Ephesians 2:8-9 is often quoted to “prove” that a believer is not required to do good works because you cannot earn salvation by keeping the commandments of the law, but is this what Paul is really saying? This message will define what good works is and clarify what Paul was saying in full context.

Ephesians 2:8-10 (KJV)

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of ELOHIM: NOT OF WORKS, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in YESHUA HA’MASHIACH ( Christ Jesus) UNTO GOOD WORKS, which ELOHIM hath before ordained that we should WALK IN THEM.”

Revelation 22:12 (KJV)

“And, behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give every man according to HIS WORK shall be.”

Revelation 22:12 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“And look! I will come with haste, to reward every man according to HIS WORK!

Then two verses later YESHUA connects WORK to COMMANDMENTS!

Revelation 22:14 (KJV)

“Blessed are they that DO HIS COMMANDMENTS, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.”

Revelation 22:14 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“Blessed are they who DO HIS COMMANDMENTS, that they may have part in the tree of life, and be pure to walk in the city.”

Therefore, those who do not keep the commandments will be rewarded according to their wicked deeds/actions of lawlessness; whereas those who keep His commandments will be rewarded with eternal life. I will now show that “Good works” are actions, works, deeds, and fruit of the Torah/law! Then in another section I will explain what Paul means about not being saved by our own works!

In the book called 2 Esdras aka 4th Ezra that was included in the original 1611 KJV and 1599 Geneva Bibles gives us a perfect example of what bringing forth FRUIT means!

2 Esdras 9:31-32

“For behold, I sow My LAW in you, and it shall BRING FORTH FRUIT in you, and you shall be glorified through it forever.’ But though our fathers received the law, they did not keep it, and did not observe the statutes; yet the FRUIT OF THE LAW did not perish—for it could not perish, because it was thine. Yet those who received it perished because they DID NOT KEEP WHAT HAD BEEN SOWN IN THEM.”

Galatians 5:22 (Complete Jewish Bible)

“But the FRUIT of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, self-control. NOTHING IN THE TORAH STANDS AGAINST SUCH THINGS.”

When the spiritually reborn believer is being led by the Spirit they will produce the actions/works/deeds of the Torah and nothing stands against those who are already obeying the Torah!

Matthew 3:8 (KJV)

“Bring forth therefore FRUITS met for repentance…”

The etymology for the word “fruit” in Greek is G2590 for “Karpos” and defined by Thayer 2a) WORK, ACT, DEED

Matthew 3:8 (Complete Jewish Bible)

“If you have really turned from your sins to ELOHIM, produce FRUIT that will prove it!

The definition of fruit from the scriptures above is made abundantly clear in the Hebrew translation of Matthew!

Matthew 3:8 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“Perform GOOD WORKS and REPENTANCE.”

Paul said to do good works and then John the Baptist said to do GOOD WORKS and REPENTANCE, which matches 2nd Esdras!

2 Esdras 7:82, the 2nd order for the unrighteous soul after death (Syriac translation)

“The second way: that they are UNABLE to REPENT AND DO GOOD WORKS whereby TO LIVE.”

How do we know that good works in 2nd Esdras is referring to the commandments of the Torah? Go back one verse to verse 81 which says

2 Esdras 7:81 (First order for the unrighteous after death)

“The first way: that they have RESISTED THE LAW OF THE MOST HIGH.”

Again, 2 Esdras says the unrighteous cannot repent and do good works of the Torah that they can LIVE! That is exactly what YAHWEH says about His commandments!

Leviticus 18:5 (KJV)

“Ye shall therefore keep My statutes, and My judgments: which if a man DO, he SHALL LIVE in them: I am YAHWEH.”

Leviticus 18:5 (Complete Jewish Bible)

“You are to observe My LAWS and rulings; if a person DOES THEM, he will HAVE LIFE THROUGH THEM; I AM YAHWEH.”

We must repent from breaking the Torah (which I will explain later), accept the blood of YESHUA and then do good works of the Torah (Revelation 14:12)! So, the very thing that Christians say we don’t have to do will be the very thing they will regret they did not do after death, which is to do good works of the law! There is no need to wait until your soul goes to Sheol (holding tank for souls) to realize you should have been doing it all along and that you spent a lifetime misinterpreting Paul’s words!

Luke 3:8 (Complete Jewish Bible)

“Already the axe is at the root of the trees, ready to strike; every tree that doesn’t produce GOOD FRUIT will be chopped down and thrown into the fire.”

Every believer that does not produce good fruit which we know is actions, works, and deeds of the Torah will be thrown into the fire.

Matthew 7:15-20 (KJV)

“Beware of the false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their FRUITS. Do men gather grapes of thorns or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their FRUITS ye shall know them.”

Again you will see that FRUITS is synonymous with ACTIONS/DEEDS!

Matthew 7:15-20 (Hebrewgospels.com)

"15 Guard yourselves from the prophets of deception, who come in clothing of ewes but in their inside they are rending wolves. 16 By their DEEDS you will recognize them – for a man is not able to gather grapes from a bramble, neither figs from thorn bushes. 17 And every good tree produces good fruit, and a bad fruit tree produces bad fruit. 19 Every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and burned. 20 By their DEEDS you will recognize them.”"

Deed is defined by Oxford languages as “AN ACTION that is PERFORMED intentionally or consciously.”

Then 3 verses later, YESHUA has something else to say about the lawless deeds of those who claimed to follow Him!

Matthew 7:23 (Complete Jewish Bible)

“Then I will tell them to their faces, ‘I never knew you! Get away from Me, you workers of LAWLESSNESS!”

Matthew 21:43 (KJV)

“Therefore say I unto you, the kingdom of ELOHIM shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the FRUITS thereof.”

Matthew 21:43 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“Surely, because of this I say to you that the kingdom of YAHWEH will be taken from you, and given to NATIONS who will DO HIS DEEDS.”

What DEEDS will the gentiles do? The actions, works, and deeds of the Torah!

Isaiah 42:4 (KJV)

“He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till He have set judgement in the earth: and the ISLES SHALL WAIT FOR HIS LAW.”

Isaiah 42:4 (Complete Jewish Bible)

“He will not weaken or be crushed until He has established justice on the earth, and the COASTLANDS WAIT FOR HIS TORAH.”

Matthew 28:19 (KJV)

“All power is given unto me in heaven and earth. Go ye therefore, and TEACH ALL NATIONS, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Set-Apart Spirit: TEACHING them to OBSERVE ALL THINGS whatsoever I have commanded you…”

And what did YESHUA teach the disciples that they would in turn teach the nations?

Matthew 5:17 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“Moreover YESHUA MASHIACH said to His talmidim (disciples), “Do not think that I came to throw down the Torah and the Prophets, ON THE CONTRARY, I CAME TO CONFIRM.”

The coastlands and isles are referring to the distant nations which are gentiles who are waiting to obey His Torah aka do His deeds/works of the Torah!

With the definition of what good works is we can see Paul saying to do “Good Works” of the law in other verses as well!

Titus 2:14 (KJV)

“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great EL (God) and our Saviour YESHUA HA’MASHIACH; who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, ZEALOUS of GOOD WORKS.”

Zealous is defined by Oxford Languages as: “showing GREAT ENERGY OR ENTHUSIAM in pursuit of a cause or objective.”

So, Paul is saying that the spiritually reborn believer should be showing great energy and enthusiasm for doing good works of the law and so should you!

Titus 3:8 (KJV)

“This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in ELOHIM might be careful to MAINTAIN GOOD WORKS.”

Maintain is defined by Cambridge dictionary as “TO CONTINUE TO HAVE; TO KEEP IN EXISTENCE, nor not allow to become less.”

Paul is saying to continue and keep in existence good works of the law and not to lessen the law which he said in Romans 3:31!

1 Timothy 2:9-10 (KJV)

“In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; but (which becometh women professing godliness) with GOOD WORKS.”

We can clearly see in Ephesians 2:8-10 that Paul says that it has been ordained that we should do good works of the law and walk in them, again he says:

Ephesians 2:8-10 (KJV)

So, honoring your parents, not coveting, not stealing, not murdering, and keeping the Sabbath are all GOOD WORKS of the Torah! Paul cannot be contradicting himself in Ephesians 2:8-10 when he says to obey the Torah in Romans!

Romans 2:13 (KJV)

“For NOT THE HEARERS OF THE LAW are just before ELOHIM, BUT THE DOERS OF THE LAW SHALL BE JUSTIFIED.”

Romans 3:31 (KJV)

“Do we then make VOID THE LAW through faith? ELOHIM forbid: yea, WE ESTABLISH THE LAW.”

According to Merriam-Webster dictionary “The meaning of ESTABLISH is to institute (something, SUCH AS A LAW) PERMANENTLY by enactment or agreement.”

In other words, Paul is saying “let us institute the law permanently”. We can easily determine that Paul is saying to do/obey the law!

Romans 3:31 (Complete Jewish Bible)

“Does it follow that we abolish Torah by this trusting? Heaven forbid! On the contrary, WE CONFIRM TORAH.”

Paul is saying the exact same thing that YESHUA said!

Matthew 5:17 (Hebrewgospels.com)

“Moreover YESHUA MASHIACH said to His talmidim (disciples), “Do not think that I came to throw down the Torah and the Prophets, ON THE CONTRARY, I CAME TO CONFIRM.”

Why did Paul say we are not saved by our own works?

Again, Ephesians 2:8-9 is often quoted to “prove” that a believer is not required to do good works because you cannot earn salvation by keeping the commandments of the law, but is this what Paul is really saying? He is saying that because we all have broken the law at one point we deserve to die!

Romans 3:23 (KJV)

“For ALL HAVE SINNED, and come short of the esteem of ELOHIM.”

Isaiah 53:6 (KJV)

“ALL WE like sheep have gone astray; we have turned EVERY ONE TO HIS OWN WAY; and YAHWEH hath laid on Him the iniquity of US ALL.”

1 Kings 8:46 (KJV)

“If they sin against Thee, (for there is NO MAN THAT SINNETH NOT,) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captives unto the land of the enemy, far or near…”

What is the definition of sin?

1 John 3:4 (KJV)

“Whosoever COMMITTETH SIN TRANGRESSETH ALSO THE LAW: FOR SIN IS THE TRANGRESSION OF THE LAW.”

1 John 3:4 (Complete Jewish Bible)

“Everyone who keeps SINNING is VIOLATING TORAH—indeed, SIN IS VIOLATION OF TORAH.”

Romans 6:23 (KJV)

“For the wages of SIN is DEATH…”

The definition of sin is breaking/transgressing/violating the law of Moses! Which means we all have broken the law and deserve to die and if we deserve to die that means that we cannot save ourselves nor boast in doing so! The boasting belongs to ELOHIM alone because by His mercy He saved us by sending His Son YESHUA to take the punishment we justly deserved! We all need the blood atonement of YESHUA to set us free from sin and death while also obeying the commandments! YESHUA came to die because we broke the law, so how can we continue to break the law when that is the reason why He died? So, Paul isn’t saying not to do good works of the law as most will read Ephesians 2:8-9, he is simply saying to continue doing good works as we read in Ephesian 2:10, but know that those good works on their own won’t save you if you don’t acknowledge the reason why YESHUA had to die in the first place! The Complete Jewish Bible translates this perfectly!

Titus 2:14 (Complete Jewish Bible)

“He gave Himself up on OUR BEHALF in order to free us from ALL VIOLATION OF TORAH (LAW) and purify for Himself a people who would be His own, eager to do good.”

This is why we need both:

Revelation 14:12 (KJV)

“Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS OF ELOHIM, AND THE FAITH OF YESHUA.”

I pray that this opens up the eyes of those who have been disregarding the Torah and misinterpreting Paul’s words to now wanting to obey YAHWEH and His commandments!