But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love that He had for us, made us alive with the Messiah even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace [kharis]! ~ Ephesians 2:4-5
I let a week lapse between this and my last post, and I thought about not posting this at all and calling it a season. But it wouldn’t stay quiet, and I knew I would get nothing done if I failed to heed the call. Also, it fits quite nicely after my last post.
In my last post, I talked about how the reason for the manger was the cross and resurrection of the Messiah.
But the reason for the Cross was to give us kharis aphthiton – undying grace.
This is not a phrase you’ll find anywhere, but I liked the word play with kleos, and kleos aphthiton – undying glory – IS a phrase, and a very important one to the ancient Greeks…
Kharis and Kleos Aphthiton In the Minds of the Ancients
Kharis. Kharis has nothing to do with kleos, except for the fact that Helen was said to have a plethora of it and fighting for her gave many warriors kleos aphthiton. Originally, kharis was anything that gives “joy, pleasure, delight, sweetness, charm, [and] loveliness,”[1] and “to a Greek there was nothing so joy-inspiring as grace or beauty.”[2] To the very ancient Greeks, it seems that kharis also “ignited desire.”[3]
You can see how this powerful word got attached to Helen, then. Because Helen was extremely beautiful, favored by the gods, and worshipped as a goddess, I suppose you could say they had the concept of kharis aphthiton – but no one ever says that. Instead, they focus on the far more “noble” concept of kleos aphthiton.
Kleos. The culture that birthed Menelaos, Agamemnon, and Achilles was a war-filled one. Life was swift, even for the fortunate. Being ever mindful of death, mankind sought to live beyond their lifetimes by having their name remembered. “Heaven” in the form of the Elysian Fields was a rather shaky thing to put one’s faith in (you could only go there if the gods favored you[4]), and so It was in having your name remembered that you lived on.
Because theirs was a warrior-based culture, the obvious way for a name to live on was through deeds in battle. Therefore, kleos – glory – could only be achieved through great feats upon the battlefield, and kleos aphthiton – undying glory – could only be achieved through the greatest feats (and preferably death) upon the battlefield.
Thus, like many beliefs made by mankind, their “eternity” was based on their deeds. Their foremost goal was to be remembered, and to truly attain kleos aphthiton required the ultimate sacrifice…
How This Applies to Us
Jesus came so we didn’t have to depend on our deeds. Our eternity is secure in Him because of His deeds. He paid the ultimate sacrifice so we no longer need to attain kleos aphthiton; instead, His deeds challenge us to rely on kharis aphthiton – undying grace.
We willingly trade our undying glory – which really gets us nothing in the long run – for undying grace – which brings us closer to God.
Naturally, the ancients didn’t associate kharis with forgiveness. Like agape, the New Testament writers infused this secular word with new and profound meaning. However, by the time of Jesus, kharis meant the “beautiful thing, act, thought, speech, or person it might be, itself.”[5]
And what is more beautiful and inspiring than divine favor and love? We “are saved by kharis,” Paul says. Kharis: a deep, profound loving-kindness that ignites a desire for God in us, and inspires us to worship Him.
What is more, this kharis never fades or wanes…it is undying.
Kharis aphthiton, undying grace.
Interestingly, the only use of the word kleos in the New Testament is found in 1 Peter 2:20: “For what credit [kleos] is there if you sin and are punished, and you endure it? But when you do what is good and suffer, if you endure it, this brings favor with God.”[6]
Fun fact: “favor” is the Greek word kharis.
Yup. God contrasted kleos with kharis, and I literally had no idea until halfway through writing this blog.
What glory do you receive if you suffer for your wrong deeds? You might become (in)famous; but you might also suffer without anyone knowing or caring. What do you receive for suffering for right deeds? You might become famous, and you also might suffer without anyone knowing or caring.
The difference is the first receives kleos (glory) according to their deeds, and the latter receives kharis – a grace or loving-kindness that ignites desire for God and inspires us to worship Him despite everything.
Undying grace, as I see it.
Sources
[1] https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G5485&t=NASB
[2] https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/trench/section.cfm?sectionID=47
[3] Bettany Hughes, Helen of Troy: The Story Behind the Most Beautiful Woman in the World (New York: Vintage Books, 2005), 56.
[4] https://www.britannica.com/topic/Elysium-Greek-mythology
[5] https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/trench/section.cfm?sectionID=47
[6] https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G2811&t=NASB
