Gospel of Peace
Week #1
Shalom, the Biblical word for peace, translates to wholeness. We see this wholeness depicted in the creation story. God making the sun and moon and stars and sky and water and land, creating a multitude of creatures to fill all of these spaces, and then calling all of them “good.” Then there is Adam—the culminating work of creation—a being who is described by God Himself as “very good.” All of these interconnected parts creating a perfect whole.
Adam lives in a state of shalom. He has purposeful work and enjoys an intimate relationship with God. Eden is a place of unimaginable goodness—without pain or shame or toil. It is a condition that we can hardly wrap our heads around at this point in human history. But the Bible promises us that shalom is the condition to which creation is returning. We catch a glimpse of a glorious future, described near the end of Revelation:
“Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. (Revelation 21:3-4)
We, who live in the meantime, are instructed to clothe ourselves with peace.
Read Ephesians 6:10-20
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. 19 Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.
Discussion Questions
Opening Question:
Which part of the armor of God stands out most to you?
Core Question #1:
How does the soldier imagery mesh with the idea of peace? Does it cause you to feel any ‘cognitive dissonance?’ How might that be intentional?
Core Question #2:
At the time when Paul was writing Ephesians, the shoes worn by a Roman soldier were fitted with cleats that made it difficult to walk backward. Why would a soldier’s footwear be made like this? How does this imagery relate to peace?
Core Question #3:
Read Matthew 4:1-11. How do see “feet fitted with peace” modeled by Jesus?
Core Question #4:
Consider a personal story of peace.
Concluding Question:
What is peace? What does it look like? What does it feel like?