ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

Pulelulu ‘Akosi 3, 2022

NOT OF WORKS

‘IKAI KO HA NGAAHI NGAUE  

EPHESIANS 2:9

not of works, lest anyone should boast.

‘EFESO 2:9

na‘e ‘ikai tupu mei ha ngaahi ngāue, koe‘uhi ke ‘oua na‘a ai ha taha ‘e fa‘a pōlepole.

 

Sola Gratia - Grace Alone - Ko e Kelesi´ pe   

Not of works. Instead of what [Paul] had said, that their salvation of grace, he now affirms, that “it is the gift of God." Instead of what he had said, "Not of yourselves," he now says, "Not of works." Hence we see that the apostle leaves nothing to men in procuring salvation. In these three phrases - not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works - he embraces the substance of his long argument in the epistles to the Romans and to the Galatians that righteousness comes to us from the mercy of God alone, is offered to us in Christ by the gospel, and is received by faith alone, without the merit of works.

This passage affords an easy refutation of the idle cavil by which papists attempt to evade the argument that we are justified without works. Paul, they tell us, is speaking about ceremonies. But the present question is not confined to one class of works. Nothing can be more clear than this. The whole righteousness of man, which consists in works-nay, the whole man, and everything that he can call his own-is set aside.

JOHN CALVIN

‘Ikai ko ha ngaue. ‘Oku tanaki ‘e Paula ha fakamaama ki he lea na’a ne fai kimu’a, ko e fakamo’ui ko e fou mei he kelesi, pea ‘oku ne fakamo’oni mai heni, “ko e me’a’ofa ia ‘a e ‘Otua.” Na’a ne pehee, “na’e ‘ikai meiate kimoutolu ia” pea ko eni ‘oku ne fakamahino mai, “ ‘oku ‘ikai ko ha ngaue.” ‘I he’ene pehee, ‘oku ‘ikai toe tuku ‘e he ‘aposetolo ha me’a ki he tangata ke ne fai ke ma’u ai hono fakamo’ui. Ko e kupu’i lea ko ‘e tolu; na’e ‘ikai meiate kimoutolu ia - ko e foaki mei he ‘Otua - na’e ‘ikai tupu mei ha ngaahi ngaue; ‘Oku nau hanga ‘o pukenima ‘a e uho ‘o e ngaahi fakamatala ‘a Paula ‘i he tohi Loma mo e tohi ki Kaletia; ko e ma’oni’oni ‘oku tau ma’u mei he ‘alo’ofa ‘ata’ataa pe ‘a e ‘Otua, pea ‘oku tau ma’u meia Kalaisi ‘i he Kosipeli, pea ‘oku ma’u pe ia ‘i he tui pe, ‘o ‘ikai kau ai ha ngaue. 

Ko e potutohi ko eni, ‘oku ne taa’i ‘a e lau ‘a e kau takilotu ‘i he kamata’angaa ‘o pehee, ‘oku ‘ikai lava ha fakatonuhia ta’e kau ki ai ha ngaue. Na’a nau pehe, ko e lau ia ‘a Paula ki he ngaahi ouau. Ka ko e fakamaama ‘oku tau lave ki ai, na’e ‘ikai ‘uhinga ia ki ha oua pe ‘e taha. ‘Oku ‘ikai ha toe faka’uli’ulilatai ‘i he mo’oni ko eni. Ko e kotoa ‘o e ma’oni’oni ‘a e tangata, ‘a ee ‘oku ma’u mei he ngaue - ‘a e minigimingi’i me’a ‘a e tangata - mo e me’a kotoa pe te ne lau ko ‘ene me’a - kuo li’aki kotoa ia heni.