Paul Writes to the Philippians While a Friend Encourages HimBible World
1:2Philippians 1:2
Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul's greeting is a benediction and wish of grace and peace from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ to the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, including the bishops and deacons, that is, to the Philippian believers. Those saints in Christ Jesus to whom this grace and peace come are the subjects of the kingdom of heaven.
The greeting opens thanksgiving for the believers, joined to thanks to God upon every remembrance of them and to joyful prayer for them all for their fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now. It is joined to confidence that He who began a good work in them will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. It is joined to tender affection for them as partakers of grace in bonds and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, and to longing after them. It is joined to prayer that their love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment, so that they may approve excellent things and be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness by Jesus Christ unto the glory and praise of God.
The benediction expresses grateful interest in those become converts to the faith, and its spirit is to be made our own as the attitude of ministers toward churches newly come to the faith and of churches in good works and Christlike character, so that ministers can make request to God for them with joy. As a greeting of blessing it applies to the family and its members.
Paul's greeting is a benediction and wish of grace and peace from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ to the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, including the bishops and deacons, that is, to the Philippian believers. Those saints in Christ Jesus to whom this grace and peace come are the subjects of the kingdom of heaven.
The greeting opens thanksgiving for the believers, joined to thanks to God upon every remembrance of them and to joyful prayer for them all for their fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now. It is joined to confidence that He who began a good work in them will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. It is joined to tender affection for them as partakers of grace in bonds and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, and to longing after them. It is joined to prayer that their love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment, so that they may approve excellent things and be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness by Jesus Christ unto the glory and praise of God.
The benediction expresses grateful interest in those become converts to the faith, and its spirit is to be made our own as the attitude of ministers toward churches newly come to the faith and of churches in good works and Christlike character, so that ministers can make request to God for them with joy. As a greeting of blessing it applies to the family and its members.