Tag: gift

Romans 6:23 – Free Eternal Life

Posted on by Will

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Truth to Learn

God offers all of us a free gift of inestimable value.

 

Behind the Words

The Greek word translated “wages” is opsonia, which is the plural form of opsonion. This word is a compound word made up of opson, which means “meat” and a form of oneomai, which means “to buy.” According to The Complete Word Study Dictionary, “It primarily signifies whatever is bought to be eaten with bread, provisions, or supplies from a soldier's pay. Metaphorically, it means general wages, recompense.” It is what a soldier has earned for being a soldier.

“Gift” is translated from charisma, which means “a gift of grace or an undeserved benefit.” In the New Testament, this word is only used in reference to an undeserved gift or favor from God.

The Greek for the gift that God gives us is, Zoe aionios. Zoe is the word for “life” and aionios means “belonging to the continuance of time.” In other words, it means “perpetual, everlasting, or eternal.”

 

Meaning Explained

This verse is one of the pinnacles of Paul’s teaching in the Book of Romans. It is the second step in what has been called “The Romans Road,” the road to salvation. The first is found in Romans 3:23:

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Now, after having talked at length about the fact that we used to be slaves to sin, Paul has just taught us that we are now the slaves of God. We learned that when we were slaves to sin, we were dead (separated from God).

 In this verse Paul tells us why we were dead when we were the slaves to sin. He says:

For the wages of sin is death,

 Paul is saying that death is what we earned for our sin (and we worked hard for it!). But, Paul says, God does not pay us what we have earned if we have received His gracious gift through faith in the blood of Jesus Christ. Instead of giving us what we deserve (what we’ve earned), God gives us a free gift that we don’t deserve (and didn’t earn).

If you stop to think about it, there is no greater gift that God could possibly give to us than an eternal existence with Him. The one constant in this earthly existence is the fact that we all will die physically someday and we will be separated from our earthly body. But because of this marvelous gift that God has given us, we will continue our existence in His presence in a heavenly body. We will join with all of our loved ones who have likewise received God’s gift, and together we will glorify God for eternity.

 

Application

God offers a free gift to all who will believe and that gift is eternal life! Wow!

Do you believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay the price for your sins? I certainly hope so!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2018 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 1:11 – A Firm Standing

Posted on by Will

For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established—

Truth to Learn

Paul was filled with a desire to teach God’s truths to others.

 

Behind the Words

“Long” is from the Greek verb epipotheō, which is made up of epi, used as an intensifier, and potheō, meaning “to yearn.” Thus this word means “to desire strongly.”

The word translated “impart” is the Greek word metadō. This is a compound word made up of meta, which implies association, often translated as “with” and a form of didōmi, meaning “to give.” Hence Paul is saying that he wanted to give something to them and share it with them at the same time.

“Gift” is from the Greek word charisma, which is the noun form of the verb charidzomai, meaning “to show favor.” Hence, charisma refers to a gift of grace. That is, a gift which was not earned and is not deserved.

The word translated “established” is the Greek word stērichthēnai, the passive form of steridzo, meaning “to stand fast” or “to fix firmly in place.” The passive form means that Paul wanted this to be done to the Roman Christians. That is, he wanted them to be firmly fixed in place (spiritually) as a result of the gift that he wanted to give to them.

 

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse Paul confessed that he longed to see the Christians in Rome. He now explains why; he wanted to share something with them. In the Christian church we often talk about “sharing” an experience with someone else. That is, we want to tell it to them in a way in which they will share in the joy or sorrow of the experience. This is precisely what Paul is talking about. He wants to give the Roman Christians something that can be shared among them.

Paul then tells them that what he wants to share with them is a “spiritual gift.” Some have claimed this means that Paul wanted to impart a “miraculous gift of the spirit,” which supposedly the apostles had the power to give to others. However, this interpretation is unnatural and forced as there is no place in the scriptures where this expression denotes the power of working miracles. In fact, the explanation of this gift is given in the next verse, “that I may be comforted together with you through the faith of one another, both yours and mine.” Paul simply wanted to share more truths of the Gospel and the glories of a life in Christ with the Christians in Rome. He wanted to encourabe them by teaching them about a life of faith, and he wanted to be encouraged by their own accounts of faithful living.

His purpose in wanting to do this is, “so that you may be established.” That is, Paul wanted the Christians in Rome to have a firm doctrinal footing. He knew that faith in Christ and the surrendered life are essential for Christians. He also knew that learning the truth of God’s word would result in these Christians becoming firmly grounded in their faith, able to withstand any storm of life.

 

Application

Is that where your faith is today? Do you feel firmly fixed in your faith and in your daily walk with God, or does God often feel far away? If so… who do you think moved?

It is possible to feel firmly fixed in your faith, but it requires regular, careful reading and study of the Bible. It also requires a consistent commitment to live your life God’s way, instead of your own way.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Peter 4:10 – Ministering Gifts

Posted on by Will

each one as has received a gift, ministering it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

Truth to Learn

God has given every Christian gifts. These are to be shared with the rest of the church, liberally and humbly.

 

Behind the Words

The expression “one another” is translated from the Greek word hekastos, which means “each one,” but it has the force of a superlative (as in good … better … best, better is a comparative and best is a superlative). So we could translate this word as “each and every one of you.”

“Gift” is the from the Greek word charisma, which means “a gift,” that is, “something which is bestowed gratuitously.” Some translations have this as “the gift,” but the definite article (the) is not in the original. So, this is not talking about some specific gift, rather any gift which God has bestowed on you. These gifts can be spiritual gifts such as are talked about in 1Corinthians12:4-10, (i.e. wisdom, faith, and knowledge), or in Ephesians 4:8-13 (i.e. evangelism, teaching, and pastoring). But these could also be any possession (spiritual, physical, or mental) which God has bestowed on you.

“Minister” is from the Greek word diakoneō (the word from which we get our English word deacon). This word means “to run errands, to wait on (like a waiter in a restaurant), or to serve.”

The word translated as “stewards” is oikonomos, which means “house manager” or “overseer,” one who is entrusted with the care of something belonging to someone else.

The word “manifold” is from poikilos, meaning “variegated” or “many faceted.” It means that God gives various different gifts to individual  members of the body of Christ as He determines.

 

Meaning Explained

In today’s verse Peter continues his description of how we should agape-love each other. He starts out by talking about something that each one of us should do: we should minister to one another. That is to say that we should learn to be each other’s servant. Peter intends that all Christians are included in this call to action.

After all, the gifts that Peter is talking about are not things that we have earned ourselves, but things that God has entrusted to us. Peter makes that very clear when he admonishes us to be “good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” The gifts (abilities, talents, possessions, etc.) are bestowed upon us by the graciousness of God Himself and, as Peter points out in this verse, are to be shared in a ministering manner within the body of Christ. Hence, you can see that everything we have is really a gift from God, and we are entrusted to use and take care of these gifts for the good of the church universal.

If we put this all together, we see that Peter is telling us that we are to unselfishly serve one another (Christians) with the gifts that God has freely bestowed on us (spiritual or material) in a manner that will please and glorify God.

 

Application

Are you sharing with the rest of the church the gifts and abilities that God has given to you? Or are you a Christian sponge, taking in all that others give you (materially or spiritually) but not giving anything back to the body of Christ? God wants you to share liberally with other Christians.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved

2 Thessalonians 3:8 – A Servant Above Reproach

Posted on by Will

nor did we eat anyone's bread as a free gift, but worked with labor and toil night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you,

Truth to Learn

The Apostle Paul behaved above reproach in his ministry.

 

Behind the Words

The Greek word translated “as a free gift” is dōrean, which is based on dōron, meaning “a gift.” Hence, dōrean means “as a free gift.”

“Worked” is translated from ergadzomai, which is a form of ergon, meaning “work.” Ergadzomai means “to be engaged in work or labor, usually as a regular trade.”

Kopos is the word translated “labor.” Its base meaning is “to cut,” but it is used to refer to “hard labor which produces weariness.”

The word “toil” in translated from mochthos, which refers to “painful labor.”

“Burden” is from the Greek verb epibareō. This is composed of epi, meaning “on” or “upon,” used here as an intensifier and bareō, meaning “to weigh down with a heavy burden.” Thus, epibareō means “to place a heavy burden on someone.”

 

Meaning Explained

Paul has been talking about those in the church who are disorderly, especially those teachers who had come into the church in Thessalonica and had taught them erroneous truths about the Day of the Lord. In order to demonstrate his own commitment to God and to the Christians in Thessalonica, Paul is explaining to them how he, Timothy, and Sylvanus (Silas) had behaved while they ministered to the saints there.

In Paul’s letter to the church in Corinth, he explained at length why ministers of the gospel have a right to expect to be supported by those to whom they minister (see 1 Corinthians 9:1-27). Also, from Acts 18:2, 3 we learn that Paul was a tentmaker by trade and worked in that occupation to support himself while he was also working full-time as a preacher of the gospel. Apparently, this was his practice wherever he went so as not to be a burden to those who received his teaching.

In today’s verse we again see how hard Paul worked (apparently both as a preacher and a tentmaker) in order to deliver the Gospel message. Here he reminds the Thessalonians that he did not receive free food from anyone in the church in Thessalonica. Instead, he put in long hours, working to the point of weariness and pain, so that he could give his teachings to everyone free of charge.

Certainly, Paul is not claiming that those who proclaim the Gospel message should do so without pay. In fact, in addition to the verses referenced above, he teaches just the opposite in Galatians 6:6 and in 1 Timothy 5:17, 18. We who receive sound doctrinal teaching should be willing to support those who labor hard to accurately proclaim God’s truth. In this passage, however, Paul was making a point that he has behaved above reproach in performing his ministry.

 

Application

Does your preacher declare the truth of God’s word week-in and week-out? Doing so takes hard work and dedication. Does he receive the appropriate recognition and reward from the church? Even a hand-written note of thanks helps.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Ephesians 3:7 – Humble Building Block

Posted on by Will

of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me according to the working of His power.

Truth to Learn

God places each of us in the temple of God and gives us the gifts we need to perform the function He has placed us into.

 

Behind the Words

“Minister” is translated from the Greek noun diakonos, from which we get our English word “deacon.” The Greek word is probably derived from the verb diakō, meaning “to run an errand.” Technically, diakonos refers to “an attendant,” “an errand boy,” “someone who waits on tables” or “someone who performs menial duties.” In the New Testament, deacons are seen as those who help or serve the elders and bishops.

The word “gift” is from dōrea, which is derived from the verb didōmi, meaning “to give.” Thus, dōrea refers to “that which is gratuitously given” or “a gift.”

“Working” is translated from energeia. This is the word from which we get our English word “energy.” It refers to “the energetic work, active work, or effective work.”

“Power” is from dunamis, which refers to “ability or power.”

 

Meaning Explained

Today’s verse starts with “of which,” so we need to determine specifically what this is referring to. The previous verse ended with, “and fellow partakers of His promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel,” Thus, we see that “of which” refers to the gospel, or good news of salvation through Jesus Christ.

In this verse, Paul tells us that he became an errand boy of the gospel as a gift of grace from God. In our Christian churches today there is much confusion over the titles minister, preacher, pastor, elder, and bishop. Thus, these words are often used interchangeably. However, in the Greek language they are significantly different words. The Greek word most often translated preacher is a form of the word kērussō meaning “to proclaim.” And the word most often translated elder is presbuteros meaning “an older man,” while the word most often translated bishop is episkopos, meaning “an overseer.” In the New Testament these three words describe different functions of the senior pastor of a local church. It’s interesting that Paul did not use any of these three words to describe himself in today’s verse; instead, he calls himself “a minister;” that is, “an errand boy” of the gospel.

This is a characteristic which seems to be common in the apostolic writings. Even though these men were called to an extremely important office in the building of the church (remember, they’re part of the foundation of the building), they often refer to themselves as servants, slaves, or errand boys of the Gospel of Christ.

Paul recognizes that he didn’t put himself into the position he has in the temple of God. God is the one who places each stone. God is the one who places each one of us in the temple. And God gives us the gifts and abilities we need to perform that functions assigned to us in accordance with His will.

 

Application

In the temple of God, the body of Christ, there is no place for pride or arrogance. No matter what function we are performing within the body, we have no reason to consider ourselves any better than anyone else. In fact, we should not be comparing ourselves with each other. We should be comparing ourselves with Christ, and compared to Him, the best we can hope to be is a faithful servant or errand boy. What are you in the temple of God, and are you performing your assigned duties?

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2015 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Ephesians 2:8 – God’s Gracious Gift

Posted on by Will

For by grace you are saved through faith, and this not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,

Truth to Learn

Salvation by grace, through faith, is God’s gift.

 

Behind the Words

“Saved” is translated from the Greek verb sōdzō, meaning “to save, deliver, protect, or preserve from danger.” It is expressed here in the perfect tense which indicates past, completed action with an ongoing effect, where the emphasis is on the ongoing effect. Therefore this word means “in the past you were saved and as a result you are now saved.”

The word “through” is from the Greek preposition dia. This word indicates either “motion through” or “through the instrumentality of something.”

“Faith” is translated from pistis, meaning “faith or belief.” It is based on the verb peithō, which means “to persuade or to win over.” Hence, pistis is the condition of having been convinced of a truth so that the person now believes that truth.

The word translated “gift” is doron, which is derived from the verb didōmi, meaning “to give.” Thus, doron refers to “a gift,” specifically “a sacrificial gift.”

 

Meaning Explained

This is a very important verse with regard to our salvation, but there are some details that we need to investigate completely. Biblical scholars and commentators make a strong statement about the pronoun “this.” Some make the assertion that it is a direct reference to “faith.” Others claim that it is a direct reference to “saved.” Still others say that it is a direct reference to “grace.” Here’s the problem with all those claims. In Greek, any word modifying or referencing another word must agree in number and gender with the word it modifies or references.

The word translated “this” is from the Greek word touto, which is a neuter form of houtos. The nouns translated “grace” and “faith” are both feminine nouns, and the word translated “have been saved” is a participle (a verbal adjective) which is masculine. Therefore, by standard rules of Greek grammar, the word “this” cannot specifically reference any of these three words. It must, therefore, be a reference to all three. In other words, Paul is saying “that which I have just described is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.” This seems to corroborate what our Lord said in John’s Gospel:

And He said, "Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father." (John 6:65)

And, he told his twelve disciples:

You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, (John 15:16)

This is in keeping with how Paul started out this letter:

just as He [the Father] chose us in Him [Christ] before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:3)

This is a very touchy, and often contentious, concept among Christians today. In fact, it has been this way since the first Century. For if we believe in election, then what of:

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that everyone believing in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)

And it shall be that everyone who shall call on the name of the Lord will be saved. (Acts 2:21 – see also Joel 2:28-32)

To this One all the Prophets witness, so that through His name everyone believing into Him will receive remission of sins. (Acts 10:43)

For everyone, whoever might call on the name of the Lord will be saved. (Romans 10:13 – see also Joel 2:32 which is quoted in this verse in Romans)

Whole chapters of theological treatises have been written to prove one or the other of these positions and it would be inappropriate for me to try to explain it in one short daily devotional study. Let me suffice it to say that we cannot fully understand the mind of God who is not bound by either space or time, except to say that both salvation by election and salvation by free will appear to conform with Biblical teaching.

 

Application

Now, having said all that, let me simply point out that this precious salvation is not something that we have earned. We did not do anything in and of ourselves to obtain it. According to Paul in today’s passage, salvation and the faith that procured it are a gift of God’s grace. They are a gift which He freely gave to us, simply because He decided to give it. Thank you, God, for our salvation through faith by your grace!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2015 Will Krause. All rights reserved

James 1:17 – God’s Perfect Gift

Posted on by Will

Every good act of giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

Truth to Learn

God cannot be the source of our temptation because He only gives what is good.

Behind the Words

There are two different nouns translated “gift” (or “act of giving”) in this verse. “Act of giving” is translated from the noun dosis which refers to “the act of giving.” “Gift” is translated from the noun dōrēma referring to “the gift itself.”

“Father of lights” is a representation of God as the one from whom lights originate. According to the Apostle John, “God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.” (1John 1:9) But this is not James’ point. The reference to lights (plural) is an apparent reference to the heavenly bodies, the sun, the moon, and the stars. God is the one who gave light to these heavenly bodies. He is the creator and father of these lights.

The word “variation” is from the Greek word parallagē which means “to change alternately from one condition to another” or “to change successively through a series of stages.” This is most likely a reference to the changing of the path of the sun from one season to the next or to the moon from one full moon to the next.

The expression “shadow of turning” is also an allusion to heavenly light. It refers to the turning of a shadow from one part of the day to the next. A shadow changes both in position and intensity as the sun moves through the sky.

Meaning Explained

James is telling us that every good act of giving and every gift in its totality have their source in God. There is nothing good that you receive which does not ultimately come from God. James calls Him the Father of lights, which refers not only to physical lights in the skies, but metaphorically to spiritual light as well.

In the very beginning of creation God said, “light exist!” and light existed. He was declaring Himself present in His new creation. He is the originator, the Father of all light. Not only is He the source and substance of all light, but with Him there is no change or even variation and no moving shadow because He stays the same. That is, He is the same invariable light in all directions and at all times.

God illuminates things, He does not hide them, and He does not change from one moment to the next, from one month to the next, from one season to the next, from the beginning of creation to the end of time, God does not change! Halleluiah!

James is teaching some very profound truths about Jehovah God, here. Not only is He the source of all good, and the very existence of all light, but we can count on Him always being the same and always dealing the same with us. So, no matter what trial or temptation we are facing; no matter whether we resist the temptation or succumb to it, God’s love and His light are unchanged. And, God has not caused the temptation because that would not be in keeping with His character. God gives all good things and God does not change!

Application

Are you in the middle of a trial? Remember that God loves you unconditionally and unceasingly. You can be sure of His love in every situation and at all times!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2015 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Corinthians 1:7 – Gifts Used for Him

Posted on by Will

so that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Truth to Learn

All Christians are gifted so we might bring glory to God.

Behind the Words

The words “come short” are from the Greek verb husteroō, which is based on the noun husteros, meaning “latter” or “last.” Husteroō literally means “to be in last place, to be behind, or to be lacking something.” It is expressed here in the passive voice, indicating action done to the subject. So, we see that Paul is saying “that you may not be made to be lacking …”

Mēdeis is the Greek word translated “no.” It is a compound word made up of mēde, meaning “and not” and heis, meaning “one.” Hence, mēdeis means “not even one.”

“Gift” is translated from charisma, which is based on the verb charidzomai, meaning “to show favor.” Thus, charisma refers to “an undeserved gift.”

The words “eagerly waiting for” are from the Greek verb apekdechomai. This word is made up of apo, used as an intensifier and ekdechomai, meaning “to watch for” or “to fully expect.” Thus apekdechomai means “to intently watch for something, fully expecting it to come to pass.”

Meaning Explained

As we have discussed before, there are two aspects of salvation that apply to our lives. The first is the day of our belief, the point in time when we believed in our heart that Jesus died for our sins and rose from the dead. At that point, we say that we are “saved.” The second aspect of our salvation is the day that God will fully accomplish our salvation. That is a future time when Jesus Christ will return (the rapture) and claim His children, giving us our heavenly body and presenting us as blameless before the Father.

On the day we accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we believed God’s promise that He will claim us as His own. And, on that day we were imbued with spiritual gifts to be used in building up the body (the church) in preparation for His return. In God’s record book, those of us who “believe” are already recorded as sinless and blameless because Christ has paid the penalty for our sins. In reality, however, we are still sinners because we still have a sin nature.

Here’s one of the wonders of God. Even though we are still sinners, we have already been reconciled to God, and every sin, past, present, and future, has been paid for and is covered by the blood of the Lamb. And, even though we are still present in this sinful form, God has gifted us and expects us to use those gifts to bring glory to Him.

In today’s verse Paul tells the Corinthians that they are not lacking in any of the spiritual gifts and that they (and we) are eagerly waiting for, and fully expecting, the return of Christ. Because of this expectation of our full salvation, we need to do our part which is to use those spiritual gifts to build up the body and to bring glory to God.

Application

If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, then you are gifted in a special way by God. In return, God expects you to use your gifts for Him until He returns. These gifts are to be used to bring Him glory and praise. Are you using your gift(s)? Do your gifts bring glory to God or just to you?

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2013 Will Krause. All rights reserved

 

Ephesians 3:7 – Humble Building Block

Posted on by Will

Ephesians 3:7  – Humble Building Block

of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power.

Truth to Learn

God places each of us in the temple of God and gives us the gifts we need to perform the function He has placed us into.

Behind the Words

“Minister” is translated from the Greek noun diakonos, from which we get our English word “deacon.” The Greek word is probably derived from the verb diakō, meaning “to run an errand.” Technically, diakonos refers to “an attendant,” “an errand boy,” “someone who waits on tables” or “someone who performs menial duties.” In the New Testament, deacons are seen as those who help or serve the elders and bishops.

The word “gift” is from dōrea, which is derived from the verb didōmi, meaning “to give.” Thus, dōrea refers to “that which is gratuitously given” or “a gift.”

“Effective” is translated from energeia. This is the word from which we get our English word “energy.” It refers to “the energetic, active, or effective work.”

“Power” is from dunamis, which refers to “ability or power.”

Meaning Explained

In today’s verse, Paul tells us that he became an errand boy of the gospel as a gift of grace from God. In our Christian churches today there is much confusion over the titles minister, preacher, pastor, elder, and bishop. Thus, these words are often used interchangeably. However, in the Greek language they are significantly different words. The Greek word most often translated preacher is a form of the word kērussō meaning “to proclaim.” And the word most often translated elder is presbuteros meaning “an older man,” while the word most often translated bishop is episkopos, meaning “an overseer.” In the New Testament these three words describe different functions of the senior pastor of a local church. It’s interesting that Paul did not use any of these three words to describe himself in today’s verse; instead, he calls himself “a minister;” that is, “an errand boy” of the gospel.

This is a characteristic which seems to be common in the apostolic writings. Even though these men were called to an extremely important office in the building of the church (remember, they’re part of the foundation of the building), they often refer to themselves as servants, slaves, or errand boys of the Gospel of Christ.

Paul recognizes that he didn’t put himself into the position he has in the temple of God. God is the one who places each stone. God is the one who places each one of us in the temple. And God gives us the gifts and abilities we need to perform that function in accordance with His will.

Application

In the temple of God there is no place for pride or arrogance. No matter what function we are performing within the temple, we have no reason to consider ourselves any better than anyone else. In fact, we should not be comparing ourselves with each other. We should be comparing ourselves with Christ, and compared to Him, the best we can hope to be is a faithful servant or errand boy. What are you in the temple of God?

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2011 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

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Ephesians 2:8 – God’s Gracious Gift

Posted on by Will

Ephesians 2:8  – God’s Gracious Gift

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,

Truth to Learn

Salvation by grace, through faith, is God’s gift.

Behind the Words

“Saved” is translated from the Greek verb sōdzō, meaning “to save, deliver, protect, or preserve from danger.” It is expressed here in the perfect tense which indicates past, completed action with an ongoing effect, where the emphasis is on the ongoing effect. Therefore this word means “in the past you were saved and as a result you are now saved.”

The word “through” is from the Greek preposition dia. This word indicates either “motion through” or “through the instrumentality of something.”

“Faith” is translated from pistis, meaning “faith or belief.” It is based on the verb peithō, which means “to persuade or to win over.” Hence, pistis is the condition of having been convinced of a truth so that the person now believes the truth.

The word translated “gift” is doron, which is derived from the verb didōmi, meaning “to give.” Thus, doron refers to “a gift,” specifically “a sacrificial gift.”

Meaning Explained

This is a very important verse with regard to our salvation, but there are some details that we need to investigate completely. Biblical scholars and commentators make a strong statement about the pronoun “that.” Some make the assertion that it is a direct reference to “faith.” Others claim that it is a direct reference to “saved.” Still others say that it is a direct reference to “grace.” Here’s the problem with all those claims. In Greek, any word modifying or referencing another word must agree in number and gender with the word it modifies or references.

The word “that” is translated from the Greek word touto, which is a neuter form of houtos. The nouns translated “grace” and “faith” are both feminine nouns, and the word translated “have been saved” is a participle (a verbal adjective) which is masculine. Therefore, by standard rules of Greek grammar, the word “that” cannot specifically reference any of these three words. It must, therefore, be a reference to all three. In other words, Paul is saying “that which I have just described is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.” This seems to corroborate what our Lord said in John’s Gospel:

And He said, “Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.” (John 6:65)

And, he told his twelve disciples:

You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, (John 15:16)

This is in keeping with how Paul started out this letter:

just as He [the Father] chose us in Him [Christ] before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:3)

Application

This precious salvation is not something that we have earned. We did not do anything in and of ourselves to obtain it. Salvation and the faith that procured it are a gift of God’s grace. They are a gift which He freely gave to us, simply because He decided to give it. Thank you, God, for our salvation through faith by your grace!

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2011 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

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