2 Corinthians 13
July 25, 2022
“May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” (v14)
Rather than simply closing out his letter with a vanilla “goodbye” - Paul gives the Corinthians a benediction. A “benediction” literally means a “good word.” Typically, it’s a blessing spoken over the church family at the end of the service, or in this case, a blessing given at the end of a letter. Paul’s benediction is crafted in Trinitarian language, so that the Corinthians might better know the “truth” (v8) about God. And not just intellectual knowledge about God. Paul wants them to have experiential knowledge of God, namely the grace, love and fellowship of God. Head and heart knowledge!
Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I praise You for revealing Yourself to me. I did not figure out who You are; You graciously showed me who You are. Grow in me not only a doctrinal head-knowledge of Yourself, but a personal heart-knowledge of Yourself. May Your grace become ever more amazing to me, Your love ever more felt within me, and Your fellowship ever more experienced by me - so that I love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength!
— Pastor Joshua Brooks
Use the following steps to guide your daily time with the Lord…
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Start with prayer. Ask God to open your heart to help you understand and receive His Word.
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Read and observe the passage carefully. As needed, read a second Bible version to help with understanding.
➡️ What does it say?
What does this passage teach me about God? What does it say about my sinful nature and my need for God’s grace? How does this passage point to Jesus?
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➡️ What am I going to do about it?
Does this passage include a promise to claim, an action/attitude to avoid/embrace, or a principle to apply? How can this truth apply to my life? What could my next step be? How can I share this with others? Is there a verse or section of Scripture I need to memorize?
