by Watchman Nee (Author)

"Grace and truth came [or subsists] through Jesus Christ" (John 1:17b ASV, and Darby in brackets). The Greek word for "came" is ginomai which means "has come"--signifying that that which before had never actually been in being in the world now begins to be so. In other words, grace actually commenced to be, yet not in God's mind, of course, but in revelation and actual existence down here on the earth (see Darby's footnote discussion on "subsists" in John 1:17). Mankind could not fully understand what divine grace is till it was revealed in Jesus Christ; nor could believing mankind fully apprehend the depth of that grace till it be found in Christ Jesus. Even today this so great salvation continually amazes those of us who have been touched by God's grace.