The majority of scholars adhere to this view (Arnold 2010; Fowl 2012; Joersz 2013; Lincoln 1990; O’Brien 1999; Wallace 1996). For instance, Lincoln (1990) and Arnold (2010) state that the pronoun τοῦτο is best understood as referring to the preceding clause (v. 8a) in its entirety, encompassing the entire process of salvation described in the verse. Consequently, the act of salvation (GA), the basis of salvation (BGA) and the means of salvation (MRGA) are all considered gifts from God.

As previously explained, the phrases οὐκ ἐξ ὑμῶν, θεοῦ τὸ δῶρον and οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων serve as clarifications of the source, cause or origin of τοῦτο. Here, Paul seeks to elucidate τοῦτο to ensure his readers do not misunderstand it. He asserts that τοῦτο is something that does not originate from themselves or their works but is rather a gift from God. Therefore, the interpretation of τοῦτο must not be detached from Paul’s description, as demonstrated by Thielman (2010). He notes:

Even Lincoln himself acknowledges that the phrases ‘οὐκ ἐξ ὑμῶν, θεοῦ τὸ δῶρον and οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων’ refer to salvation:

Similarly, Arnold affirms this view, stating:

Thus, it can be understood that Lincoln, Arnold and others interpret the pronoun τοῦτο independently of its clause, relying on examples of the pronoun’s usage elsewhere, where it consistently refers to the entirety of the preceding concept or statement. However, they do not provide a syntactical, contextual or theological basis for their view. For instance, if Lincoln and Arnold did not interpret the pronoun τοῦτο independently, they would merely affirm that the phrase ‘That (τοῦτο) is not from yourselves; it is the gift of God’ refers to salvation, rather than the entirety of the preceding concept. As Perkins (1997) asserts, verse 8b underlines the fact that salvation is entirely a gift from God and not a human achievement, while verse 9 reinforces this by explicitly rejecting human works. Williamson (2009) summarises this as follows:

O’Brien (1999) similarly asserts:

Here, proponents of this view overlook the syntactical relationship between the pronoun and the phrases ‘οὐκ ἐξ ὑμῶν, θεοῦ τὸ δῶρον and οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων’. Moreover, MacArthur (1986) underscores that if the pronoun τοῦτο refers to the entire statement ‘by grace you have been saved through faith’, then the additional phrase ‘and this is not from yourselves; it is the gift of God’ becomes redundant, as grace itself is already defined as an act of God not obtained by human effort. Cheung (2014) also highlights this issue:

This view is typically held by Reformed scholars. For instance, Jamieson (2014) states that the pronoun τοῦτο refers to ‘the act of believing’ or ‘faith’, indicating that faith does not originate from oneself but is a gift from God. MacArthur (1986) prefers to interpret the pronoun as referring to ‘the act of believing’ rather than ‘faith’. Cheung (2014) asserts that the pronoun refers to faith in verse 8a, arguing:

This view has been rejected by modern scholars on the grounds that both ‘grace’ and ‘faith’ have different grammatical genders (i.e., feminine) compared to the pronoun τοῦτο [neuter]. As Gundry (2010) notes:

Furthermore, the arguments applied to the first view can also be applied to this second view. The pronoun τοῦτο should not be interpreted separately from its complete clause because the clause itself provides a description of the pronoun. Therefore, what τοῦτο refers to – something that is ‘[not] from yourselves’ but is ‘the gift of God’ and ‘not from works’ – cannot reasonably refer to ‘faith’ or ‘grace’ but rather to salvation or the act of being saved. As Gundry (2010) asserts, the pronoun grammatically and naturally refers to the action expressed by the verb σεσῳσμένοι [having been saved]. Bock (2019) further emphasises that it is logically more coherent to state that salvation does not come from works than to claim that faith does not come from works, as the latter statement would be tautological.

According to this view, the pronoun τοῦτο refers to the act of salvation or salvation itself in Ephesians 2:8a (Gundry 2010; Thielman 2010). This is the position adopted in this study. The syntactic, contextual and exegetical arguments supporting this view are as follows:

Firstly, Paul describes the pronoun τοῦτο as ‘something’ that does not originate from the Ephesians themselves or their works but is rather a gift [δῶρον] from God (Gundry 2010; Thielman 2010). This description serves as the primary indicator for interpreting the pronoun. This description forms a chiastic construction: (A) οὐκ ἐξ ὑμῶν; (B) θεοῦ τὸ δῶρον and (A’) οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων (Larkin 2009). The next question is: what is this ‘something’ [τοῦτο] that is neither οὐκ ἐξ ὑμῶν nor οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων but rather θεοῦ τὸ δῶρον? In his other epistles, Paul explicitly states that what is not based on human works is salvation: τοῦ σώσαντος ἡμᾶς … οὐ κατὰ τὰ ἔργα ἡμῶν (Tm 2 1:9) and οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων … ἔσωσεν ἡμᾶς (Tt 3:5). Notably, Paul uses the same prepositional phrase οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων in Titus as in Ephesians 2:8.

Secondly, the phrase οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων [‘not from works’] in Ephesians 2:9 does not specifically refer to works of the Law [ἐξ ἔργων νόμου] as in Galatians 2:16 or Romans 3:20, 24, 28; 4:2, 6; 9:11. Contextually, this phrase refers to human efforts and actions to gain God’s favour (Fowl 2012), including works of the Law. Barton et al. (1996) affirm that Paul uses this phrase to counter false teachers who claimed that Christians must adhere to all Jewish laws to be saved. Thus, works of the Law are included in Paul’s broader reference to works [ἔργων] in Ephesians 2:9 (Bock 2019). Furthermore, Paul elsewhere states that what is οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων or ἐξ ἔργων νόμου pertains to justification (Rom. 3:20, 24, 27, 28; 4:2, 6; 9:11; Gal. 2:16). The term ‘justification’ in these texts is synonymous with ‘salvation’ in Ephesians (Bruce 1984). Consequently, the phrase ἐξ ἔργων νόμου οὐ δικαιωθήσεται in these other texts parallels ἐστε σεσῳσμένοι … οὐκ ἐξ ὑμῶν … οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων in Ephesians 2:8–9, reinforcing that what Paul refers to as not from human works or works of the Law in this context is justification or salvation.

Moreover, Paul frequently contrasts ‘faith’ with ‘works of the Law’ in the context of obtaining justification, as seen in Romans 3:28, ‘πίστει δικαιοῦσθαι ἄνθρωπον, χωρὶς ἔργων νόμου’, and Galatians 2:16, ‘δικαιωθῶμεν ἐκ πίστεως χριστοῦ, καὶ οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων νόμου’. These phrases parallel Ephesians 2:8–9, ‘ἐστε σεσῳσμένοι διὰ πίστεως, καὶ τοῦτο οὐκ ἐξ ὑμῶν … οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων’. The parallelism and contrast between ‘faith’ and ‘works [of the Law]’ in Paul’s argument for justification or salvation confirm that human works, including works of the Law, cannot be the negative source of ‘faith’ or ‘grace’. Therefore, the clause τοῦτο οὐκ ἐξ ὑμῶν … οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων in Ephesians 2:8b–9 cannot refer to ‘faith’, ‘grace’ or the entire concept of verse 8a.

If this contrast is logically structured, where ‘faith’ is the positive means and ‘works [of the Law]’ is the negative means of obtaining justification or salvation, it can be illustrated as follows:

Means 1 (Positive) : You have been saved or justified through faith.

Means 2 (Negative) : You have been saved or justified not through deeds.

Conclusion : You have been saved or justified through faith not through deeds.

Basis 1 (Positive) : You have been saved or justified by grace.

Basis 2 (Negative) : You have been saved or justified not by works.

Conclusion : You have been saved or justified by grace not by works.

Thus, in logical syllogism, ‘Means 2’ (‘not through deeds’) cannot be the source of ‘Means 1’ (‘through faith’). Likewise, ‘Basis 2’ (‘not by works’) cannot be the source of ‘Basis 1’ (‘by grace’). Way 1, Way 2, Basis 1 and Basis 2 explain the means (instrumentality) in both a positive and negative sense regarding how one is ‘saved or justified’. Consequently, the phrase διὰ πίστεως, καὶ τοῦτο οὐκ ἐξ ὑμῶν … οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων in Ephesians 2:8–9 explains the positive means and the negative source of the action ἐστε σεσῳσμένοι. Knight (2005) affirms this:

Thirdly, in its context, verses 8 and 9 serve as a reiteration, expansion and elaboration of the parenthetical statement in verse 5 (‘for by grace you have been saved’) to further emphasise the nature of salvation as grace (Anders 1999). Thus, the entirety of verses 8 and 9 is not intended to emphasise the nature of ‘faith’ or ‘grace’ itself, nor the entirety of the clause in verse 8a but rather a reaffirmation that salvation is by grace, excluding human efforts or works from its equation.

Fourthly, the term ‘gift’ [δῶρον] is used only here in Paul’s letters and stands out in the language of ancient philanthropy. This term is virtually synonymous with ‘grace’ [χάριτί] (Talbert 2007). The vocabulary used by Paul in verses 8 and 9, such as ‘grace’, ‘through faith’ and ‘the gift of God’, strongly emphasises that salvation is an act of grace or a gift from God. Syntactically, if the phrase τοῦτο … θεοῦ τὸ δῶρον [‘this … the gift of God’] is transformed into an active sentence, it would take the form: ‘God gives this (τοῦτο)’. In this sentence, τοῦτο functions as the object, referring to ‘something’ given by God to the Ephesians. Consequently, the use of δῶρον further underscores that τοῦτο refers to ‘something’ as a divine gift received by the Ephesian congregation. The syntactical question then arises: What is the gift of God [θεοῦ τὸ δῶρον]? Paul himself explains in Romans 5:17 that it is justification, which is synonymous with ‘salvation’ in Ephesians. Furthermore, in this text, justification is not only described as δωρεά [feminine] but also as χάρις [grace] from God. This closely parallels Ephesians 2:8: ‘Τῇ χάριτί ἐστε σεσῳσμένοι … καὶ τοῦτο … θεοῦ τὸ δῶρον’. Thus, the phrase τοῦτο … θεοῦ τὸ δῶρον refers to salvation, as affirmed by Lincoln (1990):

Additionally, the question ‘What is the gift of God?’ is equivalent to asking, ‘What has God done for the Ephesian congregation?’ This inquiry pertains to GA towards the Ephesians, which is ἐστε σεσῳσμένοι [‘you have been saved’]. Therefore, when the phrase τοῦτο … θεοῦ τὸ δῶρον is transformed into an active sentence, it clearly indicates that the phrase refers to the act of salvation or salvation itself, rather than ‘faith’ or ‘grace’. As Arnold (2010) asserts, ‘Salvation is entirely a “gift” [τὸ δῶρον], with God being expressed as the genitive of source (“from God”)’.

Fifthly, Paul’s emphasis that τοῦτο is not from themselves or their works but is the gift of God aims to prevent the Ephesians from boasting (v. 9, ‘ἵνα μή τις καυχήσηται’). The syntactical question then arises: In what aspect [τοῦτο] are the Ephesians not to boast? Is it in ‘grace’, ‘faith’ or ‘salvation’? A similar admonition appears in Romans 3:20, where the prohibition against boasting is linked to the act of justification received by the Romans, which is equivalent to the act of ‘salvation’ in Ephesians 2:8. Paul states that they may boast, but only in faith, not in works. Thus, this parallelism affirms that Paul forbids the Ephesians from boasting [μή τις καυχήσηται] about the salvation they have received, as its source is neither themselves nor their works but rather the gift of God (Abbott 2014). Hohner (2002) further reinforces this by stating that all forms of boasting must be eliminated concerning received salvation, as salvation is not obtained through good works but through faith.

The grammatical, syntactical, contextual and exegetical analysis conducted confirms that there is no basis for interpreting the pronoun τοῦτο as referring to ‘faith’, ‘grace’ or ‘the entire clause or concept in verse 8a’. The analysis demonstrates that the pronoun is most appropriately understood as referring to the act of salvation or salvation itself.

The verbs πιστεύειν [to believe] and πάσχειν [to suffer] in this verse are present infinitives, while the main verb is the indicative verb ἐχαρίσθη [granted]. O’Brien (1991) notes that these two present infinitives indicate a continuous relationship between ‘believing’ in Christ and ‘continually suffering’ for His name. Furthermore, the two following articles τὸ (τὸ πιστεύειν καὶ τὸ πάσχειν) clarify the first article τὸ (τὸ ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ) (Hellerman 2015). Therefore, τὸ πιστεύειν (faith or belief) and τὸ πάσχειν [suffering] provide additional information about what has been granted [ἐχαρίσθη] to the Philippian congregation (Hansen 2009). This aligns with the function of both verbs as appositional infinitives. An appositional infinitive refers to a specific example included within a broader category mentioned by the main noun and serves to define the main verb (Wallace 1996). Mounce (2019) refers to this as a ‘complementary infinitive’, which is used to provide additional information to complete the meaning of the main verb, often translated with ‘to’ or ‘namely’ followed by a verb. Consequently, the action of ἐχαρίσθη [granted] applies to both πιστεύειν [faith] and πάσχειν [suffering].

Thus, the question arises: should ἐχαρίσθη [granted] be understood as God directly bestowing πιστεύειν [faith] upon the Philippian believers, akin to someone directly giving something to another person? If understood in this way, then πάσχειν [suffering] must also be strictly interpreted as a direct gift from God to them, because the verb ἐχαρίσθη governs both infinitives.

Suffering [πάσχειν] in this context refers to persecution in the form of ostracism, slander, discrimination, false accusations, heresies, opposition to the glory of the Roman state and its gods, confiscation of property, verbal and physical abuse and imprisonment (Bird & Gupta 2020; Joersz 2013; Thompson & Longenecker 2016). Scripture explicitly rejects the notion that such suffering originates from God or is directly given by Him as an irrevocable gift [χάρις or χάρισμα] (Olson 2002). The same type of suffering was experienced by the readers of the Epistle of James, yet James explicitly describes such suffering as not originating from God or being directly given by Him (Ja 1:13). Therefore, ἐχαρίσθη in Philippians 1:29 cannot be strictly interpreted as ‘God directly bestowing’ suffering upon the Philippians. Rather, it should be understood more loosely as meaning that ‘God allows or grants the opportunity’ for the Philippians to suffer for Christ (Brown 2022; Bruce 2011). This opportunity is regarded as a privilege (Merida & Chan 2016). Consequently, the phrase ὑμῖν ἐχαρίσθη … τὸ εἰς αὐτὸν πιστεύειν [‘it has been granted to you to believe in Him’] must also be understood in the same way: that ‘God allows or grants the opportunity’ for the Philippians to believe in Christ, because both πιστεύειν and πάσχειν are infinitive objects of the verb ἐχαρίσθη.

Moreover, the term ἐχαρίσθη is derived from χαρίζομαι, which conveys the sense of goodwill or mercy freely given, undeserved and generously bestowed as a privilege. Therefore, this word is translated as ‘to bestow grace or mercy’ (O’Brien 1991; Vine 1981). As such, it signifies privilege (Hamm 2013; Hawthorne 2004), a concept made explicit in many translations: ‘you have [graciously] been granted the privilege of suffering for Christ’.¹ Semantically, the term ἐχαρίσθη emphasises the nature of πιστεύειν and πάσχειν as privileges granted by God to the Philippians. This means that when the Philippians were given the opportunity (allowed) to believe and suffer for Christ, it was considered a privilege for them. Therefore, the semantic meaning of ἐχαρίσθη itself should not be understood as ‘God directly bestowing’ faith and suffering upon them.

The proper way to understand the phrase ἐχαρίσθη … πιστεύειν … καὶ πάσχειν [‘granted to believe and to suffer’] in this text is by comparing it with the expression μετάνοιαν ἔδωκεν [‘granted repentance’] in Acts 11:18. The phrase μετάνοιαν ἔδωκεν in this passage is an idiom (Keener 2020) and should not be interpreted literally. This expression appears only in Wisdom of Solomon 12:10, which states ἐδίδους τόπον μετανοίας, meaning ‘granted a place for repentance’ (‘gavest them place of repentance’ [KJV]; ‘gave them an opportunity to repent’ [NRSVUE]). The phrase also appears in 12:19 as διδοῖς … μετάνοιαν [‘granted repentance’]. Keener (2013) asserts that this expression signifies that God generously provided Israel with the opportunity to repent and also allowed the Canaanites to do so although they never took advantage of this opportunity. Thus, the phrase μετάνοιαν ἔδωκεν in Acts 11:18 should be understood in this sense: ‘God granted the opportunity for repentance’ not only to the Jews but also to the Gentiles. Consequently, this phrase should not be interpreted as ‘God directly granted repentance to the Jews and Gentiles’, in the sense that God was the direct giver of that repentance itself. This interpretation is supported by the observable reality that many Jews and Gentiles still had not repented (Olson 2002).

Applying this understanding, the same interpretive approach should be used for ἐχαρίσθη … πιστεύειν … καὶ πάσχειν in Philippians 1:29. This phrase should be understood as indicating that God provides the opportunity or means for individuals to believe and to suffer for their faith. This implies that the gift of faith and suffering is not something directly given by God but rather an opportunity available to those who respond to the divine calling. This interpretation aligns with the broader theological principle in the New Testament that human faith involves personal responsibility. For instance, in Romans 10:17, Paul states that ‘faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ’. If faith were entirely given directly without human involvement, then the responsibility to hear and respond to the word would become less significant. Thus, the phrase ἐχαρίσθη … πιστεύειν is best understood as God providing individuals with the opportunity to believe rather than as a direct gift from God. This interpretation of Philippians 1:29 respects the principle of human freedom in responding to the divine call while also affirming God’s initiative and grace in salvation.