An Apostolic Greeting! The Significance of "Grace and Peace"

     What follows is a  study on a phrase that occurs at the beginning of 16 out of the 22 Epistles in the New Testament (the books of Romans through Revelations).  I am not a theological scholar, but I thought that this pervasive phrase must have some meaning and relevance on our study of the Bible, and in our walk with Christ.  Go ahead and read the verses containing "grace and peace." These references are to The Youth Bible which contains the New Century Version of the Bible.

      It should be noted that one additional book contains a similar phrase before we go on:

     That makes 17 out of 22 books that contain "grace and peace" or something very similar.  Consider something: if it is repeated that many times, it must be important! As the Epistles are really a bunch of letters from one apostle to the other, or an apostle to a church, the verses at the beginning usually read like an email heading.

TO: the church in Corinth.
FROM: Paul
RE: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

While that may be a stretch, this is the basic structure of the letter.  "Grace and peace..." is some sort of greeting that Paul loved to use, and that seemed to be used by Paul, Peter, "The Elder" who wrote 2 John, Jude, and John (the author of Revelations).  This must have been a traditional salutation.

Consider all of the other phrases that the Apostles and early Christians could have begun their letters with.
"Love and Hope"  "Salvation and Fruits of the Spirit"  "Success and Comfort"  "Happiness and Prosperity"  All of those are my own creations.  But consider the two that Paul chose. Grace and Peace.

                   Can I challenge you now?  Paul wanted his brothers and sisters in Christ to experience God's good will, and favour.  Paul wanted the believers to be saved by God's mercy.... and then Paul wanted them to be sold-out!
Notice the words "governed by."  The United States is not a casual acquaintance to me. They can tax my money, make me serve in the military, and then it can give me the benefits and freedoms of its Constitution.  But it plays a big part in my day-to-day life.  I must live by it's laws, drive on its roads, go to its schools.

Like the U.S., God does not want to be a  casual acquaintance.  He wants you to be governed by his "power of divine grace."  Governed by it.  Not luke-warm, but totally committed to Him!
 
 
 

The same concordance provides insight into peace as well.  The "peace" mentioned in the passage comes from the Greek Eirene meaning: "security, safety, prosperity" or, more likely, " of Christianity, the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and content with its earthly lot, of whatsoever sort that is"

 

    There was a lot in that definition, so let me point out some key factors: we are to be tranquil in Christ, and fearless!  We are to fear nothing, no matter what our earthly situation.  This state of peace does not come naturally to us, but Paul and the other writers knew this. That is why our peace comes from "God the father, and Jesus Christ His Son."
 

Allow Me to tie it all together...

Paul wanted his fellow believers to be filled with GRACE and PEACE, or Charis and Eirene.  This meant that he wanted the saving mercy of Christ to be upon all of the people in the church, and moreover, he wanted the mercy, the goodwill, the LOVE of God to propel the believers into the spiritual  condition of grace, which, perhaps, is closely tied to the PEACE.  This peace is like no other. This peace is the peace of someone assured of salvation-- they know for fact that they are going to heaven, and therefor are fearless and content with whatever the world throws at them!

Paul suffered as much as anybody, probably more, and was fearless to the end because he had the heart of one assured of salvation, knowing that to die is GAIN!

Morover... that grace and peace was something that he wanted for YOU and the other believers in churches across the world!

Please remember, of course, that God gives the gifts of grace and peace, so pray for these gifts, that they might abound in  you and your loved ones.