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Saturday, September 3, 2011

Peace - An American Perspective

 We, as Americans, conceive of peace as a broad idea.According to Dictionary.Com, We see peace as being - the strategy of a nation not at war and an agreement between nations. We also see as a verb rather than a noun - The strategy of mutual harmony between people and groups. Two other definitions seem to be most likely to be applied by our legal system- The Normal freedom from civil commotion and violence within a community and -  the cessation of and freedom from strife. All of this tends to be observable from the outside- it is quite possible to measure and monitor.


 The New Testament Word fo Peace is the word Eirene (I ray'-nay) . The word Eirene is a Koine Grrek Word. Koine was the Greek used by businessmen and merchants. This word was used by people who made their living by negotiating and establishing strong commonalities between each other. It agrees with all of our 21st Century English constructs for peace.Eirene can also be defined as peace between individuals. It is tied to security, safety. prosperity and felicity. The New Testament concept is also strongly linked to living in a way that will please God.

  The Hebrew Word Sholom can be translated  into English as peace. It can also be defined as completeness, wholeness, health, safety, prosperity, an absence of annoyance, stress and discord.

The Latin Language used Pax in the generally same way that we use peace. Pax can also be defined as calm, grace, quiet and serenity.

Jesus Christ is known to have been a speaker of Aramaic. The Aramaic word for Peace is Shalma- that word can also be used as a translation of the English word Grace.

 How do you define "Peace"?



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