Footsteps # 155

Paul’s salutation to his friends in 2Corinthians is, “Grace and Peace.” Those are the Greek and Hebrew words for “Hello.” Charis and shalom, “Hello and Hello.” But he is really saying more than that, for to Paul these words had a profound spiritual meaning. Grace is the unmerited goodness of God to those who don’t deserve it and are by nature under a sentence of condemnation. Peace describes the rest, safety, and harmony which results when a man’s life is right with God. The fact that he almost always mentions grace before peace indicates that God’s grace is necessary before God’s peace can be experienced. And because the supply of God’s grace is inexhaustible, peace with God and with one another in the church is possible. 

Why did the Apostle Paul write this letter? Our book known as 2 Corinthians is probably actually the fourth letter Paul wrote to the church there, the first and third having not survived. Paul planted the church while on his second missionary journey (Acts.18). He stayed 18 months, an eternity for a traveling evangelist. He had just come from Athens, where he experienced a rather disappointing reception to the Gospel message. In Corinth, he had found a more fertile field in which to plant a church. Paul’s philosophy of ministry was always one of identification with the community, so he found a couple of the same trade as himself, tent makers, obtained room and board in their home, and used his Sabbath days to preach in the synagogue. When evicted from the synagogue, they moved next door (18:7). Not only did Aquila and Priscilla, come to faith in Christ, but so did the president of the synagogue! (18:8) That raised the ire of the other Jews significantly, and they took the opportunity provided by the arrival of a new Roman governor to take Paul to court. But their complaint was dismissed as without merit, and Paul was able to continue his ministry in the city. The next president of the synagogue, interestingly, also converted to faith in Christ, and by the time Paul moved on, there was a viable church established in Corinth.