In Ephesians 2:8, is faith the gift of God?

Whosoever Will, The Address of Election: And the last words of 2:8, “and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.” “That” and “faith” are different genders in Greek, the way “it” cannot point at “her” in English, so “that” cannot be pointing at faith, and careful Reformed scholars say so. “That” points at the whole, salvation by grace through faith. Whether faith is a gift is argued from other texts, Philippians 1:29 and Acts 13:48 among them, and the Romans essay answers those where they live. Scripture, King James Version: Philippians 1:29, "For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;"; Acts 13:48, "And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed."; Ephesians 2:8, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:".

Verified. Every scripture quotation on this page has been checked word-for-word against the King James text. Last reviewed 2026-10-18.

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In Ephesians 2:8, is faith the gift of God? → wsb.bible/answers/in-ephesians-2-8-is-faith-the-gift-of-god

This answer is the short form. The argument is made at length in The Address of Election: Two more, read to their end.

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