His Masterpiece (Ephesians 2:10)

MASTERPIECE

EPHESIANS 2:10

"For we are his workmanship (ποίημα), created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."

GREEK WORD: ποίημα (poiēma), 4161

This is the noun from ποιέω ("to make/do") — the root of our English word "poem." It means "a thing made," "a work," "a product," "a masterpiece." It appears only twice in the NT:

ROMANS 1:20 — "the things that have been made" (τοῖς ποιήμασιν),

 [referring to creation itself as evidence of God's invisible attributes].

EPHESIANS 2:10 — "we are his workmanship."

WORDPLAY

Paul has just said in vv. 8–9 that salvation is by grace through faith, "not of works (ἔργων), lest anyone should boast." Verse 10 pivots with a deliberate contrast: we are not saved by (ἔργα), 'works', but we are God's (ποίημα), 'creative work' — his handiwork or masterpiece — created (κτισθέντες), from (κτίζω), 2936, [the standard LXX verb for 'divine creation'], for (ἔργα ἀγαθά), 'good works'. In other words, because we are His 'divine created work', we 'do' works because it is now our nature to do so, not because of any attempt to justify ourselves as being worthy through our behavior. Salvation isn't earned by 'doing'; it results in 'doing', because the redeemed person is themselves, something God has 'made'.

SUMMARY

Paul's choice of ποίημα, (poiēma), 4161, evokes the idea of a crafted, purposeful product — almost "God's masterpiece" or "artwork" — 'workmanship' kind of loses the deliberate play on words found in the Greek.

"For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago" (NLT).

We are His 'work', to do His 'work'.

You are God's Best and God's Best is Yours