Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 1:3)
You will find grace and peace mentioned together many times in the New Testament. Peace is eirene in the original text of this letter; it is a Greek word.
Do you ever wonder why the New Testament was written in Greek? It was the business language of the first century, much like English is today. If you fly on an aircraft, for example, whether you are Russian, Spanish, or Polish, you will need to be able to communicate in English. In Paul’s day, Greek was the language of business, so it was also used to pen the New Testament.
Eirene, translated peace, means more than what we usually think of when we hear that English word. Standard definitions are the absence of war or solitude. In the Greek language, however, it means prosperity, quietness, and rest.
Do you think that Christians should prosper? Paul evidently thought so. Why would anyone believe that God wouldn't want His children to prosper? I want mine to prosper, don't you? I want my grandchildren to prosper too. But prosperity is about much more than money. Bible prosperity is success in everything.
Peace includes prosperity, quietness, and rest because do you know what will take away quietness and rest? Lack of prosperity. People who can't pay their rent or put food on their table don't rest well.
God wants you to prosper. Why else would Paul open so many of his letters with wishes for eirne? However, prosperity should never be a higher priority than our relationship with God. Don’t seek the gift. Seek the Giver!
Practical Application – Paul wrote that grace and peace – prosperity, quietness, and rest - come from God, our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. Seek God, and the blessing will follow.
Mark 5:34; Luke 10:5