The Peace of God as Proclamation

How would you feel if you were in prison for your faith while other Christians continued to minister without consequence while actively opposing you? Full of praise? peace? hope?

If the first part of peace with God is our partnership with Christ and his church, the second part is fulfilling that partnership’s purpose: proclamation of the gospel (a lot of “p”s, I know). We proclaim the gospel visibly when we gather for worship and live life together, audibly in sharing the good news of Jesus with those who do not know him, and kinesthetically as we care for one another and those we encounter. Although chained in Rome unable to proclaim as he had hoped (see Romans 1:11-15), and despite some who proclaim to cause him distress, Paul’s response is to say, “The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.” In part two of The Peace of God we see Paul, despite his circumstances, living in peace because of proclamation.