20 Scriptural Benedictions You Can Use:
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The shortest benediction in the Bible is that of 3 John: ‘Peace be with you.’
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In Colossians we have: ‘Grace be with you. Amen.’
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In Titus we have: ‘Grace be with you all. Amen.’
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In Peter we have: ‘Peace be with you all that are in Christ Jesus. Amen.’
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In 1 Timothy, we have: ‘The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.’
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In Philemon we read: ‘The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.’
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In 2 Timothy it is: ‘The Lord Jesus Christ be with thy spirit. Grace be with you. Amen.’
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In Romans, Philippians, and 2 Thessalonians, it is: ‘The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.’
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In 1 Corinthians it is: ‘The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.’
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In 1 Thessalonians it is the same, with the addition of the amen. In Galatians the apostle says, ‘Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.’
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In Ephesians he says: ‘Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.
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In Hebrews we have two forms of blessing in the last chapter. The last is the same as that in Titus. The other is exceedingly rich, and might be appropriately used with much greater frequency than it is:
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‘Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.’
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In 2 Corinthians we have what has often been called by way of pre-eminence, the apostolic benediction, though it is no more entitled to that designation than others. Yet it is rich and full:
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‘The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all. Amen.’
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But the fullest form of benediction is that given by John in Rev. 1:4, 5: ‘Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful Witness, and the First begotten from the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth.’
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Besides these seventeen forms of blessing, we have in the beginning of ten of Paul’s epistles this form of blessing:
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‘Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
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‘Grace, mercy and peace from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.’ Thus we have nineteen forms of benediction given us in the New Testament…
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The last thing said in the Bible is a benediction: ‘The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.’”
God intended for ministers to pronounce each of these benedictions over the people of God with his hands uplifted, symbolizing that the blessing was being pronounced by God Himself. The lifting up of the minsters hands is clearly taught in Scripture.*
