How so? The definition of a gift is that it is "free." If we pay for something, it is recompense.
And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life." -- Romans 5:15,16,18"But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
Gift:
1. something given voluntarily without payment in return, as to show favor toward someone, honor an occasion, or make a gesture of assistance; present.
2. the act of giving.
3. something bestowed or acquired without any particular effort by the recipient or without its being earned: Those extra points he got in the game were a total gift.
4. a special ability or capacity; natural endowment; talent: the gift of saying the right thing at the right time.
–verb (used with object)
5. to present with as a gift; bestow gifts upon; endow with.
6. to present (someone) with a gift: just the thing to gift the newlyweds.
dictionary.com
Dr. E: How so? The definition of a gift is that it is "free." If we pay for something, it is recompense.
Thank you. You just confirmed that the expression 'free gift' is an oxymoron. Something to the effect of a "more perfect Union..." or "at 9 AM in the morning." A gift is a gift only if it is free, so the expression "free gift" a redundancy, suggesting that there could be a gift that is not free.
I hope you realize that the Greek original has no such expression. The word used is "charisma" (grace) in at least two of your three references. The third one doesn't even have 'charisma' or any form of a gift in it.
KJV does it again...