Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Ephesians 2:9

"not of works, that no man should glory." — Ephesians 2:9 (ASV)

Paul firmly excludes every possibility of self-achieved salvation by adding to his emphasis in v.8, “not by works.” The apostle does not specify these “works” (GK 2240) as those related to the law, since he is not thinking only of Jewish Christians. Any kind of human self-effort is comprehensively ruled out by this terse expression. The reason is immediately attached: it is to prevent the slightest self-congratulation. If salvation is by the sheer unmerited favor of God, boasting is altogether out of place.