Is Romans 11:6 a Legitimate Parallel to Ephesians 2:8-9 and Galatians 2:16?

Summary

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Podcast Summary: Grace in Focus

Episode: Is Romans 11:6 a Legitimate Parallel to Ephesians 2:8-9 and Galatians 2:16?
Air Date: October 20, 2025
Hosts: Bob Wilkin and Sam Marr (Grace Evangelical Society)

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Overview

In this concise yet theologically rich episode, Bob Wilkin and Sam Marr address a listener question about whether Romans 11:6—focused on grace and works in the context of Israel—can be legitimately used as a parallel to classic passages about justification by faith such as Ephesians 2:8-9 and Galatians 2:16. The hosts closely examine biblical texts, explore nuances of justification and sanctification, and discuss the balance of grace and rewards, keeping the focus strictly aligned with Free Grace Theology.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting Up the Question (01:15-03:33)

• Listener question by Jeff: Can Romans 11:6, which emphasizes salvation by grace over works in context of Israel's election, be considered parallel or 'sister passage' to Ephesians 2:8-9 and Galatians 2:16 in regards to the doctrine of salvation for all believers?
• Hosts read all three passages:
  • Romans 11:6 – “But if it is by grace, it is no longer by works; otherwise grace is no longer grace…”
  • Galatians 2:16 – "A man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ…"
  • Ephesians 2:8-9 – "For by grace you have been saved through faith… not of works, lest anyone should boast."

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2. Contextual Analysis: Israel vs. the Church (03:34-04:57)

• Bob Wilkin and Sam Marr reference Zane Hodges' commentary:
  • Sam (03:47): “Jewish remnant. I think we need to talk about that because in Romans 9, 10, 11, Paul says even in his [day] there were born again Jewish people, and he calls them the remnant…it is selected or born again by grace through faith, apart from works.”
  • Key clarification: The principle (salvation by grace apart from works) applies to all epochs and all peoples; distinctions in context (Israel or Church) do not diminish the doctrinal parallel.
  • All kinds of works excluded, not just 'works of the Law of Moses.'

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3. Biblical and Theological Parallels (04:57-05:38)

• Echoes of Galatians and Acts:
  • Bob (05:18): “In the present verse we hear the echo of the controversies recounted in Galatians as well as in Acts 15.”
  • Historical context: Early Church debates (Jerusalem Council, Acts 15) centered on whether salvation required additional works like circumcision.
  • Sam (05:40): “The Jerusalem Council said both were wrong. They don’t have to be circumcised to be born again, and they don’t have to be circumcised as part of sanctification…this is the great statement that it’s by faith alone.”

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4. The Distinction Between Grace, Gift, and Wages/Rewards (07:44-12:15)

• Romans 4:4-5 as another crucial parallel.
  • Zane Hodges’ translation shared:
    • Bob (08:19): “Now, to the person who works, the compensation is not made on the basis of grace, but on the basis of what is owed. But to the person who does not work, but believes in the one who justifies the ungodly, his faith is imputed as righteousness.”
    • Comment: If works are involved, justification isn’t by grace but by obligation—a key Pauline argument.
  • Sam (09:07): “Romans 11:6 should be in every one of our tool belts... The distinction is the distinction between grace and works or between wages and gift.”
• Rewards (“misthos”):
  • Sam (09:44): “There’s a distinction between God paying somebody versus God giving something to somebody. He does give everlasting life as a gift. But he also pays wages… for the good things we do.”
  • Multiple passages cited supporting rewards for works (1 Cor 9:24-27; 2 Tim 4:6-8; Matt 16:27; 2 Cor 5:9-10)
  • Bob (11:33): “I think it’d be hard to read the New Testament and not see just the general theme that God was merciful and he spared us from…our sin and unbelief...when we believe we’re given a free gift, that’s what grace is—everlasting life. And as a believer, he wants to reward us for the good things we do.”

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5. Practical Takeaways and Closing Remarks (12:15-12:43)

• Sam injects light humor:
  • Sam (12:15): “We’re not going to spend eternity in heaven...we’re going to have harp players in the kingdom, but I’m probably not going to be one of them because I haven’t shown much aptitude for harp playing.”
• Motivating believers: Don't reduce eternal life to a static afterlife—highlight rewards and the exciting aspects of eternity with Christ.
  • Bob (12:30): “I think it robs people of a little joy and excitement…when you don’t tell them all the exciting things that are going to be there.”

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Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• Bob Wilkin (02:05):
  “But it is by grace, it is no longer by works, otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is by works, it is no longer grace, otherwise work is no longer work.” (Quoting Romans 11:6)

• Sam Marr (03:47):
  “The remnant, according to 11:6, is selected or born again by grace through faith, apart from works…”

• Bob Wilkin (05:18):
  “In the present verse we hear the echo of the controversies recounted in Galatians as well as in Acts 15.”

• Sam Marr (09:07):
  “Romans 11:6 should be in every one of our tool belts. Right, our evangelistic tool belts. We ought to have it there. And the distinction is the distinction between grace and works or between wages and gift.”

• Bob Wilkin (11:33):
  “I think it’s misleading to tell believers…once you’re a believer, you’re good to go and you’ll be playing a harp in heaven…It would be unjust to not reward believers. That would make him an unjust God if everyone did different things and we were all rewarded the same.”

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Key Timestamps

• 01:15: Listener question introduced.
• 02:05: Romans 11:6, Ephesians 2:8-9, Galatians 2:16 read and compared.
• 03:47: Explanation of the “remnant” and context of Romans 11:6.
• 05:18: Connection to controversies in Galatians and Acts 15.
• 07:44: Romans 4:4-5; Hodges’ translation and commentary.
• 09:07-09:44: Evangelistic importance of Romans 11:6; distinction between grace/gift and works/wages.
• 11:33: Practical implication for believers and rewards.
• 12:15-12:43: Humor, practical application, and wrap-up.

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Summary of Episode’s Main Theme

Romans 11:6 is a legitimate parallel to passages like Ephesians 2:8-9 and Galatians 2:16. All three teach, in different contexts, the same vital principle: eternal life is a free gift, given by grace through faith and not by works, to Jew and Gentile alike. While Romans 11's immediate context deals with Israel, its statement about grace vs. works universally underpins the doctrine of justification by faith alone—essential for evangelism, assurance, and the believer’s walk. Additionally, the episode distinguishes between eternal life as a free gift and future rewards (“wages”) given by God based on believers’ service.

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For further reading and study, hosts recommend articles at faithalone.org on these distinctions, and highlight resources for deepening one’s understanding of Free Grace Theology.

Transcript

[A]

The following is a listener supported ministry from the Grace Evangelical Society. When Paul speaks about Israel in Romans 11:6 and uses words like faith, works, justification and saved, which we also find in Ephesians 2, 8, 9, then are these two passages similar and can we make the same application? Hello friend. Thank you for joining us here on Grace in Focus. This broadcast or podcast is a ministry of the Grace Evangelical Society. Our website is faithalone.org we'd love you to go there and learn more about us, including our bi monthly magazine also called Grace in Focus. A free subscription is yours and you can find out how right there on the website. It is a magazine full of articles about our free grace position. Full length magazine, full color, well done. And we do want you to have it and it is free all except postage if you live outside of the 48 contiguous United States. So come sign up for it [e-mail] and now with today's question and answer discussion, here are Bob Wilken and Sam Marr.

[B]

All right, we've got a question from Jeff on Romans 11:6. He says, I've used Romans 11:6 as a passage that harmonizes Ephesians 2:8, 9 as well as Galatians 2:16. And then I'll skip ahead a little bit. He says, this verse is in context of Israel's election. Can this passage in any way be used as a sister passage to Ephesians 2, Galatians 2? And can it be applied to the gift of eternal life for all believers?

[C]

Okay, that's a very good question. And maybe we should read all these passages. So let's start with Romans 11:6. And then we'll go to Ephesians 2, 8 and 9. And then we'll also go to. What's this other one? Galatians 2:16, I think. Okay, so why don't you read Romans 11:6? I think you have Zane Hodges translation there, right?

[B]

Yeah, reading out of his Romans commentary. We'll use a little bit of that later. So Romans 11:6, but it is by grace, it is no longer by works, otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is by works, it is no longer grace, otherwise work is no longer work.

[C]

Okay. And Galatians 2:16 says, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. Even we have believed in Christ Jesus that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law. For by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified. And then the third passage. Got it? Here is 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 of works, but of lest anyone should boast. And so Jeff's question is, is it legitimate to take that passage in Romans 11, 6 and see it as parallel to Ephesians 2, 8, 9 and Galatians 2:16? And I think Jeff does point out that Romans 11:6 is part of the section in Romans Romans 9, 10 and 11 where Paul is dealing with Israel. And so his question is, is it legit to take verses that are dealing with Israel and now apply them to the church? Isn't that his basic question?

[B]

I think so.

[C]

We have Zayn Hodges commentary on Romans here, and he basically answers that question. Could you read that section?

[B]

Yeah, he says, since God's selection of the Jewish remnant was conditioned on grace.

[C]

Now, hang on, let's stop there. Jewish remnant. I think we need to talk about that because in Romans 9, 10, 11, Paul says even in his there were born again Jewish people, and he calls them the remnant. His point is there's always been a remnant and there always will be a remnant. The idea that there's been any generation in church history where there weren't at least some born again Jews is wrong. There always is a remnant, and the remnant, according to 116, is selected or born again by grace through faith, apart from works. Romans 11:6 is definitely parallel with Romans 4, verses 4 and 5, where we get the same language. But it's also parallel, I would suggest, with Ephesians 2, 8, 9 and Galatians 2:16. So start that again and keep going from there.

[B]

Since God's selection of the Jewish remnant was conditioned on grace, there could be no intermingling of that with the works of the law or with works of any kind at all in the present.

[C]

And by the way, notice he says, or with any kind of works of any law at all. And that's correct. Some people want to say, oh no, Paul was excluding works of the law of Moses, but he wasn't excluding works of the law of Christ, the royal law, the law of liberty. No, he was excluding all works. So keep going.

[B]

In the present verse we hear the echo of the controversies recounted in Galatians as well as in Acts 15.

[C]

All right, stop there. So, echo of the controversy in Galatians. So now we're at Galatians 2, 16, answering Jeff's question. So his answer is yes, there's definitely echoes here of Galatians 2, 16. And what's the other part?

[B]

As well, as Acts 15, okay, in.

[C]

Acts 15 is called the Jerusalem Council. And what happened was Paul and Barnabas went on their first missionary journey. At the end of their journey, some Jewish people came down from Jerusalem to where he was having ministry. And they were contradicting Paul and Barnabas. And they were saying, it's necessary for gentiles to be circumcised in order to be saved. Acts 15:1. Paul and Barnabas refuted this and said, no, no, all they need to do is believe. So they called a council in Jerusalem. And James, the brother of the Lord Jesus Christ, was the head of the Jerusalem Church, and he was the head of this council. And at this council, Peter talks about how he led Cornelius and his household to faith. He was the first one to lead a group of Gentiles to faith. And he said it was by faith, apart from works, nothing else. And by the way, in Acts 15, verse 5, there was Jews who were believers. And Luke tells us they were Jews who believed, or Pharisees who believed. And they said it's necessary to circumcise them as part of sanctification. And the Jerusalem Council said both were wrong. They don't have to be circumcised to be born again, and they don't have to be circumcised as part of sanctification. This is the great statement that it's by faith alone.

[A]

We will rejoin in just a moment. But years ago, Zane Hodges wrote the Gospel Under Siege. Sadly, this is still true and GES President Bob Wilkin has recently written its sequel. Bob's new book, the Gospel is Still Under Siege, is a book about theological clarity on the biblical teaching about eternal salvation. It is available now. Secure yours today at the Grace Evangelical Society's bookstore. Find [e-mail] store. That's faithalone.org store. Now back to today's content.

[C]

Jeff, really good question. And I would say Romans 11:6 is parallel with Ephesians 2, 8, 9 or Galatians 2, 16. How about also go back to Romans 4, 4, 5 and read the way Hodges translates and we might look at his comments on those verses. Because, Jeff, while like Hodges says, it is parallel to the controversy in Galatia or what happened in Acts. Or you could take Ephesians 2, 8, 9. It's especially close to Romans 4, 4 and 5. Read that 1.

[B]

Zane's translation 4 and 5. Now, to the person who works, the compensation is not made on the basis of grace, but on the basis of what is owed. But to the person who does not work, but believes in the one who justifies the ungodly. His faith is imputed as righteousness.

[C]

Okay, and does he have a brief comment on that?

[B]

He says if works have been involved, then this righteousness would have been a form of compensation and not on the basis of grace at all. Rather, it would have been on the basis of what is owed. The reference to grace here picks up the idea already expressed in 325, where Paul speaks of being justified freely by his grace. Clearly it was on the basis of grace that Abraham was justified, since it was his faith, not his works, which was imputed to him as righteousness.

[C]

Yeah, and by the way, that's earlier Romans is talking about Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him as righteousness. So I think Romans 11:6 should be in every one of our tool belts. Right, our evangelistic tool belts. We ought to have it there. And the distinction is the distinction between grace and works or between wages and gift.

[B]

But it is by grace, it is no longer by works, otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is by works, it is no longer grace. Otherwise work is no longer work.

[C]

We have some [e-mail] on this principle of rewards and the word misthos. The word misthos means wages or pay. Paul Benwer wrote a book called the Believer's Payday, talking about the judgment seat of Christ. Because the word mysthos basically means pay or looks at payday. And so Romans 11:6 and Romans 4, verses 4 and 5 are saying there's a distinction between God paying somebody versus God giving something to somebody. He does give everlasting life as a gift, and that's the only way you can get it. But he also pays wages. There's lots of verses in the Bible that talk about him paying wages. First Corinthians 9, verses 24 to 27 and there's going to be this crown which the Lord is going to give to those who run the race and fight the fight. You have Paul in second Timothy, chapter four, verses six to eight says, I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race. I have kept the faith. Henceforth there's laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me and to all who have loved. And his appearing, Matthew 16:27, he's going to recompense each according to his works. And second Corinthians 5, 9, 10. Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be pleasing to him. For we must all appear at the judgment seat of Christ and we will all receive according to what he has done, whether good or bad. So this word mislos is worth doing a study. Off the top of my head, I'm not remembering all the places where mislaws occurs. It does occur in Romans 4, 3 and 4, right?

[B]

Yeah. And I think you just caught a bunch of them. But I think it'd be hard to read the New Testament and not see just the general theme that God was merciful and he spared us from the things that we deserved because of our sin and because of our unbelief. So when we believe we're given a free gift, that's what grace is, everlasting life. And as a believer, he wants to reward us for the good things we do. I think it's misleading to tell believers, you know, once you're a believer, you're good to go and you'll be playing a harp in heaven when you get there, just like everybody else. It would be unjust to not reward believers. That would make him an unjust God if everyone did different things and we were all rewarded the same.

[C]

And by the way, we're not going to spend eternity in heaven. That's where we go when we die. But I don't know about you, but I mean, we're going to have harp players in the kingdom, but I'm probably not going to be one of them because I haven't shown much aptitude for harp playing.

[B]

Yeah, I think it robs people of a little bit of joy and a little bit of excitement about spending eternity with Christ when you don't tell them all the exciting things that are going to be there. Unless you just really like harps and angel wings and clouds.

[C]

All right, well, thanks. Great question. And let's all keep grace in focus. Amen.

[A]

Be sure to check out our daily [e-mail] they are short and full of great teaching, just like what you've heard today. Find [e-mail] resources blog. We would love to hear from you. Maybe you've got a question, comment or some feedback. If you do, please don't hesitate to send us a message. Here's our email address. It's radioaithalone.org that's radio faithalone.org and when you do, very important. Please let us know your radio station call letters and the city of your location. Join us again for our next episode when we talk about repentance. Is it merely a change of mind? That's next time. And until then, let's keep grace in focus the proceeding has been a listener supported ministry from the Grace Evangelical Society.