Yes, Paul changes the order to emphasize the co-equality of the three persons of the Trinity, not any hierarchy.
The order 'grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, love of God, communion of the Holy Ghost' places Jesus first, but this is not to elevate Him above the Father or Spirit. Les Feldick teaches that all three are equally God, and the change underscores their unity and co-equality. The Bible itself does not explicitly explain the order change, but the context of the Trinity supports the idea of co-equal persons.
2 Corinthians 13:14 — This is the verse in question where Paul lists the three persons of the Trinity in the order: Jesus, God, and the Holy Spirit.
The Bible consistently affirms the deity of all three persons of the Trinity. For example, Matthew 28:19 commands baptism in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, showing their equality. In 2 Corinthians 13:14, Paul writes, 'The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.' The order here places Jesus first, but the verse does not explain why. Elsewhere, Scripture never suggests any hierarchy among the three; rather, it presents them as one God in three persons.
Les Feldick emphasizes that the mystery of God is revealed as a triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (see Clip 2). He does not explicitly address the order in 2 Corinthians 13:14 in the provided clips, but he teaches that all three are co-equal and co-eternal. In his comments on Paul's writings, he stresses that the Holy Spirit inspired Paul, ensuring the exact order of his epistles is preserved, but he does not comment on the specific order within individual verses. The change in order likely reflects the emphasis of the blessing, not a theological hierarchy.
No. The Bible reveals the Trinity as co-equal. Les Feldick teaches that Paul was inspired by the Holy Spirit, and the order in 2 Corinthians 13:14 is a natural variation, not a statement of priority. The verse is a benediction, and the order may simply follow Paul's rhetorical flow. Les emphasizes that all three persons are equally God.
The provided clips do not give a direct explanation for the order change. However, Les Feldick teaches that Paul, under the Holy Spirit's inspiration, wrote with divine order, but the specific order in this verse may reflect the immediate context of grace, love, and communion. Paul often stressed grace, which might explain why Jesus is mentioned first, as grace comes through Him.
Not Under Law, Under Grace — Galatians 1 Explained Verse by Verse
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What Most Christians Miss About Grace — 1 Corinthians Explained
They are always in the same identical order as we have them in our Bible today. Now that just shook me up. You know, I'm always lifting Paul somewhat over the rest of the writers, because I feel that he is next to Christ Himself, the greatest human being that ever walked this planet, and I think that just sort of puts the frosting on the cake.
The Mystery of the Triune God
Les Feldick explains that part of the mystery revealed through Paul is the triune nature of God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Why Carnal Believers Are Still Blameless — 1 Corinthians 1:8-9
There's an eternity to be faced, and God has made provision that every human being could spend it in His presence, if they would just simply believe the gospel. But they will not. They don't want to be bothered. All right? So then Paul comes back, if you will, again to 1 Corinthians, and he says, some of you are simply saying, I want nothing to do with Paul. I want nothing to do with Paul.
Why Christ Died for All — 2 Corinthians 5:14-16 Explained
He has inspired this man to write the biggest part of our New Testament. And as I said, when we began our study of Paul's epistles, way, way back when we started in Romans, of all the existing manuscripts of the New Testament, some of them have the Gospels in various order, some of them have the little epistles at the end in various order, but always, every time, Paul's epistles are in the same id…
Why Paul Didn't Learn From Peter — Galatians Chapter 1 Explained
And I was thinking while driving up here this morning, I can see now why the Holy Spirit put the Corinthian letters where they are, why Romans is where it is, even though they were written later, they're up front because Paul has been first in Romans declaring the basic doctrines of his Gospel, and then in the Corinthian letters he had to correct and reprove them for having so many other problems,…
What the Bible Really Says About Love vs Spiritual Gifts
Now it's rather interesting, and I guess I had never really thought of it this way until I've spent the last three months just racking my whole being on these three chapters, getting ready for this series, like I never have before. And it suddenly dawned on me, why is chapter 13, the love chapter, which of course almost everybody in Christendom knows, why is it sandwiched, and I'm going to use tha…
Why Paul Said Women Should Cover Their Heads — 1 Corinthians 11
And I think any woman will first admit that, that to have a beautiful head of hair is indeed a blessing. Now then, verse 16. See Paul is tempering all this. He's not just coming in with a sledgehammer blow, but he is constantly tempering these Corinthians, because he doesn't want them to feel brow beaten, he doesn't want them to return their feelings in a rebellion, and yet he's got to make some c…
2 Corinthians 13:14: The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.
This is the verse in question, showing the order Paul used.
Matthew 28:19: Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
This verse lists the Trinity in the conventional order, showing equality.
No. The Bible teaches that all three persons are co-equal. Les Feldick emphasizes that the Trinity is a mystery revealed through Paul, and order in a benediction does not imply hierarchy.
The Holy Spirit is often listed last in Trinitarian formulas (e.g., Matthew 28:19). This does not mean He is less important; it is simply a conventional order. Les Feldick stresses co-equality.
Watch the Teaching: Not Under Law, Under Grace — Galatians 1 Explained Verse by Verse