I could totally relate to what Michael R. Emlet was saying in a recent article. I tended to hear my pastor’s benediction or read one in the Bible and think of it as nothing more than a wordy greeting or a “goodbye” instead of seeing the depth of those words. A benediction is a good word from the Lord. Here’s what I learned about benedictions.
Good Word for the People
Bene meaning “well” and diction meaning “word:” a benediction is good, like a benefit, benevolence, benefactor. The word benediction is not found in Scripture but is derived from “blessing.”
The etymology of benediction more precisely takes us to around AD 1400 and to the Latin benediccioun, an active noun, which means “to speak well of.” This root also contains themes like “reverence” and “solemnity.”
One of the most famous benedictions is this: “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace” (Numbers 6:24-26).
What Is the Significance of a Blessing?
All of Scripture is inspired by God, which includes greetings and farewells. If something is in there, it has a purpose. I have to admit to reading benedictions without understanding their impact. I’ve even skimmed over them.
The other day, in Philippians, I casually read Paul’s affectionate greeting. “Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:1-2).
My perspective is based on the way I write a letter: “Dear Mr. Smith” followed by a request for information or a writing submission for consideration. The word “dear” is a formality if the recipient is a government official, a publisher, or an insurance agent.
Say a historian in the 22nd century who perused letters left behind by my generation, they would first exclaim, “They were still writing letters? On real paper? How extraordinary!” Then they would ask, “And for what? To say things they don’t mean? These letter-writers wasted trees for nothing?”
But not so with Paul in Philippians 1:1-2. Firstly, his letter announced who he and Timothy were. As John Piper put it, Paul ensured that readers would recognize his authority to speak to them as an ambassador of Christ whether to instruct, rebuke, or encourage.
Whatever followed, they were right to listen to this guy. The first thing he actually extended to them was grace and peace from God.
Then he emphasized that grace and peace did not come from him and Timothy but from their God and from Jesus, from their Father and their Lord. Grace and peace from two mortal men? What of it?
Grace and peace from their Lord and Savior? His initial greeting announced, “I’m speaking on behalf of your Father and your King!”
Grace and Peace from the Source
We cannot give our friends and relatives the sort of benediction, that the Lord offers through Jesus. If we try to offer grace and peace as though from ourselves, we imply that we are in a position to decide who deserves what.
It’s like saying “I know I’m okay, but I’m generous and you need this more than I do.” That would be me behaving as though I’m a generous benefactor handing out gifts from my personal stock. That’s ludicrous. I’m just a lousy sinner like everyone else.
We can offer a benediction — a good word — from Jesus once we have acknowledged our need for it as sinners who were saved by Christ. We must first see our need for the benediction before we can offer it, and not as a gift from us. Paul was sharing the truth; he was passing along the promise, which was first given to him by Christ.
Paul’s benediction, whether at the start or the end of a letter, announces that he was under the same judgment they were, as sinners, but that they shared the same salvation. Grace and mercy lead to peace with Christ and though Paul (or we) can offer them, we can only do that by the power of the Holy Spirit.
The sort of benediction we might imagine ourselves giving to someone out of our paltry store is flimsy and temporary, but Christ’s grace and peace are solid, eternal, and true. A benediction is the Lord’s invitation to come close and to “seek first the Kingdom of God” (Matthew 6:33).
The Opposite of Benediction
“Do you realize that Jesus endured the opposite of benediction at the cross? He experienced malediction so that we might experience benediction. [...] He received a declaration of condemnation and wrath so that we might receive a declaration of grace, mercy, and love” (Emlet, The Journal of Biblical Counselling).
Emlet wasn’t trying to make us feel bad by writing that. He is a gospel counselor, hopeful that readers will understand Christ’s power to overcome sin, depression, anxiety, and shame.
But he also wanted us to think about how we address one another. How do we end a conversation or an email? Is it with kindness and gentleness, or the opposite? Even when Paul rebuked a church, he finished with grace and peace.
Galatians opens with a benediction, then quickly moves to admonition: “O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? [...] Are you so foolish?” (3:1,3). The Galatians were following teachers of a false gospel. Yet, Paul still had this to say at the end of his letter: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen” (6:18).
You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh? (Galatians 3:1-3).
He wanted to leave this lasting impression, that the Lord was still with them, no matter what. In fact, Emlet insists, when we sin God “moves toward us rather than away from us. God is against sin [...] but he is not against his children, even when they sin” (Ibid.). This measure of hope is essential; without it, why bother allowing the gospel to change us?
Listening to Every Word
Like the names of who begat whom, I fell asleep over benedictions. Like the names of who begat whom, I will be paying closer attention now that I understand a little bit better. When I experience the Father’s rebuke, I will remember this truth — “God’s last word to you is one of blessing, even in the midst of your struggle with sin” (Ibid.).
If I confess and repent, the Lord will forgive my sin. He will heal my heart with the balm of his good and true Word.
Sources
Emlet, Michael R. “Benediction: Living Under God’s Good Word,” The Journal of Biblical Counselling, Volume 35, No.3, p.6
For further reading:
How Can Believers Be Both Blessed and a Blessing to Others?
How Do I Bless the Lord Oh My Soul?
How Does Mercy Triumph Over Judgment?
What Does it Mean ‘May the Lord Bless You and Keep You'?
Why Is There No Condemnation for Those Who Are in Christ?
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