Make Every Effort to live in peace with all Men

The need to Live in Peace with All Men.

“Make Every Effort to live in peace with all Men and to be Holy; without Holiness no one will see the Lord”

[NIV. Hebrews 12: 14]

This article focuses on the first part of the scripture:

The bible teaches us to live in peace with other people:

Rom 12:18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.

2Cor 13:11 Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.

2Thess 3:16 Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord [be] with you all.

1Cor 14:33 For God is not [the author] of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.

Mark 9:50 Salt [is] good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another.

Matt 5:9 Blessed [are] the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

Ps 34:14 Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.

2Tim 2:22 Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

In 2 Cor 13:11. Paul describes God as the God of Love and Peace

Living in peace with others entails sacrifices even forfeiting what is rightfully yours, foregoing your privileges just so that peace can prevail between you and others. Jesus instructed Peter to pay the temple tax for Himself and Jesus so as not to offend the two-drachma-tax collectors:

Matt 17:24[KJV] And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received tribute [money] came to Peter, and said, Doth not your master pay tribute?25 He saith, Yes. And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers?26 Peter saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free. 27 Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee.

NIV refers to the tax in verse 24 as temple tax

Living in peace with others may often entail forfeiting what is rightfully yours to avoid an argument, complains, slander that might follow an argument, and to protect a weak Brother/Sister’s Faith as well as defend the way of the faith that it may not be evil spoken of.

Paul went extra lengths to live in peace with others and forfeited his rights and privileges so as to win the lost, set them a good example to follow, and protect the way of faith:

1Cor 9:19 For though I be free from all [men], yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.20 And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; 21 To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. 22 To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all [men], that I might by all means save some.23 And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be partaker thereof with [you].

Acts 16:3 [ESV] Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.

Rom 15:1 We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.

1Cor 10:33 Even as I please all [men] in all [things], not seeking mine own profit, but the [profit] of many, that they may be saved.

1Cor 6:7 Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather [suffer yourselves to] be defrauded?

Gal 2:14 But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before [them] all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?

1Cor 8:9 But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.

1Cor 8:13[ESV] Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.

Rom 14:20 Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. 21 [It is] good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor [any thing] whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.

1Cor 10:27 If one of the unbelievers invites you to dinner and you are disposed to go, eat whatever is set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience.28 But if someone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for the sake of conscience-29 I do not mean your conscience, but his. For why should my liberty be determined by someone else's conscience?

1Cor 10:33 just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved.

Phil 1:29 For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;