Contrary to modern Western thought, peace is a fairly violent word.
In Greek, peace means to obtain quietness by removing what seeks to distract and destroy you. It is not a compliant serenity but an aggressive taking out, a forceful extraction.
Peace has a very similar meaning in Hebrew. When we study the Hebrew pictographs that comprise the word peace, we find that it, too, is not merely a state of mind; it means to destroy or remove the chaos and anarchy around you.
So based on this understanding, when Jesus said, “Peace be with you,” He was not simply greeting His disciples. No, He was issuing a command to the chaos and anarchy in their lives. Essentially, He was saying, “May the chaos and anarchy that are trying to keep you from doing what God wants you to do be removed from your life.”
Peace is not a passive word. The peace of God has the strength to root up and demolish every single work of darkness that is meant to keep God’s Kingdom from advancing. When peace comes, it literally destroys the work of the evil one (1 John 3:8). It tears apart the anarchy around us. It dissolves the tumult. We could say that God’s peace is a weapon, not just our refuge.
In Greek, peace means to obtain quietness by removing what seeks to distract and destroy you. It is not a compliant serenity but an aggressive taking out, a forceful extraction.
Peace has a very similar meaning in Hebrew. When we study the Hebrew pictographs that comprise the word peace, we find that it, too, is not merely a state of mind; it means to destroy or remove the chaos and anarchy around you.
So based on this understanding, when Jesus said, “Peace be with you,” He was not simply greeting His disciples. No, He was issuing a command to the chaos and anarchy in their lives. Essentially, He was saying, “May the chaos and anarchy that are trying to keep you from doing what God wants you to do be removed from your life.”
Peace is not a passive word. The peace of God has the strength to root up and demolish every single work of darkness that is meant to keep God’s Kingdom from advancing. When peace comes, it literally destroys the work of the evil one (1 John 3:8). It tears apart the anarchy around us. It dissolves the tumult. We could say that God’s peace is a weapon, not just our refuge.
Contrary to modern Western thought, peace is a fairly violent word. In Greek, peace means to obtain quietness by removing what seeks to distract and destroy you. It is not a compliant serenity but an aggressive taking out, a forceful extraction.
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| "Shalom" (in blue) and "Salaam" (in green) meaning "peace" in Hebrew and Arabic respectively. |
Peace has a very similar meaning in Hebrew. When we study the Hebrew pictographs that comprise the word peace, we find that it, too, is not merely a state of mind; it means to destroy or remove the chaos and anarchy around you.
So based on this understanding, when Jesus said, “Peace be with you,” He was not simply greeting His disciples. No, He was issuing a command to the chaos and anarchy in their lives. Essentially, He was saying, “May the chaos and anarchy that are trying to keep you from doing what God wants you to do be removed from your life.”
Peace is not a passive word. The peace of God has the strength to root up and demolish every single work of darkness that is meant to keep God’s Kingdom from advancing. When peace comes, it literally destroys the work of the evil one (1 John 3:8). It tears apart the anarchy around us. It dissolves the tumult.
We could say that God’s peace is a weapon, not just our refuge.
May 2012
by John Paul Jackson
by John Paul Jackson
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