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"Grace to you and peace..."

Text: Philippians 1:2

CHRISTIAN GREETINGS IN THE FIRST CENTURY

The epistle to the Philippians offers a good glimpse as to how people communicated with each other in the first century.

“Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ,
To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi,
with the bishops and deacons:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Philippians 1:1-2

1. Identification of the writer and his close associate

a) It was normal for the author to identify himself.

b) The first name identifies the author.

c) The second name is optional.

i) It serves to identify the associate.

ii) It also serves to authenticate.

iii) It also honours the associate.

2. The recipients are also named

a) In this case the epistle was addressed to the saints in Philippi.

b) Other recipients included the bishops (the leaders).

c) And the deacons (they served as leaders too).

3. Greetings

a) Grace and peace.

b) They usually go together.

c) These were more than just polite words of greetings.

4. Highly theological greetings

a) Paul was ever the consistent master-teacher.

b) He identified the source of both grace and peace to

i) The Father.

ii) The Lord Jesus Christ.

c) This reflected Paul’s theological view of the Source and Involvement of both God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son!