“Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Thessalonians 1:1–2 (ESV)
A salutation is a greeting immediately preceding the contents of a letter. It may contain various introductory words such as “good morning,” or even the word “greetings.” Today’s text is Paul’s salutation to the Thessalonians believers in Christ. It parallels in many ways the salutation from his first epistle to the church.
As was the case with I Thessalonians, Paul, along with Silas and Timothy, were again reaching out to the believers in Christ who dwelt in the city. As was his normal practice, and the characteristic of first century letters, the Apostle Paul immediately introduced himself as the epistle’s author. He included his companions Silvanus (Silas) and Timothy.
Silvanus, or Silas, was a prophet belonging to the church in Jerusalem. The elders assigned him to accompany Paul and Barnabas to Antioch to deliver the decision reached by the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15:22-40). Paul chose Silas to join him on his second missionary journey. It was during this mission trip, the church in Thessalonica began (Acts 17:1-9).
Timothy was the son of a Jewish mother and a Greek father (Acts 16:1-2; 2 Tim. 1:3-5). Paul and Silas recruited this young man to join them in sharing the Gospel. While young, Timothy was a highly regarded disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. He became a valuable asset to the Apostle Paul. The apostle referred to him as “my true child in the faith” (I Tim.1:2) and his “beloved child” (2 Tim. 1:2).
Paul wrote to the church (ἐκκλησίᾳ; ekklesia) of the Thessalonians, referring to a congregation of Christians who integrated with one another religiously and socially. The church’s existence was based upon a well-defined covenant relationship with the One, True God of the Scriptures who justified, redeemed and reconciled them to Himself by grace alone, through faith alone in the person and work of Jesus Christ alone (Rom. 3:21-26; 5:1-10; 2 Cor. 5:17-21; Eph. 2:1-10).
Paul said the church was “in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” These two identifying statements regarding the first and second persons of the Godhead have great significance.
The noun God (θεῷ; theo) refers to His transcendence. Transcendence is the LORD’s otherworldliness, perfection, superiority and sovereignty. This title also refers to His providence, or purposeful sovereignty. The noun Father (πατρὶ; patri), from which we derive the English word patriarch, means the LORD is also imminent or nearby. Taken together, they refer to God’s supernatural control of the created universe and His care for those He justified, redeemed and reconciled through Jesus Christ.
The phrase “Lord Jesus Christ” is as title of deity for God the Son. Lord (κυρίῳ; kyrio) refers to one who is command or sovereign. Jesus (Ἰησοῦ; Iesou) means Savior. Christ (Χριστῷ; Christo) means the Anointed One.
“In the LXX the name Lord (κύριος) translates Jehovah, the God of Israel. It is more often the rendering of Jehovah than of anything else. (At times it is the equivalent of Adan, Adonai, Baal, etc.) Now the Jews were strict monotheists. Yet Paul, though himself a Jew, again and again gives to Jesus the title Lord. This shows that, in the thinking of the apostle, Jesus is just as fully divine as is God the Father: one and the same essence is possessed by the Father and by the Son (also by the Spirit, 2 Cor. 13:14),” explains Dr. William Hendriksen.
“For Paul, Jesus is our Lord because: (a) He is the second person in the Holy Trinity (1 Cor. 13:3; Phil. 2:11), the highly exalted One, rightful object of worship, (b) He has made us (Col. 1:3, 16), and (c) he has bought (redeemed) us with his precious blood (Col. 1:3, 14); hence, we belong to him according to body and soul, in life and death and throughout all eternity. We owe him our full allegiance.”
Paul’s greeting climaxed with his standard expression found in all of his epistles in one variation or another. To the Thessalonians he wrote, “Grace to you and peace.” Grace (χάρις; charis) refers to God’s unmerited favor. Peace (εἰρήνη; Eirene) means freedom from worry and tranquility. The Thessalonians possessed tranquility and a freedom from worry due to the Lord’s sovereign grace unto salvation from the penalty, power and eventual presence of their sin. God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ were the source of both grace and peace.
What was true for the Thessalonian believers historically, is the same truth for the church of Jesus Christ today. Grace and peace are still only sourced and received from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ and are personally applied to the sinner by grace alone through God-given faith alone to the glory of God alone.
May the Lord’s truth and grace be found here. Have a blessed day in the Lord.
Soli deo Gloria!
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