[Fantasywriter]

‘Is it being saved by Grace that is the gift of God, or is it faith that is the gift of God?’

In Greek, the text is clearer. ‘That’ is neutral in gender, whereas ‘faith’ is feminine. There is a feminine form of ‘that’ which would have been used if ‘faith’ was the subject of the relative pronoun ‘that’.

In context, it is clear that salvation is the gift. Below is a link that explains, via the larger context coupled with the specifics of Greek grammar, exactly why ‘salvation’, not ‘faith’ is the ‘gift’. I hope you find the link helpful.

http://www.apologeticspress.org/apcontent.aspx?category=11&article=1246

[ALPAPilot]

In context, it is clear that salvation is the gift. Below is a link that explains, via the larger context coupled with the specifics of Greek grammar, exactly why ‘salvation’, not ‘faith’ is the ‘gift’. I hope you find the link helpful.

http://www.apologeticspress.org/apcontent.aspx?category=11&article=1246

Thanks, that was an interesting page

Those who believe that faith is a gift (i.e., miraculous imposition) from God, often point out that in this verse “faith” is the nearest antecedent of “that” (“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God”).

Since Greek is an inflected language, I would think that the gender matching would matter far more than position. Unfortunately, my Greek is not nearly as good as my Latin. In the Vulgate the gender of the Latin is less certain. Grace is in the feminine, Salvation is in the masculine, Faith is feminine, but the pronoun hoc is neuter. I guess, then, that the whole process - salvation through grace by means of faith - is the antecedent in the Latin

I have to admit that Faith, as a virtue, seemed more understandable to me as something that is strived for rather than a gift that is given while salvation is a gift that we receive.