Wishing You Well

To Titus, my true child in a common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior. Titus 1:4 NASB

Grace and peace – Paul often uses these words, “grace” and “peace,” in personal letters. We have a tendency to skip right over them, imagining that we know what they mean to his audience simply because they are so much a part of our religious culture. But perhaps we rush past something incredibly important.

“Grace” is charis, of course. It basically expresses a feeling of joy that exhibits itself in rejoicing actions. In other words, charis is not simply a theological, cognitive category associated with forgiveness. It is rather a fully human exuberance about life involving daily demonstrations in both ordinary and unique events. Weddings, feasts, acts of thanksgiving, even fulfillment of the mitzvot are opportunities to express charis. When Paul wishes Titus to experience grace, he intends a great deal more than feeling forgiven. Perhaps one of the most obvious missing elements in our religious theology is the true meaning of charis—joyfulness!

Paul combines this idea with eirene (peace), but as we have already learned, eirene in the apostolic writings is not the same as the idea of peace in Greek philosophy. Foerster’s comment in TDNT needs careful review:

For the Greeks eirḗnē primarily denotes a state, not a relationship or attitude. It is the opposite of pólemos (“war”). It is linked with treaties of peace or the conclusion of peace. It is also the opposite of disturbance. In a negative sense, it may denote a peaceful attitude, i.e., the absence of hostile feelings. In the age of Augustus it carries echoes of redemption, but also implies in everyday reality the legal security of the pax Romana.^[1]

Notice that our idea of peace is directly connected to the Roman development of pax Romana. We think of peace as the absence of conflict. But this is not the apostolic perspective. For Paul, the Greek eirene is the equivalent of the Hebrew shalom, and shalom is a much more encompassing term, spreading its wings over every aspect of human life. It is primarily a term of relationship rather than state of being, and it is intimately linked to covenant. Shalom is a function of promising-keeping. Furthermore, in Hebrew thought, shalom is a gift from God.

Paul wants Titus to experience a life overflowing with fully human joy and completely satisfying purpose. Isn’t that what you want? What happened that prevented you from standing in the place of Titus?

Topical Index: peace, grace, joy, charis, eirene, Titus 1:4

^[1] TDNT, eds. Kittel, G., Friedrich, G., & Bromiley, G. W. (1985) p. 207).