Grace in Focus Podcast Summary

Episode Title: Does Romans 12:3 Teach That Faith Is a Gift?
Date: October 2, 2025
Host: Bob Wilkin (Grace Evangelical Society)
Guest: Ken Yates
Main Theme:
This episode tackles an important theological question: Does Romans 12:3 teach that faith itself is a gift from God? Bob Wilkin and Ken Yates carefully examine the popular Calvinist interpretation and discuss how context and grammar shape a proper understanding of this passage. The conversation also explores related Scriptures, the meaning of "the measure of faith," and the implications for Free Grace Theology.

Key Discussion Points

1. Framing the Question: Is Faith a Gift?

• Listener Question: Brian asks whether Romans 12:3 can be used to argue that faith is a gift from God, as commonly stated in Calvinist theology.
• Context of the Debate: Calvinists assert that since unbelievers are "spiritually dead," they must first be regenerated (made alive) to have the faith to believe; thus, faith is a gift given by God prior to salvation.
  • Ken: “The unbeliever is dead, like a cadaver. …He’s never going to grab the rope because he’s dead.” (02:10)

2. Reading and Parsing Romans 12:3

• NKJV reads: “…not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.”
• Interpretive Challenge: The phrase “a measure of faith”—does it refer to faith as a special gift or to something else?
  • Ken: “If you take that verse as teaching that faith is a gift, then each one has that gift… So you could see how a Calvinist might use it that way.” (03:32)

3. The Issue of Translation and the Greek Word "Metron"

• Translation Nuance: Discussion hinges on the Greek term metron (“measure”) and how different translations handle the phrase.
  • Bob: "The Greek word is metron, a measure of faith. And Hodges in his commentary discusses that. He says, clearly this is not talking about a degree or extent of one's faith…” (04:14)
• Contextual Importance: Bob and Ken emphasize the need to read the verse within its context—Paul is introducing the topic of spiritual gifts in Romans 12.
  • Ken, referencing his shirt: "Context matters. …Keep it in the context, baby." (01:41–01:49)

4. Zane Hodges’ Perspective

• Hodges (commentator) suggests “measure of faith” is better understood as “faith's portion” or “faith’s gift”—meaning a portion assigned as a result of being in the faith, not “faith itself given.”
  • Bob (quoting Hodges): “Metron should be taken to indicate what has been measured out to them as a result of their Christian faith, not that faith has been measured out to them.” (07:00)
  • Ken: “So it wouldn’t make sense to start with talking about some gift every single person has, like faith. …Paul’s point is we have different gifts, right?” (07:48)

5. Comparing with Other New Testament Passages

• Ephesians 2:8-9 (“by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God…”)
  • Ken: “Some people say…that refers to faith. But the problem with that is the word ‘that’ is neuter in Greek. And the word ‘faith’ is feminine in Greek…So salvation is the gift of God, not a result of works.” (08:57)
  • Corroborated by the meaning in John 4:10 and Revelation 22:17, where the gift is always the result (salvation/eternal life), not the means (faith).

6. Theological and Pastoral Implications

• Challenge to Calvinism: If faith is a gift and entirely up to God, why does Scripture focus on human willingness?
  • Ken: “Why would willingness have anything to do with it? If God regenerates people and gives them the gift of faith, then willingness has nothing to do with anything.” (09:57)
  • Bob: “All the rebukes of the Lord, when he rebukes Israel for not believing, … but you were not willing.” (10:31)
• Linguistic Note: The discussion on grammatical gender in Greek and other languages underlines why “faith” cannot be the gift in Ephesians 2:8-9.

7. Main Takeaway

• Romans 12:3 is about spiritual gifts, not faith as a gift. The “measure of faith” refers to specific God-given ministries or functions in the body of believers, not the saving faith to believe the gospel.
  • Bob: “The bottom line for Romans 12:3—it is not faith that is given, but it is the spiritual gifts that are given. That is our portion. That's the bottom line.” (11:50)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "Context matters…Keep it in the context, baby." — Ken Yates (01:41–01:49)
• "He’s dead. So God has to give him life." — Bob Wilkin (02:32)
• "Why would willingness have anything to do with it? If God regenerates people and gives them the gift of faith, then willingness has nothing to do with anything." — Ken Yates (09:57)
• "The bottom line for Romans 12:3—it is not faith that is given, but it is the spiritual gifts that are given. That is our portion." — Bob Wilkin (11:50)
• "If we’re in the faith, we have some gift that’s been measured out to us…and then he lists what the gifts are. So he’s calling faith there essentially what we are in. We're in the faith." — Ken Yates (05:34)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 01:13 – Introduction of question: Is faith a gift in Romans 12:3?
• 03:01 – Discussion of translations and the meaning of “measure of faith”
• 04:14 – Greek term metron and its implications
• 07:00 – Zane Hodges’ interpretation: faith’s portion vs. faith as a given gift
• 08:57 – Ephesians 2:8-9 and Greek grammar explained
• 09:57 – Human willingness vs. God’s action in salvation
• 11:50 – Final summary statement: Romans 12:3 is not about faith as a gift

Overall Tone and Style

The episode is conversational, thoughtful, and educational. Ken and Bob maintain a warm, slightly playful rapport (notably with Ken’s “context matters” shirt) while engaging deeply with the theological and grammatical nuances of the text. They stress humility and careful handling of Scripture, urging listeners to pay attention to linguistic details and biblical context.

Conclusion

Romans 12:3 does not teach that faith itself is a gift given prior to salvation. Rather, the verse introduces the diversity of spiritual gifts distributed among believers, with “the measure of faith” referring to differing roles or ministries in the church. Salvation, not faith, is the true gift of God in Ephesians 2:8-9, supporting the Free Grace viewpoint and affirming human responsibility in responding to the gospel.