A Foolproof Cure

You probably know that the Old Testament word for “peace” is the beautiful Hebrew word, “shalom.” In the Bible, the word means so much in terms of human fulfillment that there is nothing better you could wish for another person. If you know anyone named “Irene,” then you already know the New Testament (Greek) word for “peace.” It is spelled the same as Irene in English, although it is pronounced differently. Nevertheless, it carries into the New Testament all the fullness of the Old Testament meaning and more.

The word peace in the Bible — Shalom or Irene — whether the Hebrew or the Greek — carries not only our English connotation (the absence of warfare, the absence of discord and confusion) but also a very positive meaning. In the Biblical sense, peace means wholeness or fullness or completeness or rightness — not just the absence of discord, but the presence of harmony.

As the Apostle Paul offers to us, ”May the God…