The Text (2 Corinthians 13:11–14)
Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. 12 Greet one another with a holy kiss. 13 All the saints greet you. 14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
An Insight
These are the final words of Paul’s second letter to the Corinthian church. As he does in other letters, Paul says farewell by offering some encouraging words and a blessing. His words of encouragement focus on warm, loving unity. He wants joy, restoration, comfort, and peace to fill the Corinthian church. Notice he then calls upon all three persons of the Trinity, the fullness of God: Jesus the Son, God the Father, and the Holy Spirit are all invoked in the last verse.
A Timeless Principle
This week’s passage touches on a fundamental spiritual truth: The fellowship and love of the Trinity is the foundation for the fellowship and love of God’s people. The one true God mysteriously exists as Father, Son, and Spirit, and these three persons live in harmony and unity without compromising the oneness of God. It is a mystery that has made heads spin for many hundreds of years. We do not have to fully understand the Trinity, however, to understand how the fellowship, love, and peace found among the Father, Son, and Spirit can be experienced among God’s people. As we are brought into fellowship with a God who already experiences perfect fellowship within the Trinity, we are simultaneously brought into a more perfect fellowship with one another. One cannot happen without the other.
Living the Text
What can we do today to bring the loving fellowship of the Trinity into the world, and especially into God’s people? Take some time today to bounce that question around in your mind. It may be that we will see doors open to promote fellowship, love, and harmony that we would normally pass by without noticing. We often think of the Trinity as something mysterious that we only believe in our heads. The reality of the Trinity, however, should be something that shapes the way we treat other people. We show the world how beautiful the mystery of the Trinity is when the love and unity found there is also found among God’s people.
Prayer
Heavenly Father,
Grant us to know on earth, among your people, a taste of the love, harmony, and peace that is found within the mystery of your oneness as Father, Son, and Spirit. May your grace, love, and fellowship be reflected in us. May each one of us seek to promote this kind of unity among your people today.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
