Butch5,
Okay, so just to be clear about your bottom-line belief regarding the point of points of the Gospel, you are saying
that a work (of any kind) to become saved is required?
Hi Roger,
The no works argument, like so much else is built on a false premise. Ephesians 2 is taken out of context to create a doctrine that says nothing a person does contributes to their salvation. However, that is demonstrably wrong. To answer your question, yes, people must do things to be saved.
If we read Ephesians in context we see that Paul isn't saying a person does nothing to be saved. What he is arguing is that keeping the Law of Moses doesn't save people.
11 Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;
12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:
(Eph. 2:11-16 KJV)
When we read on past verses 8 and 9 we see that Paul argues that Christ has broken down the wall of partition. This is a reference to a wall in the temple. There was a wall past which the Gentiles couldn't pass. Only the Jews could pass beyond this wall. Thus this was a division between the Jew and the Gentile effectively letting the Jew get closer to God. Paul argues that in Christ this wall has been torn down and now both Jew and Gentile have equal access to God. He goes on to explain how Christ has abolished the law contained in commandments. That's the Mosaic Law. In verse 8 He was telling the Gentiles that they wouldn't be saved by keeping the Mosaic Law.
You see, Paul had a problem during his ministry. There were Jews going behind him telling his converts that in addition to faith they also had to keep the Law of Moses. This can be seen in Acts 15.
And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.
2 When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question. (Acts 15:1-2 KJV)
Paul eventually went to Jerusalem about this. There at Jerusalem there were also believers that said the Gentiles needed to keep the Law of Moses.
5 But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses. (Acts 15:5 KJV)
This is the basis for the Jerusalem council. Read all of Acts 15. It was determined that it wasn't necessary for the Gentiles to keep the Law of Moses. However, that doesn't necessarily mean that those Jews immediately stopped telling Paul's converts that they needed to keep the Law of Moses. We see Paul addressing this in his letter to the Galatians also.
O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?
2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?
4 Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain.
5 He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? (Gal. 3:1-5 KJV)
We see here again, the Galatians were being lead to believe that they had to keep the Law of Moses. Paul writes to them showing that what they had heard and seen was heard and done apart from Law. It was done through faith.
If you look through Paul's writings, virtually everywhere you see Paul mention something to the effect that they are not saved by works, you'll find him mentioning the Law of Moses. This is the basis of his arguing that a person isn't saved by works. He isn't saying a person does nothing to obtain salvation. In fact that idea goes against what he stated plainly to the Christians at Rome.
Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.
2 But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things.
3 And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?
4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
5 But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;
6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds:
7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:
8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,
9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;
10 But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:
(Rom. 2:1-10 KJV)
Here Paul states plainly that God will judge everyone according to their deeds. He states that those who continue in doing good deeds are seeking eternal life. It doesn't get much clearer than that.
When we understand the context of Paul's argument that people aren't saved by works, and that he is referring to the Mosaic Law, everything fits together. However, when we say that he meant nothing a person does plays a role in their salvation we start running into problems with passages such as this one above.
