Grace After Baptism

The question concerning Ephesians 2:8 is whether the verse is a reference to the time after being baptized or salvation apart from baptism. Grace is certainly given in some forms before salvation, just hearing the Gospel is because of God's grace and Noah found grace before receiving the commands to be saved through water,, but there is a grace after being saved as God continually forgives us.

saved by grace through faith is possibly speaking of ongoing salvation after baptism.

There are verses where grace is certainly being used for a time after baptism.

Rom 6:1  What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?

Rom 6:3  Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 

As you can see the grace in Rom 6:1 is being given by God after their baptism, proven by Rom 6:3. So, Ephesians 2:8 may be grace given after the Ephesians baptism. In that case Paul isn't arguing salvation by grace and faith apart from their baptism.

1. The word saved in Eph 2:8 is literally "being saved", it is present tense.

2. The Ephesians were baptized in Acts 19.

Act 19:5  When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.