Word of the day Charis

 

Greek NT word of the day

12-5-25

Word: χάρις (charis) – grace

Key NT verse for today: Ephesians 2:8–9

Τῇ γὰρ χάριτί ἐστε σεσῳσμένοι διὰ πίστεως· καὶ τοῦτο οὐκ ἐξ ὑμῶν, θεοῦ τὸ δῶρον· οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων, ἵνα μή τις καυχήσηται.New Testament usage snapshotAppears 155 times in the NT  

100 times in Paul (including Hebrews if Pauline)  

12 times in Luke–Acts  

19 times in the General Epistles + Revelation  

Only 4 times in the four Gospels (all in the prologue and benediction of John, plus Luke 2:40)

Core NT meanings of χάριςGod’s undeserved saving favor – the dominant Pauline sense  Rom 3:24: δικαιούμενοι δωρεὰν τῇ αὐτοῦ χάριτι (“being justified freely by His grace”)  

Titus 2:11: ἡ χάρις τοῦ θεοῦ … σωτήριος (“the grace of God that brings salvation”)

The power and enabling for Christian life/ministry  1 Cor 15:10: χάριτι δὲ θεοῦ εἰμι ὅ εἰμι, καὶ ἡ χάρις αὐτοῦ ἡ εἰς ἐμὲ οὐ κενὴ ἐγενήθη (“by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain”)  

2 Cor 12:9: ἡ δύναμις ἐν ἀσθενείᾳ τελεῖται (“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness”)

Thanks / gratitude (about 12×, mostly in Paul)  Rom 6:17: χάρις δὲ τῷ θεῷ ὅτι… (“but thanks be to God that…”)  

1 Tim 1:12: χάριν ἔχω τῷ ἐνδυναμώσαντί με Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ (“I give thanks to Christ Jesus who strengthened me”)

Favor or kindness shown to others  Acts 24:27: χάριτα καταθέσθαι τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις (“wanting to gain favor with the Jews”)

Crucial grammatical point in Eph 2:8Τῇ γὰρ χάριτί ἐστε σεσῳσμένοι διὰ πίστεως

→ Dative of means: salvation is effected “by means of grace” as the instrument.  

καὶ τοῦτο οὐκ ἐξ ὑμῶν (“and this is not of yourselves”)

→ Neuter τοῦτο points back to the entire preceding idea (the whole “being saved by grace through faith” package), not just πίστεως (which is feminine). Even the faith through which we receive grace is itself included in the gift.

Memorable one-liners from the NT itselfRom 5:20: ὅπου δὲ ἐπλεόνασεν ἡ ἁμαρτία, ὑπερεπερίσσευσεν ἡ χάρις (“where sin abounded, grace abounded all the more”)  

2 Cor 9:8: δυνατεῖ δὲ ὁ θεὸς πᾶσαν χάριν περισσεῦσαι εἰς ὑμᾶς (“God is able to make all grace abound to you”)  

Heb 4:16: προσερχώμεθα οὖν μετὰ παρρησίας τῷ θρόνῳ τῆς χάριτος (“let us approach the throne of grace with confidence”)

Today’s takeaway (Dec 5, 2025)You are not breathing today because you deserved another day; you are breathing because χάρις keeps giving you the next breath, the next heartbeat, and the next opportunity to live for the One who gave it all freely.