Ephesians 2:8-10

 “For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so that no one can boast. For we are his workmanship, having been created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared beforehand so we may do them.”

— ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭8‬-‭10‬‬

Eph 2 is an amazing chapter, and I don’t think it’s so clear a break as vv 1-10 are individual salvation and 11-22 are reconciliation of ethnic groups through Jesus. The New Perspective of Paul may have too much emphasis on the latter but classic Reformation interpretation may have too much emphasis on the former in all the traditional “salvation” passages in the NT. The early church struggled mightily in understanding how to morph the Gentiles into the Jesus community. New Perspective has much to offer in at least being sensitive toward the background situation.

“Are saved” is perfect tense, so “have been saved.” Something has been completed and results continue, but many uses of perfect tense. In this case, NET is taking as intensive perfect which emphasizes results (translates as present tense in English “are”). See Introduction to Perfect Tense.

“Works” is NPP vs typical reformed understanding. Jewish boundary markers vs. all moral attempts. In light of second half of chapter, one can make case for the Jewish boundary markers. Looking at v. 10, one can argue it refers to any work, because we can’t do anything good until God enables us to do it.

Workmanship, word study fallacy to say it means poem, but that is the Greek word behind the translation. 

These first 10 verses are a marvelous trajectory of being dead, no hope, in sins, and God makes us alive in Christ. It’s all His doing and for His glory. Debate in v. 8 whether grace or faith is “gift” Both are feminine words, so gender doesn’t help the grammar. Most likely, refers salvation as whole—the entire sentence. 

God did not just rescue us from death period. He saved us for something. There’s purpose now, and that’s for good works. Would need more context to see how this passage fits in Paul’s thought through Ephesians as whole.