I see this post was posted a few years ago, so if you would rather I dont bring up older posts, I apologize and will no longer do that. I am new here, and I see some very interesting posts, so I am finding some hard to resist. 
I hope you don't mind if I reply.Talking to an Arminian about Eph. 2: 8-9 and he mentions something I am no expert on.
I believe it is safe to say that in these verses both grace and faith are gifts of God.
I am hoping someone can speak to the following better than I can?
Arminian:
Grace is the indirect object, the dative case in Greek. Faith is not- it is the genitive case, showing possession or “by way of.” Faith is not the gift.
Probably, the best way to translate this would be “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this (grace received through faith, or salvation) is not your own doing; it is the gift of God…”
Only grace is being given as a gift. It is given as a gift through our faith. Faith is not what is being given.
Greetings Tom,
First, I'd like to say I believe it is obvious that grace and faith are both gifts. I mean, it's a gift of grace God is good to us ward. And it is a gift we are given the capacity to actually believe.
As scripture declares, "we are saved by grace." If that salvation has anything to do with us, scripture would have said so. But it does say what we are saved through. And that is faith!
It's seriously poor psychology to think that faith could ever be an arbitrary act of the will. To believe that man could ever believe or disbelieve because he chooses to do so.
But, if we believe it is because we have been saved by grace and by it given the capacity to believe. The fact of the matter is,
Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God 1 John 5:1.
Anything short of a regenerate heart faith, then proceeds from the shallow of emotions.
Besides, does not faith always follow the judgment of the intellect, as to whether a thing is true or not? It's never a product of the will. We never believe a thing because we like to believe it or because we resolve to believe it. Otherwise faith is pretty much turned into a wish.
I believe scripture teaches that faith is a gift. Eph 2:
8For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.Scripture tells us how we are saved. By grace, by God the Holy Spirit Himself. And that's it. But God allows us to be involved, since we are not robots but vessels of mercy. By His grace, we are given life (regeneration), and with this life comes faith, which is ours. Thanks be to God.
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