thinking bible.

You asked

how does the old testament concept of 'hesed' (steadfast love/mercy) relate to paul's 'grace' here?

The passage, plainly, with room to sit with it.

Ephesians 2:8-9

for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

Paul is writing to new believers in Ephesus, a bustling Roman city. He's reminding them that their new life isn't something they earned through religious actions, but a gift from God.

What does it mean to experience something as a gift rather than an achievement?

Keep thinking

Read alongside it

  • Titus 3:4-5

    This passage similarly states that salvation comes 'not by works of righteousness which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy.'

  • Romans 3:23-24

    Paul explains that all have sinned and fall short, but are 'justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.'

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