RR Fare Well by David Harwood
Shabbat Shalom,
We’ve looked at the content and heart of the apostolic greetings.
What about when they sign off?
Friends, they reiterate their blessings as benedictions. Some call them, “closing greetings.” In each of them the writers called for favor (charis/grace) to be with the recipients of the epistle’s instruction.
These letters are bookended with charis. Favor at the start, favor in the closing. The content of the letters was intended to impart favor. Paul said to some assembled elders:
“Now I commit you to God and the word of His grace (charis/favor), which is strong to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all who have been made holy. (Acts 20:32)
Surely, the contents of his epistles were intended to edify them in the present and prepare them for their future glorification. His letters can be rightly read with that goal in mind. They were words that imparted favor (charis).
Let no harmful word come out of your mouth, but only what is beneficial for building others up according to the need, so that it gives grace (charis/favor), to those who hear it. (Ephesians 4:29)
In the seventeen mentions of grace/favor in these letters’ benedictions, Yeshua is connected to favor/charis thirteen times. Once, grace/favor is spoken of in relationship to both Yeshua and our Father.
I found the following to be interesting.
In the opening greetings the grace/favor invoked upon the believers was from both our Father and His Son, Yeshua. Not so at the end of these letters. I don’t know why this is, but I thought it to be worth mentioning. If at some point I come up with some sanctified conjecture, I’ll let you know. (I’m sure some scholar, somewhere, has already written of this.)
First, let’s look at closing greetings which are more generic. These are blessings of favor which do not identify the source of the favor.
Favor (charis/grace) be with you. (Colossians 4:18b; 1 Timothy 6:21b; Titus 3:15b; Hebrews 13:25b)
Without further ado (adieu?) I’d like to share with you some spiritually potent farewells that reveal the heart of these men who carried Yeshua’s heart. To begin, let’s dive into the simplest, typical, foundational, closing greeting. Let’s start with the closing of the New Covenant canon.
May the grace (charis/favor) of the Lord Yeshua be with all! (Revelation 22:21)
The end of The Revelation closes with a blessing. “May the favor of Yeshua be with all who read, or heard, the words of this prophecy.” I'm glad this book closes with that benediction. By the time I’m finished meditating on John’s prophetic-apocalypse I sense a great need for favor (charis/grace). Don’t you?
Please note the emphasis upon the source of the charis. It is Yeshua. One might think that such a thing is reasonable. After all, it is the “revelation of Yeshua the Messiah (Revelation 1:1a).” However, throughout the rest of the Apostolic writings, each fare-well that signifies the source of favor/grace/charis mentions the Messiah.
Yeshua is front and center.
Read them for yourself.
... the grace (charis/favor) of our Lord Yeshua be with you. (Romans 16:20b; 1 Corinthians 16:23a; 1 Thessalonians 5:28; 2 Thessalonians 3:18a)
The grace (charis/favor) of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah be with your spirit (Galatians 6:18a; Philippians 4:23; 2 Timothy 4:22; Philemon 25)
The grace (charis/favor) of the Lord Yeshua the Messiah and the love of God and the fellowship of the Ruach ha-Kodesh be with you all. Amen. (2 Corinthians 13:13)
Favor is mediated to those who belong to Yeshua by the Messiah, Himself. Of him it is written:
... grace (charis/favor) and truth came through Yeshua the Messiah. (John 1:17b)
It is fitting that we should continually receive effectual favor through the One by whom grace/favor was most made manifest.
Who can compare with Him?
May we grow in the experience of His favor and bless others with the grace we’ve received.
May Yeshua’s charis/chen be seen in and through us.
Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)
Sat20 Sep 202527th of Elul, 5785Parashat Nitzavim
De 30:15-20Isa 61:10-63:9Lk 4:14-21
We’ve looked at the content and heart of the apostolic greetings.
What about when they sign off?
Friends, they reiterate their blessings as benedictions. Some call them, “closing greetings.” In each of them the writers called for favor (charis/grace) to be with the recipients of the epistle’s instruction.
These letters are bookended with charis. Favor at the start, favor in the closing. The content of the letters was intended to impart favor. Paul said to some assembled elders:
“Now I commit you to God and the word of His grace (charis/favor), which is strong to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all who have been made holy. (Acts 20:32)
Surely, the contents of his epistles were intended to edify them in the present and prepare them for their future glorification. His letters can be rightly read with that goal in mind. They were words that imparted favor (charis).
Let no harmful word come out of your mouth, but only what is beneficial for building others up according to the need, so that it gives grace (charis/favor), to those who hear it. (Ephesians 4:29)
In the seventeen mentions of grace/favor in these letters’ benedictions, Yeshua is connected to favor/charis thirteen times. Once, grace/favor is spoken of in relationship to both Yeshua and our Father.
I found the following to be interesting.
In the opening greetings the grace/favor invoked upon the believers was from both our Father and His Son, Yeshua. Not so at the end of these letters. I don’t know why this is, but I thought it to be worth mentioning. If at some point I come up with some sanctified conjecture, I’ll let you know. (I’m sure some scholar, somewhere, has already written of this.)
First, let’s look at closing greetings which are more generic. These are blessings of favor which do not identify the source of the favor.
Favor (charis/grace) be with you. (Colossians 4:18b; 1 Timothy 6:21b; Titus 3:15b; Hebrews 13:25b)
Without further ado (adieu?) I’d like to share with you some spiritually potent farewells that reveal the heart of these men who carried Yeshua’s heart. To begin, let’s dive into the simplest, typical, foundational, closing greeting. Let’s start with the closing of the New Covenant canon.
May the grace (charis/favor) of the Lord Yeshua be with all! (Revelation 22:21)
The end of The Revelation closes with a blessing. “May the favor of Yeshua be with all who read, or heard, the words of this prophecy.” I'm glad this book closes with that benediction. By the time I’m finished meditating on John’s prophetic-apocalypse I sense a great need for favor (charis/grace). Don’t you?
Please note the emphasis upon the source of the charis. It is Yeshua. One might think that such a thing is reasonable. After all, it is the “revelation of Yeshua the Messiah (Revelation 1:1a).” However, throughout the rest of the Apostolic writings, each fare-well that signifies the source of favor/grace/charis mentions the Messiah.
Yeshua is front and center.
Read them for yourself.
... the grace (charis/favor) of our Lord Yeshua be with you. (Romans 16:20b; 1 Corinthians 16:23a; 1 Thessalonians 5:28; 2 Thessalonians 3:18a)
The grace (charis/favor) of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah be with your spirit (Galatians 6:18a; Philippians 4:23; 2 Timothy 4:22; Philemon 25)
The grace (charis/favor) of the Lord Yeshua the Messiah and the love of God and the fellowship of the Ruach ha-Kodesh be with you all. Amen. (2 Corinthians 13:13)
Favor is mediated to those who belong to Yeshua by the Messiah, Himself. Of him it is written:
... grace (charis/favor) and truth came through Yeshua the Messiah. (John 1:17b)
It is fitting that we should continually receive effectual favor through the One by whom grace/favor was most made manifest.
Who can compare with Him?
May we grow in the experience of His favor and bless others with the grace we’ve received.
May Yeshua’s charis/chen be seen in and through us.
Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)
Sat20 Sep 202527th of Elul, 5785Parashat Nitzavim
De 30:15-20Isa 61:10-63:9Lk 4:14-21
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June
RR Psalm 30:6 Part 5RR Psalm 30:7 Part 6RR Psalm 30:8 Part 7RR - Psalm 30:9-11 Part 8RR Psalm 30:12,13 Part 9RR Favor (Chen/Charis) in Proverbs By David HarwoodRR Psalm 31:1,2 Part 1RR Psalm 31:3 Part 2RR Psalm 31:4 Part 3RR Psalm 31:5 Part 4RR Psalm 31:6 Part 5RR Psalm 31:7 Part 6RR Kohelet By David HarwoodRR “Taking Our Thoughts Captive – Part 2” By Jerry MillerRR Psalm 31:8 Part 7RR Psalm 31:8 Part 8RR Psalm 31:9 Part 9RR - Psalm 31:10 Part 10RR Psalm 31:11 Part 11Zechariah and Favor By David HarwoodRR - Psalm 31:12-14 Part 12RR Shalom SpecialRR Psalm 31:15 Part 13RR Psalm 31:16,17 Part 14RR Psalm 31:18 Part 15RR Psalm 31:19,20 Part 16RR Adonai-Tzva’ot and End-Time Favor By David HarwoodRR Psalm 31:21 Part 17RR Psalm 31:22 Part 18RR Psalm 31:23 Part 19
July
RR Psalm 31:24 Part 20RR Psalm 31:25 Part 21RR Psalm 32:1 Part 1Rabbi’s Reflections - Favor and Luke By David HarwoodRR Taking Thoughts Captive Part 3 by Jerry MillerRR Psalm 32:2 Part 2RR Psalm 32:3,4 Part 3RR Psalm 32:5 Part 4RR Psalm 32:5 Part 5RR Psalm 32:6 Part 6Some Nuances of Charis By David HarwoodRR Psalm 32:7 Part 7RR Psalm 32:8 Part 8RR Psalm 32:8 Part 9RR Psalm 32:9 Part 10RR Psalm 32:10 Part 11RR Psalm 32:11 Part 12RR Psalm 33:1 Part 1RR Psalm 33:2,3 Part 2RR Psalm 33:4,5 Part 3RR Psalm 33:6,7 Part 4RR Psalm 33:8,9,10 Part 5Favor In Acts 1 by David HarwoodRR Psalm 33:11,12 Part 6RR Psalm 33:13,14 Part 7RR Psalm 33:15,16 Part 8RR Psalm 33:17,18,19 Part 9RR Psalm 33:20,21 Part 10RR Psalm 33:22 Part 11RR Favor in Acts 2: Stephen by David HarwoodRR “Endurance for the Race” by Jerry Miller