When creating a Sunday morning worship service for King’s Cross we use a list of 40 benedictions. Were you counting? Not likely. You’ll find all of them below.
A benediction is a good saying or, an expression of wishing well or simply, to bless. It isn’t a word that appears in the Bible, not exactly. Variations of the word appear in the Latin Bible (the Vulgate of St. Jerome) nearly 400 times, usually translated as bless (or praise) in the English Bible. It is closely related to the same Greek word from which we get, eulogy.
A biblical benediction is an authoritative blessing conferred by God, to God’s people, by God’s designated person, while “a beatitude is a blessing pronounced by a person on either another person or on God” (Ryken, DBI, 87). The benediction is a pronouncement from God that His children, beyond doubt, have His favor, whether the child of God feels it or not, making it a very good saying, indeed!
The earliest priests of the Bible, Aaron and his family, pronounced blessings on God’s children in the wilderness when it would have been especially hard to remember that God was with them (Lev. 9:22; Dt. 20:8). The most famous benediction of this period, Numbers 6:22-27 makes it specifically clear that God is the authoritative author. The Old Testament indicates that the Aaronic benediction was a regular practice (see 2 Chron. 30:27).
The Aaronic benediction of synagogue worship would have been a natural part of the disciples’ lives. Though not benedictions as such, Jesus occasionally blessed children (Mk. 10:16). Again, not benedictions as such, He blessed food at the feeding of the 5,000 (Mt. 14:19), the feeding of the 4,000 (Mk. 8:7), and at the Passover meal (Lk. 24:30; Mk. 14:22), likely copied by the New Testament church (1 Cor. 10:16). He also delivered a benediction to His disciples at His ascension (Lk. 24:50). It is clear from the New Testament that the apostles themselves made regular use of the benediction, hence, apostolic benedictions.
King’s Cross, like Protestants in general, only use benedictions from the Bible (Aaronic and apostolic), during special services (corporate worship, funerals, weddings), and delivered by an elder. Protestants in general are wary of pronouncing blessings on material objects: the actions of blessing, consecration, and dedication are somewhat intertwined in the Bible. At King’s Cross the pastor does not bless the bread and juice, but asks God to use these common elements of bread and juice for His own purposes.
Benedictions that we use frequently: Numbers 6:24-26; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Ephesians 3:20-21; Philippians 1:2; Hebrews 13:20-21
Other benedictions used less frequently: Psalm 12:7-8; Psalm 67:1-2; Romans 1:7; Romans 15:5-6; Romans 15:13; Romans 15:33; Romans 16:20; 1 Corinthians 1:3; 1 Corinthians 16:23; 2 Corinthians 1:2; Colossians 1:2; Galatians 1:3-5; Galatians 6:18; Ephesians 1:2; Ephesians 6:24; Philippians 4:23 and Philemon 25; Philemon 3; 1 Thessalonians 5:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; 2 Thessalonians 1:2; 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17; 2 Thessalonians 3:16; 2 Thessalonians 3:18; 1 Timothy 1:2; 1 Timothy 6:21 and Colossians 4:18; 2 Timothy 1:2; 2 Timothy 4:22; Titus 3:15; 1 Peter 1:2; 1 Peter 5:14; Hebrew 13:25; Jude 2; 2 John 3; Revelation 1:4b-5a; Revelation 22:21
