Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Ephesians 2:8

"for by grace have ye been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, [it is] the gift of God;" — Ephesians 2:8 (ASV)

Paul again reminds his readers (cf. v.5) that they owe their salvation entirely to the undeserved favor of God. “Grace” is the objective, operative, and instrumental cause of salvation. Paul expands v.5 by adding that the medium that apprehends salvationis “faith” (GK 4411), which is also its necessary condition. Faith, however, is not something a person can produce; it is simply a trustful response that is itself evoked by the Holy Spirit.

Lest faith should be in any way misinterpreted as our contributing in any way to our own salvation, Paul immediately adds a rider to explain that nothing is of our own doing; rather, everything is the “gift of God.” The entire process of salvation comes from nothing that we have done (cf. Romans 10:17).