Our Purpose Statement Reminder:
1.) We need a conviction.
Romans 1:20; 1 Thessalonians 1:8
2.) We have the cure.
Romans 1:16
3.) We have a great commission.
4.) We are to be compliant.
Isaiah 6:8; Isaiah 41:9-10
I actually was looking it up today when I noticed your comment, Stephanie. In the NASB it says "if the house is worthy, give it your blessing of peace. But if it is not worthy, take back your blessing of peace."
I would say that clarifies the verse. Plus, it isn't literally the house that is worthy but the household (cf. Matthew 10:11).
So Jesus is saying bless this household and house with peace because of their hospitality if they are worthy hosts.
The word "worthy" is axios in Greek, it also has the idea of "deserving" (cf. Luke 23:41; aslo see Romans 5:6 KJV "due time"; this is from the Textus Receptus axios kairos, other MS have kairos kairos, as I understand it, meaning "proper" or "right time").
Blessed are the peacemakers. What does that mean?
How can one become a peacemaker?
Matthew 5:9
Matthew 10:13
let your peace come on it
What does this mean? I am going to look into this.
Matthew 10:34
He brings war not peace
Mark 5:34
go in peace
How can we go in peace?
Mark 9:50
Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another
Among the church, one of our goals is to have peace with one another. Why are there so many divisions? Where is the peace of God in our churches?
I was reading the New York Times yesterday when I stumbled across an article on the Catholic church that caught my eye.
The focus of this post is not the Catholic church nor its views. In fact the article revolves around the Catholic church's stance on homosexuality. And the article was written by Andrew Sullivan, a gay catholic of 40 years. But this post isn't about homosexuality either.
It's about peace. I read this line from his article and had to stop and really think about it.
There is no ultimate meaning for me outside the Gospels, however hard I try to imagine it; no true solace but the Eucharist; no divine love outside of Christ and the church he guides. In that sense, I have not left the church because I cannot leave the church, no more than I can leave my family. Like many other gay Catholics, I love this church; for me, there is and never will be any other. But I realize I cannot participate in it any longer either.
There is no peace apart from God. But we can't have peace with God without first agreeing with what He says. Furthermore, we can't agree with Him until we know what He says.
The peace problem that most people have (even some Christians) is that they don't know what God says. They believe what they have heard (i.e., tradition).
Therefore, a peace solution must surely come from a proclamation of God's truth (although knowing the truth and accepting it are two separate things). It is the only way "to find" peace in life.
I know this seems obvious, but I think writing this post has at least helped me.
The word "peace" is found 429 times in 400 verses in the King James translation of the Bible. This is a study of the words for peace in the Old and New Testament to help us understand what God says about peace. I have used Strong's Dictionary and the NASB, KJV, and NIV. I plan to cross reference with the LXX (Septuagint) sooner or later, too.
shalowm (or shalom)�it is found 236 times in 208 verses. It is the peace that men can have with each other; it is the peace that man can have with himself; it is the peace that man can have with God. It is the peace that God gives to man (Isaiah 26:3) or keeps from man (Isaiah 48:22). Sometimes it is translated abstractly concerning a person's health (e.g. Genesis 29:6 "Is he well?"). In the same way, it is translated as "welfare" (Genesis 43:27). It is translated, "greet" or "salute" (1 Samuel 10:4), for this was the custom of the Israelites. It is translated as "safe" (Job 21:9) or "safety" (Isaiah 41:3). It is translated as "prosperity" or "well-being" (Psalm 35:27). It is translated "rest" or "health" (Psalm 38:3). It is translated "familiar" or "close" in relationship to a friend (Psalm 41:9; aslo see Jeremiah 20:10 "All my trusted friends" [NASB] or "All my familiars" [KJV] or "All my friends" [NIV]; Jeremiah 38:22). It is used to describe God: "The Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6). It is translated "wholly" to emphasize that something is done completely (Jeremiah 13:19). The Lord has "plans for welfare" (NASB) or "thoughts of peace" (KJV) or "plans to prosper you" (NIV) (Jeremiah 29:11).
More words to come...
jmb
Here is the complete list of these occurrences for your study:
Genesis 15:15 (HG)
Genesis 26:29 (HG)
Genesis 26:31 (HG)
Genesis 28:21 (HG)
Genesis 29:6 (HG)
Genesis 37:4 (HG)
Genesis 37:14 (HG)
Genesis 41:16 (HG)
Genesis 43:23 (HG)
Genesis 43:27 (HG)
Genesis 43:28 (HG)
Genesis 44:17 (HG)
Exodus 4:18 (HG)
Exodus 18:7 (HG)
Exodus 18:23 (HG)
Leviticus 26:6 (HG)
Numbers 6:26 (HG)
Numbers 25:12 (HG)
Deuteronomy 2:26 (HG)
Deuteronomy 20:10 (HG)
Deuteronomy 20:11 (HG)
Deuteronomy 23:6 (HG)
Deuteronomy 29:19 (HG)
Joshua 9:15 (HG)
Joshua 10:21 (HG)
Judges 4:17 (HG)
Judges 6:23 (HG)
Judges 8:9 (HG)
Judges 11:13 (HG)
Judges 11:31 (HG)
Judges 18:6 (HG)
Judges 18:15 (HG)
Judges 19:20 (HG)
Judges 21:13 (HG)
1 Samuel 1:17 (HG)
1 Samuel 7:14 (HG)
1 Samuel 10:4 (HG)
1 Samuel 16:4 (HG)
1 Samuel 16:5 (HG)
1 Samuel 17:18 (HG)
1 Samuel 17:22 (HG)
1 Samuel 20:7 (HG)
1 Samuel 20:13 (HG)
1 Samuel 20:21 (HG)
1 Samuel 20:42 (HG)
1 Samuel 25:5 (HG)
1 Samuel 25:6 (HG)
1 Samuel 25:35 (HG)
1 Samuel 29:7 (HG)
1 Samuel 30:21 (HG)
2 Samuel 3:21 (HG)
2 Samuel 3:22 (HG)
2 Samuel 3:23 (HG)
2 Samuel 8:10 (HG)
2 Samuel 11:7 (HG)
2 Samuel 15:9 (HG)
2 Samuel 15:27 (HG)
2 Samuel 17:3 (HG)
2 Samuel 18:28 (HG)
2 Samuel 18:29 (HG)
2 Samuel 18:32 (HG)
2 Samuel 19:24 (HG)
2 Samuel 19:30 (HG)
2 Samuel 20:9 (HG)
1 Kings 2:5 (HG)
1 Kings 2:6 (HG)
1 Kings 2:13 (HG)
1 Kings 2:33 (HG)
1 Kings 4:24 (HG)
1 Kings 5:12 (HG)
1 Kings 20:18 (HG)
1 Kings 22:17 (HG)
1 Kings 22:27 (HG)
1 Kings 22:28 (HG)
2 Kings 4:23 (HG)
2 Kings 4:26 (HG)
2 Kings 5:19 (HG)
2 Kings 5:21 (HG)
2 Kings 5:22 (HG)
2 Kings 9:11 (HG)
2 Kings 9:17 (HG)
2 Kings 9:18 (HG)
2 Kings 9:19 (HG)
2 Kings 9:22 (HG)
2 Kings 9:31 (HG)
2 Kings 10:13 (HG)
2 Kings 20:19 (HG)
2 Kings 22:20 (HG)
1 Chronicles 12:17 (HG)
1 Chronicles 12:18 (HG)
1 Chronicles 18:10 (HG)
1 Chronicles 22:9 (HG)
2 Chronicles 15:5 (HG)
2 Chronicles 18:16 (HG)
2 Chronicles 18:26 (HG)
2 Chronicles 18:27 (HG)
2 Chronicles 19:1 (HG)
2 Chronicles 34:28 (HG)
Ezra 9:12 (HG)
Esther 2:11 (HG)
Esther 9:30 (HG)
Esther 10:3 (HG)
Job 5:24 (HG)
Job 15:21 (HG)
Job 21:9 (HG)
Job 25:2 (HG)
Psalms 4:8 (HG)
Psalms 28:3 (HG)
Psalms 29:11 (HG)
Psalms 34:14 (HG)
Psalms 35:20 (HG)
Psalms 35:27 (HG)
Psalms 37:11 (HG)
Psalms 37:37 (HG)
Psalms 38:3 (HG)
Psalms 41:9 (HG)
Psalms 55:18 (HG)
Psalms 55:20 (HG)
Psalms 69:22 (HG)
Psalms 72:3 (HG)
Psalms 72:7 (HG)
Psalms 73:3 (HG)
Psalms 85:8 (HG)
Psalms 85:10 (HG)
Psalms 119:165 (HG)
Psalms 120:6 (HG)
Psalms 120:7 (HG)
Psalms 122:6 (HG)
Psalms 122:7 (HG)
Psalms 122:8 (HG)
Psalms 125:5 (HG)
Psalms 128:6 (HG)
Psalms 147:14 (HG)
Proverbs 3:2 (HG)
Proverbs 3:17 (HG)
Proverbs 12:20 (HG)
Ecclesiastes 3:8 (HG)
Song of Songs 8:10 (HG)
Isaiah 9:6 (HG)
Isaiah 9:7 (HG)
Isaiah 26:3 (HG)
Isaiah 26:12 (HG)
Isaiah 27:5 (HG)
Isaiah 32:17 (HG)
Isaiah 32:18 (HG)
Isaiah 33:7 (HG)
Isaiah 38:17 (HG)
Isaiah 39:8 (HG)
Isaiah 41:3 (HG)
Isaiah 45:7 (HG)
Isaiah 48:18 (HG)
Isaiah 48:22 (HG)
Isaiah 52:7 (HG)
Isaiah 53:5 (HG)
Isaiah 54:10 (HG)
Isaiah 54:13 (HG)
Isaiah 55:12 (HG)
Isaiah 57:2 (HG)
Isaiah 57:19 (HG)
Isaiah 57:21 (HG)
Isaiah 59:8 (HG)
Isaiah 60:17 (HG)
Isaiah 66:12 (HG)
Jeremiah 4:10 (HG)
Jeremiah 6:14 (HG)
Jeremiah 8:11 (HG)
Jeremiah 8:15 (HG)
Jeremiah 9:8 (HG)
Jeremiah 12:5 (HG)
Jeremiah 12:12 (HG)
Jeremiah 13:19 (HG)
Jeremiah 14:13 (HG)
Jeremiah 14:19 (HG)
Jeremiah 15:5 (HG)
Jeremiah 16:5 (HG)
Jeremiah 20:10 (HG)
Jeremiah 23:17 (HG)
Jeremiah 25:37 (HG)
Jeremiah 28:9 (HG)
Jeremiah 29:7 (HG)
Jeremiah 29:11 (HG)
Jeremiah 30:5 (HG)
Jeremiah 33:6 (HG)
Jeremiah 33:9 (HG)
Jeremiah 34:5 (HG)
Jeremiah 38:4 (HG)
Jeremiah 38:22 (HG)
Jeremiah 43:12 (HG)
Lamentations 3:17 (HG)
Ezekiel 7:25 (HG)
Ezekiel 13:10 (HG)
Ezekiel 13:16 (HG)
Ezekiel 34:25 (HG)
Ezekiel 37:26 (HG)
Daniel 10:19 (HG)
Obadiah 1:7 (HG)
Micah 3:5 (HG)
Micah 5:5 (HG)
Nahum 1:15 (HG)
Haggai 2:9 (HG)
Zechariah 6:13 (HG)
Zechariah 8:10 (HG)
Zechariah 8:12 (HG)
Zechariah 8:16 (HG)
Zechariah 8:19 (HG)
Zechariah 9:10 (HG)
Malachi 2:5 (HG)
Malachi 2:6 (HG)