1:12 our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. As it stands the Greek can also be translated, “our God and Lord, Jesus Christ.” This would be a distinct use of the term “God” in reference to Jesus Christ. Arguing against such a translation is the infrequent application of this term to Christ in the New Testament (Rom. 9:5; Titus 2:13; 2 Pet. 1:1). On the other hand, Paul often brings Christ and God the Father together into close unity in other phrases in these letters (e.g., vv. 1, 2; 2:16; 1 Thess. 1:1; 3:11), and he clearly ascribes attributes of deity to Christ. In either translation the joint dignity of the Father and the Son is clear.