I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind— just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you— so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1Corinthians 1: 4-7)

In Christ Jesus - by adopting the self-giving attitude and action of Jesus - we may participate in the grace of God.

The grace of God - charis in the Greek - is the origin of the spiritual gift - charisma - that is available to all.

Four hundred years before Paul, Aristotle wrote: "Let charis be that quality by which he who has it is said to render favor (charin) to one who is in need, not in return for anything, nor that anything be given to him who renders it, but that something be given to that one in need" (Rhetoric 2.7).

Charis is something delightful, pleasureable, joyful, gratifying, and beautiful. It is received from the abundance of another to fulfill a need.

Charis is an expression of unearned generosity for which there is no expectation - even no possibility - of repayment.