Saved By Grace

It is easy to start reading verse 8 with the words "saved by grace" and miss the first word in the verse, the word "for." Such a reading tends to ingore the contextual role of verses 8 through 10 which serve not primarily as a proof-text for the doctrine of salvation but rather, they serve to confirm Paul's assertion in verse 7 which is that God has acted in salvation in such a way that it manifests His eternal, gracious character. The role of these verses then is to show how salvation by pure undiluted grace confirms the grace of God's divine nature which is the fountain from which the stream of saving grace flows. Any interpretation of these verses which detracts from the pure grace of salvation expounded upon here (Arminianism, Wesleyanism, Calminianism, or any kind of synergism) at the same time detracts from the eternal character of God and is therefore false and pernicious.