2 Thessalonians 1:2
“Grace unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Paul prays that grace and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ would rest upon the Thessalonian believers.
What Does 2 Thessalonians 1:2 Mean?
This blessing was Paul's customary way of opening his letters, joining the Greek greeting (grace) and the Hebrew greeting (peace) into a single Christian benediction. He does not wish the readers mere good fortune; he calls down upon them gifts that come from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ together, named in one breath as the source.
Grace comes first because everything begins with God's unearned favor, and peace follows as its fruit, for those who receive grace are reconciled and made whole. A church facing persecution needs exactly these two things: the kindness of God to sustain them and the peace of God to steady them. Paul is not offering a polite formality but asking heaven to pour real strength into people who are suffering.
In the Original Language
charis (χάρις), "grace" — favor freely given, kindness shown to those who have not earned it.