GRACE be unto you and peace" was one of Paul's favorite expressions. This can readily be seen from his use of these words as the salutation in ten of his Epistles, and in the three pastoral Epistles he adds the word "mercy." In Ephesians 2:8 "grace" is said to be the source of salvation, thereby emphasizing the exceeding importance of this word. It is our objective to examine the original Greek term charis, which is translated "grace" in the English New Testament, and to investigate some of the many facets of human thinking that are contained therein.
The important part played by grace in the plan of salvation is of itself a good reason for observing the significance of the word charis; and the many and varied applications that are made of the term "grace" by Christians emphasize the need for a clear understanding of the derivation of the word. The following pertinent comment comes from Ellen G. White: "The doctrines of grace and truth are not really understood by the larger number of our students and church members." 1
It is interesting to note how the Christian community has adopted existing language and adapted it to the requirements of Christianity. This is true not only of Greek but also of many other languages. Missionaries who have worked in India know that many of the religious terms of Hinduism and Islam have been adopted by Indian Christians and are currently used with entirely new connotations. One example of this phenomenon is the transformation of the Hindu term for "heaven." The Sanskrit word svarg connotes a place inhabited by the millions of gods that compose the Hindu pantheon; this word has been adopted and adapted by the Christians of India to convey the Christian idea of heaven as the dwelling place of the one true God and His attendant angels.
Speaking of this acceptance of existing words for the expression of new ideas with Christian meaning, A. T. Robertson says, "When one considers the new connotations that these words bear in the New Testament, it is not too much 'to say that in the history of these and such like words lies the history of Christianity.' " 2
God has chosen to limit Himself, in the revelation of His plan for mankind, by the circumscribed language in which man expresses himself; therefore it behooves man to make a thorough study of the message found in the Bible, in order that the love of God may be better appreciated and more adequate preparation be made for the day when this partial revelation will be superseded by the glorious unveiling of the plan of the Eternal One, at the second coming of Jesus Christ.
Many of the religious terms used in the New Testament are found in classical Greek, one of which is charis. An investigation of the various shades of meaning attached to this word in secular sources will aid in understanding its use in the Bible.
For the purposes of this article references to primary sources found in authoritative works such as Moulton and Milligan, The Vocabulary of the Greek Testament; Liddell and Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon; Robert Young, Analytical Concordance to the Bible, will be accepted as primary source materials.
The first meaning revealed in the study of the word charis is "that which affords joy, pleasure, delight." 3 This meaning easily passed to that of "gratification, delight in or from a thing. 4 The next step in the evolution of the word was from an abstract idea of joy, delight, or pleasure to that of the outward grace or beauty of persons or their portraits. 5 The mental concept of joy or pleasure passed to the visible object that produced the mental state. The verb chairo from which the substantive charis is derived was used as a greeting with the meaning "be cheerful," i.e., "be calmly happy or well off," and thus used, it conveyed the idea "be well." 6 The Greeks rejoiced in beauty, hence anything that was beautiful was to be praised and sought after; therefore good health and fine physique were highly prized. This would suggest the wish, expressed as a greeting, that the friend or acquaintance should be happy, comfortable, well, and so contribute to the general beauty of living.
Progressing with the idea of beauty uppermost, the Greeks began to use charis to denote beautiful acts or words, such as favors, acts of grace, gracious words, kindness, good will, favorable attitude.7
Thanks for a gracious deed. Not only was the term charis used to signify a gracious deed performed or received, or a favor done to someone else, or a benefit received from another, but it also acquired the meaning of "thanks" for a favor received. This is illustrated by Moulton in the following extract: [Please see the PDF for this extract] 'if you are well, it would be as I wish, and much gratitude would be due to the gods.' "8
There are other ways in which this fascinating word charis is used in classical Greek, all of which convey some idea of something connected with beauty. Some of these additional meanings are good will, charity, benefaction, power, benefit. Acts performed and words spoken for the sake of another person also find in charis a medium of expression. The picture becomes clear that the ancient Greeks used this versatile word in many ways to give expression to moods, ideas, objects, and attitudes derived from the root idea of joy producing, and are inherently associated with beauty.
Charis Baptized
The adoption of this secular word charis by the early Christian community, and its adaptation to a religious use could be called the baptism of a classical word. Theresult of this adoption is seen in the richer, spiritual connotation given to charis by all who consider themselves to be saved by the grace of God.
An examination of the number of times the word charis is found in the New Testament reveals an interesting fact concerning Paul's writings:
The word occurs twice as often in his Epistles as it does in the rest of the New Testament. Outside the Pauline, Luke and Hebrew's, and 1 Peter with its large infusion of Paulinism, it is exceedingly rare. . . . From Romans to Titus and Philemon, "grace reigns" in every Epistle. No one can counterfeit this mark of Paul, or speak of grace in his style and accent. 9
Such a report throws light on Paul's relation to his experience with Christ, and emphasizes his appreciation of the glory and beauty of that attribute of God by which men are saved.
Favor, act of favor, loving-kindness. It is by the long-suffering kindness, or favor, of God that man is spared, and protected from the efforts of Satan to destroy him. Man has done nothing to merit this favor from God; he has repeatedly transgressed the law of God, but in love and mercy the heavenly Father extends to man His favor, by which salvation is made possible. This favor is expressed by charis. This function of the word is described by Thayer as follows:
[See PDF] is used of the kindness of a master towards his inferiors or servants, and so esp. of God towards men: [See PDF], to be committed or commended to the protecting and helping favor of God, Acts xiv.26; xv.40. The apostles and N.T. writers at the beginning and end of their Epp. crave for their readers the favor ('grace") of God or of Christ, to which all blessings, esp. spiritual, are due. . . . Moreover, the word [See PDF] contains the idea of kindness which bestows upon one what he has not deserved.10
An apt illustration of this use of the word is found in Romans 5:21 and also in Romans 6:1, where Paul shows that the flood of God's favor far exceeds the flood of law; even as sin reigned in death, so also grace might begin to reign under a condition of righteousness to life eternal. He asks the arresting question "Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?" In this passage charis has the meaning of "gracious favor"; it does not describe the state of man but God's attitude toward man. Thayer says:
The N.T. writers use [See PDF] pre-eminently of that kindness by which God bestows favors even upon the ill-deserving, and grants to sinners the pardon of their offences, and bids them accept of eternal salvation through Christ. . . . [See PDF] is used of the merciful kindness by which God, exerting his holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection, and kindles them to the exercise of the Christian virtues. 11
Love. Human love is beautiful, but how much more to be admired and desired is the love of God. Language is, ultimately, inadequate to express the wealth of meaning contained in this outstanding attribute of God, but one aspect of that love is indicated by charis, and it is with this significance that the word is used in Romans 3: 24, where according to Alford it means " 'His free undeserved Love.' " 12 And again in 2 Corinthians 8:19 it has the same meaning.
Spiritual help, power, benefit. Not only does charts show the unmerited favor of God toward man but it also indicates the power or help necessary to enable man to avail himself of the benefit of the divine favor. This use of the word is demonstrated in the following extracts:
That it may give grace (minister spiritual benefit; be a means of conveying through you the grace of God).13 This is a comment on Ephesians 4:29.
The spiritual condition of one governed by the power of divine grace . . . : [See PDF]; . . . a gift of grace . . . : used of alms, 1 Co. xvi.3; . . . [See PDF], all earthly blessings, wealth, etc., which are due to divine goodness, 2 Co. ix.8; [See PDF], the author and giver of benefits of every kind, 1 Pet. v.10.14
Power—special measure of power given to Paul, which enabled him to work in his apostleship more than all the others.15
Commenting on 2 Corinthians 12:9, Alford says: "My imparted grace suffices, and shall suffice . . . the trial must endure, untaken away; but the grace shall also endure and never fail thee." 16
In his remarks on Titus 2:11, the same author says: "That divine favor to men, of which the whole process of redemption was a proof... a term inclusive of all the blessings of redemption." 17 This last statement is to be carefully noticed—a term inclusive of all the blessings of redemption. This is pointing definitely to the obvious conclusion toward which this study is leading.
Graciousness, grace, approval. According to Robert Young 18 charis is translated in the Authorized Version of the Bible as "grace" or "graciousness" 122 times.
Closely connected with the idea of favor, or an act of favor, is the thought of graciousness and grace. The Creator manifests His graciousness by extending to mankind His grace, which is His unmerited favor, which in turn places man in such a condition that he may meet with the approval of God.
One example of the manner in which the connotation "grace" as a translation of charis illuminates the plan of God for the restoration of the character of man to the likeness of God is found in 1 Peter 2:19, 20. In this passage patient, uncomplaining suffering for the name and cause of God is presented as charis, and this gives a new vision of the wonderful attribute of Divinity in which men are invited to immerse themselves.
The writer has been interested to find that some Oriental languages have no satisfactory equivalent for the English expression "Thank you!" This is also the case with Greek. In order to express gratitude it is necessary to use a construction that has the primary significance of acknowledging indebtedness to someone for a favor received. Charis is used in classical Greek to signify such acknowledgment of gratitude. The Christians adopted this use and applied it to God. One illustration is seen in Romans 6:17, Charis de to theo—"Thanks be to God."
Summary and Conclusion
A careful study of this material leads to the realization that God directed the writers of the New Testament to use, for the expression of His attitude toward men, a word that comprehends all the most beautiful qualities of the ideal character.
The beauty of the character of God as revealed in charis is concentrated in long-suffering love, ever willing to make all possible allowances for the object of that love, and always ready to provide necessary aid to enable perfect union to be effected between God and men. Apart from the charis of God there is no hope of salvation. God loved, therefore He made provision for the welfare of those whom He loved, and that glorious truth is indicated by the precious word here discussed.
The conclusion arrived at in the preceding paragraph may also be expressed by stating the relation that exists between grace, mercy, and peace. The grace of God must be extended to man to make possible
In the Divine mind, and in the order of our salvation, the grace must go before the mercy, the [See PDF] must make way for the [See PDF]. It is true that the same persons are the subjects of both, being at once the guilty and the miserable; yet the righteousness of God, which it is just as necessary should be maintained as His Jove, demands that the guilt be done away before the misery can be assuaged; only the forgiven can, or indeed may, be made happy; whom He has pardoned, He heals; men are justified before they are sanctified. Thus in each of the apostolic salutations it is first [See PDF] and then [See PDF] which the apostle desires for the faithful (Rom. 1:7; I Cor. 1:2; Gal. 1:3; Eph. 1:2; Phil. 1:2, etc.); nor could the order of the words be reversed.19
The Pauline greeting Charis humin kai eirene20 is a beautiful way of summarizing the function of charis in the New Testament. Unless the individual is the recipient of the charis of God he cannot have peace. Reversing the order of the phrase would necessitate the statement that peace will come as the result of grace, i.e., charis is the prime essential; all else depends thereupon.
Ellen G. White speaks of "grace" in these words: "To learn of Christ means to receive His grace, which is His character." a This definition of grace equates it with the character of Jesus and emphasizes the amaz-ing truth that God makes His character available for every repentant sinner, thus equipping the believing saint with the only valid passport to heaven, the charis of God.
REFERENCES
1 Ellen G. White, Fundamentals of Christian Education, p. 386.
2 A. T. Robertson, A Grammar of the Greek New Testament in the Light of Historical Research, p. 115.
3 J. H. Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, p. 665.
4 H. G. Liddell and R. Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, p. 1569, 1849 edition.
5 Ibid., p. 1978.
6 J. Strong, The Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, "Greek Dictionary of the New Testament," p. 77, section 5463.
7 Liddell and Scott, op. cit., p. 1978.
8 J. H. Moulton and G. Milligan, The Vocabulary of the Greek Testament, p. 685.
9 W. R. Nicoll, editor, Expositor's Bible, Galatians, pp. 148, 149.
10 J. H. Thayer, op. cit., p. 666.
11 Thayer, ibid.
12 Henry Alford, The Greek Testament, vol. 2, p. 343.
13 Ibid., vol. 3, p. 126.
14 Thayer, loc. cit.
15 Alford, op. cit., p. 314.
16 Ibid., p. 713.
17 Ibid., p. 418.
18 Robert Young, Analytical Concordance to the Bible, p. 431.
19 Richard C. Trench, Synonyms of the New Testament, p. 160, 1915 edition
20 Phillipians 1:2
21 Ellen G. White, Christ's Object Lessons, p. 271
