3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,
Verses 3 through 11 stress thanksgiving for God’s comfort in tribulation.
3 Blessed be
“Blessed” is a term of praise. God is worthy of praise. He warrants our worship and love.
the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
This verse gives God three titles (1 Co 11:31; Ro 11:31; Eph 1:3; 1 Pe 1:3):
The Father of our Lord Jesus Christ
The Father of mercies
The God of all comfort
Jesus Christ is our “Lord.” This means He has right over everything in our lives. We owe Him everything (2 Co 4:5; Php 2:11). Christians know God primarily through Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ is the same essence as the Father (Jn 10:3). He claimed equality with the Father’s essence in eternity past (Php 2:6). In Christ dwells the fullness of deity (Co 2:9). When the Son set aside the voluntary use of His attributes as God (while not erasing it), He became a true human being (Php 2:6-7).
the Father of [source] mercies
God is the source of mercies. He is characterized by giving mercy. His mercy is compassion on our souls. Mercy or compassion is how God expresses His love for us. No matter how sinful we may be, He loves us. He does not give us what we deserve (Lam 3:22; Neh 9:19). David asked for mercy after he committed murder and adultery (Ps 51:1). Although the Christian deserves justice, nevertheless God extends His mercy (Ps 103:10-11). He is justified in giving mercy to us because Christ completely paid for our sins. He satisfied God’s justice by doing this. God wants to bless the Christian no matter his past or current spiritual condition. He is oriented to giving mercy.
PRINCIPLE:
God gives mercy because of His grace.
APPLICATION:
In our day, we are more apt to criticize than show mercy. God does not extend mercy to us because of our character. No one deserves God’s mercy. He does not offer mercy because of our religious orientation. He offers His mercy because of His grace. Christians need God’s constant mercy (Ps 23:6). God delights in mercy (Mic 7:18). He appeals to us to serve Him because of His mercy, not because we are worthy (Ro 12:1-2).
How do you reconcile that this scripture says that the father is the FATHER and GOD of Jesus? Out of nowhere, it’s seems that the idea that Jesus is part of god is inserted, dispute the fact that this scripture puts God over Jesus. They are not equal. Just because a man marries and had a son and says to that son “Son, you will always be a part of me and I will always be a part of you.”, that doesn’t mean that the son IS the father and the father is the son. The son is also of human essence, but that doesn’t make the son equal to the father OR the father in another form.
Klem,
Nowhere in Christianity since the Nicene Creed has there been a claim that the roles of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are the same. All three members of the Trinity are equal in essence, but different in roles. In roles, the Son is subordinate to the Father (Jn 5:19, 30), and the Holy Spirit to the Son (Jn 16:13). We cannot equate subordination with equality. All three members of the trinity are equal in nature; that is, all three are eternal, self-existent, and partake of all aspects and attributes of deity. However, in God’s plan of redemption, the Son voluntarily takes on a subordinate role to the Father; it is the Father who sends the Son into the world. These roles could not be reversed because the Father would have ceased to be the Father. The three roles of the Trinity have existed from all eternity. This is what is called ontological equality but functional subordination. If there is no ontological equality, that is, they are equal in essence, then the other two members of the Trinity are not equally God.
In 2 Co 1:3, “God” (θεός) and “Father” are separated by an “and” (καί), which carries the idea of duality of relation. It is dangerous to take only passages dealing with role and neglect passages that plainly state the essence of God as God is fully God. See my study on the essence of the Son of God as equal to God Himself: begin with John 1:1 and continue studies that follow: https://versebyversecommentary.com/2016/07/25/john-11/
Then look at how the Son set aside the voluntarily use of His incommunicable attributes (attributes that cannot be share with man). Begin with this study and continue to where it finishes: https://versebyversecommentary.com/1995/11/11/philippians-25/