Ephesians 2:8

The context

The chapter begins with a description of death in trespasses and the course of this world, then turns to God's action in raising believers with Christ. The argument has been entirely about what God did. This verse states the summary, and the next verse explains why.

What it establishes

It establishes that salvation is a gift rather than a wage, that grace is its source, and that faith is the means by which it is received. The contrast is with something earned, and the purpose clause that follows excludes boasting.

What it does not establish

It does not settle what this refers to. The demonstrative pronoun could point to grace, to faith, or to the whole sentence, and the grammar is disputed; the phrase not of yourselves does not decide it. Nor does the verse specify how faith itself arises, which is a separate argument.

Short note, first pass, October 2026. Corrections welcome.

Cited in these answers

• What is Salvation?

Part of Scripture, Opened — the exegetical layer behind every citation on this site. Scripture quotations are from the ESV.