I have argued before at length that the plain reading of Ephesians 2:8 shows that faith is a gift. I will not go through the entire argument again, but summarize it this way:
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God
Only a very poor writer or communicator would have written the above if he meant "salvation is the gift of God." The way to say that in proper grammar would be "By grace you have received salvation..." because the "it" in the "it is the gift of God" could then refer back to "salvation".
As the verse stands, though, "it" would have to refer back to "saved" for the Arminian interpretation to be true.
One never says, "For by grace you are saved through faith, and [...] it [saved] is the gift of God." But one would certainly say, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and [...] it [faith] is the gift of God...".
Rather than focus on that one verse, though, we can find supporting evidence in the Bible that faith is given as a gift.
Acts 18:27 And when he desired to cross to Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him; and when he arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace; 28 for he vigorously refuted the Jews publicly, showing from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ.
The believed through grace. They did not obtain grace because they believed. They believed because they had obtained grace.
Acts 13:48 Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.
As many as -- not one more, not one less -- but as many as had been appointed to eternal life, believed. They believed because they were appointed to eternal life. They were not appointed to eternal life because they believed.
2 Thes 2:13 But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, 14 to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Here we have the whole of process of salvation wrapped up in one. Sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. Notice that santification by the spirit precedes belief in the truth, but that they are connected with the word "and", not "then". Why is that? Because one necessarily guarantees the other, and the other is immediate.
Put another way (I believe this is the way A.W. Pink put it), consider that Jesus says, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Like a blind man, he cannot see unless he is given sight. But when he is given sight, he sees. He cannot see unless he is given sight, but there is no time lapse between the moment he is given sight and the moment he sees. He is given sight AND he sees.
So it is that when you are given the Spirit (an act of grace from the Father), you "see" and believe.
That is why it says those who had believed through grace -- they believed because of and through the gift. They did not receive the gift because of their belief.
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God
Only a very poor writer or communicator would have written the above if he meant "salvation is the gift of God." The way to say that in proper grammar would be "By grace you have received salvation..." because the "it" in the "it is the gift of God" could then refer back to "salvation".
As the verse stands, though, "it" would have to refer back to "saved" for the Arminian interpretation to be true.
One never says, "For by grace you are saved through faith, and [...] it [saved] is the gift of God." But one would certainly say, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and [...] it [faith] is the gift of God...".
Rather than focus on that one verse, though, we can find supporting evidence in the Bible that faith is given as a gift.
Acts 18:27 And when he desired to cross to Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him; and when he arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace; 28 for he vigorously refuted the Jews publicly, showing from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ.
The believed through grace. They did not obtain grace because they believed. They believed because they had obtained grace.
Acts 13:48 Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.
As many as -- not one more, not one less -- but as many as had been appointed to eternal life, believed. They believed because they were appointed to eternal life. They were not appointed to eternal life because they believed.
2 Thes 2:13 But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, 14 to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Here we have the whole of process of salvation wrapped up in one. Sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. Notice that santification by the spirit precedes belief in the truth, but that they are connected with the word "and", not "then". Why is that? Because one necessarily guarantees the other, and the other is immediate.
Put another way (I believe this is the way A.W. Pink put it), consider that Jesus says, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Like a blind man, he cannot see unless he is given sight. But when he is given sight, he sees. He cannot see unless he is given sight, but there is no time lapse between the moment he is given sight and the moment he sees. He is given sight AND he sees.
So it is that when you are given the Spirit (an act of grace from the Father), you "see" and believe.
That is why it says those who had believed through grace -- they believed because of and through the gift. They did not receive the gift because of their belief.
