2 Corinthians 1:2: “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
It has been said that 2 Corinthians is the most personal of all the letters Paul ever wrote and is filled with deep emotion. “Grace to you,” was the typical Greek greeting. “And peace” was the typical Jewish greeting – Shalom, of Hebrew people. Paul greeted them both and was a peacemaker even in times of difficulty.
Paul had complete confidence in God that if he was rejected, the reality was people were in actuality rejecting the gospel of Christ that Paul taught and preached, so he had the freedom not to take it personally. There were doctrinal errors within the church at Corinth and divisions as to which religious leader the people thought was better than the other (Apollos, Cephus, and Paul). Then there was a faction that had set themselves against Paul and was challenging his apostleship. So this is the setting of Paul’s letter to the Corinthians church.
When someone throws a sarcastic and degrading comment at me, I often take it personally. My feelings are hurt. I feel attacked and that I am not good enough. How about you? How would you rate yourself when that happens to you? My brain does not default to thinking about the fact that I have the power of the Holy Spirit within me at that moment. Yet Paul did. How did he do that so well? He was continually thankful for God’s grace and faithfulness that God richly had given to Paul. He lived in having the peace of God from experiencing the grace of God, and Paul believed it was sufficient.
Are you tempted to throw the javelin back at those that throw it to you? How do you handle conflict within a disagreement even if you are right? I have Psalm 19:14 written on a card on my desk which says: “Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.” That should be my focal point every day. Jon Courson, in his Application Commentary of 1 Cor. 2:2, has said: “I have also found that I can gauge my own spiritual state by the priority I give to defending my position, motives, or reputation; by how quick I am to throw the javelin back at those who threw it at me.” Ouch. How are you at throwing the javelin quickly back at those that throw it at you? I am often guilty.
Paul was eloquent in explaining certain things to the Corinthian congregation without firing at them in his word choices. He was firm with them but never lost his love for them. He was a leader to be modeled after.
There is no real and lasting peace without God’s grace. Shalom!
Listen to King & Country’s O God Forgive Us (Lyrics). 3.19 minutes.