5:19 gift of God. This phrase, “the gift of God,” occurs only twice in the Old Testament, here and in Ecclesiastes 3:13. In both instances, the “gift” has to do with material blessings. Its six occurrences in the New Testament, on the other hand, all refer to spiritual blessings—especially “eternal life” (Romans 6:23; see also John 4:10; Acts 8:20; I Corinthians 7:7; Ephesians 2:8; II Timothy 1:6).