Catholic Commentary on Ephesians 2

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Dead and Alive

You were dead in your transgressions and sins, following the ways of this world, gratifying the cravings of the sinful nature. Like the rest, you were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions. It is by grace that we have been saved. God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms, so that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast. We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do.

The Catechism cites this as the definitive statement of the Catholic understanding of salvation: grace is entirely God's gift, received through faith, yet it produces good works as its fruit, not as its condition (CCC 1989). The works that follow are not the basis of salvation but its evidence. We are God's workmanship, his poem, made for works he has already prepared. The works are ours to do but God's to prepare.

One in Christ

Paul then addresses the Gentile readers directly: remember that formerly you were excluded from citizenship in Israel, foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both to God through the cross. The Catechism calls the Church this new humanity, the community in which every human division is overcome in Christ, the one who has broken down every dividing wall (CCC 776).

Living the Word

Brothers and sisters, you are God's workmanship, his poem. The good works he has prepared for you today were prepared before the foundation of the world. They are waiting for you. You do not need to manufacture them or to strain for significance. Walk through this day attentively and you will find the prepared works where he has placed them, in the need you will encounter, the person you will meet, the moment that calls for exactly what you carry.

Prayer

Lord God, rich in mercy, you made us alive when we were dead. By grace we have been saved, not by our works, so that no one can boast. We are your workmanship. Lead us into the good works you have prepared for us this day. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

2
Alive with Christ
(Colossians 2:6–23)
1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, 2 in which you used to walk when you conformed to the ways of this world and of the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit who is now at work in the sons of disobedience. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, fulfilling the cravings of our flesh and indulging its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature children of wrath.
 
4 But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our trespasses. It is by grace you have been saved! 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages He might display the surpassing riches of His grace, demonstrated by His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
 
8 For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life.* 2:10 Literally which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
One in Christ
(Philippians 2:1–4)
 
11 Therefore remember that formerly you who are Gentiles in the flesh and called uncircumcised by the so-called circumcision (that done in the body by human hands)— 12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.
 
14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has torn down the dividing wall of hostility 15 by abolishing in His flesh the law of commandments and decrees. He did this to create in Himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace 16 and reconciling both of them to God in one body through the cross, by which He extinguished their hostility.
 
17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through Him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.
Christ Our Cornerstone
(Isaiah 28:14–22; 1 Corinthians 3:10–15; 1 Peter 2:1–8)
 
19 Therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of God’s household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone. 21 In Him the whole building is fitted together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in Him you too are being built together into a dwelling place for God in His Spirit.

*2:10 2:10 Literally which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Public Domain