Grace runs throughout earlier Scripture, but it becomes the preeminent theme and great attribute of God in Paul's teaching.
Les Feldick says that when he speaks of the age of grace he never implies grace was unknown before Paul; it was evident in the Garden and in God's mercy toward Israel. However, Paul is the one who makes grace the great attribute of God and calls his message the gospel of grace.
Romans 5:20 — Paul directly declares that where sin abounded, grace did much more abound, showing grace's superior role.
Galatians 1:3-4 — Paul's greeting and statement show grace and peace come from God through Christ, who gave Himself for our sins.
In Romans 5:20 Paul writes, "Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound." This is a direct statement that grace exceeds sin. In Galatians 1:3-4, Paul opens with "Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father." These verses tie grace to Christ's sacrificial deliverance.
Les Feldick teaches that grace is not a New Testament invention. He says, "When I say that we are in the age of grace, I never imply that God's grace is something that was unknown until we get to Paul." God's grace was evident in the Garden when Adam sinned, and it restrained God's judgment on Israel after the golden calf and after the crucifixion of the Messiah. He also says the whole human race continues to be spared only by God's grace. Yet Paul's role is unique. As Les puts it, grace becomes the great attribute of God in Paul's epistles. He points to Paul's Damascus road conversion as probably the most perfect picture of the grace of God in all of Scripture — a total enemy of Christ was saved instead of destroyed. Paul himself recognized that he was called by God's grace, and he refers to his message as the Gospel of the Grace of God. Les also shows that in experience the gospel of grace does not appear in the early chapters of Acts; it comes with Paul, who is sent to the Gentiles with a message of grace rather than the law.
Les Feldick says, "When I say that we are in the age of grace, I never imply that God's grace is something that was unknown until we get to Paul." He shows that grace was already evident in the Garden. When Israel went after the golden calf, God's mercy and grace kept Him from destroying them. After Israel rejected the Messiah, God again had every right to wipe Israel off the map, but His grace held back judgment. Les concludes that even though we are not under the program of grace, God's grace has always been evident.
With Paul, grace becomes the great attribute of God. Les uses Paul's own conversion to illustrate this: Saul of Tarsus was a religious zealot, contrary to God, hating the name of Jesus and persecuting believers, yet Christ saved him. Paul later writes that God separated him from his mother's womb and called him by His grace. Les also makes a timeline point: in the early chapters of Acts there is still no gospel of grace in experience; only after Paul's conversion, when God sends him to the Gentiles, does the message of grace come to the forefront.
Les defines grace as "that attribute of God whereby he in his love and mercy pours out on sons of Adam the opportunity for eternal life if they'll just believe." Quoting Romans 5:20, he emphasizes that "where sin abounded, grace did much more abound." He says God is able to reach below the vilest sinner, lift him up, and make him a saint. Paul's Galatians greeting shows grace in action: Christ gave Himself for our sins to deliver us, a deliverance Paul says He accomplished rather than we ourselves.
Les traces the outflow of Paul's grace teaching to the Gentiles. He says God started the ball rolling toward the Gentile world when He saved Saul, and then He speeded it up when He sent Peter up to Cornelius. After Saul's conversion, God reveals that He will send Paul to the Gentiles. Les explains that God could not send an apostle to the Gentiles to promote the law of Israel, since that law was given to the nation of Israel alone; instead, the gospel of grace goes out to the nations.
Gentile Direction
Les shows that God's movement toward the Gentile world began with the salvation of Saul, so the gospel of grace would soon go beyond the Jewish audience.
Grace Before Paul
Les explicitly answers the before/after question by saying grace was already evident in the Garden and in God's restraint toward Israel, but it becomes the great attribute of God with Paul's epistles.
Paul's Conversion as Grace
Les defines grace as God's love and mercy offering eternal life to believers, and calls Saul's Damascus road experience the most perfect picture of grace in Scripture.
Called by Grace
Les emphasizes that Paul was called by God's grace while an enemy of Christ and that Paul recognized this grace throughout his writings.
Grace Abounding
Les teaches that Paul's gospel is the gospel of grace because where sin abounds, grace much more abounds, reaching even the vilest sinner.
Gospel of Grace With Paul
Les clarifies that in experience the gospel of grace was absent in the early chapters of Acts and only emerges after Paul's conversion, when God sends him to the Gentiles.
Grace Evident Since Adam
Les points out that God's grace has always been evident, even from Adam's sin onward, using Romans 5:20 to show grace goes beyond human failure.
Paul's Grace-Oriented Writings
Les contrasts Paul's writings with earlier books, showing Paul's letters open with grace and peace and stress that Christ gave Himself for our sins to deliver us.
Romans 5:20: Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
Paul directly states that grace exceeds sin, which is central to his teaching on grace.
Galatians 1:3-4: Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:
Paul's opening greeting connects grace to Christ's self-giving for our deliverance.
Yes, according to Les Feldick. He says that when he speaks of the age of grace, he does not imply grace was unknown before Paul. Grace was already evident in the Garden and in God's mercy toward Israel throughout the Old Testament.
Les points to Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus. Saul was a total enemy of Christ, yet instead of being destroyed, he was saved. This shows the grace of God reaching the vilest of sinners.
Because, as Paul writes, "where sin abounded, grace did much more abound." Les explains that God's grace reaches below the vilest sinner and lifts him up, making grace greater than any amount of sin.
Les notes that as an attribute, grace was always present, but in experience the gospel of grace is absent from the early chapters of Acts. It comes to light when Paul is converted and sent to the Gentiles with this message.
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