1 Peter 3:13-22
Notes
Transcript
1 Peter 3:13-22
A preacher was in his backyard building a wooden trellis for a flowering vine to crawl up. As he was working he noticed one of the boys from the neighborhood standing there watching him. The preacher didn’t know why the boy was so interested and he just kept working thinking the boy would eventually go away. But the boy just kept staring at him and wouldn’t leave. Finally, the preacher put his hammer down and he asked, “So, are you trying to get some tips on gardening?” And the little boy said, “Nope. I’m waiting to hear what a preacher says when he hits his thumb with a hammer.”
What does a preacher say when he hits his thumb with a hammer? It’s a good question.
Open your Bibles to the third chapter of 1 Peter. In the last few sections of this letter Peter has talked about being a witness by the way we live. The world is always watching us. People are trying to find out what we’re really all about. So Peter says we need to be good witnesses by the way we live.
We might be led to believe if we follow Peter’s instructions that everything in life will be smooth and problem free. But we know that’s not true. How many times in your life have you gotten into trouble while you were doing something good, or trying to help another person? How many times have you suffered for doing the right thing? You are doing what God has called you to only to face people making fun of you, or people who would try to get other people to persecute you.
A few years ago Noman Masih, a fourteen-year-old boy from Pakistan, was burned alive by a group of Muslim youths. Noman was targeted because he admitted that he was a Christian. From his hospital bed before he died he said:
I have neither enemies, nor a dispute with anybody in the area I live. My tailor master asked me to go to the nearest market for some work and, on my way a few men stopped me, asking my name and religion. I gave them my name and identified my religion as Christian. It was Friday at prayer time and not many people were on the road. Suddenly, they started beating and abusing me. I tried to rescue myself, however, I couldn’t. One of them threw kerosene oil and the other set me on fire. With the help of the locals around I managed to stop the fire, however, I became unconscious.
Noman suffered burns to fifty-five percent of his body, and despite the hospital’s efforts he died from his injuries a few days later.
It is estimated that over a hundred thousand Christians are killed because of their faith each year. There is no way for us to know the vast number of Christians who are persecuted and harmed physically all over the world. In North Korea alone an estimated fifty to seventy thousand Christians live in concentration camps, prisons and prison-like circumstances.
However, Christian suffering is as old as the church itself. Jesus tried to prepare us for problems we might face. He never tried to hide the fact following him would not be easy. As a matter of fact, Jesus said:
John 15:18-20 18 If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 20 Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.
A little Jesus later added:
John 16:33 I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.
As Christians, then, we should be prepared for persecution. But as we prepare we should do so not as someone preparing for the worst, but someone preparing for the best.
The story is told of a preacher who was in the hospital facing a serious surgery. A new nurse came on duty and looked at his chart. The nurse said to him, “Well, I guess you’re preparing for the worst!” The minister smiled at her and said, “Oh, no, I’m preparing for the best. I’m a Christian, and God has promised to work all things together for good.”
The preacher knew his future was in God’s hands and even if he died it meant he’d then go to heaven. Whatever happened, it would be good. This was the attitude of Paul as he waited in prison to hear if he would live or die. He wrote to the Philippians saying:
Philippians 1:20-24 20 I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22 If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! 23 I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; 24 but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.
It’s not that Paul wanted to die, but he wasn’t afraid of dying because he knew it would only take him to be with Jesus. Paul was preparing for the best.
One of the reasons that Peter wrote this letter was to prepare Christians for the persecution that lay ahead, yet Peter’s approach was optimistic and positive. His message was to, “Prepare for the best!”
This epistle by Peter has much to say about suffering and here at the end of chapter 3 Peter focuses on suffering for doing what is right. We can understand suffering for doing what is wrong. But is can be hard for us to wrap our minds around the idea of suffering great harm for doing what is right. What do we do when life does not treat us as it should? What do we do when life is not fair? Peter gives us several lessons when facing persecution.
First, be eager to do what is good.
Peter begins by asking in verse 13:
1 Peter 3:13 Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good?
This is a rhetorical question. Those wanting to do good aren’t usually punished for it. Even those who don’t like Christians don’t usually persecute believers for doing what is good. When we are passionately pursuing kindness and mercy and generosity and humility and thoughtfulness and consideration for the needs of others, then there is little for others to criticize us. Too, because being zealous for what is good produces a godly life, which should be our goal, we should want to do good works.
The first response to a world that seeks us harm is to be eager to do good.
Second, be willing to suffer for doing good.
1 Peter 3:14, 17 14 But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.” 17 For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.
We need to understand that doing what is good is not a guaranteed blanket of protection from attack. It certainly helps make an attack less likely or less frequent, but since the darkness hates the light, in the end it will do all in its power to snuff it out. Jesus went about doing good, yet a hostile world eventually killed him. Commenting on the topic of persecution Chuck Swindoll wrote:
[Jesus], the perfect God-man, was mistreated, hated, maligned, beaten, and finally nailed cruelly to a cross. He suffered awful consequences, even though he spent his life giving and serving. One thing is certain: if people treated a perfect individual that way, then imperfect people cannot expect to escape mistreatment. If mistreatment hasn’t happened to you yet, it will.
As Peter mentioned in chapter 2, there are two possible reasons for our suffering. First, we may suffer for doing wrong. If so, we are getting what we deserve. God tells us that he will discipline us when we disobey his word. We see examples of God punishing the Canaanites for their sins, but we also see God punishing his own people for theirs. Second, we may also suffer for doing right. When that happens, we must accept our suffering as part of God’s wise and sovereign plan for our lives. It is difficult for us to understand, but sometimes it is God’s will for us to suffer even though we haven’t done anything wrong. Instead of focusing on the suffering, we need the focus on the blessing that might come out of the suffering. Jesus said in the Beatitudes:
Matthew 5:11-12 11 Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
We should also remember what Peter said about suffering and blessings back in chapter 1:
1 Peter 1:6-7 6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
Nor should we forget what James said about going through difficulties:
James 1:2-4 2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
If we are required to suffer for our faith, let us remember that our reward will be great and that our suffering will only cause us to be more spiritually mature.
Third, be not afraid.
1 Peter 3:14b Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.
I’ve been told, though I’ve never counted for myself, that the phrase “fear not” or “be not afraid” is found 365 times in the Bible. That’s one for every day of the year and we need it every day.
You might have noticed that this is a quote. Peter was quoting Isaiah. Ahaz, the King of Judah, was facing a crisis because of an invasion he knew was coming by the Assyrian army. The kings of Israel and Syria wanted Ahaz to join them in an alliance against Assyria, but Ahaz refused. Israel and Syria then threatened to invade Judah. Isaiah told Ahaz to fear God and not those kings threatening to attack him.
Isaiah 8:13 The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread.
When we fear the Lord and trust the Lord we have nothing else to fear. Jesus also encouraged us not to fear people who might be able to take our lives, but to fear God who controls our eternal souls. Peter is therefore telling told us to not be intimidated by the unbelievers who persecute us. We should not allow unbelievers to shake us from our faith.
There have been many who have suffered over the years for their faith, and they stood their ground and were not shaken. One example is John Bunyan, the writer of “The Pilgrim’s Progress,” who went to jail for preaching. Those in charge didn’t want him preaching so they took his license, but he continued preaching anyway. He feared not obeying God’s direction to preach more than he feared prison. In the end those trying to stop him ended up spreading his message even further. It was while he was in jail the he wrote “The Pilgrim’s Progress.” That book has had far more influence than his preaching ever did. Be not afraid, God can use your suffering for your benefit and his glory.
Fourth, be clear about who is Lord.
1 Peter 3:14b-15a 14 “Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.” 15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord.
To revere Christ is to honor him. By revering him we are affirming our submission to his control, his instruction, and his guidance. When Jesus is Lord we obey and submit to him even when that submission includes suffering. Have we truly set apart Christ as Lord of our hearts and lives? Have we put Jesus on the throne, and are we seeking to put his Lordship in effect over all of our lives? When Jesus truly is Lord then we seek to do good and are willing to suffer for our faith without fear.
Fifth, be ready to defend the faith.
1 Peter 3:15b-16 15 Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.
Persecution isn’t enjoyable, but when we experience persecution for our faith it gives us an opportunity to witness. Peter suggests that we should always be ready to give an answer.
The word Peter uses for “answer” is the Greek word “apologia.” It is where we get our English word “apology.” The apology we are to give is not an “I’m sorry” apology. In the Greek it meant to give a defense, like in the court of law. Peter says that every Christian should be able to give an explanation for why they believe in God and place their hope in Jesus. We should know what we believe and why we believe. Persecution creates an opportunity for witnessing when a believer behaves with faith and hope.
Peter suggests that our defense should be done with gentleness and respect, not with arrogance and a judgmental attitude. We are to be witnesses, not prosecuting attorneys. Our purpose must be more than to just win arguments; we are trying to win souls for Jesus. We’re trying to share with them the love of Jesus, not how smart we are. So, Peter suggests that when we conduct ourselves appropriately, even in the face of persecution, we will have a clear conscience, but our persecutors will not. In the end it will be obvious who is right and who is wrong, if we will behave rightly and give a good defense of the faith.
And sixth, be like Jesus.
Peter concludes this section on the suffering of believers with the example of how Jesus’ unjust suffering achieved God’s triumphant purpose.
1 Peter 3:18-22 18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. 19 After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits—20 to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, 21 and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.
This is one of those difficult passages of the Bible. If you read five commentaries you’ll find five different explanations for what it means. I’m sure that when the Spirit inspired Peter to write this section, he had no idea that it would be classified as one of the most difficult portions of the New Testament. Although we may not be able to answer every question that arises from these verses we can certainly understand the point that Peter was making. Ultimately, Peter’s point is that Christ’s perfect example of suffering unjustly lead to the accomplishment of God’s saving purposes, and this should give us the hope that God’s triumphant purposes can be realized in the midst of our own suffering.
Peter began by declaring that Jesus suffered for our sins in order to bring us to God – that’s clear and easily understood. Then Peter mentioned that Jesus preached to some kind of imprisoned spirits. The question is who were these imprisoned spirits? Were they fallen angels who rebelled with Satan? If so, then when Jesus preached to them was probably not the gospel, nor was it an opportunity for them to repent. Instead, Jesus would have been presenting them with a message of his victory.
Peter also talked about those who were disobedient and perished in the flood during the days of Noah. He reminds us that only eight were saved by the ark, through water, and that water now symbolizes baptism that now saves us. The flood pictures death, burial and resurrection. The waters buried the earth in judgment, but also separated and lifted Noah and his family up to safety. Noah and his family were saved because they believed God and entered into the ark of safety. Sinners are saved by faith when they trust and obey Christ by entering the ark of baptism to be united with Christ. Baptism saves us, not because it physically removes our external filth, but because it cleanses our soul as we make a commitment of ourselves to the Lord. And Peter points out that baptism saves us by the resurrection of Jesus who is now reigning at God’s right hand.
The point of these verses is to show that God brought triumph out of the persecution of Jesus and that as followers of Jesus we can be confident that God will do the same with our persecutions. Someday, we will be with Jesus at God’s right hand, reigning with him forever in his triumph.
These were Peter’s words of encouragement. The Christians he wrote to who were going through a trial that was only going to get worse. He told them not to prepare for the worst, but for the best.
Be eager to do what is good
Be willing to suffer for doing right
Be not afraid
Be clear about who is Lord
Be ready to defend the faith
Be like Jesus
Let me end with the story of a Christian who lived like that in the face of persecution.
J. H. Crowell, who when only sixteen years old took a voyage on a sailing vessel where he was the only Christian, in a crew of twelve. Before leaving his mother, he promised to meet her three times a day at the throne of grace in prayer. So regularly he went below and prayed aloud. The other sailors persecuted him for this. They threw wood at him and poured buckets of water over him, but could not put out the fire in his soul. Later, they tied him to the mast and laid thirty-nine stripes on his back. Still, he prayed. Then they tied a rope around his body and threw him overboard. He swam as best he could, and when he took hold of the side of the ship, they pushed him off with a pole. At last, his strength gave way, and, supposing they meant to kill him, he prayed that God would forgive them, and called out: “Send my body to my mother and tell her that I died for Jesus.” He was then pulled on deck unconscious, but after some time came to.
Conviction began to seize the sailors, and before the end of the day two of them were converted. Inside of a week everyone on board, including the captain, was saved.
May we develop a faith and courage that will hold us fast even in the face of persecution. Let us like Paul have the attitude “to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Let’s live for Christ and prepare for the best.