Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
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Ambrosiaster
AD 400
He prays for peace, which is the door of love, to be with the family of God. Having come into this family through the peacemaking of God, he prays that they may abide in the love that comes from faith. For this faith is the gift of God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.
The last part of the letter is a petition. His prayer and desire is for peace to the brethren, also love and then faith. For above he has already noted that there was discord among them. Now he adds thanks to those who display faith and who love our Lord Jesus Christ. Thus all is concluded with peace against discord, love eliciting concord and faith in God. –.
There are many gifts bestowed by God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, but of all these peace has a crucial place. This peace passes all understanding. It preserves the body and mind of the saints. It is a certain serenity and tranquillity of a mind at rest. It is protected from the universal storm and maelstrom of perturbations. So also is “love with faith,” which at the same time is given to us by God the Father and the Holy Spirit, so that we may love God from the whole heart and our neighbor as ourselves. .
In saying “peace be to the brethren and love with faith,” he speaks comprehensively. He does not speak simply of love as such or faith as such but love with faith. He means either this or that they are to have a faith that will make them confident about good things to come. The peace is toward God and so is the love. For where there is peace there also will be love. This love is always “with faith,” for there is no good in love without faith. Love cannot even exist without faith. .
He invokes upon them, peace and love with faith. He says well: for he would not that they should have regard to love by itself, and mingle themselves with those of a different faith. Either he means this, or that above described, namely, that they should have faith also, so as to have a cheerful confidence of the good things to come. The peace which is towards God, and the love. And if there be peace, there will also be love; if love, there will be peace also. With faith, because without faith, love amounts to nothing; or rather love could not exist at all without it.
