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Romans Commentary Chapters 1-8  /  Romans 5:1-5 the Fall of Man and the Hope of Salvation  /  Discussion Questions
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Question 8
On Romans 5:2, Chrysostom is quoted warning: “when you hear of grace, do not think that thereby the need for effort…is set aside,” and even says Paul sometimes calls good works “graces” because we need “assistance from above”—how does this early-Christian way of holding together grace and effort confront common evangelical ways of talking about “works” as if they’re always opposed to grace?
Another way to ask: How does the early Christian idea that grace and effort work together challenge the common evangelical habit of treating “works” like the opposite of grace?

Direct Answer In the transcript’s framing, grace doesn’t cancel effort; instead, grace is God’s continuing favor that both humbles us and empowers our obedience—so “works” aren’t treated as rivals to grace but as actions needing God’s help.

Support from Transcript:

  • Romans 5:2 is read as ongoing blessing: we “stand in His continuing grace or favor,” and “God’s gifts do not end with our initial forgiveness and justification.”
  • Chrysostom’s warning is direct: “when you hear of grace, do not think that thereby the need for effort on our part is set aside.”
  • He explains why Paul calls it a gift: “to destroy any haughtiness,” “not to minimize the labor of effort God requires.”
  • He warns again: “do not become spiritually slack because Paul has called this a gift of grace.”
  • The striking line: Paul “sometimes even refers to our good works as graces,” because “even in our works, we need much assistance from above.”
Discussion Follow-ups How might gospel preaching sound different if “effort” is presented as grace-enabled faithfulness rather than as self-powered earning?

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