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†. 1Cor 1:3 . . Grace to you, and peace from God our Father, and the Lord
Jesus Christ.
I seriously doubt the average rank and file pew warmer even knows what
grace is. I suspect that most are under the impression that grace is
somehow a quantifiable substance like butter and gasoline; but in regards to
God, grace is an abstract noun that expresses qualities apart from
substance.
The New Testament Greek word for grace is charis (khar'-ece); which
means: graciousness.
Webster's defines graciousness as: kind, courteous, inclined to good will,
generous, charitable, merciful, altruistic, compassionate, thoughtful, cordial,
affable, genial, sociable, cheerful, warm, sensitive, considerate, and tactful.
Cordial stresses warmth and heartiness
Affable implies easy approachability and readiness to respond pleasantly to
conversation or requests or proposals
Genial stresses cheerfulness and even joviality
Sociable suggests a genuine liking for the companionship of others
Generous is characterized by a noble or forbearing spirit; viz: magnanimous,
kindly, and liberal in giving
Charitable means full of love for, and goodwill toward, others; viz:
benevolent, tolerant, and lenient.
Altruistic means unselfish regard for, or devotion to, the welfare of others;
viz: a desire to be of service to others for no other reason than it just feels
good to do so.
Tactful indicates a keen sense of what to do, or say, in order to maintain
good relations with others in order to resolve and/or avoid unnecessary
conflict.
Compassion defines a sympathetic awareness of others' distress, coupled
with a desire to alleviate it.
The Old Testament Hebrew word for grace is chen (khane); and means the
same as charis (e.g. Gen 6:8).
When you put all those lovely attributes together, you get a pretty good
picture of the bright side of God's personality; and the extent of His good will
towards the Corinthian church. There's a dark side too, and plenty of ill will;
but grace doesn't go there.
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†. 1Cor 1:3 . . Grace to you, and peace from God our Father, and the Lord
Jesus Christ.
I seriously doubt the average rank and file pew warmer even knows what
grace is. I suspect that most are under the impression that grace is
somehow a quantifiable substance like butter and gasoline; but in regards to
God, grace is an abstract noun that expresses qualities apart from
substance.
The New Testament Greek word for grace is charis (khar'-ece); which
means: graciousness.
Webster's defines graciousness as: kind, courteous, inclined to good will,
generous, charitable, merciful, altruistic, compassionate, thoughtful, cordial,
affable, genial, sociable, cheerful, warm, sensitive, considerate, and tactful.
Cordial stresses warmth and heartiness
Affable implies easy approachability and readiness to respond pleasantly to
conversation or requests or proposals
Genial stresses cheerfulness and even joviality
Sociable suggests a genuine liking for the companionship of others
Generous is characterized by a noble or forbearing spirit; viz: magnanimous,
kindly, and liberal in giving
Charitable means full of love for, and goodwill toward, others; viz:
benevolent, tolerant, and lenient.
Altruistic means unselfish regard for, or devotion to, the welfare of others;
viz: a desire to be of service to others for no other reason than it just feels
good to do so.
Tactful indicates a keen sense of what to do, or say, in order to maintain
good relations with others in order to resolve and/or avoid unnecessary
conflict.
Compassion defines a sympathetic awareness of others' distress, coupled
with a desire to alleviate it.
The Old Testament Hebrew word for grace is chen (khane); and means the
same as charis (e.g. Gen 6:8).
When you put all those lovely attributes together, you get a pretty good
picture of the bright side of God's personality; and the extent of His good will
towards the Corinthian church. There's a dark side too, and plenty of ill will;
but grace doesn't go there.
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