesh and (2) been influenced by a dark spirit (“the ruler of the kingdom of the air” – a thinly veiled reference to Satan) who brings about disobedience.
These features neatly contrast with Paul’s characterization of those “in the Messiah,” for whom the fleshly, sinful nature has been put to death. Rather than following a Satanic spirit who brings about disobedience, Christians are filled with the Holy Spirit who brings about obedience. This context powerfully confirms that we are correct to see “the gift of God” as a clear allusion to the Holy Spirit and “works” as a specific reference to Torah, the covenant law given to “fleshly” Israel, rather than a way of speaking about generic human behavior.
According to the typical evangelical interpretation, Paul’s main point falls entirely upon verses 8 and 9. Evangelicals have sadly demoted verse 10 to a lesser status: “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Jesus the Messiah to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Our “good works” are regarded as an optional add-on, merely a thankful response which we offer to the God who has saved us on other grounds. Most evangelicals – quoting verses 8-9 in blissful isolation – fail to note that this interpretation does not actually remedy the problem which Paul has elaborately described in verses 1-3, the problem of sinful conduct and its inevitable consequences (death).
By acknowledging Paul’s emphasis on altered conduct, the full glory of verse 10 can properly shine forth: Far from being an afterthought, this is the true climax of Paul’s train of thought begun in verse 1. Our salvation is not simply a matter of forgiveness for past transgressions (important though that is). Rather, it’s salvation is the fullest sense of the word. We’ve been given the power to leave wrongdoing behind so that we might fulfill the vocation for which God created us in the first place.
Those who offer their full loyalty (“through faith”) to Jesus are given the transformative power of the Holy Spirit (“the gift of God”) so that they might become the genuine human beings God created them to be, exercising dominion over creation so that the world might become a place of joy, abundance, peace and life.
Paul rejoices that, in the Messiah and through his Spirit, God is now accomplishing the glorious purpose which He ordained for humanity long ago, even before He brought the world into existence (“in advance”). But in order to fulfill this vital role, people must be conformed to the image of the Messiah (“created in Jesus the Messiah”) in thought, word and deed (“to do good works”). That is the sum and substance of salvation!
Thus, the true meaning of this passage turns out to be diametrically opposite to the interpretation which dominates evangelical circles.
The “good works” of verse 10 are radically different that the “works (of Torah)” of verse 9. Salvation couldn’t come through Torah, because all the other nations were shut out. This thought is obviously in Paul’s mind, since he immediately launches into an extended discussion of this topic in Ephesians 2:11-22. (Again, context is crucial!) Additionally, works of Torah could not bring about salvation because Israel’s fleshliness kept her mired in disobedience. Although given great privileges, Israel in the end had nothing to boast about.
Thankfully, the Spirit now enables the followers of Jesus to become genuinely human, offering proper worship and obedience to their Creator. They’re no longer on the road to death but on the path of everlasting life. They’re God’s handiwork, recreated in the image of the Messiah, their behavior radically altered.
