05-11-2020 - Grace "in place of" Grace - John 1:16-18

Tough to Understand “grace in place of grace” in v. 16

charin anti charitos - grace/goodness over against or place of grace/goodness

John 1:16–17 NLT

16 From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another. 17 For the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ.

So in the NLT we have a “building up” of grace - this follows a bit of Augustine’s view on the difficulty of the passage, and somewhat reflects the philosopher Philo - where he thinks God gives graces out in measured quantities because humans cannot handle but so much...

John 1:16–17 ESV

16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

The ESV somewhat follows the NLT - but again normally we would find epi not anti as the preposition, so translating “anti” as “upon” does not work in light that verses 16 and 17 are a single larger statement.

John 1:16–17 NIV

16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

For all the flack the NIV receives, particularly the 1984 version and specifically the Old Testament, the NIV here makes a fantastic attempt to properly convey in 1984 English exactly what the Greek states. We will return to this in a moment

John 1:16–17 AV

16 And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. 17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

The KJV (1769 Cambridge edition - the most popular by far) uses the term “grace for grace” - In the vernacular of the day, this again properly translates the idea that the second “grace” in the phrase is in place of, instead of. Though we might not read this and comprehend it the same way in 21st century American English, this is still a good translation at the point in time in which it was written.

What Did John mean?

The Law - though a school-teacher, was a gracious gift from God. The Problem was never the inadequacy of the Law. The Problem was Sinful Mankind!!!

We have the example in John where Jesus is the Bread of Life. What was the “original” bread of life? - Manna. The Manna was a GRACIOUS act of God in the face of a sinning and complaining people. Jesus is a GREATER act of God’s Grace, one which entirely eclipses the earlier “bread of life” with THE BREAD OF LIFE

We may see the law as difficult, impossible and full of disastrous consequences. But, all through the period of the Exodus and Israel under the Law, we see the GOODNESS of God on clear display.

Now, under GRACE, we have seen God’s Great Love and Mercy expressed. Now, this New Testament, This Dispensation, This Age of GRACE which come through Jesus Christ’s Death, Burial and Resurrection IS IN PLACE OF the LAW.

The First is finished in His Perfect Life, Sacrificial Death.

The Second is Begun in His Resurrection and Culminated in His Coming for the Church.