Grace in the Old Testament and the New Testament
Is Grace Only a New Testament Idea?
Many people associate the word grace mainly with the New Testament—with the apostle Paul, with the gospel of salvation by faith, and with the idea that God gives forgiveness and new life as a free gift. It is sometimes said that the Old Testament is about “law” and the New Testament is about “grace.” In reality, grace is present and central in both testaments. The vocabulary and emphasis differ, but the theme of God's undeserved favour, mercy, and steadfast love runs from Genesis through Revelation. This curiosity looks at how grace appears in the Old Testament, how it develops in the New, and why the continuity matters.
Grace in the Old Testament: Words and Themes
The Old Testament was written mostly in Hebrew, with some passages in Aramaic. Several Hebrew terms express what we often translate as “grace” or closely related ideas.
Ḥen (often “favour” or “grace”) appears when someone finds favour in the eyes of another—for example, Noah (Genesis 6:8), or Joseph with Potiphar and Pharaoh (Genesis 39–41). It suggests something given freely, not earned. Ḥesed is one of the richest words: it is often translated “steadfast love,” “lovingkindness,” or “mercy.” It describes God's loyal, covenant-keeping love toward Israel. We see it in Exodus 34:6–7, where God reveals himself as “merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love [ḥesed] and faithfulness.” The Psalms use it repeatedly (e.g. Psalm 136: “his steadfast love endures forever”). Raḥamim (compassion, mercy) and ḥanun (gracious) also portray a God who does not treat his people according to their deserts but according to his character.
Grace in the Old Testament is not only an idea; it shapes the story. God chooses Abraham and his family not because they are righteous but because of his promise (Deuteronomy 7:7–8). He rescues Israel from Egypt and gives them the law after redeeming them (Exodus 19–20)—deliverance comes first, then covenant and obedience. When Israel fails, God repeatedly offers forgiveness and restoration (e.g. the book of Jonah; Isaiah 40–55; the return from exile). Sacrifice and priesthood are given as a way for sinners to approach God; the system itself is an expression of grace.
Grace in the New Testament: Continuity and Climax
In the New Testament, written in Greek, the main word for grace is charis. It can mean “favour,” “gift,” or “thanks,” and in Paul's letters it often carries the full theological weight of “God's undeserved favour in Christ.” We read that we are “justified by his grace as a gift” (Romans 3:24), that “by grace you have been saved through faith” (Ephesians 2:8), and that grace is the basis of the Christian life from start to finish.
This is not a new God. The same God who showed ḥesed to Israel now acts in Jesus. The Gospels present Jesus as the one who welcomes sinners, forgives freely, and eats with the outcast. His death and resurrection are understood as the definitive act of grace: the gift of salvation and new life. The law is not set aside as “bad”; rather, it is fulfilled in Christ, and the gift of the Spirit enables a life of faith and obedience. So the New Testament does not invent grace; it reveals its climax in the person and work of Jesus and in the gift of the Spirit.
Why the “Law vs. Grace” Caricature Falls Short
Describing the Old Testament as “only law” and the New as “only grace” is a caricature. The Old Testament is full of grace—election, redemption, forgiveness, and covenant love. The New Testament still speaks of law, command, and obedience; Jesus and the apostles call people to follow God's will. The difference is not “law in the OT, grace in the NT,” but rather how God's saving action is fully revealed in Christ and how the Spirit empowers believers. Recognizing grace in both testaments helps us read the Bible as one story and guards against anti-Jewish readings that wrongly contrast a “harsh” Old Testament God with a “kind” New Testament God.
Sources and Further Reading
Key passages: Genesis 6:8; 39–41; Exodus 34:6–7; 19–20; Deuteronomy 7:7–8; Psalms 103; 136; Isaiah 40–55; Jonah; Romans 3:24; Ephesians 2:8–9; Titus 2:11. Lexicons and theological dictionaries (e.g. TDOT, NIDNTTE) on ḥen, ḥesed, charis. Introductions to biblical theology (e.g. Graeme Goldsworthy, James Hamilton) on grace across the testaments.
