And and it conveys the wrong idea. The word translated as "by" is the Greek word
dia which means "through" and the word translated as "of" is the word "in". Thus it is not the faith "of" Christ but faith "in" Christ,
Strong's Concordance
dia: through, on account of, because of
Original Word: διά
Part of Speech: Preposition
Transliteration: dia
Phonetic Spelling: (dee-ah')
Short Definition: through, on account of
Definition: (a) gen: through, throughout, by the instrumentality of, (b) acc: through, on account of, by reason of, for the sake of, because of.
So it is really
"through faith in Jesus Christ" and that is how the NASV, NIV, ASV, RV, Holman Christian Standard Bible etc. have it. This is consistent with Gospel truth.
However, Calvinists falsely claim that the gift of God mentioned in Ephesians 2:8 is faith, whereas the verse says that it is salvation, which is not of works, but because of the grace of God, and our faith in Him and in Christ and His finished work of redemption. So where does this faith come from?
Faith is generated by the Gospel itself, which is called "the Word of God", so faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God (Rom 10:17). But the Gospel is never allowed to remain in isolation from the Holy Spirit, who convinces sinners that Christ died for them according to the Scripture, and rose again for their justification according to the Scriptures. And this is "saving faith". Whenever the full and true Gospel is preached, it is "the power of God unto salvation to them that believe".
But then, there is the spiritual gift of faith (1 Cor 12:9) which is given to some believers, and this would probably be an extraordinary faith to accomplish things for God. But we should also keep in mind that all one needs is faith as a grain of mustard seed in order to move mountains.
This shows the problems that arise when a concordance is used in place of a lexicon!
Please excuse the long excerpt. It is necessary to show how a lexicon differs from a concordance.
NT:2203
NT:1223 dia/ ("written di) before a vowel, except in proper names and 2 Cor 5:7; Rom 8:10" Tdf. Proleg., p. 94), akin to di/$ and Latin dis in composition, properly, denoting a division into two or more parts; a preposition taking the genitive and the accusative. In its use the biblical writers differ in no respect from the Greek; cf. Winer's Grammar, 377ff (353ff); 398 (372)f
A. with the genitive: through;
I. of place;
1. properly, after verbs denoting an extension, or a motion, or an act, that occurs through any place: di) a&llh$ o(dou= a)naxwrei=n, Matt 2:12; di) a)nu/drwn to/pwn, Matt 12:43; dia/ th=$ Samarei/a$, John 4:4; dia/ th=$ qu/ra$, John 10:1f; add, Matt 19:24; Mark 2:23; 10:25; 11:16; Luke 4:30; 5:19; 18:25; 2 Cor 11:33; Heb 9:11; 11:29, etc.; di) u(mw=n, through your city, Rom 15:28; (on dia/ pa/ntwn, Acts 9:32, see pa=$, II. 1); o( dia/ pa/ntwn, diffusing his saving influence through all, Eph 4:6; sw/|zesqai dia/ puro/$, 1 Cor 3:15; diasw/|zesqai di) u%dato$, 1 Peter 3:20 (Ev. Nicod. c. 9, p. 568f, Thilo edition (p. 228, Tdf. edition) dia/ qala/ssh$ w($ dia/ chra=$); ble/lpein di) e)so/ptrou, 1 Cor 13:12 (cf. Winer's Grammar, 380 (356)). Add the adverbial phrase di) o%lou from top to bottom, throughout, John 19:23 (metaphorically, in every way, 1 Macc 6:18). From this use of the preposition has come
2. its tropical use of state or condition in which (properly, passing through which as through a space) one does or suffers something, where we, with a different conception, employ with, in, etc. (German bei, unter, mit): o( dia/ gra/mmato$ kai/ peritomh=$ paraba/th$ no/mou, Rom 2:27 (Winer's Grammar, 380 (355)); oi( pisteu/onte$ :2di) a)krobusti/a$ who believe, though uncircumcised (see a)krobusti/a, a.), Rom 4:11; dia/ prosko/mmato$ e)sqi/ein, with offence, or so as to be an offence (cf. Winer's Grammar, 380 (356), and see pro/skomma), Rom 14:20; dia/ pi/stew$ peripatei=n, ou) dia/ ei&dou$ (see ei@do$, 1), 2 Cor 5:7; ta/ dia/ (Lachmann marginal reading (cf. Tr marginal reading) ta/ i)di/a| (see Meyer at the passage)) tou= sw/mato$;, done in the body (i. e. while we were clothed with our earthly body (others take dia/ here instrumentally; see III. 2 below)), 2 Cor 5:10; dia/ pollw=n dakru/wn, 2 Cor 2:4; dia/ do/ch$, clothed with glory, 2 Cor 3:11; e&rxesqai, e)ise/rxesqai dia/ ti/no$ with a thing, Heb 9:12; 1 John 5:6 (but cf. Winer's Grammar, 380 (355)); di) u(pomonh=$, Rom 8:25 (dia/ pe/nqou$ to/ gh=ra$ dia/gein, Xenophon, Cyril 4, 6, 6; cf. Mattiae ii., p. 1353).
II. of Time (cf. Winer's Grammar, 380 (356); Ellicott or Meyer on Gal 2:1; Fritzsche as below);
1. of continued time; hence, a. of the time throughout (during) which anything is done: Matt 26:61; Mark 14:58; di) o%lh$ (th=$ R G) nukto/$, Luke 5:5; dia/ panto/$ tou= zh=n, Heb 2:15; dia/ panto/$ (so L WH Tr (except Mark 5:5; Luke 24:53)), or written together diapanto/$ (so G T (except in Matt.); cf. Winer's Grammar, 46 (45); Lipsius, Gram. Unters., p. 125), continually, always: Matt 18:10; Mark 5:5; Luke 24:53; Acts 2:25 (from Ps 15:8 * (16:8)); 10:2; 24:16; Rom 11:10 (from Ps 68:24 * (69:24 )); 2 Thess 3:16; Heb 9:6; 13:15 (often in Greek writings). b. of the time within which a thing is done: dia/ th=$ nukto/$ (L T Tr WH dia/ nukto/$), by night, Acts 5:19; 16:9; 17:10; 23:31, (Palaeph. 1, 10); di) h(merw=n tessara/konta, repeatedly within the space of forty days, Acts 1:3; — (denying this use of the preposition, C. F. A. Fritzsche in Fritzschiorum Opuscc., p. 164f would refer these instances to the use noted under a. (see Winer's, Ellicott, Meyer as above)).
NT:1223
2. of time elapsed, and which has, so to say, been passed through: Gal 2:1 (cf. Winer's Grammar, 380 (356)); di) h(merw=n (some) days having intervened, after (some) days, Mark 2:1; di) e)tw=n pleio/nwn, Acts 24:17; examples from Greek authors in Fritzsche on Mark, p. 50; (Winer's Grammar, 380 (356); Liddell and Scott, under the word, A. II. 2; Sophocles' Lexicon, under the word, 2; Field, Otium Norv. iii, p. 14).
III. of the Means or Instrument by which anything is effected; because what is done by means of person or thing seems to pass as it were through the same (cf. Winer's Grammar, 378 (354)).
1. of one who is the author of the action as well as its instrument, or of the efficient cause: di) au)tou= (i. e. tou= Qeou=) ta/ pa/nta namely, e)stin or e)ge/neto, Rom 11:36; also di) ou!, Heb 2:10; di) ou! e)klh/qhte, 1 Cor 1:9; add (Gal 4:7 L T Tr WH, see below); Heb 7:21 (h( i)atrikh pa=sa dia/ tou= Qeou= tou/tou, i. e. Aesculapius, kubernatai, Plato, symp., p. 186 e.; cf. Fritzsche on Romans, vol. i., p. 15 (and for examples Sophocles' Lexicon, under the word, 1)); of him to whom that is due which anyone has or has done; hence equivalent to by the fault of anyone: di) ou! to/ ska/ndalon e&rxetai, Matt 18:7; di) e(no/$ a)nqrw/pou h( a(marti/a ... ei)sh=lqe, Rom 5:12, cf. Rom 5:16-19; h)sqe/nei dia/ th=$ sarko/$, Rom 8:3; by the merit, aid, favor of anyone: e)n zwh/ basileu/sousi dia/, etc. Rom 5:17, cf. Rom 5:18; 1 Cor 15:21; dia/ tou= Xristou=, and the like: Rom 5:1f Rom 5:11; Acts 10:43; Gal 4:7 (Rec., but see above); doka/zein to/n Qeo/n dia/ )Ihsou= Xristou=, 1 Peter 4:11, and eu)xaristei=n tw=| Qew=| dia/ )Ihsou= Xristou=, Rom 1:8; 7:25 (where L T Tr WH text xa/ri$ tw=| Qew=|); Col 3:17 — because the possibility both of glorifying God and of giving thanks to him is due to the kindness of Christ: kauxa=sqai e)n tw=| Qew=| dia/ )Ihsou= Xristou=, Rom 5:11; a)napau/esqai dia/ ti/no$, Philem 7; oi( pepisteuko/te$ dia/ th=$ xaristo$, Acts 18:27; pollh=$ ei)rh/nh$ tugxa/nonte$ dia/ sou ... dia/ th=$ sh/$ pronoi/a$, Acts 24:2 (3); u(pernikan dia/ tou= a)gaph/santo$ h(ma=$, Rom 8:37; perisseu/ein dia/ ti/no$, by the increase which comes from one, Phil 1:26; 2 Cor 1:5; 9:12; dia/ th=$ u(mw=n deh/sew$, Phil 1:19; add, Philem 22 Rom 1:12; 2 Cor 1:4; Gal 4:23; 1 Peter 1:5.
2. of the instrument used to accomplish a thing, or of the instrumental cause in the stricter sense: —
with the genitive of person by the service, the intervention of, anyone; with the genitive of thing, "by means of with the help of, anything; a. in passages where a subject expressly mentioned is said to do or to have done a thing by some person or by some thing: Mark 16:20 (tou= kuri/ou to/n lo/gon bebaiou=nto$ dia/ tw=n shmei/wn); Luke 1:70; Acts 1:16; 2:22 (te/rasi kai/ shmei/oi$, oi!$ e)poi/hse di) au)tou= o( Qeo/$); Acts 8:20; 10:36; 15:28 (gra/yante$ dia/ xeiro/$ au)tw=n); Acts 20:28; 21:19; 28:25; Rom 2:16; 3:31; 7:13; (8:11 Rec.bez elz L edition min. T WH text); Rom 15:18; 16:18; 1 Cor 1:21 (cf. Winer's Grammar, 381 (357)); 1 Cor 2:10; 4:15; 6:14; 14:9,19 (R G); 15:57; 2 Cor 1:4; 4:14 R G; 5:18,20; 9:13 (cf. Winer's Grammar, 381 (357)); 10:9; 12:17; Eph 1:5; 2:16; Col 1:20,22; 2:8; 1 Thess 4:14; 2 Thess 2:14; Titus 3:5; Heb 1:2,3 (R G); 2:14; 6:12; 7:19; 9:26; 13:2,12,15,21; Rev 1:1; gh= e)c u%dato$ (material cause) kai/ di) u%dato$ sunestw=sa tw=| tou= Qeou= lo/gw|, 2 Peter 3:5 (Winer's Grammar, 419 (390) cf. 217 (204)). b. in passages in which the author or principal cause is not mentioned, but is easily understood from the nature of the case, or from the context: Rom 1:12; 1 Cor 11:12 (cf. Winer's Grammar, 381 (357)); Phil 1:20; 1 Thess 3:7; 2 Thess 2:2,15; Heb 11:39 (cf. Winer's Grammar, as above, also § 50, 3); 12:11,15; 1 Peter 1:7; dia/ pollw=n martu/rwn, by the mediation (intervention) of many witnesses, they being summoned for that purpose (cf. Winer's Grammar, 378 (354); A. V. among), 2 Tim 2:2. Where it is evident from the religious conceptions of the Bible that God is the author or first cause: John 11:4; Acts 5:12; Eph 3:10; 4:16; Col 2:19; 2 Tim 1:6; Heb 10:10; 2 Peter 3:6; sw/|zesqai dia/ pi/stew$, Eph 2:8; sunegei/resqai dia/ th=$ pi/stew$, Col 2:12; dikaiou=sqai dia/ th=$ pi/stew$,
Gal 2:16, cf. Rom 3:30; in the phrases dia/ tou= )Ihsou= Xristou=, and the like: John 1:17; 3:17; Acts 13:38; Rom 1:5; 5:9; 1 Cor 15:57; 1 John 4:9; Phil 1:11; dia/ tou= eu)aggeli/ou, 1 Cor 15:2; Eph 3:6; dia/ lo/gou Qeou=, 1 Peter 1:23, cf. 1 Peter 1:3; dia/ no/mou, Rom 3:27; 4:13; di) a)pokalu/yew$ )Ihsou= Xristou=, Gal 1:12, cf. Gal 1:15f; dia/ tou= (a(gi/ou) pneu/mato$, Rom 5:5; 1 Cor 7:8; Eph 3:16; pisteu/ein dia/ ti/no$ (see pisteu/w, 1 b. g), John 1:7; 1 Cor 3:5; shmei=on ge/gone di) au)tw=n, Acts 4:16; o( lo/go$ di) a)gge/lwn lalhqei/$, Heb 2:2, cf. Gal 3:19; o( no/mo$ dia/ Mwu+se/w$ e)do/qh, John 1:17; in passages in which something is said to have been spoken through the O. T. prophets, or some one of them (cf. Lightfoot Fresh Revision etc., p. 121f): Matt 2:5,17 L T Tr WH, Matt 2:23; (Matt 3:3 L T Tr WH); Matt 4:14; 8:17; 12:17; 21:4; 24:15; 27:9; Acts 2:16; or to have been so written: Luke 18:31; with the added mention of the first cause: u(po/ tou= kuri/ou dia/ tou= profh/tou, Matt 1:22; 2:15, cf. Luke 1:70; Acts 1:16; 28:25; Rom 1:2; in passages relating to the Logos: pa/nta di) au)tou= (i. e., through the Divine Logos (cf. Winer's Grammar, 379 (355))) e)ge/neto or e)kti/sqh: John 1:3; 1 Cor 8:6 (where he is expressly distinguished from the first cause: e)c au)tou= (Winer's Grammar, 419 (391))); Col 1:16 (Winer's Grammar, the passage cited), cf. Heb 1:2 (Philo de cherub. § 35). The instrumental cause and the principal are distinguished in 1 Cor 11:12 (dia/ th=$ gunaiko/$ ... e)k tou= Qeou=); Gal 1:1 (a)p' a)nqrw/pwn ... di) a)nqrw/pou (cf. Winer's Grammar, 418 (390))).
3. with the genitive of a thing dia/ is used to denote the manner in which a thing is done, or the formal cause: ei@pe dia/ parabolh=$, Luke 8:4; ei@pe di) o(rmato$, Acts 18:9; a)pagge/llein dia/ lo/gou, by word of mouth, Acts 15:27; tw=| lo/gw| di) e)pistolw=n, 2 Cor 10:11, cf. 2 Thess 2:15; pi/sti$ e)nergoume/nh di) a)ga/ph$, Gal 5:6; kexa/ristai di) e)paggeli/a$, Gal 3:18; douleu/ein dia/ th=$ a)ga/ph$, Gal 5:13; e)piste/llein dia/ braxe/wn, Heb 13:22; gra/fein di) o)li/gwn, 1 Peter 5:12 (Plato, Gorgias, p. 449 b. dia/ makrw=n lo/gou$ poiei=sqai (see o)li/go$, at the end; cf. Winer's Grammar, § 51, 1 b.)); dia/ xa/rtou kai/ me/lano$, 2 John 12; dia/ me/lano$ kai/ kala/mou, 3 John 13 (Plutarch, Sol. 17, 3). To this head I should refer also the use of dia/ ti/no$ in exhortations etc. where one seeks to strengthen his exhortation by the mention of a thing or a person held sacred by those whom he is admonishing (dia/ equivalent to by an allusion to, by reminding you of (cf. Winer's Grammar, 381 (357))): Rom 12:1 15:30; 1 Cor 1:10; 2 Cor 10:1; 1 Thess 4:2 (yet cf. Winer's Grammar, 379 (355) note); 2 Thess 3:12 R G.
(from Thayer's Greek Lexicon, PC Study Bible formatted Electronic Database. Copyright © 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)
In this verse we are NOT dealing with place or time! This is about INSTRUMENTALITY or AGENCY.
