Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts.
Paul's command for conflicted communities — and what 'rule' actually means.
The episode in a glance.
- 01'Rule' means to act as an umpire — deciding what is allowed.
- 02Peace is the standard by which you judge conflicts and decisions.
- 03'To which you were called in one body' — peace is communal, not private.
- 04Thankfulness is the soil in which peace grows.
Read along.
Colossians 3:15 is a command with a surprising metaphor: 'And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.'
The word 'rule' is brabeuo in Greek. It means to act as an umpire or referee. Paul is saying: let peace be the deciding factor. When there's a conflict, a decision, a tension — ask: does this align with the peace of Christ?
And it's not just individual peace. 'To which you were called in one body.' The church is a body, and peace is what holds it together. Private peace that comes at the expense of community isn't the peace of Christ.
The peace of Christ isn't the absence of disagreement. It's the presence of reconciliation. It's the settledness that comes from knowing you're in right relationship with God and with each other.
And the final note: 'be thankful.' Thankfulness is the soil in which peace grows. Grateful people are hard to divide. They see what they have in common instead of what separates them.