Abraham’s herdsmen and Lot’s herdsmen had a conflict over grassland available for the livestock. Abraham said to Lot, “Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren” (Gen. 13:8). Even though Abraham, through his seniority, could have claimed his rights to choose the land he thought best for his flocks, he chose rather to give Lot first choice of where he would go. If Lot went left, he would go right and vice-versa (Gen. 13:9). There are situations in life that call for me to be the bigger person and accommodate my brethren for the sake of peace. While sin and false teaching can never be tolerated (Gal. 2:4-5; 1 Tim. 5:20), there are areas in life where the Lord has given us liberty to differ. This liberty (freedom of choice) must not be asserted in such a way that it becomes a stumbling block to others (1 Cor. 8:9) Rather, liberty gives us the freedom to serve through love (1 Cor. 9:19; Gal. 5:13; 1 Pet. 2:16).
In Romans 14:1-15:7, Paul addressed matters of judgment such as eating of meats and keeping certain days. These were not to be bound on others as requirements of salvation. If a brother in Christ had scruples regarding eating meats, then brethren who recognized there was nothing unclean in eating meats should not despise the brother that had such scruples and insist on eating meat (Rom. 14:10-15). Instead of doubtful disputations over meat (Rom. 14:1), when the kingdom of God is not meat and drink (v. 17), the inspired apostle redirects the brethren by writing, “Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another” (v.19).
One of the prophetic titles given to the coming Christ was “Prince of Peace” (Isa. 9:6). In considering how the barriers and bitter animosity that existed between Jews and Gentiles were removed in Christ’s church, Paul wrote of Jesus in Ephesians 2:14-16:
For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; and that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby.
The Jews had a written revelation of God which contained a law code of holiness. The Gentiles did not have the written law of Moses; thus, the keeping of the ordinances of that written law was the basis for the Jews being different from the Gentiles. When Jesus died on the cross, He abolished the enmity between the Jews and Gentiles by replacing the law of Moses with His offer of salvation, the New Testament, which includes all nations (cf. Col. 2:14; Mt. 28:19).
To reconcile the Jews and Gentiles together would have seemed like an impossibility in the first century, yet it is exactly what Jesus did in His church. The “one body” of Ephesians 2:16 where all are reconciled together to God is the “same body” of Ephesians 3:6 of which both Jews and Gentiles are part according to God’s eternal plan. This body is the church of Christ (Eph. 1:22-23). Jesus did not establish a separate Jewish church and a separate Gentile church; He established one church. When Paul emphasizes the oneness in Christianity that includes one Lord and one God, he begins with the affirmation “there is one body” (Eph. 4:4-6). One may just as well argue for multiple gods as to argue for multiple churches or bodies. In a world deeply divided by bitter hatred, Christ’s church must exhibit the peace, wholeness, and unity that is in the one, universal church Christ established—the one body into which all saved people have been baptized (1 Cor. 12:13).
Prophecies uttered centuries before Jesus Christ came into the world depict God’s image of peace in the church Jesus established upon His death. Isaiah, who mentioned that Jesus would be called Prince of Peace in Isaiah 9:6, prophesied of peace in the church in Isaiah 2:2-4.
And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
The Lord’s house/church would be established in the top of the mountains and all nations would be part of it (Isa. 2:2). Isaiah went on to describe the absence of strife in the church, the Lord’s house; thus, the figurative image of instruments of war be refashioned into tools for agricultural cultivation is employed to depict the peace and spiritual prosperity among those who are in the family of God (Isa. 2:4). Jews and Gentiles were bitter rivals; left to their own devices they would get along like wolves and lambs or lions and calves. Isaiah prophesied that in Christ’s church, God’s holy mountain, these enemies would dwell together in peace.
The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.
(Isa. 11:6-9.)
This is a description of the church Christ has now established, not some yet future political rule. In the Lord’s church, I can have peace with people who do not look like me and have completely different backgrounds than me. I can worship next to them as their brother in Christ because of what Jesus did on the cross. May we see the peace the Lord provides and offer it to those who, according to fleshly standards, are radically different than us, knowing that all of us are really the same; all people from all backgrounds are in need of reconciliation to God in the one body.
Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God” (Matt. 5:9). The Lord’s people are to pursue peace with one another; this includes allowing differences in the realm of judgment. In this way energy may be focused on growing closer to God and bringing the Gospel to the lost so they can obey it and have peace with God. Let us all be peacemakers.
–Mark Day