‘Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.'
‘Grace' and ‘peace' were the two terms used in greetings in Paul's world, the former by Gentiles the latter by Jews. But Paul, while taking them over, transforms them and imbues them with new meaning. It is noteworthy that with him ‘grace' always precedes ‘peace', for peace results from God's ‘freely shown, unmerited favour'.
‘Grace to you.' Nothing can be more desirable than to have God looking on us and acting towards us in undeserved love and favour, and this is what is signified by grace. It is God acting towards us in continual saving power in spite of our undeserving. Thus Paul wants the Corinthians to know that he desires for them only that they enjoy the continued experience of the unmerited and compassionate favour of God working to bring about their full salvation.
‘And peace.' Peace results from grace, for it is through God's grace that we find peace. But this kind of peace is also God's gift, flowing from Him to us. Once we know that we are right with God, and experience His graciousness towards us, we have peace with God (Romans 5:1) and enjoy such peace, prosperity and success of spirit that our hearts can only overflow. On the other hand, however much things may seem to smile on us, if God is not pleased with us, we cannot fully know peace. The very foundation then of peace in our hearts is the favour of God, by which we enjoy true and genuine prosperity of spirit through the work of His Spirit, and find the peace of God which passes all understanding guarding our thoughts and hearts (Philippians 4:7). And it is this that Paul wished for, and prayed for, on behalf of the Corinthians.
‘From God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.' What a combined source of power and grace. This continual linking of the name of our ‘Lord Jesus Christ' with ‘God the Father' in perfect equality again demonstrates Paul's view of Christ (1 Corinthians 1:3; Galatians 1:3; Ephesians 1:2; Philippians 1:2 and often, and contrast Colossians 1:2). This is especially significant as ‘Lord' (kurios) was the word used by the Greek translators to render the name of God, Yahweh. The two were one in equality and essence.
‘From God our Father.' God is Father as the Lord of creation (James 1:17), the Father after Whom ‘every fatherhood in Heaven and earth is named' (Ephesians 3:15), and especially as Father to those who are in Christ through the Spirit and thus called His true ‘sons' (Galatians 3:26; Galatians 4:4-7; Romans 8:14-17; Ephesians 1:5). The use of ‘our' lays stress on the third. They are sons and daughters of God.
‘And The Lord Jesus Christ.' This is a powerful combination. ‘The Lord' in context with God the Father indicates sovereignty and creativity. It carries within it the idea of ‘the Lord' (Yahweh) of the Old Testament (compare Philippians 2:9-11). There is one God, the Father, and one Lord, Jesus Christ in contrast with many so-called ‘gods' and ‘lords' (1 Corinthians 8:6).
The name ‘Jesus' brings us specifically to His manhood. This ‘Lord' was One Who had become a man on earth, Who had lived among men and whom many could testify to knowing. They had seen Him, watched Him, handled Him, and touched Him (1 John 1:1). The Word (the eternal One through Whom God spoke) was made flesh (John 1:14).
The term ‘Christ' emphasises both His mission as sent by God, and His resurrection and glorification. He had been promised from of old. He had been ‘anointed' (Luke 4:18; Acts 4:27; Acts 10:38), that is specifically set apart for His unique purpose. He had been raised from the dead and established as both Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36), restored to the glory that He had with the Father before the world was (John 17:5). The whole name sums up the totality of what He is.