March 24, 2023

Although the perfections of grace are infinite, art historian and professor Matthew Milliner gives us 6 goodies.

“The Christian understanding of grace amplified the notion of the gift in ways that were hitherto only dimly imaginable. At least six such ways, in fact. Barclay spells out the Apostle Paul’s notion of grace, describing its “six perfections.” These include (1) superabundance, that is, an extravagance of scale; (2) singularity, that is, the giver gives not due to a recipient’s merit but from the giver’s own goodness alone; (3) priority, meaning the gift chronologically precedes any initiative of the recipient; (4) incongruity, which is to say, “without regard to the worth of the recipient”; then comes (5) efficacy, that is, grace achieves its aim of imparting benefit to the recipient; and finally, (6) non-circularity, that is, grace escapes any quid pro quo arrangement.”

“For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.” (John 1:16)

“Lord, we pray that your grace may always precede and follow us, that we may continually be given to good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.” (Proper 23 – BCP)