"Grace to you and peace..."
Text: 1 Thessalonians 1:1
CHRISTIAN GREETINGS
It was normal for Paul to send greetings to the churches in his letters. The following greeting is a typical greeting that Paul would write.
“Grace to you and peace from
God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
1 Thessalonians 1:1
“God our Father”
1. If Paul had merely mentioned God the Father
a) He would not have resistance from the unbelieving Jews.
b) God as Father was a doctrine that was well taught in the Old Testament.
2. Mentioning of the Lord Jesus Christ
a) It was the mention of the Lord Jesus Christ that angered the unbelieving Jews.
i) Jesus was called “Lord”.
ii) He was also addressed as “Christ”.
b) These titles were objectionable to the unbelieving Jews.
i) They refused to accept Jesus as the Christ (that is, the Messiah).
ii) They rejected the idea that Jesus could be called Lord.
3. A strong faith
a) Paul held fast to his faith.
i) In God as the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ.
ii) In Jesus as the only-begotten Son of God.
iii) In Jesus as the Messiah, the Christ of God.
iv) In the Lordship of Jesus.
b) Thus in the opening words of this epistle to the Thessalonians he employed both names on equal footing.
4. “Grace and peace”
a) Grace and Peace are blessings that are needed in life.
b) God is usually associated with the giving of blessings.
c) Paul correctly included the name of the Lord Jesus as the Co-Giver of grace and peace.
d) Paul stuck to his belief that the Lord Jesus was equal to God.