Today, as I perused FACEBOOK, I noticed that brother Ed Healy ( who was a former classmate of mine at Northeast School of Biblical Studies ) had made a new webpage. A short time later, I saw this “Peanuts” blessing and thought of brother Ed because of his Celtic heritage ( which this “Peanuts” blessing seems to say as well ).
And I thought how much a greeting can say about a person; what they are like, what they believe, how they act, etc.. To this end I chose three greeting from Paul, one to the Roman congregation and two to the Corinthian group of Christians.
The Bible says...
Romans 1 ( World English Bible )
1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the Good News of God,
2 which he promised before through his prophets in the holy Scriptures,
3 concerning his Son, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh,
4 who was declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,
5 through whom we received grace and apostleship, for obedience of faith among all the nations, for his name’s sake;
6 among whom you are also called to belong to Jesus Christ;
7 to all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, that your faith is proclaimed throughout the whole world.
9 For God is my witness, whom I serve in my spirit in the Good News of his Son, how unceasingly I make mention of you always in my prayers,
10 requesting, if by any means now at last I may be prospered by the will of God to come to you.
11 For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, to the end that you may be established;
12 that is, that I with you may be encouraged in you, each of us by the other’s faith, both yours and mine.
1 Corinthians 1 ( WEB )
1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes,
2 to the assembly of God which is at Corinth; those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in every place, both theirs and ours:
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4 I always thank my God concerning you, for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus;
5 that in everything you were enriched in him, in all speech and all knowledge;
6 even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you:
7 so that you come behind in no gift; waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ;
8 who will also confirm you until the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 God is faithful, through whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.
2 Corinthians 1 ( WEB )
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the assembly of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in the whole of Achaia:
2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort;
4 who comforts us in all our affliction, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, through the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound to us, even so our comfort also abounds through Christ.
6 But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation. If we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer.
7 Our hope for you is steadfast, knowing that, since you are partakers of the sufferings, so also are you of the comfort.
After reading these again, several things stood out.
1. In all these greetings Paul had the recipients best interests at heart.
2. Paul knew them well and encouraged them in their faith.
3. To the Corinthians, he lists others along with him as well-wishers.
4. These letters were not form letters; each was specific to their needs.
Today, it is easy to stay in-touch with others; the social media options are legion. Question: have we lost touch with how personal communication with our fellow Christians can and should be?
2022 is a new year, with new possibilities. Why not determine to build up our brethren in Christ in every possible way? What a nice way to begin a new year, showing love and concern for others!