I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. 22 If anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed. Our Lord, come! 23 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. 24 My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.
Many people remember the first line of Moby Dick. “Call me Ishmael”. Not many remember the last line. You’ll have to read it. For consolation, enjoy the end of Paul’s longest letter, 1 Corinthians, 42 words more than Romans. Paul would have dictated this letter to a scribe but it was customary for the author to take pen in hand to finish the letter with greetings. After sending greetings from his friends, he poured his emotion out for his beloved church plant. He revisited the love the church needed to exhibit. Then came the exclamation, “Our Lord, come!” Finally, the closing greeting of grace to the church and a reiteration of his love for them, albeit tough love.
Praise God for the first line of the Bible in Genesis 1:1! In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. We should be just as thankful for the last line in Revelation 22.
Come, Lord Jesus! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.
We studied this letter from beginning to end in our sermon series and we are much more informed and inspired to serve the Lord faithfully at Cape Community Church. Let us begin and end with prayer to God for his guidance in leading our churches and may they both end as this letter and the Bible ends. Amen.
Dear Lord, thank you for the Bible from beginning to end. Please help us begin and end each day as we end this prayer, with an Amen. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Pastor Brad Boyer
Cape Community Church