The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.” vs. 13
2 Corinthians 13:11-13
It would be another 300 years or so before church leaders would get together to formalize a primitive notion of the doctrine of the Holy Trinity. And some would argue that we’d be better off if those ecumenical creeds had not been formulated. After all, in their attempt to compose one statement of faith they managed to spark centuries of controversy and division. But that doesn’t mean that early Christians were unaware of a three-fold pattern in the way they were experiencing God. Paul sums up that awareness in his final benediction to his readers in Corinth, and his distinctions are worth noting. He connects grace with Jesus Christ, love with God, and communion or fellowship with the Holy Spirit. He’s obviously not saying there are three Gods. But the one God is manifested among believers in three different ways. Grace, love, and fellowship all emanate from the one God. It all starts with the unconditional love that is the essence of God. That love flowed through Jesus in a powerful affirmation of forgiveness and grace. And it’s the Holy Spirit who calls us into community with one another and who showers us with every spiritual gift. We’ll never be able to comprehend the complexities of a Triune God, but we can experience the love of God in multiple ways, and that’s really all that matters.
Thought for the Day: Why do we try so hard to define God?
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