χάριν ἀντὶ χάριτος

Says ἐκ τοῦ πληρώματος αὐτοῦ (plērōmatos, "fullness") ἡμεῖς πάντες ἐλάβομεν, καὶ χάριν ἀντὶ χάριτος (charin anti charitos). The καί is probably explanatory ("namely" or "even"). The standard glosses for ἀντί with the genitive are in place of, instead of, and in exchange for. Thayer s.v. ἀντί (G473) and BDAG s.v. are cited by reference only.

Three main views: 1. Replacement: grace given in place of earlier grace. The grace of the gospel through Christ replaces the grace of the law through Moses. In favor: the normal sense of ἀντί, and the explanatory ὅτι in 1:17 ("for the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ"). Against: John does not explicitly call the law χάρις. 2. Accumulation: "grace upon grace" (BSB), one grace following another without end. In favor: Philo (Post. 145) says God holds back his first graces (χάριτας) and gives others ἀντʼ ἐκείνων, "in their place," which shows the idiom of succession. It also fits πληρώματος. 3. Correspondence: the believers' grace corresponding to the grace in Christ. This sense of ἀντί is weakly supported.

Implies On views 1 and 2 alike, believers receive inexhaustible grace from Christ's fullness. In view 1 that grace is the climax of redemptive history.

Uncertain The team leans to view 1, read as fulfillment rather than disparagement of the law, because of 1:17. View 2 is close to it and is BSB's rendering, so no display conflict needs a decision.