1 Corinthians 16:23

1Co 16:23-24. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ — All the blessed tokens and effects of his favour; be with you — And rest upon you for time and eternity! My love — My most sincere, tender, and affectionate regards; be with you all in Christ Jesus — Who is our peace, and the bond of our union with God and one another. There is a great propriety and beauty in this manner of ending an epistle, in which the apostle had so sharply reproved the Corinthians. By assuring them of his love, he showed them that all the severe things he had written proceeded from his anxiety for their eternal welfare, and thereby removed the prejudices which his reproofs might otherwise have raised in their minds. Amen — An expression which I add in testimony of my sincerity and seriousness in this and in all the things I have written.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

16:23-24 All of Paul’s letters close with a benediction similar to this one. • Paul invokes grace at both the beginning and the end of this letter (see 1:3).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

1Co 16:23. Ἡ χάρις, grace) This is the salutation set forth at 1Co 16:21 at 1Co 16:22, the unworthy are excluded; comp. 2Jn 1:10-11.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Vv. 23, 24. “The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you! 24. My love is with you all in Christ Jesus.”

Paul appeals to that invisible power of grace which alone can render effectual the prayers contained in the ἀσπασμός of 1Co 16:21. We must evidently understand in 1Co 16:23 ἤτω or ἔστω, may it be, and in 1Co 16:24 ἐστί, is.

In no other Epistle does the apostle, after desiring the grace of the Lord for the Church, again bring in his own person. But with him there is no stereotyped form. The form is always the immediate creation of the feeling or thought. He had addressed the Christians of Corinth in rebukes and warnings of such severity that he feels the need of assuring them once more, at the close, of his love, and his love for them all. Whatever they may have been toward him, he remains their apostle, not the apostle of some only, as of those who say: “I am of Paul,” but of all.

The last word: in Christ Jesus, reminds them once more who He is whose love has enkindled his toward them, and ought constantly to revive theirs.

Frédéric Louis Godet — Commentaries on Luke, John, Romans, and 1 Corinthians — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1870s–1890s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1Co_16:23

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ (be) with you.

As to be anathema from Christ, to be the subject of his curse, is everlasting perdition; so his favor is eternal life. May his love be with you, is a prayer for all good.

Charles Hodge — Commentary on Romans (1835), First Corinthians (1857), and Ephesians (1856) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The grace, &c.--This is the salutation meant in Co1 16:21; and from which unbelievers (Co1 16:22; compare Jo2 1:10-11) are excluded [BENGEL].

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 23. The grace of our Lord Jesus] May the favour, influence, mercy, and salvation procured by Jesus Christ, be with you-prevail among you, rule in you, and be exhibited by you, in your life and conversation! Amen.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

The grace ... - See the note at Rom 16:20.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

That is: The Lord Jesus favour you, and bless you with all spiritual blessings: this is the apostle’s ordinary salutation, Rom 16:24.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

23. The grace—The reverse side from the anathema.

Lord—The gracious New Testament title of Christ; as Maran is a sterner title from the language of the Old. The later an echo from Sinai; the former from Calvary.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. This is a gnorisma, or "badge of confidence," which, in one or other of its forms, is found at the end of all St. Paul"s Epistles. Here it is the same as in 1Th_5:28. "With you all is added in 2Th_3:18; Rom_16:24; Php_4:23. In Galatians and Philemon we have "with your spirit. In the pastoral Epistles and Colossians, "Peace be with you." In Eph_6:24 it is confined to those "who love the Lord Jesus in sincerity." In 2Co_13:14 alone we have the full "apostolic benediction."

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Observe here, Our apostle’s valediction; it is a benediction. He takes his farewell of them with prayer for them: The grace, or gracious favour, of Christ be with you, and multiply all blessings, both spiritual and temporal, upon you; I am sure I love you all in Christ Jesus, and for his sake.

Happy is it when ministers can take their farewell of their flocks in this manner, with fervent supplication for them, and with solemn, yet serious, protestations of the fervency of their love, and the ardency of their affection towards them. Amen.

William Burkitt's Expository Notes on the New Testament (1700–1703) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

23. “The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you.” A beautiful benediction, short and sweet.

William B. Godbey, Commentary on the New Testament (1896–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The grace [the reverse of the anathema] of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you .

J. W. McGarvey (with Philip Y. Pendleton), Commentaries on the New Testament (The Fourfold Gospel, 1914; Acts; and the epistles) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

23. [Χριστοῦ] after Ἰησοῦ, ACDEFG Vetus Lat. Vulg. Peshito. Text אB.

23. ἡ ἀγάπη μου μετὰ πάντων ὑμῶν ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ. See note on ch. 1Co 4:17. This affectionate commendation of the Corinthians to the favour of Christ, coupled with the assurance of his own unchanging affection, must have sounded very striking in the ears of a community accustomed to Gentile modes of thought. Compare the curt and cold ‘Farewell’ at the end of Claudius Lysias’ letter in Act 23:30 (if genuine). Much of the beauty and significance of this conclusion is lost to us by over-familiarity. It is worthy of note that the Epistle begins and ends with Jesus Christ. See note on ch. 1Co 1:10.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

23. ἡ χάρις τοῦ Κυρίου Ἰησοῦ μεθʼ ὑμῶν. The Apostle will not end with a word of warning or severity, but adds the usual benediction. Like a true teacher, as Chrysostom says, he helps not only with counsels, but with prayers.

The shortest of the Pauline benedictions is that in Col 4:18; 1Ti 6:21, ἡ χάρις μεθʼ ὑμῶν. This one is shorter than usual. Sometimes ἡμῶν is inserted after Κυρίον. This one is shorter than usual. Sometimes ἡμῶν is inserted after Κυρίου (Rom 16:20, Rom 16:24; Gal 6:18; 1Th 5:28; 2Th 3:18), and A L P Vulg. add it here. Sometimes χριστοῦ is inserted after Ἱησοῦ (Rom 16:24; 2Co 13:13; Gal 6:18; Php 4:23; 1Th 5:28; 2Th 3:18; Phm 1:25), and A C D E F G K L M P, Syrr. Copt. Arm. Aeth. add it here, while א* B 17 Am, Goth omit. Sometimes πάντων (2Co 13:13; 2Th 3:18), sometimes τοῦ πνεύματος (Gal 6:18; Php 4:23; Phm 1:25), is inserted before ὑμῶν. The fullest form of all 2Co 13:13. In spite of the strong evidence for Χριστοῦ here, it is not to be accepted; the probability of insertion either deliberately or mechanically, is great. The evidence against Χριστόν in v. 22 is stronger, and if that is not genuine, Χριστοῦ is not likely to be genuine here.

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.