“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”
For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do — the paradox: salvation is not by works (v. 9) but believers are poiēma ('crafted work,' opus, masterpiece) of God, created en Christō ('in Christ') for good works (ergon agathon), which God has proetoimazō ('prepared beforehand'), restoring works to their proper place as the fruit rather than root of salvation.
Church Fathers on Ephesians 2:10
“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God afore prepared that we should walk in them.” Observe the words he uses. He here alludes to the regeneration, which is in reality a second creation. We have been brought from non-existence into being. As to what we were before, that is, the old man, we are dead. What we are now become, before, we were not. Truly then is this work a creation, yea, and more noble than the first; for from that one, we…
Nicene & Post-Nicene / Ante-Nicene Fathers translations · public domain
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