The Greek word for grace in the New Testament is xa/rij.  With regard to the word's history, in Classical Greek it was used in three main senses: a charming quality that wins favor, a quality of kindness that gives favor to an inferior, and the response of thankfulness to the favor received.  It is this second sense that becomes developed in the writings of Paul. 

In the LXX, xa/rij is usually translated for the Hebrew Nx'.  Most times the translation is "to find favor in the eyes of" and in this sense it is a personal quality that is recognized and rewarded (cf. Gen. 6.8; 30.27; 39.4).  It is also used in the sense of adornment (Prov. 3.22).  The Hebrew NnaxF conveys the sense of a heartfelt response of a superior to an inferior with a need (cf. Gen. 33.5; Ps. 26.16).  It also carries a sense of sovereign freedom (Ex. 33.19).  The Hebrew dsExE is also closely akin to xa/rij which is translated loving-kindness, steadfast love, and mercy.  The Hebrew dsExE is associated with God's steadfast faithfulness and love towards his covenant people.  The sense of xa/rij in the New Testament is of God's active and redemptive love in saving sinners and maintaining them in a close relationship with him.  In this sense xa/rij is more in line with the Hebrew dsExE

The most frequent, developed, and pregnant senses of xa/rij come to us from the letters of Paul.  He uses the word far more than any of the other writers of the New Testament.   The following table shows the writers and occurrences of the word:

Paul took xa/rijand developed it to describe God's revelation to him of the riches and fullness of God's attitude of love and his wonderful work for us.  The word xa/rij as developed by Paul describes the great compassion of God towards us who are helpless and without hope in the world.  It is used to describe God's favor and blessings to us in salvation.  We are incapable of earning or meriting God's favor.  God's sovereignty bestows his favor according to his own character.  We receive God's grace because of who he is, not because of who we are.

The following are representative verses which show the concepts and meanings of xa/rij:

Gal. 1.6 I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel;

Gal. 5.4 You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.

Rom. 1.7 to all who are beloved of God in Rome, called as saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Rom. 4

1 WHAT then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found?
2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.
3 For what does the Scripture say? «ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.»
4 Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due.

16 For this reason it is by faith, in order that it may be in accordance with grace, so that the promise will be
guaranteed to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all,

Rom. 5

1 THEREFORE, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we
exult in hope of the glory of God.

15 But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much
more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many.
16 The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose
from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many
transgressions resulting in justification.

Rom. 6

14 For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.
15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be!
16 Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves
of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?
17 But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that
form of teaching to which you were committed,
18 and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.

Eph. 1

5 He predestined us to adoption as sons according to the kind intention of His will,
6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.
7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace,
8 which He lavished upon us.

Eph. 2

4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,
5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),
6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus,
7 in order that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
9 not as a result of works, that no one should boast.

Eph. 4.29 Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, that it may give grace to those who hear.

Col. 4.6 Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned, as it were, with salt, so that you may know how you may know how you should respond to each person.

tw~| a0gaph/santi h(ma~j kai\ lou/santi h(ma~j a0/po\ tw~n a9martiw~n h(mw~n e/n tw|~ a(i/mati au)tou~.

©1999 Don Samdahl.  Anyone is free to reproduce this material and distribute it, but it may not be sold.