Verse
Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. – John 14:27
Meaning of John 14:27
The meaning of John 14:27 means that Jesus is assuring his disciple that He will leave His peace during His absence. The verse ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid’ can be divided into three parts, with each phrase relating different stages of transformation while also having a particular means as the whole verse. First, John 14:27 means that the peace and assurance that comes from Jesus is better than the peace that comes from a person’s lifestyle. Hence Christians need not be afraid or give into depression and similar mental health issues. In other words, a person can learn to be brave and face any challenge if he or she learns to be peaceful and believe in God.
Interpretations of John 14:27
The verse of John 14:27 is one of the most quoted verses for peace and encouragement. A few interpretations of John 14:27 are as follows.
Interpretation #1 Christianity is the only religion of peace
In this interpretation, Christians claim that Christianity is the only religion in the world that has a foundation of peace. The part of the verse ‘‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you’ spoken by Jesus before His Crucifixion holds many profound teachings that laid the foundation of the Christianity. The suffering of all the apostles further proved that early Christians suffered under the Roman Empire and didn’t rebel against them. The readers believe as since the beginning, and the believers have tried to live in peace, he and she must continue to maintain peace with their friends as well as enemies.
Interpretation #2 Worrying is equal to committing a sin
In this version, the readers believe that being peaceful is one of the commandments given by Jesus during his final days of ministry. Also, the verse ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid’ implies that a Christian must not worry as the need for peace is followed by asking the reader or listener to have a fearless heart. Hence, the believers understand that not being at peace and being afraid is not obeying God. Also, not obeying God is considered a sin as per many church denominations.
Interpretation #3 The verse was meant to comfort the disciples
In this version, the readers might be skeptic or someone who believes the Bible as a historical record of Jesus’ life. Hence, the verse ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid’ according to this interpretation is believed to be the comforting statements by Jesus to His disciples during the last supper. The words were also a foreshadowing of what the disciples were about to go through under the Roman Empire. Also, the reader might believe that Jesus did not prepare their disciples for the coming attacks or protect them. Instead, He wanted His disciples to suffer and be fearless.
Interpretation #4 Holy Spirit represents Jesus and offers peace
In this final interpretation, the readers understand the context along with the verse, ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid’. In the previous verse, Jesus mentions the Holy Spirit that will be given to the disciples as an invisible guide and as a replacement of Jesus. The Holy Spirit’s is known as the 3rd person in the Trinity, while Heavenly Father and Jesus are the other two. Also, the verse is a comfort and encouragement for all the Christians who understand that Jesus had returned to Heaven after the Resurrection. In other words, Christians are encouraged to be brave in situations that might be overwhelming and scary. The words also mean ‘hold fast’ or ‘remain firmly’ in faith and trust in Jesus Christ.
Historical background of John 14:27
The Gospel of John was written by the Apostle John, one of the twelve disciples of Jesus. John is believed to be the only disciple who had died a natural death. The Gospel of John was perhaps written around 70 A.D. However, the final form or draft was finalized between 80 A.D. and 110 A.D. John Chapter 14 is the continuation of the conversation between Jesus and His disciples. He foretells them about His soon-coming arrest, heaven, and crucifixion after identifying Judas as the betrayer. The verse John 14:27 focuses on having the comfort and peace that Jesus promises through the Holy Spirit in the previous verse, i.e., John 14:26.
Literary Devices of John 14:27
The verse John 14:27 is not only important but also the most used verse from the Gospel of John. The few literary devices in John 14:27 are given below.
Assonance – The verse has rich use of vowel sounds, a few in quick succession. For example, the sound of /ee/, the sound of the /i/, and the sound of /oo/ in ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’
Consonance – The verse also has good use of consonant sounds in repetition and a few in quick successions. For example, the sound of /t/, the sound of /r/, the sound of /b/, and the sound of /v/ in ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’
Alliteration – The verse has one repeated consonant sound at the start of the word in quick succession, and a few consonant sounds in are repeated with significant word gaps. For example, the sound of /g/ and the sound of /p/ in ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’
Anaphora – The verse John 14:27 is a good example of anaphora as the word ‘Peace’ and ‘Give’ is repeated in verse. It emphasizes who gives peace and the importance of a peaceful mind.
Theme – The major themes of John 14:27 is confidence, courage, faith, and serenity.