<p>1:3 <em>Grace, mercy, peace shall be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love</em>- &quot;Grace&quot; is a term often associated in the New Testament with the gift of the Spirit, and peace is peace with God through His mercy upon our sins. But this was no standard greeting; it comes not in the first verse as we might expect if that is all it is. It follows on from the reminder that they had received the Spirit, through which all these things are mediated. And John includes himself in the blessing alluded to- &quot;with us&quot;, not &quot;with you&quot; as we would expect were this just a standard greeting.</p>