Argumentative analysis of Ephesians 2:8
Dec 21, 2013 10:33:10 GMT
Post by Colossians on Dec 21, 2013 10:33:10 GMT
This material is for the teaching of the Body of Christ, however the author reserves copyright over it.
Forward
One of the most commonly-cited bible references in support of the Calvinist doctrine that the faith through which we are saved is (itself) a gift of God, is Ephesians 2:8.
Consistent then with the notion that the best way to defeat an opponent is to bring down his mainstay, the anti-Calvinist has come up with an idea which he feels shows that said verse does not in fact support Calvinism at all.
Below we show why he fails.
__________________________________________
ARGUMENTATIVE ANALYSIS OF EPHESIANS 2:8
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” Eph 2:8
In his ‘analysis’ of the above verse, the anti-Calvinist points out that the demonstrative pronoun “that” (actually “this” in the Greek, but such is neither here nor there) doesn’t refer to the preceding “faith” because “that” is neuter-gender in the Greek and “faith” female-gender.
He is correct.
He then declares that the demonstrative, being neuter, refers instead to a preceding thought (for a thought naturally has no gender).
Because this is the only remaining possibility, he is necessarily also correct up to this point.
He then declares that the thought in the previous clause which stands as antecedent to the demonstrative, is merely the verb (literal Greek) “being saved”, and so concludes that the gift of God of which Paul speaks at the latter part of the verse, is simply in reference to our being saved, and not in reference to the idea that the faith through which we are saved is itself a gift of God.
His analysis here is however fraught with error:
1. The preceding thought does not in fact consist merely of the verb “being saved”, but the complex “being saved through faith”: the demonstrative “that” does not get to pick and choose, but by default refers to the more-complete verb phrase “saved through faith” which precedes it.
2. He would have us believe that, having just told us that we are saved by grace, Paul felt it necessary to immediately follow up with the notion that being saved by grace was a gift of God (as if grace itself did not imply the notion of a gift anyway). That is, the anti-Calvinist renders the verse as the manifestly silly:
“For as a gift of God ye are saved .....; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God”.
In concluding ...
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” Eph 2:8
Although the demonstrative “that” does not specifically (according to grammatical gender) refer to the word “faith” which precedes it, it nevertheless does so by implication, and this by virtue of the fact that the preceding thought to which it refers is not merely "being saved", but the more-complete verb phrase “saved through faith”, which, because this newly-appended “through faith” tends to immediately distract from the grace mentioned at the head of the verse, requires an equally-immediate follow up statement which in no uncertain terms incorporates said faith into said grace.
And so at the second half of Ephesians 2:8 it is indicated to us most emphatically that both salvation and the faith through which that salvation is effected, are a gift of God. Which is what one would expect, for to be saved is not to be merely offered salvation, but to be actually saved, and if to be actually saved, then to believe, for one is only actually saved when one believes.
Thus we understand that faith is supernatural, and that accordingly:
"all men have not faith" 2 Thes 3:2
Amen.
Forward
One of the most commonly-cited bible references in support of the Calvinist doctrine that the faith through which we are saved is (itself) a gift of God, is Ephesians 2:8.
Consistent then with the notion that the best way to defeat an opponent is to bring down his mainstay, the anti-Calvinist has come up with an idea which he feels shows that said verse does not in fact support Calvinism at all.
Below we show why he fails.
__________________________________________
ARGUMENTATIVE ANALYSIS OF EPHESIANS 2:8
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” Eph 2:8
In his ‘analysis’ of the above verse, the anti-Calvinist points out that the demonstrative pronoun “that” (actually “this” in the Greek, but such is neither here nor there) doesn’t refer to the preceding “faith” because “that” is neuter-gender in the Greek and “faith” female-gender.
He is correct.
He then declares that the demonstrative, being neuter, refers instead to a preceding thought (for a thought naturally has no gender).
Because this is the only remaining possibility, he is necessarily also correct up to this point.
He then declares that the thought in the previous clause which stands as antecedent to the demonstrative, is merely the verb (literal Greek) “being saved”, and so concludes that the gift of God of which Paul speaks at the latter part of the verse, is simply in reference to our being saved, and not in reference to the idea that the faith through which we are saved is itself a gift of God.
His analysis here is however fraught with error:
1. The preceding thought does not in fact consist merely of the verb “being saved”, but the complex “being saved through faith”: the demonstrative “that” does not get to pick and choose, but by default refers to the more-complete verb phrase “saved through faith” which precedes it.
2. He would have us believe that, having just told us that we are saved by grace, Paul felt it necessary to immediately follow up with the notion that being saved by grace was a gift of God (as if grace itself did not imply the notion of a gift anyway). That is, the anti-Calvinist renders the verse as the manifestly silly:
“For as a gift of God ye are saved .....; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God”.
In concluding ...
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” Eph 2:8
Although the demonstrative “that” does not specifically (according to grammatical gender) refer to the word “faith” which precedes it, it nevertheless does so by implication, and this by virtue of the fact that the preceding thought to which it refers is not merely "being saved", but the more-complete verb phrase “saved through faith”, which, because this newly-appended “through faith” tends to immediately distract from the grace mentioned at the head of the verse, requires an equally-immediate follow up statement which in no uncertain terms incorporates said faith into said grace.
And so at the second half of Ephesians 2:8 it is indicated to us most emphatically that both salvation and the faith through which that salvation is effected, are a gift of God. Which is what one would expect, for to be saved is not to be merely offered salvation, but to be actually saved, and if to be actually saved, then to believe, for one is only actually saved when one believes.
Thus we understand that faith is supernatural, and that accordingly:
"all men have not faith" 2 Thes 3:2
Amen.