Sermon Tone Analysis

What words come to mind when we hear the word “peace”?

harmony; tranquility; freedom from worry; prosperity; welfare; eternal rest; success; deliverance; salvation; state of well-being; friendly; completeness; soundness; goodness; kindness; happiness; whole; absence of war; presence of something better; restoration

The word peace is found in the Bible 327 times (236 in the Old Testament and 91 in the New Testament)

In English, the word peace is translated from the Hebrew word לוֹם (šālôm).

שָׁלוֹם (šālôm).

n. masc.

peace, wholeness.

A state of well-being or health.

The term šālôm in the OT expresses profound wholeness and well-being.

The term can be used in many ways, but it especially designates a state of prosperity or good health.

This is commonly seen in questions about one’s current welfare (šālôm; Gen 43:27; Exod 18:7; Judg 18:15; 1 Sam 17:18).

Genesis 43:27 “And he inquired about their welfare and said, “Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke?

Is he still alive?”

Job 5:24

“You shall know that your tent is at peace (in a state of completeness/wholeness), and you shall inspect your fold and miss nothing.”

1 Samuel 17:18

“Also take these ten cheeses to the commander of their thousand.

See if your brothers are well (well-being), and bring some token from them.””

We first encounter the word peace (šālôm) in Genesis 15:15

“As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age.”

The Greek New Testament (εἰρηνικός); εἰρηνικός (eirēnikos), peaceful.

[1.]

Even the friends and favorites of Heaven are not exempted from the stroke of death.

Are we greater than our father Abram, who is dead?

John 8:53.

[2.] Good men die willingly; they are not fetched, they are not forced, but they go; their soul is not required, as the rich fool’s (Luke 12:20), but cheerfully resigned: they would not live always.

[3.]

At death we go to our fathers, to all our fathers that have gone before us to the state of the dead (Job 21:32, 33), to our godly fathers that have gone before us to the state of the blessed, Heb.

12:23.

The former thought helps to take off the terror of death, the latter puts comfort into it.

[4.] Whenever a godly man dies, he dies in peace.

If the way be piety, the end is peace, Ps. 37:37.

Outward peace, to the last, is promised to Abram, peace and truth is his days, whatever should come afterwards (2 Kgs.

20:19); peace with God, and everlasting peace, are sure to all the seed.

-Matthew Henry’s Commentary

Isaiah 9:6

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

The Prince of Peace.

This is the last title, and Isaiah declares by it that the coming of Christ will be the cause of full and perfect happiness, or, at least, of calm and blessed safety.

In the Hebrew language peace often signifies prosperity, for of all blessings not one is better or more desirable than peace.

The general meaning is, that all who submit to the dominion of Christ will lead a quiet and blessed life in obedience to Him.

Hence it follows that life, without Christ, the Prince of Peace, life is restless and miserable.

But we must also take into consideration the nature of this peace.

It is the same with that of the kingdom, for it resides chiefly in the consciences; otherwise we must be engaged in incessant (continuing without pause or interruption) conflicts and liable to daily attacks.

Therefore, not only does He promise outward peace, but that peace by which we return to a state of favor with God, who were formerly at enmity with him.

Justified by faith, says Paul, we have peace with God.

(Romans 5:1 “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” )

Now, when Christ shall have brought composure to our minds, the same spiritual peace will hold the highest place in our hearts, (Philippians 4:7; Colossians 3:15,) so that we will patiently endure every kind of adversity, and from the same fountain will likewise flow outward prosperity, which is nothing else than the effect of the blessing of God.

Now, to apply this for our own instruction, whenever any distrust arises, and all means of escape are taken away from us, whenever, in short, it appears to us that everything is in a ruinous condition, let us recall to our remembrance that Christ is called Wonderful, because he has inconceivable methods of assisting us, and because his power is far beyond what we are able to conceive.

When we need counsel, let us remember that he is the Counselor.

When we need strength, let us remember that he is Mighty and Strong.

When new terrors spring up suddenly every instant, and when many deaths threaten us from various quarters, let us rely on that eternity of which he is with good reason called the Father, and by the same comfort let us learn to soothe all temporal distresses.

When we are inwardly tossed by various tempests, and when Satan attempts to disturb our consciences, let us remember that Christ is The Prince of Peace, and that it is easy for him quickly to put to rest all our uneasy feelings.

-John Calvin’s Commentary

In English, the word peace is translated from the Greek word εἰρήνη (eirēnē).

Lexham Theological Wordbook (εἰρήνη)

εἰρήνη (eirēnē) n. fem.

peace.

The state of well-being and concord.In the Septuagint, eirēnē is the usual translation of שָׁלוֺם (šālôm, “soundness, peace”).

In the NT, eirēnē also carries some of the meaning of well-being expressed by šālôm.

Thus, the phrase “go in peace” can function as a farewell phrase that simply means “be well.”

It can also be used of harmonious relationships between governments (Luke 14:32) or between individuals (Heb 12:14).

Paul regularly opens his letters with a formula offering grace and peace (eirēnē) to the recipients (e.g., 1 Cor 1:2).

Christ brought peace between humans and God, and between Jews and Gentiles, uniting them in his Church (Eph 2:14–17); thus, the Christian message is the gospel of peace (Eph 6:15).

In the Gospels, we find the word peace in:

Matthew uses the word peace in his gospel (not his, but in his account of Jesus Christ), twice; Mark once; Luke, eleven times, and John five times.

Matthew 10:13

“And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you.”

Matthew 10:34

“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth.

I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.”

Mark 5:34

“And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.””

Luke 1:79

“to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.””

John 14:27

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.

Not as the world gives do I give to you.

Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”

At the end of a sermon, the Pastor normally gives a benediction and uses the phase go “in peace” to dismiss the church.

But what does it mean to go “in peace”?

Turn with me to Luke 7:50 .

But before we read that…let’s see what is happening before this verse.

Let us read Luke 7:36-50.

What do we read here about the woman?

She was a sinner; she was crying (why do you think?);

She wiped Jesus’ feet with alabaster flask of perfumed oil (this is a costly item described to cost 300 denarii; roughly a year’s wages of a laborer); the Pharisees’ comments might indicate that the woman could have been a prostitute; she is forgiven of her sins.

“And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.””

In the Greek, the word here is εἰρήνη (eirēnē).

How does Christ respond to the woman?

In Spurgeon's sermon on this passage, he describes four ways in which Christ responded to the woman.

His silent acceptance of her manifestations of love (her tears, wiping of His feet, the pouring of the oil, and the kissing of His feet).

His defense of her against the accusers.

He forgave her of her sins.

We can only image our Lord saying those words...”your sins are forgiven”.

Not only was she forgiven of her sins, but she was delivered from her sins...”go in peace”.

He send her off to “Go in peace”.

What was the setting of this narrative.

Jesus was in the presence of Pharisees.