Grace and peace be yours.
“Si vis pacem para bellum,” the ancient Romans said. “If you want peace, prepare for war.” In the Apostle Paul’s days, the Pax Romana prevailed: “a state of comparative tranquillity throughout Classical antiquity and the Mediterranean world” (Source: Brittanica.com). That “Roman Peace” was based on the dominion of one power over other powers. It was a peace attained by battle and maintained through heavily armed legions.
Paul starts all his letters (and concludes some of them) by wishing his readers peace. He uses the word “eirene” for peace which (in Greek mythology) was the name of a goddess. The Latin equivalent of that deity was “Pax.” History shows that, the Pax Romana didn’t last longer than a few centuries. The power of Pax, the goddess of peace, turned out to be very limited.
Did Paul refer to the Pax Romana? I don’t think so. In 1 Thessalonians 5:3, Paul even warned against any form of peace that is man-made or coming from man-made idols: “People will say, ‘We have peace and we are safe.’ At that time destruction will come to them quickly, like the pains of a woman giving birth.”
Let us take to heart Paul’s warning never to expect lasting peace from human initiative. Psalms 146:3 says, “Don’t depend on your leaders for help. Don’t depend on people, because they cannot save you.” In 1938, the British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, returned from a meeting with Adolf Hitler and declared, “Peace for our time! Go home and get a nice quiet sleep.” One year later, the German army invaded Poland, marking the start of World War 2. Indeed, “Don’t depend on your leaders…”
Yet, the Latin adage I started with does apply, in a way, to the peace Paul writes about. Even in God’s plans, conflict had to precede peace. For us to obtain the peace of God, Jesus Christ had to fight His decisive battle with devil, death, and sin. Spiritual warfare in its ultimate form! Jesus fought the battle that was ours—which we never would have won—and came out victoriously. “He took the punishment we deserved, and this brought us peace” (Isaiah 53:5).
Paul could only wish his readers peace, because he knew and lived by Christ’s atoning work. It is not just the absence of conflict; it is the reassurance that our lives and souls are eternally safe in Christ. No matter how troubling and disturbing our sins and sorrows are, we can always have peace of mind in Christ and His forgiveness. Don’t try to fight your battles on your own; but trust God, who said, “I will fight for you!” Receive that peace that’s a foretaste of eternal life with Christ.
May that peace be with you today!
By Anton de Vreugd, BLI global staff, the Netherlands
