“And THAT Not of Yourselves”
The Neuter Demonstrative Pronoun in Ephesians 2:8–9
Few passages in Scripture summarize the gospel of grace more succinctly than 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 as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
The key question is the meaning of the word “that.” What is Paul referring to when he writes “and THAT not of yourselves”?
The Greek text uses the neuter demonstrative pronoun τοῦτο (“this,” “that”), which is neuter singular, yet the surrounding words in Greek are not:
• “Grace” (χάριτι) — feminine
• “Faith” (πίστεως) — feminine
• “Saved” (σεσῳσμένοι) — masculine plural
The pronoun “That” does not “agree” in gender or number with any one of them individually. When this occurs, the normative way grammar in Greek functions is that it “points to” the entire preceding clause or concept, rather than only on of the individual antecedent nouns or verbs before it. While there may be some rare examples in classical or “Koine” Greek – the Greek of the New Testament – which show an occasional rare example here or there where this is not always a hard rule, that is irrelevant here. Because the issue is not whether there may be examples in the whole of Greek grammar in which such could be so, but whether in this case as Paul used and intended in this passage, it is – or can be decisively shown or proven to be so. That my friend, is a very high bar indeed!
Thus, Paul is saying:
“The whole reality – salvation by grace through faith – is not from or “of” yourselves. “It” – the whole package, is the gift of God.”
This is the most natural, unforced, normative way to read the sentence.
This normative, unforced read is the only grammatical flow that safeguards the gospel from distortion by the insertion of self-boasting or assuming credit for the part we assume we supply – “faith.” It prevents us from isolating “faith” as the sole reference which the Greek pronoun “that” points to in the text and claiming that faith arises from human will. It also prevents us from limiting the gift only to grace or only to salvation. Both errors are inherent in all Arminian synergistic doctrines and assumptions of the text which assume and argue faith is of ourselves.
Paul presents the entirety of salvation—grace, faith, and salvation itself—as a single reality: none of it comes from within us. To summarize, if faith is seen as our personal contribution essential for salvation, even though grace – “unmerited favour” – is present, then grace alone is insufficient. In this way, “Sola Gratia” – grace alone – is effectively denied in practice, even if not explicitly rejected. While grace might still be required, unless it plays the decisive and determining role, it cannot be considered sufficient. Being “sufficient” means that it fully meets its intended purpose – in this case, actually saving, not merely making salvation possible.
If there’s something a sinner must do, and failing to do so makes this so-called “unearned” favor ineffective, because despite the extension of this grace to them, they are not saved unless they contribute the one thing they produce – faith, it becomes impossible from a reasonable, consistent perspective to deny that faith is therefore, a meritorious work which the sinner contributes. Thereby nullifying Paul’s insistence in the verse “not of yourselves, lest anyone should boast.”
Paul denies both the macro and micro potential to boast of self
Notice that Paul does not say, “Lest most should boast.” So, even if the majority of synergists who claim faith is their own contribution, also deny it is a “meritorious work,” that does not shield them from Paul’s warning / rebuke. Instead, Paul addresses individuals—he specifically says, “lest anyone should boast.” He makes it clear that neither a group – the macro potential, nor the individual – the micro potential, has any grounds to boast about their role in salvation. Paul is warning against both collective and individual tendencies to boast. When people openly claim the decisive act in salvation as their own, it opens the door to personal boasting – how can it not? Merely saying it doesn’t, or shouldn’t and demonstrating that it cannot do so, are very different things! This is because the doctrine itself opens the proverbial “Pandora’s Box” here by its insistence that nothing God or grace did or do ensure anyone’s salvation unless or until the sinner contributes what is clearly the decisive part.
However, if we accept that grace, salvation, and faith are entirely gifts, not a “of ourselves, not of works,” then the doctrine itself leaves no room for either collective or individual boasting. On both the macro and micro level, Pandora’s Box is forever closed by the doctrine itself.
This then is the categorical error and self-evident circular contradiction of synergist theology: on the one hand it says, “We do not teach that our faith is a work of merit, it is only a response,” but on the other hand, it simultaneously insists that despite grace being unmerited favour, salvation still does not occur without the element produced and supplied not by grace, but by something we produce and do. This is circular confusion masquerading as piety in pure doctrine. I say this not to be unkind – but because it is true.
The two terms employed by Paul in the phrase “not of yourselves, not of works lest anyone should boast” are evidently synonymous. According to Paul’s usage, anything considered “of ourselves” qualifies as a “work.” Paul chose to express this idea in two distinct but parallel ways for emphasis, underscoring his view that any action originating from our unregenerate self constitutes a work.
But when anything and everything “we” do is categorically denied as being the basis for God’s giving us His salvation – as the truth of sovereign-grace has always consistently maintained, no such concern – based on the implication of the doctrine itself – of anyone boasting of self, remains.
This aligns perfectly with the flow of Ephesians 2: we were dead (2:1), God made us alive (2:4–5), raised us (2:6), seated us with Christ (2:6), and created us anew (2:10). Every verb is God’s work. Faith itself arises within a heart made alive by grace.
- This is why verse 5 – “By grace you are saved” is a theologically complete statement – it leaves nothing essential out and allows nothing else in. Verses 8-9 merely “unpack” this, with further explanation – they do not add to it.
- Synergism cannot affirm this, since it insists that faith -produced and performed by us, does add an element not inherently supplied by grace alone. Thus, “Sola Gratia” is thereby functionally denied by them, while they on the other hand, formally claim to affirm it.
Paul concludes: “not of works, so that no one may boast.” The neuter pronoun protects the gospel by ensuring all glory belongs to God alone.
In short:
None of this is from you. If any part was, then for that part, you could legitimately boast, which in Paul’s doctrine means, assume credit when humble thanksgiving was the only appropriate response.
Sola Gratia – Grace alone…always
Appendix: A Brief Response to the Arminian Objection
No discussion of Ephesians 2:8–9 would be complete without addressing the common Arminian claim that the neuter demonstrative pronoun τοῦτο (“that/this”) refers only to the phrase “you have been saved,” and not to “grace” or “faith.” While this view is often repeated, it is neither grammatically necessary nor contextually consistent. A brief response will suffice.
1. Paul Could Have Referred Only to “Being Saved” — but He Did Not.
If Paul intended τοῦτο to point exclusively to the verb (“you have been saved”), Greek offered clear and natural ways to express this:
• τοῦτο τὸ σωθῆναι — this being saved
• ταύτη ἡ σωτηρία — this salvation
But Paul uses none of these. Instead, he employs the broad neuter demonstrative, a form normally used to summarize an entire preceding clause or concept, especially when the elements differ in gender. His choice of construction is intentional, and it signals inclusion, not limitation.
2. Limiting τοῦτο to the Verb Collapses Paul’s Parallelism.
Paul’s structure is beautifully arranged:
• By grace
• Through faith
• You have been saved
• And that – the whole saving reality – is the gift of God
If τοῦτο refers to only one piece, the parallelism becomes disjointed and the sentence loses coherence. But when τοῦτο is understood as pointing to the entire salvation-by-grace-through-faith construct, the flow is natural and the logic unbroken… but worse, grounds for self-boasting is introduced and Paul’s entire point to exclude all grounds of self-boast.
3. The Early Church Never Read It the Arminian Way.
Long before Calvin, Augustine, or the Reformation debates, the Greek-speaking Fathers understood τοῦτο as referring to the entire saving work, including faith as its necessary instrument. Chrysostom, Theophylact, and Ambrosiaster all write this way. There is simply no historical precedent for the modern Arminian restriction. Their interpretation is new and doctrinally driven.
4. The Theological Motivation Is Transparent.
The Arminian limitation does not arise from Greek grammar but from theological necessity for their view.
- If τοῦτο encompasses faith, then faith is God’s gift; if faith is God’s gift, regeneration precedes belief; and if regeneration precedes belief, salvation is monergistic from start to finish.
- This dismantles synergistic theology at its root. The grammar is narrowed not because the text demands it, but because the alternative is doctrinally unacceptable to the Arminian system.
In Summary
The neuter demonstrative τοῦτο is best read – and has been historically read, as Paul’s way of sweeping the entire saving event into one glorious affirmation: “this whole reality is not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.” The objection that restricts τοῦτο to the single verb “you have been saved” is neither required by the grammar nor supported by the context. It serves to protect their pre-decided theology, not exegesis.
In short it is a classic case of the person who says, “My mind is made up. Don’t bother trying to confuse me with the facts.”
May God give light.
Related Articles:
what is the work of god
John 6:44 — Drawn of the Father Explained | The Solas Matter