"May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God, and the fellowship of the
Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen."
In 2 Corinthians 13:14, the apostle Paul gives the above blessing, invocation. He mentions Jesus, God, and the Holy Spirit and attributes to each an action. That the three are separate, and distinct, from each other is indicated by a conjunctive being placed between them. There is no doubt that Paul knew that Jesus is God; his writings, such as 1Timothy 3:16 provide ample proof of this.
- - " And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested (appeared) in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among nations, believed on in the world, and received up into glory. "
Also, being one of the most learned Scripture Scholars of his time he knew that passages of Scripture such as Isaiah 61:1, proved this belief.
The three items mentioned in 2 Corinthians 13:14, (grace/mercy, love, & fellowship), are all actions performed only by a person. Therefore, it is clearly evident that Paul knew and was teaching that God's nature consists of three separate and distinct persons. This dispels the contention that the early Church did not believe in, or teach, a Triune God, which supports the belief of a Trinity in the Godhead.
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2 Corinthians 13:14
page updated 03/23/2011.