Signing Off (2 Cor 13:14)

“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” (2 Corinthians 13:14, ESV)

One of the things we learned in school was how to compose a letter. We learned a proper format for a formal letter. While today there are several formats used for a formal letter, they will all contain the same basic components. They will include the writer’s name and address, the recipient’s name and address, the date of writing, the correct salutation, the content, and a formal sign-off.

In most formal letters we send off today, after the names and addresses and the date we extend a formal greeting. The greeting is something like “Dear” followed by the person’s name. In the case where one does not know specifically to whom they are writing, something like “Dear Sir or Madam” or “To whom it may concern” is used. At the end of the letter we would write, “Sincerely” and then the signature.

In Paul’s letters, he used a format similar to our formal letters today. He began this letter to the Corinthians with these words.

“Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, unto the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia: Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Corinthians 1:1–2, KJV)

He indicated the sender of the letter, the recipients, and the salutation. At the end of the letter, he included a formal sign-off. When we look at the way Paul signed off his letters, there was always some real depth of meaning. We often sign off our letters with something very generic and routine. Often it is “Sincerely” or “Sincerely yours.” It becomes more of an afterthought. It is just something to write at the end of the letter without putting any real heartfelt thought into it.

Here Paul wrote a few words with profound meaning. Here, as in all his letters, he wrote something of deep mean to the letter’s recipients. He invoked a blessing upon the recipient. In this case he invoked the blessing of the Triune God on the church at Corinth. It included the Triune manifestation of grace, love, and fellowship. The manifestation of this threefold blessing of the Trinity was everything they truly needed to resolve the ills that plagued the congregation.

When the “grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit” are truly manifested in a congregation or in the life of a believer, you will discover something very special. Believers and congregations in which you see these qualities manifested stand out in Christendom as they become a blessing to others. They radiate the blessings of heaven in a darkened world. They emulate peace and righteousness amid a world filled with chaos.

Thus, I will sign off this series of devotions covering first and Second Corinthians by invoking this blessing on all who read this. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”