Grace and peace be multiplied unto you
By a multiplication of grace may be meant a larger discovery of
the love and favour of God; which though it admits of no degrees
in itself, being never more or less in God's heart, yet, as to
the manifestations of it, it is different, and capable of being
increased, and drawn out to a greater length; or else an increase
of the internal graces of the Spirit of God, as to the actings
and exercise of them; or a larger measure of the gifts of the
Spirit, for greater usefulness among them; or a clearer view, and
a more enlarged knowledge of the Gospel of the grace of God, and
the truths of it; and indeed, the word grace may take in all
these senses: and by a multiplication of peace, which the apostle
in this salutation also wishes for, may be designed an affluence
of all kind of prosperity, temporal, and spiritual, external and
internal; and more especially an increase of spiritual peace, a
fulness of joy and peace in believing, arising from a sense of
free justification by Christ's righteousness, and full pardon and
atonement by his blood and sacrifice:
through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our
Lord;
which is to be understood, not of a natural, but of a spiritual
and evangelical knowledge; of a knowledge of God, not as the God
of nature and providence, but as the God of all grace, as in
Christ, and a covenant God in him, and of the person, offices,
and grace of Christ; and which designs true faith in him, by
which means larger discoveries of the grace of God are made, and
a greater enjoyment of spiritual peace is had: or it may be
rendered, "with the knowledge of God" and the sense then is, that
the apostle prays, as for a multiplication of grace and peace, so
along with it, an increase of spiritual and evangelical
knowledge; which in the best is imperfect, but may be increased
by the blessing of God on those means which he has appointed for
that end, such as the word and ordinances. The Syriac version
renders this clause, "through the knowledge of our Lord Jesus
Christ", leaving out the word "God", and the copulative "and",
and adding the word "Christ"; and the Ethiopic version reads, "in
the knowledge of our God, Christ Jesus our Lord", without any
distinction. After the inscription and salutation begins the
epistle, with an account of various special favours bestowed upon
these persons; and are mentioned by the apostle to encourage his
faith and theirs, in expectation of enjoying what he here wishes
unto them, since already such great and good things had been
bestowed upon them.
