How does Galatians 2:16 connect to Ephesians 2:8-9 on salvation by faith?

One Message, Two Letters

• Galatians 2:16: “a man is not justified by works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ … because by works of the law no one will be justified.”

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

Together, the verses form a single testimony: salvation is God’s gift, received solely through faith in Christ, never earned by human effort.

---

Galatians 2:16—Faith Over Law

• Paul addresses believers tempted to add Mosaic regulations to the gospel.

• Key phrase “not justified by works of the law” dismantles any hope of self-justification.

• “We too have believed in Christ Jesus” places both Jew and Gentile on level ground—faith is the only doorway.

---

Ephesians 2:8-9—Grace Delivered, Boasting Silenced

• “By grace … through faith” clarifies order: God’s grace initiates, faith receives.

• “Not by works” excludes every ground for pride.

• Salvation is called “the gift of God,” highlighting divine initiative from start to finish.

---

Three Overlapping Truths

1. Same Source:

– Galatians 2:16 stresses Christ’s work; Ephesians 2:8 emphasizes God’s grace. Both point to divine provision.

2. Same Means:

– “Faith in Jesus Christ” (Gal) and “through faith” (Eph) declare trust, not toil, as the means of reception.

3. Same Exclusion:

– “Not justified by works of the law” and “not by works” remove any category of human merit, whether ceremonial, moral, or charitable.

---

Supporting Witnesses Throughout Scripture

• Romans 3:20, 28—“No one will be justified in His sight by works of the law… a man is justified by faith apart from works of the law.”

• Titus 3:5—“He saved us, not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to His mercy.”

• Acts 16:31—“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.”

• John 3:16—salvation offered to “whoever believes.”

---

Faith That Works—The Afterward

• Good works follow, they do not precede: “For we are His workmanship … created in Christ Jesus for good works” (Ephesians 2:10).

• James 2:17 confirms living faith expresses itself, but never earns salvation.

• Thus Galatians 2:16 and Ephesians 2:8-9 guard the foundation, while the rest of Scripture urges a grateful, obedient response powered by the Spirit.