Grace unto you from God the Father, and Jesus Christ

From: Leonard Thompson
lkthomp@sbcglobal.net


Grace unto you from God the Father, and Jesus Christ

As a Teacher, part of my calling is to, “see that there is no iniquity in the church.” I have been concerned lately about some of the things I hear in the greetings, and introductory statements of our services. I do not feel that anyone is trying to deceive the people, so I present this for your consideration.

Grace be unto you, and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ

One evening, when studying the scriptures, my attention was focused on the first few lines that were recorded in each of the letters of the Apostles. I realized that all of them but one, mentioned not only Jesus Christ, but included the Father. In the greetings given in our present day services I hear the name of Jesus mentioned, but rarely do I hear the Father mentioned.

Did not the Son come to bring us unto the Father? When we worship, who do we come to worship? Jesus Christ, God the Father, or God the Trinity? For direction on how we should greet the people, and who we worship, let us look to the scriptures.

Romans 1:7 Wherefore I write to all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called saints; Grace to you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 1:3 Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 1:2 Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Galatians 1:3 Grace be to you, and peace, from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ,

Ephesians 1:2 Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Philippians 1:2 Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Colossians 1:2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse; Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Thessalonians 1:1 Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, servants of God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, unto the church of the Thessalonians; grace unto you, and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Thessalonians 1:2 Grace unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Timopthy 1:2 Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith; Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father, and Jesus Christ our Lord.

2 Timothy 1:2 To Timothy, my dearly beloved son; Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

Titus 1:4 To Titus, mine own son after the common faith; Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior.

Philemon 1:3 Grace to you, and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 1:1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

James 1:1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.

1 Peter 1:2. Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ; Grace unto you, and peace be multiplied.

2 Peter1:2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,

1 John 1:3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

2 John 1:3 Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.

3 John 1 - Does not mention God, or Christ, in his greeting (entire letter 14 verses long)

Jude 1:1 Jude, the servant of God, called of Jesus Christ, and brother of James; to them who are sanctified of the Father; and preserved in Jesus Christ;

2. Mercy be unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied.

Revelation 1:1 The Revelation of John, a servant of God, which was given unto him of Jesus Christ, to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass, that he sent and signified by his angel unto his servant John,

2 Who bore record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.

Further Guidance:

An Epitome of Faith and Doctrine, Joseph Smith - “Times and Seasons” Vol. III, page 710, 1842, “We claim privilege of worshipping Almighty God according to the dictates of our consciencs …”

Section 76: 6f. these are they who receive of the presence of the Son, but not of the fullness of the Father; wherefore they are bodies terrestrial, and not bodies celestial, and differ in glory as the moon differs from the sun;

Section 90: 3b. I give unto you these sayings that you may understand and know how to worship, and know what you worship, that you may come unto the Father in my name, and due time receive of his fullness,
3c. for if you keep my commandments you shall receive of his fullness and be glorified in me as I am in the Father: therefore, I say unto you, You shall receive grace for grace.

2 Nephi 11:27 And when that day shall come, that they shall believe in Christ, and worship the Father in his name, with pure hearts, and clean hands, and look not forward any more for another Messiah, then, at that time, the day will come that it must needs be expedient that they should believe these things …

Jacob 3:4 For, for this intent have we written these things, that they may know that we knew of Christ, and we had a hope of his glory, many hundred years before his coming, and not only we, ourselves, had a hope of his glory, but also all the holy prophets which were before us.
5 Behold, they believed in Christ, and worshiped the Father in his name; and also, we worship the Father in his name.

Philippians 2:11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.