Eirene

Occurrences in Scripture

Eirene occurs frequently throughout the New Testament. The Korean Revised Version (New Revised Edition) translates it, depending on context, as pyeonggang, pyeongan, hwapyeong, or pyeonghwa. Its uses fall broadly into four categories.

• Greeting: Most of the Pauline epistles open with the greeting "grace and peace" (Romans 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:3). The risen Jesus also greeted his disciples with "Peace be unto you" (John 20:19).
• Reconciliation with God: "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God" (Romans 5:1).
• Peace between people: "For he is our peace" (Ephesians 2:14) declares that the middle wall of partition between Jews and Gentiles has been broken down (Ephesians 2:14–17).
• Peace of heart: "My peace I give unto you" (John 14:27); "And the peace of God … shall keep your hearts and minds" (Philippians 4:7).

The word also appears in the angels' praise at the birth of Jesus (Luke 2:14), as "peace" among the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22), and in the blessing "go in peace" (Mark 5:34).

Background

In ancient Greek literature, eirene chiefly denoted the absence of war or a state of ordered stability. Greek mythology also includes Eirene, a goddess who personified peace. The etymology of the word is uncertain.

The Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament, usually rendered the Hebrew shalom as eirene. As a result, the broad meanings carried by shalom, such as wholeness, well-being, and restored relationship, came to be associated with the Greek word as well. The New Testament use of eirene is read against this background.

Meaning Across the Whole of Scripture

The Old Testament anticipated that peace would be established when the Messiah came. Isaiah calls the Messiah "The Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:1–7). The New Testament proclaims that this peace has come through Jesus Christ. That peace is first of all reconciliation between God and humanity (see 2 Corinthians 5:18–20, not 1 Corinthians), and it then extends to peace among people. At the same time, Jesus said, "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth" (Matthew 10:34). This saying also shows that the gospel can bring conflict.

Interpretations and Debates

Traditions differ in where they place the emphasis when reading eirene.

• Evangelical and Reformed traditions: On the basis of Romans 5:1, these traditions tend to stress that reconciliation with God comes first and is the result of justification.
• The ecumenical movement: This movement tends to link peace with justice and to regard the pursuit of social and international peace as a task of the church.
• Peace church traditions such as the Anabaptists and the Quakers: These traditions read the word together with the Sermon on the Mount and practice nonviolence as an expression of faith.

Preachers often explain that eirene derives from a verb meaning "to bind," so that its root meaning is "rejoining what has been broken." This etymology, however, is not settled in scholarship, and it should be distinguished from what the biblical text itself says.

In the Korean Church

In the Korean church, the translated terms pyeonggang and pyeongan are more familiar than the original Greek word. Greetings and prayer expressions such as "May the peace of the Lord be with you" are widely used. The Holy Eucharist of the Anglican Church of Korea includes the exchange of the Peace, in which members of the congregation wish one another peace. The Greek term eirene itself is mostly introduced alongside shalom in sermons or Bible studies that explain the original languages.