May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ
The word "grace" in Greek is "charis," which signifies unmerited favor and divine assistance given to humans for their regeneration and sanctification. In the context of the New Testament, it is the grace that comes through Jesus Christ, who is referred to as "Lord," emphasizing His divine authority and sovereignty. This grace is foundational to Christian belief, as it is through Jesus' sacrificial death and resurrection that believers receive salvation. Historically, the early church understood this grace as transformative, enabling believers to live in a manner pleasing to God. The invocation of Jesus' grace here underscores the centrality of Christ's redemptive work in the life of the church.

and the love of God
The Greek word for "love" is "agape," which denotes a selfless, sacrificial, unconditional love. This is the love that God the Father has for humanity, a love so profound that it led to the sending of His Son for the salvation of the world (John 3:16). In the historical context of the early church, this love was a radical concept, challenging the prevailing cultural norms of conditional and transactional relationships. The love of God is the source of all Christian love and is meant to be reflected in the lives of believers as they interact with one another and the world.

and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit
The term "fellowship" comes from the Greek "koinonia," which implies a deep, intimate partnership and sharing. The Holy Spirit, as the third person of the Trinity, is the one who indwells believers, empowering and uniting them in the body of Christ. This fellowship is not merely a social connection but a spiritual communion that transcends human relationships. In the early church, the presence of the Holy Spirit was evident in the unity and shared life of the believers, as seen in Acts 2:42-47. The fellowship of the Holy Spirit is essential for the church's mission and the believer's spiritual growth.

be with you all
This phrase is a benediction, a prayerful wish for the presence and blessings of the Triune God to be with the recipients of the letter. The use of "all" indicates the inclusivity of this blessing, extending to every member of the Corinthian church, regardless of their status or struggles. In the broader scriptural context, this reflects the universal nature of God's grace, love, and fellowship, available to all who believe. Historically, such benedictions were common in Pauline letters, serving as a reminder of the continuous presence and support of God in the lives of believers. This closing statement encapsulates the essence of Christian community, rooted in the divine presence and work of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

(14) The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ . . .--It is not without a special significance that the Epistle which has been, almost to the very close, the most agitated and stormy of all that came from St. Paul's pen, should end with a benediction which, as being fuller than any other found in the New Testament, was adopted from a very early period in the liturgies of many Eastern churches, such as Antioch, Caesarea, and Jerusalem (Palmer, Origines. Liturg. i. 251). It may be noted that it did not gain its present position in the Prayer Book of the Church of England till the version of A.D. 1662, not having appeared at all till A.D. 1559, and then only at the close of the Litany.

The order of the names of the three Divine Persons is itself significant. Commonly, the name of the Father precedes that of the Son, as, e.g., in 2Corinthians 1:2; Romans 1:7; 1Corinthians 1:3. Here the order is inverted, as though in the Apostle's thoughts there was no "difference or inequality" between them, the question of priority being determined by the sequence of thought, and not by any essential distinction. To those who trace that sequence here there will seem sufficient reason for the order which we actually find. St. Paul had spoken of the comfort brought to his own soul by the words which he heard in vision from the lips of the Lord Jesus, "My grace is sufficient for thee" (2Corinthians 12:9). He had spoken of that grace as showing itself in self-abnegation for the sake of man (2Corinthians 8:9). What more natural than that the first wish of his heart for those who were dear to him should be that that grace might be with them, working on them and assimilating them to itself? But the "favour," or "grace," which thus flowed through Christ was derived from a yet higher source. It was the love of God in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself (2Corinthians 5:18-20), the love of the Eternal Father that was thus manifested in the "grace" of the Son. Could he separate those divine acts from that of Him whom he knew at once as the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ? (Romans 8:9-14; 1Corinthians 2:11; 1Corinthians 6:11; Galatians 4:6.) Was it not through their participation, their fellowship in that Spirit (the phrase meets us again in Philippians 2:1) shedding down the love of God in their hearts (Romans 5:5) that the grace of Christ and the love of the Father were translated from the region of abstract thoughts or mere empty words into the realities of a living experience?[60] . . .

Verse 14. - The grace of our Lord, etc. This is the only place where the full apostolic benediction occurs, and is alone sufficient to prove the doctrine of the Trinity. St. Paul seems to feel that the fullest benediction is needed at the close of the severest letter. With you all. The word "all" is here introduced with special tenderness and graciousness. Some have sinned before; some have not repented; yet he has for them all one prayer and one blessing and one "seal of holy apostolic love? The superscription, though of no authority, may here correctly state that the letter was written at Philippi, and conveyed thence to Corinth by Titus and (possibly) Luke (see 2 Corinthians 8:16-22). These are the last recorded words addressed by St. Paul to the Corinthian Church. The results produced by the letter and by his visit of three months (Acts 20:2, 3) were probably satisfactory, for we hear no more of any troubles at Corinth during his lifetime, and the spirit in which he writes the letter to the Romans from Corinth seems to have been unwontedly calm. He had been kindly welcomed (Romans 15:23), and the collection, about which he had been so anxious, seems to have fully equalled his expectations, for as we know (Romans 16:18; Acts 20:4), he conveyed it to Jerusalem in person with the delegates of the Churches. We gain a subsequent glimpse of the Corinthian Church. Some thirty-five years later, when a letter, which is still extant, was addressed to them by St. Clement of Rome, they were still somewhat inclined to be turbulent, disunited, and sceptical (see 'Ep. ad Corinthians,' 3, 4, 13, 14, 37, etc.); but still there are some marked signs of improvement. About A.D. they were visited by Hegesippus (Eusebius, 'Hist. Eccl.,' 4:22), who spoke very favourably of them, especially of their obedience and liberality. Their bishop, Dionysius, was at that time exercising a widespread influence (Eusebius 'Hist. Eccl.,' 4:23).

Parallel Commentaries ...

[May] the
Ἡ (Hē)
Article - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

grace
χάρις (charis)
Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 5485: From chairo; graciousness, of manner or act.

of the
τοῦ (tou)
Article - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

Lord
Κυρίου (Kyriou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 2962: Lord, master, sir; the Lord. From kuros; supreme in authority, i.e. controller; by implication, Master.

Jesus
Ἰησοῦ (Iēsou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 2424: Of Hebrew origin; Jesus, the name of our Lord and two other Israelites.

Christ,
Χριστοῦ (Christou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 5547: Anointed One; the Messiah, the Christ. From chrio; Anointed One, i.e. The Messiah, an epithet of Jesus.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

the
ἡ (hē)
Article - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

love
ἀγάπη (agapē)
Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 26: From agapao; love, i.e. Affection or benevolence; specially a love-feast.

of
τοῦ (tou)
Article - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

God,
Θεοῦ (Theou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 2316: A deity, especially the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

the
ἡ (hē)
Article - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

fellowship
κοινωνία (koinōnia)
Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 2842: From koinonos; partnership, i.e. participation, or intercourse, or benefaction.

of the
τοῦ (tou)
Article - Genitive Neuter Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

Holy
Ἁγίου (Hagiou)
Adjective - Genitive Neuter Singular
Strong's 40: Set apart by (or for) God, holy, sacred. From hagos; sacred.

Spirit
Πνεύματος (Pneumatos)
Noun - Genitive Neuter Singular
Strong's 4151: Wind, breath, spirit.

[be] with
μετὰ (meta)
Preposition
Strong's 3326: (a) gen: with, in company with, (b) acc: (1) behind, beyond, after, of place, (2) after, of time, with nouns, neut. of adjectives.

all
πάντων (pantōn)
Adjective - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 3956: All, the whole, every kind of. Including all the forms of declension; apparently a primary word; all, any, every, the whole.

of you.
ὑμῶν (hymōn)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.


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NT Letters: 2 Corinthians 13:14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 2C iiC 2Cor ii cor iicor)