Good Words for Today: August 4

“But where sin increased, grace multiplied even more” (Romans 5:20 CEB). The translators struggle a bit because Paul uses a verb in the first clause that means to add, but in the second he uses a verb that means to multiply. Sin is addition. Grace is multiplication. It’s not as if sin goes up to “Level 37” and so grace goes up to “Level 38.” That in itself would be good news, that grace always goes beyond sin. But the text does not suggest this. It is more like, if sin goes up to “Level 37,” then grace goes up to “Level 3700.” Grace far outstrips whatever sin can do.

August 4, 2017