Edm
Puritan Board Sophomore
I know nothing about Greek and was in a debate with a person on the issue of faith being a gift Ephesians 2:8. His reply was:
Ephesians 2:8, when you look at the Greek genitives, doesn't say that faith is a gift as the Calvinists do. The word "gift" is in the neuter, yet "grace" and "faith" is in the feminine, with "saved" in the masculine. For Paul to be communicating that faith is the gift, both words must be in the same genitive.
What the gift really is in that verse is the entire statement of "saved by grace through faith" - that is the gift, not that God picks some out for salvation while denying it to the rest so they go to hell. He wishes for all men to be saved, but not all men will believe and receive the free gift. Also, in the majority of uses of "faith", the Greek word is in the active voice, meaning it is sourced with the believer and is not bestowed on them as would be the case in the passive voice.
Then he goes on to say:
The irony of your statement is that the same rules are applied by Calvinists to Matthew 16:18, where the Greek genitives indicate that Peter is not what Christ will build his church on, but the statement that "you are the Christ, the Son of the Living God" - but when it refutes Calvinism, the rule doesn't apply.
I know that there are many verses besides Ephesians that we can rely on, I also don't agree his argument about Matthew 16:18 .
However, what is the Greek translation and rules that apply there?
Thank you.
Ephesians 2:8, when you look at the Greek genitives, doesn't say that faith is a gift as the Calvinists do. The word "gift" is in the neuter, yet "grace" and "faith" is in the feminine, with "saved" in the masculine. For Paul to be communicating that faith is the gift, both words must be in the same genitive.
What the gift really is in that verse is the entire statement of "saved by grace through faith" - that is the gift, not that God picks some out for salvation while denying it to the rest so they go to hell. He wishes for all men to be saved, but not all men will believe and receive the free gift. Also, in the majority of uses of "faith", the Greek word is in the active voice, meaning it is sourced with the believer and is not bestowed on them as would be the case in the passive voice.
Then he goes on to say:
The irony of your statement is that the same rules are applied by Calvinists to Matthew 16:18, where the Greek genitives indicate that Peter is not what Christ will build his church on, but the statement that "you are the Christ, the Son of the Living God" - but when it refutes Calvinism, the rule doesn't apply.
I know that there are many verses besides Ephesians that we can rely on, I also don't agree his argument about Matthew 16:18 .
However, what is the Greek translation and rules that apply there?
Thank you.