Grace and Peace, Pt 2

Thanks for your input in the comment section. You never know how God might use your particular contribution in the life of another believer.

A few more thoughts on grace and peace … The Hellenistic greeting used in Paul's days was actually the word greeting. Paul personalizes and spiritualizes his greeting to the Philippians with this familiar blessing of grace and peace, combining not only the Greek but Hebrew. As I heard in a sermon I was listening to this morning, grace and peace are essential to a believer's life. We could probably spend a year on a study of the word grace; however, I don’t think I will. Obviously, the word is used frequently throughout Scripture since it is a central doctrine of the Christian faith. Interestingly enough, grace is used in the New Testament 155 times, 100 of which were penned by Paul. Any guesses as to which book of Paul’s contains the most uses of this word? Grace is favor. Man has a need for God’s favor and God has the means to grant it. Grace is given through Jesus Christ - a free gift. Peace, in this case, as the Expositor’s Bible Commentary states, is the “inner assurance and tranquility” that God gives to a believer, granting “spiritual confidence and contentment” no matter what the circumstances (104). And this was Paul's blessing, hope, and desire for them – grace and peace. God the Father and the Lord Jesus are the source of these blessings and join together in bestowing these.

Moving on to the next section, read Philippians 1:3-5.

1. From these few verses, what do you sense is the relationship between Paul and the church in Philippi?

2. Since Paul cannot be with this part of his spiritual family, what does he do according to these verses?

3. If you are jotting down notes or thoughts in a notebook or something of the like, take note of Paul’s use of the word joy throughout the book.

Please feel free to add your thoughts as the Holy Spirit leads you. I'll address these questions tomorrow and then give you another "assignment. " :-)

Grace and peace to you. And as Carmen encouraged us in the comment section, let us impart grace to others, being a peaceful representative of our Lord.