Picture description: Adam and Eve
Picture copyright: Cranach d. Ä., Lucas/ public domain
“You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.” (Galatians 5:4)
The phrase is now used to describe a person of a high standing who suddenly lost his or her position.
Fall from grace, or the Fall, is associated with the incident when both Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden of Eden after they had eaten the forbidden fruit. From then onwards, men had to work hard for a living and women to suffer from the pain of childbirth.
But the exact phrase originates from the New Testament where Paul the apostle reminds new Christian converts in Galatia (i.e. present-day Turkey) that if they seek to justify themselves by observing the law, they have fallen away from the grace of God. (Galatians 5:4). In Christianity, grace is not to be earned by our works, but is freely given by God. To “earn” grace by observing the law simply means neglecting God’s grace upon us.
The senior officer at our company fell from grace when he was found having disclosed trade secrets to competitors.
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Chinese Bible (???)
A lot of phrases, such as "two-edged sword" and " an eye for an eye", are taken from the English Bible. Learning the stories behind these idioms is fun, and can help boost your vocabulary. Click here to find out now!