“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God”
Matthew 5:9
There are three elements to the seventh beatitude that need explaining: (1) the meaning of “blessed,” (2) the meaning of peacemaker and (3) what it means to be called a son of God. This article will look at each element individually and then (4) bring everything together for an explanation of the meaning of the seventh beatitude (click the hyperlinks to jump to the section you desire).
I. The Meaning of “Blessed”
The term “blessed” that occurs at the beginning of all the beatitudes is μακάριοι, the plural form of the adjective μακάριος. Although it has become common to hear μακάριος translated as “happy” (such as in the CEB), the term “happy” is much too shallow and superficial. In the New Testament and especially in the Gospel of Matthew, μακάριος is best understood as being the privileged recipient of God’s favour which results in a deep-seated joy. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and other Early Christian Literature (BDAG) states the focus of μακάριος can either be on happiness/joy because of one’s circumstances or the focus can be on privilege that results in happiness/joy (BDAG, s.v. μακάριος).
In the Gospel of Matthew and in the beatitudes, the focus of μακάριος is on being the privileged recipient of God’s favour, rather than the joy or happiness, which is a result of God’s favour (also see Charles Quarles, Sermon on the Mount, 42; Donald Hagner, Matthew 1–13, 91).
We see this idea of being the privileged recipient of God’s favour that results in a deep-seated joy in many passages throughout the New Testament and the Gospel of Matthew. Note the following two passages from the Gospel of Matthew: 13:16–17 and 16:15–17.
In Matthew 13:16–17, Jesus tells his disciples that they are “blessed” (μακάριοι) because they have seen and heard Jesus, his mighty works and his teaching:
“But blessed [μακάριοι] are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.”
—MATTHEW 13:16–17
Jesus is not simply saying that his disciples are “happy,” but that they are the privileged recipients of God’s favour in that they get to see and hear Jesus and understand what it is that they see and hear! This seeing, hearing, and understanding results in a deep-seated joy of seeing, hearing, and knowing God’s messiah who is in the process of setting up the Kingdom of Heaven.
Another powerful passage that demonstrates Jesus’ understanding of μακάριος is Matthew 16:15–17:
“He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Simon Peter replied, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’And Jesus answered him, ‘Blessed [μακάριος] are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.’”
—MATTHEW 16:15–17
After asking his disciples who they think he (Jesus) is, Simon Peter answers that Jesus is the messiah (“Christ”), who is “the Son of the living God.” Jesus then tells Peter that he is “blessed” (μακάριος). Jesus is not telling Peter that he should now be happy that he got Jesus’ question correct; rather, Jesus is telling Peter that he is the privileged recipient of God’s favour in that the Father himself revealed to Peter the identity of Jesus. This revelation will result in a deep-seated joy because now Peter knows who Jesus truly is.
Thus, we can conclude that the term “blessed” (μακάριος) in the Gospel of Matthew means to be the privileged recipient of God’s favour that results in a deep-seated joy. Regarding the seventh beatitude, Jesus says that those who are “peacemakers” are the privileged recipients of God’s favour, resulting in a deep-seated joy. Let us now turn to the meaning of “peacemaker” and then we will discover how the peacemakers are privileged recipients of God’s favour.
II. The Meaning of “Peacemaker” (εἰρηνοποιός)
In order to understand the meaning of “peacemaker” (εἰρηνοποιός), we must first understand the meaning of “peace” (εἰρήνη).
A. The Meaning of “Peace” (εἰρήνη)
The ancient Greek meaning of εἰρήνη (“peace”) refers to a state of peace or a state of rest between two parties (see “εἰρήνη” in NIDNTTE and TDNT); thus, it is the cessation of war and fighting.
Importantly, the Greek versions of the Old Testament (known as the LXX) used εἰρήνη (“peace”) to translate the Hebrew term שָׁלוֹם (shalôm) almost exclusively, infusing the Greek εἰρήνη with much more meaning. The Hebrew שָׁלוֹם (shalôm) does not correspond well with any English term; it refers to prosperity, welfare, health, safety, and completeness with many other nuances (HALOT, s.v. “שָׁלוֹם”; NIDNTTE, s.v. “εἰρήνη”; TDNT, s.v. “εἰρήνη”; for a couple examples, see Gen 37:14; Is 48:18).
The Hebrew term שָׁלוֹם (shalôm) retained its sense in Jewish Rabbinic literature, but was also broadened to include a lack of strife between groups and individuals. Thus, if someone is seeking שָׁלוֹם (shalôm) between two individuals who are at odds with each other, they would be seeking the end of strife and enmity (TDNT, s.v. “εἰρήνη”).
When we look at the New Testament’s use of εἰρήνη, we find that it has overwhelmingly acquired the sense of שָׁלוֹם(shalôm) as used in the Old Testament (more accurately it has acquired the sense of εἰρήνη as used in the LXX, which acquired the sense of שָׁלוֹם as used in the OT) and by the Jewish Rabbis (see “εἰρήνη” in NIDNTTE and TDNT). Thus, εἰρήνη (“peace”) throughout the New Testament refers to prosperity, welfare, health, safety, completeness, and cessation of strife and enmity. Some examples of the use of εἰρήνη in the New Testament are:
- εἰρήνη is used to refer to the cessation of war between two kings, reflecting the more tradition meaning of εἰρήνη(Luke 14:31–32; Matt 10:34 could also fit this nuance).
- εἰρήνη is used to refer to the cessation of strife and enmity between individuals, promoting reconciliation, harmony, and goodwill, reflecting its use in Rabbinic literature (Acts 7:26; Eph 2:14–17 [this passage refers to both the peace between people and between people and God]; 4:3).
- εἰρήνη is used to refer to the cessation of strife and enmity between God and man, promoting reconciliation between the two parties (Rom 5:1; Eph 2:14–17)
- εἰρήνη is used to refer to prosperity, welfare, health, safety, completeness, and wholeness, reflecting its use in the Old Testament (Luke 1:79; 2:14; Acts 10:36; Rom 14:17; Eph 2:14–17; 6:15). Jesus’ work on the cross and belief in Jesus’ saving work brings this kind of peace. Regarding this meaning of εἰρήνη, the NIDNTTE says the following:
“This divinely wrought reality exercises a mighty influence in the present world, though it still awaits final fulfillment. Soteriologically, peace is grounded in God’s work of redemption; eschatologically, it is a sign of God’s new creation, which has already begun; teleologically, it will be fully realized when the work of new creation is complete.
—NIDNTTE, s.v. “εἰρήνη”
B. The Meaning of “Peacemaker” (εἰρηνοποιός)
Understanding the meaning of “peacemaker” (εἰρηνοποιός) in one sense is easy: it refers to a person who makes peace. In another sense, however, it is difficult because Matthew 5:9 has little context with which to understand the nuance of peace (εἰρήνη) to which Jesus refers.
Based on the meanings of εἰρήνη (“peace”) determined above, we can confidently conclude that a peacemaker is either (a) one who reconciles two hostile or alienated parties or individuals, bringing unity and harmony or (b) one who brings prosperity, welfare, health, safety, completeness, and wholeness to a person by bringing them to belief in Jesus and his saving work.
To help determine the meaning of peacemaker in Matthew 5:9, there are three passages that need to be studied: (1) Matthew 10:5–15 (specifically verse 13) because it is the only verse in Matthew that mentions εἰρήνη (“peace”) without referring to war (Matt 10:34), (2) Colossians 1:19–20 because it is the only passage in the New Testament that uses the verb εἰρηνοποιέω (“to make peace”), and (3) James 3:13–4:1 because it mentions “those who make peace” (τοῖς ποιοῦσιν εἰρήνην) and because the letter of James has a number of allusions to Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.
1. εἰρήνη (“Peace”) in Matthew 10:5–15
In Matthew 10:5–15, Jesus sends out his twelve disciples to the lost sheep of Israel for the purpose of proclaiming the arrival of the kingdom of heaven and to perform many miracles (Matt 10:5–8), which coincides with the arrival of the kingdom of heaven. Jesus then instructs his disciples to find the house of a worthy person, enter it, and “let your peace [εἰρήνη] come upon it” (10:13a). However, if the house is not worthy, then the disciples are to “let your peace [εἰρήνη] return to you” (10:13b).
The peace referred to in Matthew 10:13 is the prosperity, welfare, health, safety, completeness, and wholeness that comes with the kingdom of heaven and, thus, salvation in Jesus. Jesus has given to the apostles the peace that comes with the kingdom of heaven. They are commissioned and sent out to the lost sheep of Israel to give that peace to all who would receive it. For those who reject the gift of peace offered, the opposite is given—affliction (10:14–15). Thus, the peace mentioned in Matthew 10:5–15 refers to the prosperity, welfare, health, safety, completeness, and wholeness that comes with the kingdom of heaven offered through belief in Jesus.
2. εἰρηνοποιέω (“To Make Peace”) in Colossians 1:19–20
Εἰρηνοποιέω (“to make peace”), the verbal cognate to the adjective εἰρηνοποιός (“peacemaker”), is used only once in the New Testament—Colossians 1:19–20. In Colossians 1:19–20, Paul says that God reconciled all things to himself through Jesus’ death on the cross, resulting in making peace between God and all things:
“For in him [Jesus] all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him [Jesus] to reconcile to himself [God] all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace [εἰρηνοποιέω] by the blood of his cross.”
—COLOSSIANS 1:19–20
The meaning of εἰρηνοποιέω (“making peace”) in Colossians 1:20 refers to reconciling two alienated parties by bringing them together into a right relationship of unity and harmony. This understanding of εἰρηνοποιέω is confirmed in the next two verses (vv 21–22) where Paul acknowledges that the Colossian believers were once “alienated” to God, harbouring hostility toward him (v 21), but have now been “reconciled” to him through the death of Jesus (v 22a). This reconciliation or “peace making” resulted in a right relationship between God and man where man is now “holy, blameless, and above reproach” before God (v 22b):
“And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him.”
—COLOSSIANS 1:21–22
Thus, we may conclude that εἰρηνοποιέω (“making peace”) in Colossians 1:20 refers to the reconciliation between two hostile parties that brings them together in a right relationship of unity and harmony. Specifically, it refers to God reconciling all creation to himself, bringing all creation, including sinful people, into a right, unified, and harmonious relationship with him.
3. τοῖς ποιοῦσιν εἰρήνην (“Those Who Make Peace”) in James 3:13–4:1
The final passage that mentions peace making is James 3:13–4:1. This passage does not use a single term to express peace making like Matthew 5:9 or Colossians 1:20. Rather, James 3:18 uses the participle from ποιέω and the noun εἰρήνη; these are the same two words that make up the compound adjective εἰρηνοποιός (“peacemaker”) in Matthew 5:9 and the compound verb εἰρηνοποιέω (“making peace”) in Colossians 1:20.
James 3:13–4:1 (the context surrounding 3:18) mentions conflicts between individuals and those actions that give rise to conflicts between individuals, such as “bitter jealousy,” “selfish ambition,” “disorder,” “every vile practice,” “quarrels,” and “fights”:
“Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace [τοῖς ποιοῦσιν εἰρήνην]. What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?”
—JAMES 3:13–4:1
Based on the context that strongly suggests the problems with the Christians to whom James is writing are conflicts between people, it is probable that “those who make peace” refers to those who seek to reconcile individuals who are alienated and estranged from one another, bringing them into a right, unified, and harmonious relationship with each other.
The above understanding of peacemakers in James 3:18 aligns well with Jesus’ instructions in Matthew 5:21–26 in the Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew 5:21–26, Jesus instructs his disciples to reconcile with their “brother” before going to the temple to offer their gift to God, otherwise they will be liable to judgment. In Matthew 5:21–26, the base issue is alienation from one’s “brother” due to sin and the necessity of reconciliation. However, Jesus connects the rift and hostility between people to a rift and hostility between man and God; those who are at odds with their brother are also at odds with God, which is why reconciliation must happen prior to offering one’s sacrifice—reconciliation with one’s brother will also bring reconciliation with God.
If James has Matthew 5:21–26 in mind when he penned James 3:13–4:1, as suggested by a number of scholars (for one example, see Charles Quarles, Sermon on the Mount, 68), then making peace in James 3:13–4:1 refers to reconciliation with one’s brother in Christ (between individual people), which results in reconciliation with God. This is very similar to the meaning of εἰρήνη in Matthew 10:13 in that the peacemaking brings wholeness and completeness to the disciple of Christ.
C. The Meaning of “Peacemaker” (εἰρηνοποιός) in Matthew 5:9
In light of the meaning of “peace” (εἰρήνη) and making peace, especially in Matthew 10:5–15, Colossians 1:19–20, and James 3:13–4:1, we see the prominence of reconciliation and שָׁלוֹם (shalôm: prosperity, welfare, health, safety, completeness, and wholeness).
Because שָׁלוֹם (shalôm: prosperity, welfare, health, safety, completeness, and wholeness, including right relationships with others) only comes through reconciliation with God through belief in Jesus’ death and resurrection, the meaning of “peacemaker” (εἰρηνοποιός) in Matthew 5:9 most likely refers to bringing reconciliation (making peace) between a person and God that results in שָׁלוֹם (shalôm): prosperity, welfare, health, safety, completeness, and wholeness, including right relationships with others. One could also say that “peacemaker” refers to bringing שָׁלוֹם (shalôm) to others through reconciliation with God.
The above understanding of making peace is confirmed in the second half of Matthew 5:9, where Jesus says peacemakers will be called sons of God. To be called a son of God means one must act like the Son of God (Jesus). Jesus came to earth for the purpose of reconciling mankind to God, resulting in שָׁלוֹם (shalôm). Thus, those who are peacemakers also bring reconciliation between mankind and God by leading people to belief in Jesus, resulting in שָׁלוֹם (shalôm).
III. What It Means to Be Called a Son of God
Jesus promises that those who are peacemakers “will be called sons of God” (Matt 5:9b). Key to understanding this phrase is the verb: “will be called.” Jesus is not saying that the peacemaker will become a son of God, but that he will be called a son of God. The idea is that when the disciple of Jesus is a peacemaker, he is living up to what God has made him. God has made all of Jesus’ disciples sons of God, giving them the status of sonship (Rom 8:12–17). However, when Jesus’ disciples act like sons of God by being peacemakers, they now live up to their status, evidenced in God callingthem sons. Charles Quarles puts it nicely:
“Peacemaking does not make one a child of God, but peacemaking is an essential expression of divine sonship.”
—Charles Quarles, Sermon on the Mount, 70
Further confirming this idea of living up to one’s status as a son of God by being a peacemaker is that Jesus, God’s divine Son, was a peacemaker. Jesus, God’s Son, came to earth so that he could reconcile mankind to God, resulting in those who believe in Jesus having שָׁלוֹם (shalôm). Jesus is the perfect example and model of how one is to act as a son of God (this also confirms our interpretation of the meaning of “peacemaker” above; disciples of Jesus make peace the same way Jesus made peace—by reconciling people to God). Ephesians 2:11–22 demonstrates this point well by clearly stating the Gentiles were alienated from God, but through the work of Jesus they have been reconciled to God and granted all of the promises and privileges that come with a good relationship with God; Ephesians calls this “peace”:
“Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called ‘the uncircumcision’ by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands—remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.”
—EPHESIANS 2:11–22, emphasis added
Since disciples of Jesus are sons of God, they should act like sons of God and continue Jesus’ mission of peacemaking. The apostle Paul says this using slightly different terms in 2 Corinthians 5:17–20:
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.”
—2 CORINTHIANS 5:17–20, emphasis added
In light of what Jesus’ disciples already are (sons of God) and that Jesus’ disciples are to imitate the divine Son of God (Jesus), to be “called sons of God” in Matthew 5:9 means that Jesus’ disciples will be recognized that they are acting like the sons of God they truly are in reality; their lives match their status.
IV. The Meaning of the Seventh Beatitude (Matt 5:9)
Now that we understand (1) what it means to be blessed, (2) what it means to be a peacemaker, and (3) what it means to be called a son of God, we are able to understand the meaning of Jesus’ seventh beatitude: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”
In Matthew 5:9, Jesus says that those who bring reconciliation between a person and God that results in שָׁלוֹם (shalôm)—prosperity, welfare, health, safety, completeness, and wholeness, including right relationships with others—(the peacemakers) are privileged recipients of God’s favour (blessed) in that God recognizes they are living up to their status as sons of God (will be called sons of God) because they are doing the things that God’s sons should be doing; they are making peace.