Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Believers Receive Blessings from All Three Persons of Godhead

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

It was not by way of division that he expressed it this way, nor did he apportion some things to Christ, some to the Father, and some to the Holy Spirit.  Frequently, in fact, he spoke of love in connection with the Spirit, fellowship with the Son, and grace with the God and Father.  Thus also in the first letter he spoke of operation in connection with the Father, and shortly spoke of operation in connection with the Father, and shortly after spoke of it in connection with the Son.  Now, he also cited the order of persons in a different fashion, not to overturn the order cited by the Lord but to bring out that the order of the names does not indicate diversity of nature or power or difference in status.  Let us also pray to be accorded the apostolic blessing and attain the promised goods, thanks to the grace and lovingkindness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ, to whom with the Father and the all-holy Spirit be glory and magnificence, now and forever, for ages and ages.  Amen.

Theodoret of Cyrus, "The Second Letter to the Corinthians" on 2 Corinthians 13:14

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