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12.2 Doorea – the gift
This word is used for: the (‘free’) gift of the Holy Spirit.
This noun is used in the New Testament for no other gift or other present than for this special gift, the Holy Spirit.
There, were it is used, it is about the superiority of the Lord every time. So apparently it is set apart by the Lord for this unique cause.
John uses the word, when he talks about the living water, which Jesus will give. John 4:10 – “Jesus answered her, ‘if you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water’.”
Compare John 6:35 and 48 with this, where Jesus says: “I am the bread that gives life” while He, when He talked about the water of life, said: “I give the living water.” This water of life, this ‘doorea’, could only come after Jesus was glorified! (John 7:37 and 39).
Luke uses this word in Acts 2:38, 8:20, 10:45 and 11:17, when he speaks about the baptism in the Holy Spirit.
Paul refers in Romans 5:15-
a) there is grace from God – the abundance of grace;
b) there is the gift (doorea), existing in the justice of Jesus.
The grace of God in Jesus (a) is in the work of Golgotha.
The justice of Jesus (b) is in the glorification.
In the Ephesus letter we read, that Paul became a servant (diakonos) of the Lord. Diakonos means ‘servant’ or ‘deacon’. In a broader aspect it is used for someone with a serving task working for a person, for example a king.
Ephesians 3:7 – “I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power.” Compare this with Acts 1:8 and 9:17.
The grace is given to each member of the Church in Ephesus separately according to the measure in which Christ donates her (doorea).
One more saying of Paul is left, where he uses this word. 2 Corinthians 9:15 – “Thanks be to God for this incredible gift.”
It doesn’t seem very clear at the first sight. It seems more or less a strange ending of this part.
Some explainers of the text therefore also speak of a ‘sloppy ending’.
But in verse 14 Paul talks about the extraordinary (or: excelling) grace of God, which the believers in Corinth received. And then he thanks God for his indescribable (inexpressible) gift (doorea).
It appears out of the context that this is transparent enough. This is so especially because the word ‘doorea’ isn’t used for any other gift or present.
John as well as Luke, Paul and the writer of the letter to the Hebrews (probably also Paul) give only one meaning to this gift: the Holy Spirit.