1st Peter Chapter Three
1
Peter 3:1-2 (All
verses from the English Standard Version)
Likewise,
wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be
won without a word by the conduct of their wives, when they see your respectful
and pure conduct.
Holiness at Home
Wives be subject to your husbands
Likewise…
In the same way servants ought to be subject to their masters, enduring suffering even though they may be innocent, as Jesus suffered under the Jewish hierarchy and under Pilate, wives ought to be subject to their own husbands. Although conventional wisdom has made it that we collectively try to alleviate workplace harassment and abuse as well as spousal abuse, the Holy Spirit does not seem as concerned for the elimination of this evil as He does in our response to it as Christians. We ought to seek help from the Lord in these situations as opposed to relying on the government to do it for us. There’s nothing wrong in appealing to the government for protection from injustice, as even Paul sought to do (Acts 25:11), but our suffering has such a deep spiritual purpose that we need to seek the Lord through it that we may find meaning in it, being mindful of the suffering Jesus endured for us.
By the conduct of their wives…
Christian wives will win over their non-believing husbands by being holy, not by being like the world. I know of instances when things have gotten ugly between sisters and their non-believing husbands. Some husbands have threatened their wives; others have kicked them out of their homes! Some have even endured physical and certainly emotional abuse and neglect for the sake of the Gospel! But guess what? The husbands that eventually obeyed the Lord were won over by the holy conduct of their wives, not because they in turn were threatened with a lawsuit or divorce.
You may be tempted to tell a sister who is enduring spousal abuse to run away from home or seek legal counsel or the police. That is not the spirit that I see here. The best counsel is for them to continue to love their husbands as Jesus loved us – to the point of being nailed on a cross!
Peter makes it a point to mention that what becomes very important in this scenario is not the preaching using your mouth, but the conduct of the wife:
1- How she will react to being threatened
a. Will she yell back?
b. Will she curse him?
c. Will she hold it against him?
2- What will she do when abused
a. Will she stop serving him?
b. Will she hold herself back from loving him?
c. Will she stop going to church?
d. Will she give up her relationship with God?
The faithful wife knows it is the devil and his cronies who wreaking havoc in her home and will not shrink back but continue to step forward in the Lord with love, gentleness and humility. She will not only continue to serve her husband in love, but will continue to respect him even though she or others may think he is not worthy of it. She will continue to be pure in heart and mind although her unbelieving husband has embraced impurity. This is how the wife’s faith is tested and grown in the sight of the Lord.
1
Peter 3:3-4
Do not let
your adorning be external--the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold
jewelry, or the clothing you wear-- but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the
imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight
is very precious.
Let your beauty come from your gentleness and quietness of spirit
We live in a society that focuses on the external. We are always judging a book by its cover. As disciples of Jesus we shouldn’t fall prey to that mindset but help people understand that what God values is on the inside – what is unseen at first glance. We can do this by having the attitude of wearing our beauty on the inside and showing it with our humility and service – with our gentleness of spirit considered precious in the sight of God. I believe this concept applies to us all, not just women (although the instruction here specifically refers to women). I see this attitude in Jesus as well – something for all disciples to conform. The Spirit spoke to Paul similar words:
1 Timothy 2:9-10 ESV likewise also that women should adorn
themselves in respectable
apparel, with modesty and self-control,
not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, 10 but with what is proper for women who profess godliness--with good works.
How you dress, your speech and mannerism can influence men towards holiness or sin. If you profess to worship God then let it be shown in the way you dress, your behavior and your deeds. Women who are disciples shouldn't have to be repeatedly addressed about their attire or their attitude, unless their faith is hypocritical!
Peter and Paul mention some specifics of attire here: the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry. What’s the implication? That these things are wrong to wear? If that is so then many of you have already sinned, right? Peter simply is stating that your adorning should be coming more from the inside than the outside. You shouldn’t just be a nice beautifully decorated empty box. It is better to be a plain brown paper wrapped box with treasure inside than a nice beautiful box with nothing in it, or worse, with bad and nasty things inside!
To focus only on what you wear on the outside draws attention to your body as opposed to your Lord. You want to catch a man? Display your good works and your humility to be able to catch a godly man if that is what you desire! Godly men will be attracted by gentleness and quietness of spirit, not by a showy display of your private garden (Song 4:12ff)!
Dress in such a way that doesn't make you bashful, in all decency. Have self-respect! Only display yourself to your husband! Let him only delight in your garden! How would you dress if you knew Jesus was going to be with you? Dress appropriately. Dress for Jesus, not for success or to entice or provoke someone!
So, how should a woman adorn herself?
Externally:
1- With respectable apparel
2- With modesty and self control
3- With good works
Internally:
1- Having a gentle and quiet spirit
2- Submitting to your husband
Not expensively, not to call attention. Not to display status, wealth or importance. Don't be concerned with brand names or labels. Be concerned with the label of Jesus’ blood you carry that is your righteousness.
Does this mean you cannot wear a necklace, rings or braided hair? Of course not. What matters most is the attitude and your motives for dressing a certain way. Consider the woman of Proverbs 31:
Proverbs 31:21-22 ESV She is not afraid of snow for her household,
for all her household are clothed in scarlet.
22
She makes bed coverings for herself; her clothing is fine linen and
purple.
This woman dresses elegantly and shows herself to be an excellent wife! This woman makes her dress, the dress doesn’t make her!
1
Peter 3:5-6
For this is
how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own
husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her
children, if
you do good and do
not fear anything that is frightening.
I know women who follow Jesus and hear His voice desire to be holy, like God is holy. Their concern for loyalty to Jesus is expressed by how they set themselves apart from the world in the matters discussed here by the Holy Spirit. They show their holiness above all by submitting to their husbands. By doing so they always find themselves dressing appropriately and modestly, not focusing on the external, or better yet, thinking about the external things with sobriety. Women who are not concerned about submitting to their husbands or to the Lord Jesus (in the case of single women) are the ones who find themselves dressing provocatively and inappropriately, being loud and forceful. Their priorities are mixed up! I am not bringing up these things to make you feel guilty, but rather to help you think spiritually (logikos = reasonable; from Rom 12:1 and 1 Pe 2:2). You should want to do this as an expression of thankfulness to God and abhorrence towards the world. If you do these things out of guilt (under compulsion) it may end up not pleasing God at all since He desires for us to worship Him sincerely and cheerfully (2Co 9:7; Phm 1:14; 1Pe 5:2) – in genuineness of spirit and in love for the truth.
What makes you holy is your attitude: your gentleness, respectfulness, quietness of spirit and submissiveness. That will make your attire, actions and speech holy as well. Let your inner spirit and your good works be what makes you different (holy), not what you wear or where you live. I think this applies to our dwellings as well and how we often focus on decorating them a certain way. I also think many men focus too much on what they drive and how their transportation needs to be of a certain make or model. This focus gets us carried away with being concerned about the external things and we lose ourselves in the form of things rather than soberly thinking about their function. Often our attire, dwellings, transportation and even technology can become powerful symbols used for manipulation. What really happens is that they end up controlling us and leaving us rather empty inside.
Women can use their beauty and charm for the glory of God or for the glory of self. Gen 2:18 says God created woman to be the helper of the man. The helper is an aid, helping the man to accomplish the work he needs to do. God created the woman to help the man, not to hinder him. What makes holy women holy is that they understand this and therefore submit to their husbands in everything.
King Ahab had a very influential wife named Jezebel. In 1Ki 21:25 we see how Ahab lets himself be influenced by his wife in completely negative ways. Joshua 6:26 and 1Ki 16:31-34 show how Ahab disobeys God and suffers the penalty of God’s curse. This woman Jezebel was a bad influence in Ahab's life. Jezebel kills all the prophets of the Lord (1Ki 18:4). Ahab never takes the lead and allows himself to be led by her. In 1Ki 19:2 she swears to kill Elijah. What a vicious and ungodly woman!
Do you want to be like Jezebel or like Esther? Esther was able to use her influence to do good to the people of God. She influenced her king towards holiness in all humility and propriety, serving him as her Lord since she feared God. While Jezebel feared everything and lashed out reactively, Esther did not fear anything and carefully calculated her responses. What a difference!
Do not fear anything…
It is interesting that women are encouraged to not fear anything that is frightening. I personally think women are more prone to frightfulness than men are. Perhaps it is a gender difference like the weaker vessel Peter points out. Women who fear will not be able to even trust their husbands, much less see them as their lord. When you fear people and things you are not in control – your fear is. Fear makes you react emotionally, not soberly. Peter recalls Sarah did not fear anything. Perhaps this is because:
· She followed Abraham when he left Ur
· When Pharaoh wanted her and took her into his house without her husband by her side
· She followed faithfully throughout their many journeys and wanderings, even though at times the peoples nearby were very wicked
· She was not afraid of having children at such an old age
· She trusted in the Lord as she trusted her husband
This is said of her even though she might have shown some fear when dealing with Hagar and her son Ishmael and even though she laughed at God’s promise of having her own son. Because she overcame these weaknesses she is still remembered with honor!
Women who walk after Jesus are Sarah’s children if they focus on doing good:
If you are married:
1- Submit to your husband in everything
2- Be his helpmeet
3- Help him see the Lord in your purity and respect
If you are single:
1- Focus on being adorned by good works in the church and in your community
2- Dress for Jesus!
3- Use your womanly influence to help others see Jesus by your purity and respect
1
Peter 3:7
Likewise, husbands,
live with your wives in an
understanding way, showing
honor to the woman as the weaker
vessel, since
they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be
hindered.
Husbands be considerate with your wives
Likewise…
Remember how Peter used this word, likewise, at the beginning of the chapter to continue describing how we need to imitate Jesus’ attitude while He suffered under the Jews and Romans? In the same way servants (employees, workers) were encouraged to be subject to their masters (bosses, supervisors), (enduring suffering even though they may be innocent, as Jesus suffered under the Jewish hierarchy and under Pilate) and wives were encouraged to be subject to their own husbands especially if their husbands were not Christians or if they thought they were excused from being subject to them because they were being unjust or unfair. There will be unjust suffering in any kind of close, intimate relationship here on earth because we are not perfect. Our suffering, however, can have a deep spiritual purpose of we seek the Lord through it and find meaning in it, being mindful of the suffering Jesus endured for us. Paul considered suffering innocently to be a fellowship with Jesus (Phil 3:10).
Husbands are likewise to live patiently and gracefully with their wives. Husbands are to:
1- Live with their wives in an understanding (considerate) way
a. Understanding – (according to knowledge; with an intelligent recognition of the nature of the marriage relation). This is something I believe only people who fear God and seek Him will ever understand. God is the one who invented marriage so only in the scriptures can we find understanding when it comes to living with a wife.
b. It is a husband’s duty to teach his wife about marriage as Jesus has taught the church about her relationship with Him (Eph 5:25ff).
i. Husbands need to be the example of prayer, worship and holiness
ii. Husbands ought to set the example in everything that is done in their households
iii. Husbands are to lead in being understanding (considerate) of one another
c. When you live with another person you need to be considerate of them. To be considerate means to show kind awareness or regard for their feelings, circumstances, etc. (dictionary.com) To be considerate means to be deliberate in your treatment of someone. That implies careful consideration of your responses and actions, not reacting improperly or without careful reflection and prudence (shrewd management).
d. To live with understand of marriage is to understand the nature of God's relationship (covenants) with man. It is with a forgiving and merciful nature God treats those in His covenant.
2- Honor (respect) their wives as the weaker vessel
a. Vessel (skeuos) is a common Hebrew euphemism for the earthly body (2Co 4:7).
b. So the weakness attributed to the woman is not for intellectual or moral reasons, but purely for physical or emotional reasons, which the husband must recognize with due consideration for marital happiness.
c. Be considerate of their emotional and physical differences. Hear them out and consider the wisdom God has given them as your helper.
i. Be there to help them out with things that may physically or emotionally exhaust them
ii. Provide them with comfort and help when they feel tired or insecure
iii. Nurture them throughout the day with loving words and assurances
iv. Wash them with the word of God regularly – have bible studies together. Let her share with you the wisdom God has given her!
v. Pray with them and involve yourself with their schedule
vi. The husband is the head of the wife. The wife will seek out her husband as the church seeks its Lord, Jesus! If the husband is not there for his wife, will he expect his Lord to be there for him?
vii. Like Jesus is to the church the husband should be to his wife! If the husband is not willing to give up everything for his wife how then is he being like his Lord? He is more like the unmerciful servant and in danger of being cast out of the kingdom for being a hypocrite! (Mat 18:23-35)
viii. Husbands should love their wives as Jesus loved the church! (Eph 5:25ff)
d. She is to be honored by her husband – respected for who God made her – a co-heir in the eternal life to come.
3- Consider their wives as heirs together with them in the life to come
a. Her person is to be respected, regardless of her body
b. Husbands ought to treat their wives as heirs out of respect for them being children of God, daughters of the Father in Heaven and sisters to Jesus (Romans 8:17; Eph 3:6; Hebrews 2:11-18).
Failure to live up to this attitude of service can cause a husband’s prayer life to be ineffective. God will not stand for any man to have his prayers answered while treating his own wife with contempt and disrespect. That is hypocrisy!
1
Peter 3:8
Finally, all
of you, have unity of mind,
sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.
Holiness outside the
Home
Living in harmony with one another
The Holy Spirit, throughout this letter, has emphasized how we ought to be holy as our Lord is holy. Through Peter the Spirit has specified how this holiness ought to show itself in the many ways we relate to others: outsiders, masters, husbands, wives and now each other in the church.
Unity is a big deal:
John 17:20-23 NIV "My prayer is
not for them alone. I pray
also for those who will believe in me through their message,
21
that all of them may be one, Father, just as you
are in me and I am in you. May they also
be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the
glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: 23 I in them and you in
me. May they be brought to
complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even
as you have loved me.
Jesus spent some time praying for this. It is very important that we have unity of mind. I believe this comes by being prayer and worship, in spirit and truth. What are some things that prevent unity?
1- Indifference – lack of sympathy. Sympathy is defined as the harmony of or agreement in feeling, as between persons or on the part of one person with respect to another. It is the feeling naturally existing between persons of like tastes or opinion. If all you care for is your own agenda, dismissing everyone around you as “wrong” or “out to get you” even when they do you good, you have taken the way of Cain described in Jude 1:10-16. Out of the attitude of indifference comes tolerance of sin and evil which leads to hate and murder; never mind slander, discord and division.
2- Selfishness /Idolatry – lack of brotherly love. When we become the center of our universe as opposed to depending on God not only are we selfish, but idolatrous. At the center of idolatry is the self-worship the Spirit describes in Colossians 2:16-23, particularly verse 23. This kind of religion elevates man-made rules above brotherly love. They focus on false humility and asceticism but have no value in restraining the flesh since the focus is on self and not on the Holy Spirit. The result of this idolatry is legalistic tendencies that promote judgment and separatism. Guilt and fear are the order of the day as opposed to brotherly love that comes from sympathy, tenderness and mercy – the fruit of love and freedom in Christ that come from worshipping in spirit and in truth.
3- Cruelty/Intolerance – lack of compassion/a tender heart. Jesus attributed coldness of heart to the increase of wickedness (Matthew 24:12). As people grow more and more tolerant of sin due to the indifference and selfishness that comes from idolatry their love will grow cold. Cruelty and intolerance will mark their ways. We see this in abortions and nursing homes: young and old discarded and abandoned. There are more laws protecting the criminals than the innocent. Discord and division become more rampant due to lack of love, the unifying force. All the more reason for us to heed to word of the Spirit in this letter from Peter to be holy, as our Lord is holy. Being merciful, graceful and having compassion are all fruit of the holiness in Jesus. Notice how I said being these things, not just doing them. Just because some people can show some compassion some of the time does not make them holy. In Christ the holiness is shows across the board. In Christ we are these things, we don’t just do them. It is easier to speak of them instead of doing them. John speaks of this worldly hypocrisy (1 John 3:11-20). You know you belong to the truth when you do these things because of who you’ve become in Jesus.
4- Pride – lack of a humble mind. You’ve probably heard this expression: “I is in the middle of pride and sin…” Pride is a result of presumption. Presumption, or guessing, leads to idolatry since it comes from the heart and your own understanding which is the opposite of trusting God with all your heart (Prov 3:5). People who are proud do not accept what they cannot understand since they are wholly leaning on their own presumptions and perceptions. Their mind becomes rigid and crystallized. A person suffering from this is held captive by their own heart and mind and will not conform to Jesus since they cannot renew their mind with the word of God. Instead, they will conform to what they can understand: the world. Pride makes you fearful – fearful of people. A humble mind that conforms to Jesus is free of fear because it learns to love. Perfect love casts out all fears… (1John 4:18).
The things mentioned in this verse after “unity of mind” are the antidote to protect us from being segregated and fragmented, clinging to clusters of like-mindedness because we seek the approval of men rather than God. These four things:
1- Sympathy
2- Brotherly love
3- Compassion
4- Humility
will protect us from divisiveness. Denominationalism and/or ecumenism is not real unity. They are a compromise to truth and the unity that can only come from being in Jesus. These are the result of not being humble, compassionate, loving and sympathetic. People who stick to groups like these do so out of fear and/or ignorance, not love. These groups emphasize exclusivity, not the inclusivity that makes the Gospel be what it is – freedom in Jesus! When our focus is prayer and worship we conform to Jesus rather than to the world and we are like Him in this world:
1 John 4:15-21 NIV If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son
of God, God lives in him and he in God. 16 And so we
know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love
lives in God, and God in him. 17 In this way, love is made
complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment,
because in this world we are like him. 18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love
drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made
perfect in love. 19 We love
because he first loved us. 20 If anyone
says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his
brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. 21 And he has given us this command: Whoever
loves God must also love his brother.
Notice how the Spirit teaches here that love is made complete in us by letting go of fear. Fear is the fruit of idolatry. Freedom is the result of worshipping in spirit and in truth. Perfect love casts out all fear and shows we are one with Jesus.
John 13:34-35 NIV "A new command I
give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this all men will
know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
The world will see the difference by our love for one another. If you are not cultivating this love in your home your attempts to show this outside the home will be hypocritical and will compromise your ministry. Make sure that love reigns in your home!
1
Peter 3:9
Do not repay
evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were
called, that you may obtain a blessing.
When we strive to be holy, as our Lord is holy, filled with love and willing to suffer as our Lord did, we will not seek to avenge ourselves. Jesus never had a vengeful thought towards people while suffering under Pilate and the Pharisees.
To be a holy priest of Jesus means not being:
1. Vengeful – repaying evil for evil, seeking justice for yourself or others. “Giving them what they deserve.” Paul also wrote the same in Rom 12:17 and 1Thes 5:15. These thoughts, however proceed form the proverbs (Prov 20:22).
2. Hateful – reviling or cursing at people, even if it is in your head.
Walk with the King today and be a blessing
I remember hearing this radio show every morning as I went to work and it helped me create an attitude of ministry every day I went to work. Dr Cook’s short, deep and helpful insights from the word really made me focus and depend on the Lord. It made me pray fervently to be a blessing to everyone I was with that day. I was reminded to walk with the Lord and let Him be my King. As a result I couldn’t help but be a blessing to all around me, even if they reviled me.
Don’t let evil overcome you – overcome evil with
good.
Romans 12:19-21 ESV Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written,
"Vengeance is mine, I
will repay, says the Lord." 20 To the
contrary, "if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him
something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his
head." 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil
with good.
We are to be blessings even to our enemies. Then we will obtain the greatest blessing of being called children of God!
1
Peter 3:10-12
For
"Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips
from speaking deceit; let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace
and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and
his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those
who do evil."
Lean on the Lord in the face of evil
These verses are a quote Psalm 34: 13-17:
Psalms 34:13-17 ESV Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from
speaking deceit. 14 Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and
pursue it. 15 The eyes of
the LORD are toward the righteous and his
ears toward their cry. 16 The face of
the LORD is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the
earth. 17 When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears and delivers them out
of all their troubles.
Peter reminds the brothers that God is for those who do right. If your tongue gets you in trouble you may offend God enough that he won't hear your prayers. God is attentive to those who desire to holy. Being holy involves being able to control your tongue. Particularly here there is mention of:
1. Keeping your tongue from evil
a. Don’t slander
b. Don’t curse
c. Don’t malign
d. Don’t abuse
e. Don’t tease or joke to manipulate
2. Not speaking deceit
a. Don’t lie
b. Don’t misrepresent
c. Don’t deceive
d. Don’t be a hypocrite
James 3:6 ESV And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness.
The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire
the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.
According to the Spirit in James, the tongue is the hardest thing to control. Our speech either justifies us as hypocrites or holy, for from the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks (Luke 6:45).
James 1:19-20 ESV Know this, my beloved brothers: let every
person be quick to hear,
slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for the
anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
Always let your desire to speak be followed by an even more intense desire to listen first before anything comes out of your mouth.
Proverbs 12:13-16 ESV An evil man is ensnared by the transgression of his lips, but
the righteous escapes from trouble. 14 From the
fruit of his mouth a man is satisfied with good, and the work of a man's hand
comes back to him. 15 The way of
a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.
16
The vexation of a
fool is known at once, but the prudent ignores an insult.
Proverbs 18:2 ESV A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his
opinion.
Verbal diarrhea is not a good thing:
Proverbs 10:19 ESV When words are many, transgression is not
lacking, but whoever
restrains his lips is prudent.
Proverbs 17:28 ESV Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes
his lips, he is deemed intelligent.
The proverbs are filled with excellent advice about taming the tongue. Holiness is shown by how well you have tamed it:
1. Being slow to speak
2. Slow to anger
3. Few in words
4. Clear and concise
5. Being known for your listening skills rather than speaking
6. Overlooking insult
7. Keeping quiet
The fruit of true wisdom and good speech:
1. Turning from evil speech and deeds, which imply keeping from evil thought too
2. Pursuing peace in word, though and deed
James 3:17 ESV But the wisdom from above is first pure, then
peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and
sincere.
Someone who pursues their relationship with God will show this kind of fruit in their lives for they depend on God for everything! Depending on God will deliver you from evil for the Lord will be attentive to your prayer!
If you give in to evil, though, you risk God not wanting to even hear you. Will you receive mercy in that case?
1
Peter 3:13
Now who is
there to harm you if you are zealous
for what is good?
When you are concerned about doing good you don’t worry about pleasing people, only God! You will not fear retribution or suffering for you are doing the will of God! Only the paranoid and those who have something to hide have fear. But if you want to do the right thing God's got your back! Isn’t that awesome? He will be attentive to what you need! If God is for you then no harm will come to you for wanting to do what is right.
A person who is zealous for good, striving to be a blessing to others, will make such a tremendous impact on those around him that even non-religious people will esteem and protect him.
Much of the time those given over to worldly ways will be too preoccupied in their evil ways to go out of their way to cause us any real harm. But we, by being good, might influence them for good or even help them to accept the gospel.
World Video Bible School Commentary
1
Peter 3:14
But even if
you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled,
Since this world hates us as it hated Christ, we will often suffer in spite of doing good and showing love. That’s when you know you are doing right for you are being persecuted for your faith. This is a blessing! Don’t forget that!
Matthew 5:10-12 ESV "Blessed are those who are
persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 "Blessed are you
when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against
you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad,
for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who
were before you.
Don’t fear! God's encouragement is to rejoice when people revile you and curse you out! Be glad about it, like the apostles were when they received a brutal beating for preaching the Gospel (Acts 5:41)!
Philippians 1:28-30 ESV …and (do) not
frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of
your salvation, and that from God.
29
For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should
not only believe in him but
also suffer for his sake, 30 engaged in
the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.
It is important to remember not to be frightened by threats or vicious people. Fear of man will only cause you to lose self-control. You need to let the love of Christ control you. God's got your back if you truly are innocent and you are pursuing peace and not revenge. Let Him take care of you and be honored for suffering for Jesus. Remember, do not revile, do not curse – bless everyone because you are walking with the King!
1
Peter 3:15
but in your hearts honor Christ
the Lord as holy, always
being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the
hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,
Instead of retaliating or slandering, always be prepared to speak the Gospel
Peter is almost quoting Isaiah 8:13:
Isaiah 8:13 ESV But the LORD of hosts, him you shall honor as
holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.
Honor Jesus, God, as holy and different, not your own ways and certainly not anything else in this world!
Your profession of faith needs to be a solid conviction that has been firmly decided and planted in your heart. I usually set aside a part of my heart for some dream that I have, or something that I'm looking forward to accomplish. However, all the more I need to do this in my heart for the purpose of knowing the Lord Jesus and defending His Gospel, preparing myself to be able to deliver it with confidence – as someone who knows what he's talking about. See also 2 Timothy 2:15.
Basically, the world has taught us to fight fire with fire. Either that or if you are a non-confrontational person you back away, which is a better response. Without God, those who confront and those who back away do so out of fear of man. We need to respond in a godly way, which shows that we are honoring Jesus as Lord in our heart. Remember, out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks…
Be prepared to make a defense…
Preparation implies studying and investigating your own questions about what you may not clearly understand yourself. You are preparing your defense for every person you meet that may ask you anything about the hope you have in Jesus. You need to be ready!
Be prepared to make a defense… ESV
Be prepared to give an answer… NIV
Hetoimoi aei pros
apologian…
Being always ready for an apology…
It is where we get our word for apologetics, the field of Christian study that defends (not apologize) and proves (not excuses) the truth of the Gospel. Peter is talking about the habit of the disciple to stand up and defend the truth of Jesus:
Acts 22:1 ESV "Brothers and fathers, hear the defense that I
now make before you."
Philippians 1:7 ESV …you are all partakers with me of grace, both
in my imprisonment and in
the defense and confirmation of the gospel.
Philippians 1:15-16 ESV 15 Some indeed preach Christ from envy and
rivalry, but others from good will. 16 The latter
do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel.
The same concept having to do with clearing yourself from any wrongdoing as in:
2 Corinthians 7:11 ESV For see what earnestness this godly grief has
produced in you, but also what
eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what
longing, what zeal, what punishment! At every point you have proved yourselves
innocent in the matter.
This is the same concept used when preparing a defense before a court of law. We need to take our stand and our defense seriously since the salvation of souls may clearly depend on this. It is what our job description has become.
There is an outline available on our website that details what is involved in being prepared to make a defense for the hope in you. It is titled Christian Apologetics. Please read it carefully on your time and answer the call to the challenge!
With gentleness and respect…
When you are prepared to give an answer you will do it with gentleness and respect, since your thoughts are far from being vengeful or mean-spirited or spiteful if you are pursuing peace and holiness.
We are not to attack or disrespect the person’s beliefs, culture, traditions or philosophy. We are not to get into contentions, arguments, quarrels or shouting matches. We ought not to name-call, demonize or presume anything about someone’s character, religion or culture. You should not hot shove the truth into someone, but gently leave room for the Holy Spirit to work. Always leave the door open! Don’t close any doors! However you answer and whatever you say should be of good conscience and should leave the person thinking about the truth and your God behavior, not about your short comings.
Only someone who has devoted some time to learning the mysteries of Christ can be confident enough to deliver the gospel with gentleness and respect. Even if the opposing party becomes agitated, the Christian knows that he is working with the Spirit of God and that He is in control of the whole situation.
1
Peter 3:16
having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who
revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.
When you do things right, people will be left alone with three thoughts in their head:
· How they behaved wrongly
· The truth you spoke
· How they need that truth in their lives
You hope their shame will bring them to repent before God.
If you are not gentle and disrespect people then they will leave thinking
· About your bad behavior
· How they never want to listen to you again
· How they are right in what they think
The clear conscience comes from being equipped by thorough study of and familiarity with the material you are trying to present. It also comes from the manner in which you conduct yourself in the presentation and delivery of the message of God.
The
unanswerable argument for Christianity is a Christian life.
– World Video Bible School Commentary
1
Peter 3:17
For it is
better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing
evil.
Consider suffering for your faith an honor
We do not defend the Gospel to win arguments but to plant the seed of the Gospel; to win souls for Jesus. Most of the time you will feel like you lost the argument or conversation. You may feel defeated for trying to do right. The Spirit encourages you to not fear and not be troubled. Just be prepared to defend your faith. You cannot make anyone listen but by your good example they may be put to shame and perhaps reconsider.
God's will may be to show them that you are the real thing, God's true disciple, and that you do not conform to worldly standards but indeed you are holy. Perhaps that is how God will get their attention. If this is so it is an honor that we will suffer for the name of Jesus. Don’t suffer for being a hothead:
Proverbs 14:16-17 ESV One who is wise is cautious and turns away
from evil, but a fool is reckless and careless.
17
A man of quick temper acts foolishly, and a man of evil devices is
hated.
Remember; don’t close the doors on anyone! Leave them open because you know God is working on them and you!
1
Peter 3:18-20
For Christ
also suffered once for
sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring
us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, in which he
went and proclaimed to the
spirits in prison, because they formerly did not obey, when God's patience
waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a
few, that is, eight persons, were
brought safely through water.
Suffered once for sins...
"Once" is the great New Testament word from the Greek hapax, meaning "once for all." It is used of:
(1) Christ's coming in human form (Heb 9:26);
(2) Christ's death (Heb 9:28);
(3) the deliverance to mankind of the faith (Jud 1:3);
(4) the offering of Christ's blood in heaven (Heb 9:12, 26);
(5) the appointment to die (Heb 9:27);
(6) God's shaking the earth and the heavens so as to remove them (Heb 12:27); and
(7) the suffering of Christ for sins (1Pe 3:18).
- Coffman
That he might bring us to God…
There is significance to the one time suffering of Jesus:
Hebrews 9:24-28 ESV For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with
hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God
on our behalf. 25 Nor was it
to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every
year with blood not his own, 26 for then he
would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared
once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27 And just as it is appointed for man to die
once, and after that comes judgment, 28 so Christ, having been
offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin
but to save those who are
eagerly waiting for him.
1. Jesus has not entered a copy of a holy place, but heaven itself
2. Jesus is in the presence of God, living to intercede for the saints (Heb 7:25)
3. Jesus entered by His own blood
4. Jesus puts off the guilt of sin effectively, once and for all
a. Because He sacrificed himself
b. Because He himself suffered the cost of the sacrifice
5. Jesus’ second appearing will be to save those who eagerly wait for Him
Hebrews 7:22-25 ESV This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant. 23 The former priests were many in number,
because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, 24 but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. 25 Consequently, he is able to save to the
uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.
He is the only one who can bring us closer to God!
John 14:6 ESV Jesus said to him, "I
am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Made alive in the spirit…
It is the Holy Spirit that gives the power to resurrect:
Colossians 2:11-13 ESV In him also you were circumcised with a
circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the
circumcision of Christ, 12 having been
buried with him in baptism, in
which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of
God, who raised him from the dead.
13
And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your
flesh, God made alive
together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,
Romans 8:11 ESV If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he
who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies
through his Spirit who dwells in you.
It is by the powerful working of God through the spirit that Jesus was raised – that resurrection power also lives in those who have died with Jesus through baptism. We have been raised again to live a new life (Rom 6:3-4)!
The spirits in prison…
Through the Spirit Jesus preached in Noah. Remember what we studied 1 Peter 1:10-12?
1 Peter 1:10-12 ESV Concerning this salvation, the prophets who
prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired
carefully, 11 inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was
indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent
glories. 12 It was revealed to them that they were
serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who
preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven,
things into which angels long to look.
· The Spirit of Christ was the one working and preaching through all the prophets in the Old Testament
· The spirit of Christ was the one speaking through the apostles and prophets in the New Testament
· The Spirit of Christ is the one speaking to us through the Bible
· It was Jesus’ Spirit preaching through Noah
In Noah’s day they were not in prison, which is why Jesus was trying to reach out to them during the 100 years it took to build the ark. Since these spirits disobeyed, now they are in prison:
2 Peter 2:4 ESV For if God did not spare angels when they
sinned, but cast them into
hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the
judgment;
2 Peter 2:9 ESV then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly
from trials, and to keep
the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment,
Jude 1:6 ESV And the angels who did not stay within their
own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains
under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day--
These verses teach about hell, or more correctly, tartaroos (the name of the subterranean region, doleful and dark, regarded by the ancient Greeks as the abode of the wicked dead, where they suffer punishment for their evil deeds). This is different from the fire of Gehenna Jesus spoke of during His ministry, which probably refers to the lake of fire spoken of in Revelation – the result of the final judgment.
Tartaroos is not the final judgment, but a place of punishment until the Day of Judgment; it is a temporary place, much like Paradise. More can be learned about this from Jesus’ account of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19ff).
Were brought safely through water…
Only eight people were saved in Noah’s day through water! Water is very significant in the Bible:
·
John 4:14 ESV but whoever drinks of
the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I
will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
·
2 Peter 3:5-6 ESV For they deliberately overlook this fact,
that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by
the word of God, 6 and that by
means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished.
·
1 John 5:6 ESV This is he who came by water and blood--Jesus Christ; not by
the water only but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who
testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.
·
Revelation 22:1 ESV Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life,
bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb
We will get into more of this significance when we get to said verses in the course of our study. Let me just say now that although water destroyed the disobedient world in the time of Noah, that very water saved Him by means of the vessel God provided for them. They were saved from the dissipation of sin by the water!
Baptism, which corresponds to this,
now saves you,
not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience,
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at
the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been
subjected to him.
A "type" is something in the Old Testament which prefigured something in the New Testament (the same way Adam was a type of Christ – Rom 5:14). Noah's salvation was the type and baptism is the antitype. The "antitype," which is baptism, is what saves us now! – World Video Bible School Commentary
Baptism corresponds to the pattern, or way, God has done things in the past.
· In making the world
· In making people – the birth process
· In making souls new – the new birth – by water and Spirit
· In cleansing the world from sin
o By water, as in the flood of Noah
o By His Spirit – the Living Water – John 4:10, 14; 7:37-39
We should not be surprised that salvation in Christ is entered upon this way:
1. A new birth – by water and Spirit – John 3:5
2. A washing/cleansing by Jesus’ blood – Heb 10:22
3. An appeal for a good conscience through Jesus’ resurrection – 1Pet 3:21
4. A cutting off of the flesh – Col 2:11
5. A clothing in Christ – Gal 3:27; Rom 13:14
6.
A Gospel participation/induction/identification
in Jesus name – Rom 6:3-4; 1 Co 15:1-4
It corresponds to the pattern (tupos) of God's word. Peter specifies that it is not the outward cleansing that is meaningful but what is happening on the inside:
· The renewing of the Spirit
· The cleansing of the conscience from sinful acts
· The death of the flesh
· The resurrection to a new life!
If baptism were the washing off of the flesh, like a bath, we could immerse everyone and save them. But, this is connected with conscience.
This eliminates infant baptism! If biblical baptism is an "answer of a good conscience toward God," this would eliminate infants because infants cannot have a good conscience toward anyone. – World Video Bible School Commentary
All these can happen because of the resurrection of Jesus, because He lives to intercede for those who have come to God, calling on His name. Without the resurrection baptism is meaningless (Rom 6:3-4)!
Jesus’ name is supreme, royal and divine! There is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12):
Hebrews 10:19-22 ESV Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the
holy places by the blood of Jesus,
20
by the new and living way that he opened for us through
the curtain, that is, through his flesh,
21
and since we have a
great priest over the house of God,
22
let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean
from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
V We have confidence to enter the most sacred place
o By the blood of Jesus
o By the way he opened for us through His suffering in the flesh
o Because Jesus is our high priest and is before the throne of God, in the holiest of holies.
V We have full assurance of faith
o Because we've entered through the curtain of water
o Our bodies have been washed (immersed)
o We died with Him
o Our hearts have been cleansed by His blood
o Our conscience has been cleansed
o Now we are alive in Him!
We are not of the same people who were washed away in the flood, but descendants of the righteous man Noah and his family, descendants of Abraham, brothers of the Son of God, Jesus Christ, and children of the most high Father!
"THE
GOSPEL OF SECOND CHANCE"
Some see this verse as the gospel of "the second chance." This, however, is a false teaching. There is nothing in the rest of the Bible that would support such a theory. In fact all of the Bible's teaching is against such a theory. Nowhere in the Bible do we find anyone having an opportunity to make their lives right with God after they have died and left this earth! – World Video Bible School Commentary