Greeting of Peace
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 1:2 (NIV)
Paul opens his most personal letter with peace greeting: grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Peace before addressing divisions, sins, lawsuits. Apostles pacify before confronting. Greetings carry the contents' remedy. Letters beginning in peace end reconciling.
Grace and peace: the inseparable pair again. To divided Corinthians, grace forgiving and peace coexisting. God's peace, never human deals. Our Father distributes, Jesus delivers. Peace descending from above resolves what earthly dialogue complicates. Corinth needed heaven before counsel.
From God our Father: fatherhood before discipline. Paul reminds correction comes from Fathers, never rivals. Filial peace sustains firm exhortation. Whoever knows sonship receives rebuke without rupture. Churches in crisis must remember filiation before discussing failure. Identity pacifies before conduct.
Today, greet with peace whoever lives at war: call, visit, forgive. Carry grace to debtors and peace to adversaries. Your greeting may preface others' reconciliation. Be peace's mailman on conflict streets. Small daily shaloms prevent great wars.
And greet in peace: peaceful greetings disarm wars. Greet in peace today. Peaceful greetings disarm. Carry grace daily. Bless foes. Sow shalom. Sow shalom everywhere. Reconcile quickly. Forgive freely. Love enemies dearly.