The Hebrew word for peace is shalom. It is derived from the verb “to complete.” It is a state of well-being and tranquility. In the Old Testament, peace reflects the ideal of God’s good creation. Peace is also talked about in terms of war. It is the opposite of war, conflict and violence. The creation story of Genesis is not a violent story, unlike most Near Eastern religions at the time. It is not about a violent clashing of the gods, rather it relates …show more content…
This is talking about Jesus. He is seen as the one who will bring justice and vengeance. His kingdom will be sustained with justice and righteousness. In battle he is God-like, Father of all time and Prince of Peace. It is important to look at these verses with Isaiah 11:5 in mind. In this verse, the figure who will bring the kingdom together. In this, a lion and lamb will dwell together. “They shall not hunt or destroy in my holy mountain.” The anointed one will bring a paradisal peace in order to bring order to the world. Peace is the order of creation. Through all of this, the implications can be seen clearly. Creation is an act of divine completeness. God saw what he made and thought it was good. Righteousness, justice and peace are all present at the original state. Good and evil are unknown. However, sin entered the world and God’s creation was corrupted. Isaiah also talks about new creation. This peace is a mark of the new heavens and new earth the Lord will make. The word eirene which is a form of the word peace, occurs in every New Testament book except for 1 John and occurs over 100 times in its different forms. This word is deeply affected by “shalom,” and it is used mostly as a greeting of encounter or in departing. It is also commonly used with the words “grace” and “mercy.” Jesus used this word many times, he also used it as a gift. This is not only a greeting, but it can be commanded. Jesus urges his …show more content…
Eirene does two things, “it is God’s gifts through Jesus Christ, the fruit of the peace-gospel restoring relationships with God and among fellow humans. It also is the fruits of peace expressed in salvations new creation.” This can be seen several places throughout the New Testament. In Matthew, when Jesus says “blessed are the peacemakers” when he is proclaiming the kingdom of God and commanding us to love our neighbors. This is also seen in Luke when Peter talks about how Jesus’ ministry is done through preaching and proclaiming peace in Jesus and that Jesus is Lord of all. This helps establish peace and security. Paul tends to use the word differently than Jesus did. This is because his roots are in established in Judaism, but he is a Roman citizen. Paul starts off with God, not Jesus. He uses the phrase “God of peace” more than one else. He uses it a total of six times throughout his letters. He also talks about the peace of God and Christ. He talks about how this is beyond human comprehension, but he prays it will protect his reader’s hearts in Colossians