First Epistle of Peter - Introduction and Chapter One
INTRODUCTION
The following is taken from the NKJV Personal Study Edition,
Nelson Publishers, 1990, 1995.
The name of Simon Peter is mentioned in the New Testament
more than any of the other disciples, and even more than the name
of the apostle Paul. This letter is the first of two epistles in
the Bible that bear Peter's name.
AUTHOR AND DATE
Some scholars have doubted that Peter wrote this letter.
They claim that the good style and extensive literary vocabulary
of the author could not have come from a Galilean fisherman.
Nevertheless, there are strong reasons for believing
that Peter is the author. The epistle contains references to
events in Jesus' life and to His words. Scholars have also
pointed out similarities between 1 Peter and Peter's speeches in
Acts.....
Peter's scribe, Sylvanus (5:12), may have been responsible
for much of the style and vocabulary. He probably applied his
editorial skills to convey the message, personality, and
apostolic authority of Peter the apostle.
It is natural to identify Peter's scribe with the Silvanus
of Paul's letters (2 Cor.1:19; 1 Thess.1:1; 2 Thess.1:1).
Silvanus is the Latin and Silos the Greek form of the same
Aramaic name. He is probably the same person as the Silas who
accompanied Paul in Acts 15-18.
First Peter was probably written shortly before the
beginning of Nero's persecution of Christians at Rome m A.D.63 or
64.....
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
The Christians who received this letter lived in Pontus,
Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia (1:1), regions located in
what is today Turkey or Asia Minor. Paul founded churches in
Galatia and Asia. However, it is possible that those addressed in
this letter lived in the northern part of Turkey or Asia Minor
and were never visited by him.
Our knowledge of these Christians is limited. Many of them
seem to have been Gentiles (see 1:18; 2:10). It appears that they
were facing persecution from non-Christians around them and
perhaps also from government officials. This epistle was written
primarily to bring them a message of hope and encouragement under
such persecution. Much of it reads like a sermon written to
remind Christians of their conversion, the privileges they have
in Christ, and the holy lives they are to live.
CONTENTS
Peter thanks God for the plan of salvation which has become
a reality in the lives of his readers (1:3-12). He exhorts them
to live holy lives (a prominent theme of the epistle), to love,
and to desire God's word (1:13-2:3). They are part of the living
temple of God founded on Christ (2:4-10).
Peter tells them how Christians should conduct themselves in
various social relationships (2:11-3:12). In every situation they
should return good for evil.
He has much to say about the sufferings of Christians and of
Christ (3:13-4:19). Christ's suffering is an example of what His
followers may well face because they do what is right; it is also
the means by which they are delivered from sin. If they continue
to follow Him, there is a sure hope of final triumph.
Peter concludes with instructions to church leaders, as well
as to Christians in general, and gives final greetings (5:1-14).
OUTLINE OF 1 PETER
1. Salutation 1:1,2
2. The Christian's sure hope 1:3-12
A. Peter gives thanks for salvation 1:3-5
B. Christians rejoice in redemption 1:6-9
C. The prophets foresaw this salvation 1:10-12
3. Christian conduct 1:13-2:10
A. Be holy 1:13-21
1. Because God is holy 1:13-16
2. Because Christ has redeemed you 1:17-21
B. Love one another 1:22-25
C. Desire God's word 2:1-3
D. Remember you are God's people 2:4-10
4. Christian social relationships 2:11-3:12
A. Christians and unbelievers 2:11,12
B. Christians under government 2:13-17
C. Christians as employees 2:18-25
D. Christians in the family 3:1-7
E. Christlikeness when wronged 3:8-12
5. Christian suffering 3:13-4:19
A. Let suffering come for doing good 3:13-17.
B. Follow Christ's example 3:18-22
C. Abstain from evil 4:1-6
D. Support each other 4:7-11
E. Rejoice in suffering 4:12-19
6. Christian leadership 5:1-5
7. Final Christian counsels 5:6-11
8. Farewell 5:12-14
CHAPTER ONE
Peter declares he is an "apostle" of Jesus Christ - apostle
simply means "one sent forth." From chapter 5:13 we see that
Peter was in faraway Babylon (and that is not some name
representing Rome as some would have you believe). Peter the
apostle did NOT establish the church in Rome as the Roman
Catholic church would like you to believe.
He writes to the "strangers" in the areas he mentions in
verse one. And that is interpreted for us in chapter 2:10-12 as
people which only now have God, so the main people he wrote to
were Gentiles, living among Gentiles.
They were ELECTED as God had indeed planned to call Gentiles
to His salvation, in the overall plan of calling and electing. We
have covered this in past chapters, where the NT church came to
see the prophets of old foretelling the calling of Gentiles to
salvation for the first resurrection at the coming of the Lord
Jesus.
The were also called or elected by the setting apart from
the Holy Spirit, and notice that was "unto OBEDIENCE" - there is
"obeying" God involved in being elected to be a Christian, and
that election includes the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus
Christ.
As the apostle Paul taught in his epistle to the Romans, you
are saved by BOTH the blood of Jesus and by His life - Romans
5:10.
The Father and Jesus as blessed (notice - nothing said about
the Holy Spirit - silent as was Paul in all of His epistles. If
the Holy Spirit is some third Personal Being of a Trinity God,
Peter obviously knew nothing about such an idea). He tells his
readers they are BEGOTTEN AGAIN, yes begotten not yet "born" -
and we have studies to prove the difference - we are as flesh and
blood Christians, BEGOTTEN of God, and we shall be BORN of God at
the resurrection. Those who understand the logic of the human
begetal and birth KNOW it is a TWO phased process. So is our
spiritual begetal and birth. I refer you to the in-depth studies
on this Website for the truth of the matter concerning the
Christian BEGETAL and BIRTH.
We are begotten again unto a LIVING HOPE by and through the
RESURRECTION of Jesus Christ from the dead. As Paul explained in
1 Corinthians 15, if Jesus had not been resurrected then our
faith would be in vain. The sure hope of the Christian is a
RESURRECTION, not some immortal soul. As Jesus is ALIVE today,
then we can be alive in the future, if we die, before the day
Jesus returns to earth.
Our inheritance is incorruptible, will never fade away, and
is now RESERVED in heaven for us. But Jesus will bring that
inheritance with Him, when He comes in glory to raise the dead
and to establish the Kingdom of God on earth. Peter does NOT say
we shall go to heaven to obtain our inheritance. We are today
kept by the power of God through faith, unto the final day of
salvation which will be revealed in the last time. At the end of
this age, glorious salvation will be openly revealed to the
world, when Jesus will return and raise His followers, the
children of God, from the dead, and change in the twinkling of an
eye from mortal to immortal, those alive at His coming (read
again
the wonderful 1 Corinthians chapter 15).
We rejoice in all of this, though for a time, in this life,
we may have troubles and trials. But the trying of our faith is
to be looked upon as a precious thing, more precious than gold
that can perish. We may go through trials that are like metal put
through the fire to purify it, but beyond it all, there will be
praise and HONOR and GLORY, at the appearing of Jesus Christ.
Peter realizes most or all of the people he is writing to,
have never seen Jesus. So it is with us today, but we still
believe, and we rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.
We know the outcome, the goal, the end result of our faith is the
salvation of our lives.
And concerning this SALVATION the prophets of old desired
and loved to look into, as it was revealed to them by the Spirit
of Christ. They were able to testify long before it happened, the
sufferings of Christ, and also the glory that should follow. They
were not just writing about things for themselves, but for US, so
the things that Peter said were NOW being reported about in his
time, were true and the good news inspired to be preached through
the power of the Holy Spirit. And so great was all this teaching
about the salvation of God, even the angels desired to look into
with wonderment (verses 1-12).
Yes, angels, must be awe-stuck at how God planned to
reproduce Himself, through human flesh and blood, how the one now
known as Jesus the Christ, was willing to come from heaven as a
member of the very Godhead, come as a human person, fight
against sin and the Devil, live a perfect sinless life, be
willing to suffer terrible death on a cross, have His blood shed
for all sins of all people from all ages. Lay dead for three days
and three nights, then be resurrected to eternal glorified life
by the Father, and go back to heaven to sit on the Father's right
hand as the interceding High Priest for God's children.
The angels must have then and so still today, be awe-stuck,
by this plan of salvation that the Godhead planned before the
world was made.
It truly is mind-bending when you stop and meditate on it
all, and as Paul said, we really look through a glass darkly at
it all, but one day we shall know as we are known. One day we
shall see the full glorified reality of it all. There is nothing
more important in your life, than to let God's Spirit lead you to
be one of His elected, to be one of His very children, to live
for Him, to serve Him, to walk with Him, to love Him with all
your heart, mind, and life. You can, if you heed His calling, can
be in the first resurrection of glory, at the very coming of
Christ Jesus.
As Peter pleads in verses 13-21.
"Wherefore gird up the loins (THOUGHTS) of your mind, be
SOBER (mentally, emotionally), and HOPE to the end for the
GRACE that is to be brought unto you at the REVELATION
(REVEALING IN GLORY) of Jesus Christ; As OBEDIENT children,
not fashioning yourselves according to the FORMER LUSTS in
your ignorance. But as He which has called you is HOLY, so
be you HOLY also in all manner of CONDUCT; because it is
written 'Be you Holy; for I am Holy'" (Lev.11:14). And if
you call on the Father, who without RESPECT OF PERSONS
judges according to everyman's work, pass the time of your
living here in fear (humble and deep respect of the Almighty
One). For you do know that you were not REDEEMED with
corruptible things, as like silver and gold, from your vain
conduct (useless and no good conduct as far as finding
salvation) received by following the traditions of your
family (parents, and associates of this world). But you were
REDEEMED by the PRECIOUS BLOOD of Christ, as of a Lamb
WITHOUT BLEMISH and WITHOUT SPOT (pure and wholesome in
every way possible, who never sinned). Who truly was
FOREORDAINED BEFORE the foundation of the world (God the
Father and He had decided before the earth was founded,
Jesus would come to earth as a human and die for the sins of
the world), but that plan came to fruition in these last
times for you and for me. Who through Him (Christ) we do
believe in God, who RAISED Him up from the DEAD, and gave
Him GLORY; that your FAITH and HOPE might be in God the
Father (verses 13-21 - my translation and amplification).
What indeed a wonderful plan of salvation God and Christ had
planned before the earth was formed. There would be a calling and
an election according to grace, a redeeming or buying back, from
sin and death, for those called and chosen. It would be done
through grace (undeserved forgiveness of sins) by the blood or
death of Jesus on the cross. And we do believe God did raise
Christ from the dead and gave Him eternal glory. And because He
lives we also can live in glory in the family of God.
Peter was confident that the people he was writing to had
purified their lives in OBEYING the TRUTH, by and through the
power of the Spirit of God, which also leads people to a sincere
love of all their brethren, and they were to continue in loving
each other with a pure heart - and they were to do it FERVENTLY,
because they had been begotten again not of corruptible seed, but
of INCORRUPTIBLE seed through the WORD of God, which lives and
abides FOREVER. Yes, God's begetting seed, the Holy Spirit and
His forever living Word in the Bible, are the agents that come
into the mind, that unite with the human mind, and DO BEGET us as
the VERY CHILDREN of God.
This BEGETAL is just as REAL as when a baby is begotten by
its physical parents. The teaching of the whole New Testament is
that God is REPRODUCING Himself, begetting flesh and blood human
beings, and so making real spirit united CHILDREN. Over and over
again, the New Testament says God, the Most High One, IS OUR
FATHER, Jesus His firstborn Son from the dead, is our ELDER
BROTHER. Jesus is not ashamed to call us His brothers (Hebrews
2). We are NOT "adopted" as God's children (which is a wrong
translation in a few verses of the NT) - we are LITERAL SONS and
DAUGHTERS of God our Father.
We are made Sons by things that will never pass away. Our
physical flesh is as the flower of the grass. The grass and its
flowers come up by they fall away, they die and are no more. But
the WORDS of God ENDURE FOREVER, and that Word of the GOOD NEWS
(the gospel) IS PREACHED UNTO YOU (verses 13-25).
Here on this RESTITUTION OF ALL THINGS Website, you are
having the very GOSPEL of Jesus Christ preached to you. You are
learning about the mysteries of God that He WANTS you to KNOW and
UNDERSTAND - the VERY PLAN OF SALVATION - the WAY INTO the very
Kingdom or Family of God. The Gospel - the good news - of the
true way to find eternal life, is here laid out before you in
plain clear language. The WAY of LIFE the Father wants you to
live, the WAY of WORSHIPPING Him, SERVING Him, SERVING YOUR
FELLOW MAN, is being expounded to you.
If you have not yet done so, you need to HUMBLY REPENT,
accept Jesus as your PERSONAL SAVIOR, come to the Father in
FAITH, be saved by His GRACE, through faith, in the reconciling
sacrifice of Christ Jesus. You need to be willing to OBEY the
Father, to now be willing to LIVE by EVERY WORD that comes from
Him to you through the pages of the Bible. You need to love the
Lord your God with all your HEART, MIND, and LIFE! On this
Website you are being taught HOW TO LIVE as a true Child of God.
Very few Christian Websites will give you the plain truth of what
God wants you to know from His word. I am at times blunt and to
the point concerning the false Christianity out there, I try to
be tactful and to do it all in love. Truth is truth, but Jesus
said you can know the truth and in so knowing, it would SET YOU
FREE. It is the greatest blessing of this life, to KNOW THE TRUTH
and to be SET FREE from lies and falsehood and religious
deceptions.
May you have the willingness and the love to search the
Scriptures daily and to come to see God's marvellous and
beautiful truths of His ever-living Word of Light.
................
Written May 2007
To be continued
  Chapter One-hundred-sixteen:First Epistle from Peter #2
CHAPTER TWO
Because we have been begotten again by the Word of God
(chapter 1:23) which is the Gospel, or good news, of how we can
enter the Family of God, Peter starts in verse one of chapter
two, to say we should then put aside all ILLWILL (malice) and all
DECEIT (guile) and PRETENCE (hypocrisy) ENVY and EVIL SPEAKING or
back stabbing with malice. Certainly a Christian needs to put
away such ways of living that many in the world follow as part of
their lives. But we have to guard ourselves, watch ourselves, for
if not careful we find we do have illwill against someone, or
envy, or malice, or play act, put on an outward show of
"religion" when in the presence of certain people, out of their
view we speak and act like many unconverted people of the society
we live in.
Verse 2 give emphasis to the milk that a new born baby
desires, and we all should know how babies desire nourishing
milk. So we should desire God's word, love it, want it, drink in
of it, desire to grow in grace and knowledge through having it as
part of our diet of living. We should indeed know that the Lord
is good and gracious, and He was the LIVING STONE, not desired by
the many in this world, but He was the CHOSEN ONE, and PRECIOUS
in God's sight, and should be in our sight (verses 3 and 4).
We, the children of God, are also living stones, built up as
a spiritual house. We are a holy priesthood to God, to offer up
spiritual sacrifices, and we are through Jesus Christ very
acceptable to the Father.
THE CHIEF PRECIOUS STONE, was foretold in the Scriptures:
"Behold, I lay in Zion, a CHIEF CORNER stone, ELECT, PRECIOUS,
and he that believes on him shall not be condemned" (Isaiah
28:16).
In verses 7 and 8, Peter draws is specific difference
between those that believe on the precious stone and those who
have stumbled over that stone (Christ). The difference is
"DISOBEDIENCE" - yes, those who have stumbled over the stone
which the builders rejected, have showed their folly by being
DISOBEDIENT to the WORD of God. Those who have accepted the
precious stone, to them that stone Christ is the HEAD of the
corner. He is the head of the church building. There is OBEDIENCE
or DISOBEDIENCE in the accepting or rejecting of God, His Word,
and Christ. Most Christians realize, when push comes to pull, or
when common human logic is used, that to live as a child of God
you must OBEY that God, and His Word tells us HOW to obey Him,
how we should live our day to day lives. The main reason people
get into the posture of teaching the crazy argument that you do
not have to obey the Most High one, is when they are told the
Almighty has a law of a Sabbath days rest, they just do not want
to stop working or doing their own thing on the Sabbath day. But
as Peter here points out, those who will not accept THE precious
stone (Christ) and God the Father, reject them because they want
to be DISobedient to them, they want to live, speak, and think,
their way, and do not want a God telling them HOW they should
live and think.
But Peter says, to the Christians he is writing to (and to
Christians since his time), they are a CHOSEN GENERATION, a ROYAL
PRIESTHOOD, an HOLY NATION (people), a PURCHASED people (margin
of KJV), and that they should show forth the VIRTUES (margin KJV)
of Him who has called them out of DARKNESS into His MARVELLOUS
LIGHT. We were once not the people of God, but NOW WE ARE. We had
NOT obtained mercy, but NOW HAVE obtain MERCY (verses 9-10).
What POWERFUL verses, what a HIGH STANDARD they hold up for
the people of God. How anyone can think, after reading these
verses that being a child of the Father means you can live any
old way you like, is to me incredulous to contemplate. Paul said,
"Let this mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus" (Philippians
2:5). To have the MIND of Christ will mean you will want to obey
and do the will of the Father, that you will think and act as He
wants you to think and act, which will be based upon His Word
contained in the Holy Bible.
We are PURCHASED with the very blood of Christ to be a Holy
people, a Royal Priesthood, of the very highest order imaginable,
to the very height of God the Father.
As the apostle Paul admonished in his epistles, so does
Peter in verse 11. He beseeches his readers, whom he calls
strangers and pilgrims (and we are in this world, strangers to
the ways of the world, and as pilgrims we look towards the age to
come and the Kingdom of God on earth), to ABSTAIN from fleshly
LUSTS, which are ever warring against our lives. The attraction
to follow the world, to do what they do, to speak as they speak,
to lust as they lust, is all around us, even more so in today's
society. Sexual immorality is everywhere, especially on TV and on
the big screen movie theatres. Fornication (sexual intercourse)
before marriage is common-place, if you have not had sexual
intercourse before marrying, you are looked upon not only as some
freak, but as crazy for not indulging in such pleasures of the
flesh. Living together with your boyfriend or girlfriend (once in
a purer world, known as "shacking up") is so common today it is
probably thought of by the younger generation as a part of a
natural growing up.
There also many other forms of fleshly lusts, more and more
money, bigger and more expensive homes, cars, boats, holidays,
bigger TVs and expensive sound equipment. There is nothing sinful
per se in any of those things, but today far too many people lust
after such things, they just do not seem to be able to live
without them, or be content with ones that are not the big
expensive ones. And people have a harder time to draw the line
and say enough is enough. Far too many children in the Western
world at least, are spoiled rotten, the "things" they have as
birthdays and Christmas' go along is truly astonishing. The
material world is constantly pushing pushing and still more
pushing at us from every corner, from fliers that are ever coming
into our mail box, to TV ads, to glitzy store signs and street
and highway signs.
Today there are more lusts of the flesh all around us, than
ever before in human history. If it was true in Peter's day (and
it ever has been for lusts are part of human nature) it surely is
more so today in our 21st space age technology and immorality
age.
We Christians are to live among the nations of the world in
such a way, that even when they may speak evil against us, to the
point of calling us evil (the abortionists would call us evil for
not agreeing with them that every woman has the right to
abortion, and paid for by the state or taxpayers), they will
openly see our good works, and when God comes in the day of
visitation and judgment on this earth (and/or in the day when
they are called to the truth and salvation) they will GLORIFY
God, knowing they witnessed true godliness in the lives of
Christians they once thought of as evil (verse 12).
Verses 13-17 have at times been misunderstood. Paul said
much of the same thing in one of his epistles. We covered that,
but it is again important that I once more clarify such verses.
Some have thought from these verses that a Christian is to be a
foot mat, a door mat, for all governments and those in state or
county authority, to trample all over. Some have thought a
Christian is to be a nice wet dish-cloth to be used any-old-way
by those in authority. If we read the Bible from cover to cover,
we shall soon see that nothing could be further from the truth.
One main key for Christians of all nations and ages is found in
Acts 5:29. God's way of life and His commands come BEFORE any
body of men, be it local or national. Then we have Paul, a Roman
citizen appealing to the highest court of the Roman Empire, when
he felt he needed to. That is all covered in the last chapters of
the book of Acts.
When national governments are based upon good decent laws,
when they uphold laws that are mainly in line with many of the
laws of God (read again Romans 2:14-15 to get the picture of what
I'm saying), then indeed respect should be shown towards them,
and they are then also acting as stewards of God in the sense
that they do punish evil-doers, who are breaking laws that God
would agree are good laws to have in any society. God would fully
agree that going out and murdering the fellow down the street for
the money he has in his wallet, is an evil act that needs to be
punished. Having a speed limit for cars etc. on the streets and
highways, to protect people from getting seriously injured and
even killed, is a good law, that God would agree with.
What Peter (and Paul) is teaching is that a Christian needs
to be a respectable citizen when living in a respectable nation.
Many do not realize that in the first century A.D. ROME .... the
ROMAN EMPIRE, was a pretty respectable place overall. They
allowed the Jews to FULLY practice their religion, to have their
Temple, their Temple priesthood, their sacrificial system, their
national Festivals, their weekly Sabbath, and local synagogues,
and FREEDOM to travel (remember Pentecost of Acts 2 - read it
again, notice the freedom of travel). All the Roman Empire asked
was that the Jews be RESPECTABLE people, good citizens of Rome,
and if they were, they had all the religious freedom they could
wish for, and they could use the courts of Rome if they needed
to, as the apostle Paul did, as covered in the last chapters of
Acts.
So people who in the main, should be respected and honored,
then respect and honor should go to them. A Christian is not to
use his freedom in Christ and freedom under the nation he lives
in, to use that freedom as a liberty for a cloak of maliciousness
and evil doing. We are not of this world, our world is above in
heaven, we are not to be trying to topple governments of this
world by the use of evil and sinful ways, to bring about what we
may claim is "God's government." God will bring His government to
this world in due time, in His time, and in His way (and the
prophets of old and the book of Revelation tell us HOW He will do
that).
It is like this, there is NO WAY this passage of Scripture
can apply to that government brought in by ADOLF HITLER in the
1930s and the terrible EVIL done on the world by Hitler and his
Nazi government. No Christian can respect that type of a leader,
king, ruler, or whatever title you want to give Hitler. It is
beyond all sensible logic to ever think this passage of God's
word applies to people like Hitler and his government (and to
some others that have come and gone since the time of Hitler).
What can a Christian do if they find themselves living under
such evil men as Hitler? They can either stand up for the right,
shout it loud and clear, realizing that it may cost them their
lives, or they can FLEE!! Get the heck out of that country or
Empire. Many people did EXACTLY those two things when Hitler came
to power and started his evil upon the Jews and the rest of the
world. I suppose there is a third way that Christians can act
under such as a Hitler, they can secretly and STRONGLY disagree
but choose to stay and try to secretly save the lives of those
coming under evil persecution (knowing in so doing they may be
found and have to die for what they did). Many during Hitler's
rule and the Second World War, did just that, they secretly
worked at saving the lives of many Jews. One of the great movies
made on the sacrificial life of such people is called
"Schindler's List" - if you have never seen it, make sure you
rent or borrow it (from someone who has it) and watch it.
No such person as a Hitler, or any such government under
such a king or ruler, needs to be respected. Respect and honor
must be earned. Peter is teaching that Christians by and large
are to be good respectful citizens within a nation or Empire that
deserved to be respected. At that time in history, the Roman
Empire granted full religious freedom to those under its rule,
and that alone should deserve some respect and honor.
Servants, people working for others are to be respectful and
subject (again remember Acts 5:29) to their employer, even if
some hard nosed fellows to work for. If you suffer wrongfully
because you obey God, be thankful that you are suffering for that
which is godliness. If you are doing your work wrongly and you
patiently endure grief because of it, that is no real blessing or
big deal, there's no feather in your cap for that, but if you DO
WELL and you suffer for it, then in God's eyes that is very
acceptable and well pleasing to Him.
Again, this does not teach that a Christian MUST continue
working for such hard-boiled-eggs of employers. A Christian can
decide to find another job, move along, catch the wagon train and
head out somewhere else. But in the meantime, they need to be
willing to suffer the wrong while doing the right.
Peter goes on to say, that such suffering for wrong while
doing the right, is part of our calling. Christ also suffered
wrong, while doing the right. He set us then the example, and we
as His followers must follow His example. He did not sin, evil
speaking did not come from His mouth. When He was reviled He did
not revile back. When He suffered He did not shout threats of
revenge and "I'll get even with you someday - you can be assured
of that" type of mouthings off. He simply put it all in God's
hands knowing God would take care of such people in His time and
His way. Jesus bore our sins on the tree, and as we can have our
sins forgiven, be dead to sin so to speak, we should then live
unto righteousness. And it is by the stripes Jesus took on His
body that we can also be healed. We were as sheep going astray,
lost, but now we have been found. God the Father has found us,
called us, and returned us to THE Shepherd and Bishop (overseer)
of our lives (verses 18-25).
God has certainly healed us spiritually through Christ
Jesus, we have our sins forgiven through His life and death. Even
many times we are healed from our physical sickness through the
body of Christ. We have been restored to a oneness with the
Father through Christ. We are to be willing to suffer and take
some abuse from people at times. There are times we just need to
continue doing what is right, not seeking revenge, while people
are doing evil towards us. This is the example Jesus left us, as
He also suffered wrongly at times for doing what was right.
God will take care of it, WHEN and HOW he sees fit. Twice in
my life I came to know how God judges righteously, and both
times, I can tell you it can make the hair on your head stand up.
The first time was a man who became the head manager of the place
I worked for. I knew him for years before, in a casual way (as I
was not in his department directly). After he became head of all
the departments, he made it known he did not like me and was
going to gun me down as they say. He disliked my religion. I
finally left that company and moved on. It was years later that I
heard he had to have both legs amputated because of whatever
problems led to that, and he died from it all.
The second example is even more dramatic. I still have
goose-bumps thinking about it. I was done much evil by a man in
one of the church congregations I was attending for about 6
months while living in Florida. He and his wife were doing much
evil to the whole congregation - it was quite the mess. The whole
church was in an emotional mess. I tried to go brother to
brother as Jesus said we should. I even wrote a letter to him and
his wife to try and mend the situation. It was all to no avail. I
finally had no choice but to say to the Lord, "I've done what I
can Lord, I must now leave it all in your hands. You know this is
evil I am suffering for doing and living the right."
I left Florida and returned to Canada for about 9 months.
Then returned for a few weeks to holiday and visit the same
church. What a difference as soon as I walked across the parking
lot and entered the building. There was PEACE, FRIENDLINESS, and
I received a loving and warm welcome. One of the now leading men
said to me, "Have you not heard Keith?" "Heard what?" I replied,
"I've heard nothing from the day I left 9 months ago," I
continued. "Well, ....(I've left his name out) shortly after you
left, he came down with cancer from head to toe, died a terrible
death, within a few months. His wife, you'd never know her now,
she is humble and quiet as a mouse in the congregation." And it
was so, the man's wife was there, but you'd never have know it.
The transformation in her attitude was like night is from day.
I still get chills up my spine just relating this to you.
I've never asked the Lord, since that day, to take care of a
situation where someone was doing evil to me for living the
right. I'm to afraid as to how the Lord may judge righteously -
He can be a fearsome God at times, the Old Testament is full of
examples to show us that.
On the other hand He is our loving, seeking Father, who goes
after us, finds the lost, and brings us to His dear Son who is
the Shepherd and overseer of our souls. Praise and honor and
glory be to Him.
.......................
Written May 2007
To be continued
 Chapter One-hundred-seventeen:First Epistle from Peter #3
Chapter One-hundred-seventeen
First Epistle from Peter
CHAPTER THREE
Peter has just finished taking about submitting to Jesus as
our example when wrong is done towards us. He now, for a few
verses talks to the wives. He tells them they have a role of
submission to their husbands. The Greek word is translated in the
KJV as "subjection" - it happens to be a Greek word that is a
military term, and means "to submit" under the thought as I
stated of the military. We already know that a child of god is to
obey the Lord before the commands of men, if obeying man would
mean we disobey God. The Most High ALWAYS comes FIRST! We know
that from the whole Bible, and from the New Testament verses I
have quoted already in the last chapter. So we now understand
this submission from wives towards their husband, as a
willingness to please and serve their husbands in what they may
ask or request, as long as it does not mean we disobey God's will
and commandments.
If the husband is not a Christian, then the CONDUCT of the
wife could very well lead to their husband becoming a Christian.
The wife should not try to convert their husband with clever
theological debating, or nagging at him about accepting the Lord.
Peter says it is chaste conduct coupled with godly fear or
respect (towards God and towards their husband). Peter is of
course putting all this into the context that their husband is a
respectable and quote "good" man, as the world thinks of as
"good." Peter is not talking about wives who have abusive
(mentally or emotionally or physically, or all three) husbands.
That would be a different matter to consider and instruct on. But
wives who have nice good husbands, though unconverted, should
give respect to their husband, submit, where it does not lead to
disobeying God, and should try to win them for Christ with their
CONDUCT, not their clever religious arguments. I have personally
witnessed that way of life winning over wives' husbands to
Christianity. And you must remember the time frame of winning a
husband over to Christ, is in the time frame of God, not
yourself. You must be patient, live correctly as God would have
you live, and put the calling of your husband in the Lord's hands
(verses 1-2).
Verse three has been used by some religious groups to teach
that women should not wear make-up, or jewelry, or have fancy
hairstyles. They teach "the plainer the better" is the better for
the Lord, and is doing His will.
Again I will say, this kind of teaching is reading the Bible
with tunnel vision or putting on horse side-blinders (so the
horse cannot see what is beside him - so no distractions can
upset him). When we read the whole Bible we can find many
passages where God's people, the women of the Lord, did wear
jewelry, and at times, for the right situation, did dress quite
fancy indeed. I have covered this subject at length with studies
on Make-up and Jewelry on this Website.
Even within this verse itself, we have proof that Peter was
not talking against make-up and jewelry per se. For if he was
condemning fancy hair styles, jewelry, and make-up, then he was
at the same time condemning "or of putting on of apparel." Hence
maybe the into "nudist camps and sea-side nudist beaches" have a
point.
Peter is actually using a type of a figure of speech. How
this verse should be read and understood is: "Whose adorning let
it NOT ONLY be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of
wearing of gold, and of putting on of apparel. BUT IN THE MAIN
let it be the hidden man of the heart, that which is not
corruptible, even of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the
sight of God of greater price."
This type of figure of speech is used by other writers of
other NT books. I cover, with examples, all this in the studies
on Make-up and Jewelry.
Of course the MAIN and MOST IMPORTANT thing to God is that a
woman be meek and have a loving easy soft going spirit of mind
and heart. That kind of character in a woman is of much GREATER
price to the Lord than any fancy clothes, hair style, make-up or
jewelry she could ever put on. So the emphasis is on THAT great
price while NOT condemning the outward appearance of a well
dressed and modest use of the physical things that add to making
a woman a woman. God made the female to be naturally pleasant and
attractive to the male mind. It is the use of that
attractiveness, how and when and where, that the woman of God
needs to use wisdom and judgement. Certainly, make-up, jewelry,
clothes, etc. can be used in the wrong manner, but that can also
apply to men. The Bible and God teaches over and over again,
MODERATION IN ALL THINGS. The books of PROVERBS and ECCLESIASTES
are full of the wisdom of BEING and DOING the right things at the
right time in the right place, in all the life of a child of God.
If you have questions in your mind about verses 3 and 4 then
you need to study the studies on this Website under "make-up" and
"jewelry."
Peter goes to the examples in the "old time" of the women of
God. The main character they had was they adorned themselves with
that which is incorruptible, the nature of God, with meekness and
a soft lovely spirit. they also respected their husbands, willing
to serve them, seeking to do what pleased their husbands within
the laws of God. And even at times, doing what Sarah did at
times, calling Abraham her husband "lord" or we may say "sir" or
"yes dearest" or whatever else comes to your mind that shows not
just love but love with respect.
Peter says such an attitude of the Christian woman will
stand them in the same company as Sarah, as long as it is coupled
with a conduct of life that is "doing well" and with no trembling
fearfulness. God wants this overall character of His female
children to be with ease, peaceful rest, contentment of mind and
loving heart.
Women have in the past ages have been looked upon by the
male as the soft gentler sex, in just about every way. So should
it be, God wants that attitude of mind from the women of the body
of Christ, and I guess especially from the wives, because they
will have such an impact on the future generations they help
raise, as most of them will become mothers of children.
I was blessed with having a mother that was such a good
influence on my life, in so many ways. I think it was through her
I learnt that it was fine for a boy/man to cry at times. My
mother and I (all through my growing up years) would sit and
watch those sentimental movies, just good love stories that they
still produce from time to time even today. We would sit there
and let the tears flow. She also taught and showed me how a woman
should have love and respect for her husband - my Dad. They had
53 years of married life together, and were still the best of
friends and sweethearts until she died from a strange painless
cancer, which took us all by surprise.
Peter does not forget to pass on some sound instruction to
the husbands in verse 7. A husband is to dwell with their wife
according to KNOWLEDGE. Yes, they should try to understand how a
woman "ticks" - what makes the female "psyche" - women are "wired
up" in many ways in the brain different than men. So this should
also apply to women - they also should acquire the knowledge of
how men "tick over" as we say.
Two recent books (recent in 2007 as I write this) I can
highly recommend for acquiring the knowledge of HOW men and women
motor along in their inner lives of the natural nature we are
created with are: FOR MEN ONLY - a straightforward guide to the
inner lives of women - by Shaunti and Jess Feldhahn, published by
Multnomah, Sisters, Oregon, USA. And: FOR WOMEN ONLY - what you
need to know about the inner lives of men - by Shaunti Feldhahn,
Multnomah publishers.
Very fine books indeed, for both husband and wife to well
with each other according to knowledge. If those books become one
day out of print, hopefully your Public Library will have them.
Husbands are to give HONOR to their wife as unto the
physically weaker, but certainly not mentally or emotionally
weaker. In some ways different mentally and emotionally, but you
could hardly say weaker - different yes, but not weaker. And a
woman can be just as strong spiritually as a man, so Peter must
have had in mind that women are generally the weaker physically
than men, and so respect should be shown. And that respect is
give more emphasis by Peter when he states that BOTH husband and
wife are HEIRS together of the GRACE of life - salvation is on
equal footing for both.
He ends his thought on this instruction to men that if they
remember these things their prayer will not be hindered. It will
keep them in the right mind-set that is pleasing to God, and so
the union they have with the Lord will have "clear sailing" as we
say.
To finish his thoughts off on this section of instruction,
Peter says, "Finally, all of you be of one mind, having
compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted,
be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for
reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were
called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. For:
'He who would love life and see good days, Let him refrain 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 prayers; but the face of the Lord is against those who
do evil.'" (verses 8-12).
Peter quoted Psalm 34:12-16 to give emphasis to what should
be the godly person's way of life. Such right living has always
been the teaching of the Lord. Basic and simple, yes as Paul once
said, "The simplicity that is in Christ Jesus." We are to be
loving people, kind, tender, merciful, courteous, careful with
our language and what comes out of our mouth, and doing good to
those who do evil to us. We need to be a peaceful people, have an
overall attitude of wanting to live in peace with those around
us. We should live and talk so others say that they are happy to
know us.
It is true that we may not win everyone, some, because of
our faith, living the Christian life, and believing what we
believe, may dislike us, even hate us, and do evil towards us.
Peter says that if we suffer for righteousness' sake, we should
be happy, and should not fear their terror they may do to us. We
should sanctify the Lord in our hearts, and when needed be ready
to give an answer to every man that asks us a reason for the hope
that is in us. We should give our answer in humbleness and fear (
margin: reverence). We need to have a good conscience, that,
whereas they speak evil of us, as if we are evildoers, they may
in the end be ashamed of themselves, those who accuse us falsely
in our conduct of life as we follow Christ.
It is better (if the will of God is that we suffer from
those who say we are evil) to suffer for well doing, than for
actual evil doing.
Christ also suffered once for the sins of the world, the
holy just One, for the unjust, that He might bring us to God the
Father. He was put to death in the flesh, being a human being,
but He was made immortally alive by the Spirit (God used His
Spirit of power to resurrect Jesus from the dead - verses 14-19).
Verses 19 and 20 have been used to try and prove Jesus had
an immortal soul, and though His body was put to death, He
Himself was still alive, and went to the under-world to preach to
the evil spirit being.
When you understand the truth of the Bible that it teaches
no such doctrine as the immortal soul, and so Jesus was indeed
very dead for 3 days and 3 nights (72 hours - Matthew 12:40) then
you can understand correctly verses 19,20. It should read this
way:
"By which (the Spirit) He went and preached unto the spirits
in prison (a limit placed on them - see also 2 Peter 2:4) [which
sometime were disobedient] WHEN once the long suffering of God
waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing,
wherein few, that is, eight lives were saved by water."
WHEN did Jesus preach to the evil spirits? Not while He was
dead for 3 days and 3 nights, but He preached to the fallen
angels IN THE DAYS OF NOAH, while Noah was building the Ark.
Ah, this verses also proves Jesus was alive before He came
to this earth as a human person. A member of the Godhead, through
the power of the Spirit of God, came and preached to the fallen
angel spirit beings when Noah was building the Ark. What He
preached to them we can only guess. Probably, one thing He told
them, was that they only had a certain length of time, and then
they would be judged, receive their punishment, as the evil
people in Noah's days were going to have their punishment. But
Peter does not tell us what Jesus preached to them, we can only
speculate as to what the preaching contained.
One third of the angels rebelled at some point in the past,
and were cast to this earth, as a type of prison, until their
judgment day. You can find the truth about that great rebellion
in studies on this Website.
Peter likens the water of Noah's day to water baptism of
Christians. but the saving of Christians is not the water as
such, but it is the symbolism of the water that we are put under.
The going under the water in baptism is in a figure, the putting
away of the sins of the flesh, and a rising to a good conscience,
a better way of life towards God, which is given to us by the
resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is now in heaven at the right
hand of the Father, with all angels and all authorities and
powers being made subject to Him (verses 21-22).
Jesus had said to His disciples in the Gospels, that if He
did not go away (go back to heaven) then the Holy Spirit would
not come. But He would go back to heaven and He would send the
Holy Spirit. Coming through water baptism, coming up from the
water, represents the new life of a Christian, the life of the
risen Christ, a life filled with the power of the resurrected
Jesus, through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The risen
Christ who now has all authority subject to Him, will come into
those who accept Him as their Savior, who repent, who believe in
faith, who go under the water of baptism, and who rise up from
that water, having put away sins through Jesus' death for
sinners. And who through Jesus' life, as He now lives at the
Father's right hand, will have a good conscience, a good conduct
of living towards God the Father.
The symbolism of baptism is the reality of the saved
Christian. The apostle Paul spent time expounding the symbolism
of water baptism in Romans 6. The reader may want to reexamine
that chapter before continuing with chapter 4 of 1 Peter.
.....................
Written May 2007
To be continued
  Chapter One-hundred-eighteen:First Epistle from Peter #4
Chapter One-hundred-eighteen
First Epistle from Peter #4
Chapter Four and Five
CHAPTER FOUR
Peter is pretty straight-forward in the first number of
verses, to admonish Christians to put away sin. The NKJV
translates it thus:
"Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm
yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in
the flesh has ceased from sin, that he no longer should live the
rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the
will of God. For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in
doing the will of the Gentiles - when we walked in lewdness,
lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable
idolatries. In regards to these, they think it strange that you
do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking
evil of you. They will give an account to Him who is ready to
judge the living and the dead. For this reason the gospel was
preached to those who are dead, that they might be judged
according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the
spirit."
Jesus died to save sinners, to forgive sin, and to be raised
to sinless immortal life. And those who belong to Christ are then
to not live as they did before, in any manner they wanted to, but
should now live according to the will of God. And the will of God
is found in reading His word, as written in the Holy Bible. The
world at large may think your new life and way of living is
crazy, and speak of you with evil intent. But God will eventually
judge all, those still living and those who have died.
The Gospel was preached to those now dead, so they could
change their way of life to be in accord with God. The
unconverted world judged them as religious nuts when they
accepted Christ as their personal Savior, but that did not
matter, for they knew God judged them as His children, and
eternal life through the Holy Spirit will belong to them when it
is all said and done.
Anyone reading the New Testament should be able to see quite
easily that being with God, being on God's team, means putting
away the conduct of life that is not approved by God, that is
unrighteousness, that is sin. And the books of the apostles John
and James make it clear to see that sin or unrighteousness is
that which is breaking the laws, commands, and teachings of the
Most High.
Those on God's side know that they do not have to be
concerned with what and how man judges them. They know they need
to be concerned about how God judges, for eternal life can only
come from Him (verses 1-6).
Peter at this time of the first century believed the end of
all things, the prophecies of old and the new age to come, was AT
HAND. So his warning that Christians should be serious and
watchful in prayer (verse 7). I suppose this is a living verse
for all ages, as the end of all things is as close as our death.
Most of us never know when our time is up on this earth in the
physical flesh, so indeed we need to be sober, serious in our
faith, and watchful in our prayers.
Peter now relates some nuts and bolts of what our active
faith should consist of.
"Above all things have fervent love for one another, for
love will cover a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another
without grumbling. As each one has received a gift, minister it
to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If
anyone speaks let him speak as the oracles (margin - utterances)
of God. If anyone ministers (serves) let him do it with the
ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be
glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the
dominion (margin - sovereignty) forever and ever. Amen" (verses
8-11).
Love will overlook wrongs and sins of people that may be
done to us. There are some sins that people do to us that just
need to slide off us like water off a ducks back. Yes there maybe
times also that we need to apply the instruction of Jesus as in
Matthew 18:15-17. Then there are times that the wrong or sins
done towards us need to be ignored, they are not going to hurt
anyone else, they are not going to effect anyone else, they will
just effect our ego, and we need to cover our ego with love. Of
course we need to have wisdom (and we have seen James cover the
topic of asking for wisdom) as to when to apply Matthew 18:15,
and when to let love cover sins.
Also, if we are a merciful person, willing at times, to let
love cover sins, we shall also be shown mercy from our Heavenly
Father. The love and mercy we show others will be in measure the
love and mercy God will show us. It is as Jesus taught, "If you
do not forgive men their sins, neither will God forgive you your
sins." It is the principle that we receive what we give, we reap
what we sow, we harvest what we plant.
We are to be a hospitable, kind, giving, people to each
other, and to do it all without grumbling, the attitude of mind
is important to God. We can have an outwards conduct of being
hospitable, kind, a serving person to others, but inside our mind
and heart we are doing it all with resentment, a "gritting our
teeth" in a wrong attitude while we are trying to be hospitable.
God sees the heart and mind, we may fool others, but the Lord can
never be fooled.
If we have a gift, an ability, a talent, we are to use it to
serve others, as being a good steward of the grace of God who
gave us that gift. If could be a "natural" gift, one that we were
born with, or an ability that we acquired sometime during our
life time. Either way, we need to be using that gift to help and
serve others. I acquired the skill and ability to be an
Orthopaedic Shoemaker and Orthotic maker (Arch-support maker in
common language) as a young man in my early 20s. I have used that
skill to serve people with foot problems. I was musically
inclined from birth, and started to learn to play the Guitar from
age 11. I went on to play the Steel Guitar, the Banjo, Mandolin,
Bass guitar, Classical guitar, and have been using that skill now
for 32 years (as I write this in May 2007) to teach others to
play those instruments. I have a natural ability with horses,
training and riding, both English and Western style, so I have
used (still am at this point in my life) that ability to serve
others (young and old) in their quest to enjoy horses and ponies.
Whatever your gift or gifts are, God through the apostle
Peter, says you are to minister or serve others with that gift.
You hear about skilled doctors or surgeons donating their time
and talent to go and help people in poor nations, who could never
afford to buy their service. That type of giving is very pleasing
in God's sight. Maybe not all are in the position to give ex
number of weeks or months to serve as those doctors can, but in
one way or another we can all figure out how to serve with our
gifts and acquired abilities.
If we speak, as most of us can and do, we should speak all
things as with the mind-set that we speak words that are pleasing
to God, as if God is giving the utterances. We are back to what
James wrote about the tongue, which we have studied when going
through the book of James. We need to watch what comes out of our
mouth in the words we speak. We need to put our mind in gear
before our tongue rattles off, going at a mile a minute down the
road.
Whatever way we can minister or serve in, we need to be
doing it harnessed with the power and mind of God, that in all of
our serving, it is God, through Jesus Christ, that is getting the
glory.
Peter now shifts back to the subject of the Christian going
through various sufferings (verses 12-19).
We Christians are not to think it a strange thing that we
may have to suffer or go through trials and hardships, as even
through fire at times. We are to rejoice, knowing that Christ
also suffered. Living and doing that which is righ.
The way and will of God, sometimes will bring hardships, trials, and
persecutions from the world at large. Some of us suffer these
things more than others. We really do not fully know how the deck
of cards will be handed out to us. It is only a relatively few,
like the apostle Paul, who are told in advance the hardships and
sufferings they will go through as they serve the Lord and preach
and teach the Gospel. Very few of us are called to be an apostle
Paul. But if fiery trials do come upon us for being a Christian
and doing God's will, we are to remember our Lord and Savior also
went through fiery trials, so it should not be that strange to us
that we may also face such trails.
We are to remember that Jesus stuck with it and was
glorified with immortal life, and if we also stick with it, we
shall also share in glorified immortal life.
If we are insulted or reviled (margin of NKJV) for being a
Christian, we are to count it a blessing, for the Spirit of glory
rests upon us. They may blaspheme God, but He is glorified
through us remaining faithful to His calling and way of life.
We are certainly not to suffer as evil doers, as murderers,
as a thief, as a busybody in other people's matters. There is no
glory in suffering for the wrongs, sins, evils, that our human
nature can possibly do. On the other hand, if we suffer for
simply being a Christian, and doing God's will, we are not to be
ashamed, but we should glorify God that we can suffer for Him.
We, the children of God, are being watched all the time by
our Father in heaven. We are then in that sense, being judged how
we are living as a Christian, as a child of God. We are expected
to live and act and think differently than the rest of the
un-called world. The standard is held very high, you cannot have
a standard any higher than the Most High One.
Peter say the same claim Jesus made in the Gospels. When one
came to Him and asked if many would be saved, Jesus said, the way
was straight and narrow to eternal life, but broad was the way to
destruction, and few there would be that would keep on the
straight and narrow. Jesus said that many would say "Have we not
done this in your name, have we not worked miracles in your name,
were you not preached in our local community?" Jesus will say to
them, "I never knew you, depart from me, you that work
lawlessness."
Notice the sobering words, "If the righteous one is scarcely
saved, where will the ungodly and the sinner appear" (NKJV).
It does not mean that sin cannot be forgiven, of course not.
It is written, "God so loved the world that He sent His only
begotten Son, that whosoever believes on Him, should not perish,
but have eternal life." All can be forgiven their sins through
Jesus Christ. What Peter is bringing out is the other side of the
coin, the side Jesus also brought out during His ministry. Being
saved means living the way and will of God, having the mind-set
to OBEY God, having the mind that will be teachable, be
corrected, be willing to grow in grace and knowledge. It is the
willingness to STAY on the straight and narrow RIGHT TO THE END!
Being a true child of God, does not mean you can now fall asleep,
coast along, put up your feet and snooze away, saying, "Oh
hummmm, it's all done for me, I can rest and sail along, live as
I please, think as I like, speak as I want .... Oh hummmmm, I'll
sigh .... oh hummmm."
No, remaining faithful to God's calling, takes some effort,
it really is the straight and narrow, it really is obeying God to
the end, and for Peter to get this across to his readers (and as
Peter was inspired, it is really God getting it across to His
children) he put it as "If the RIGHTEOUS one is SCARCELY SAVED,
where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?"
These words should be sobering to all Christians. Remaining
faithful as a true follower of Christ takes some effort, some
fortitude. Now God gives us all the power of the Holy Spirit to
serve us in remaining faithful to the end. He gives us all the
armor (Ephesians 6) 10-18) we need to fight the good fight, but
we have our part to do, we must take the armor and make use of
it. Paul said to Timothy "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the
race, I have kept the faith. Finally there is laid up for me the
crown of righteousness ..."
It is in that sense that the righteous one is scarcely
saved.
Peter ends chapter 4 with, "Therefore let those who suffer
according to the will of God, commit their lives to Him in doing
good, as to a faithful Creator."
I want you to notice a very important phrase here. It is
"suffer according to the WILL of God."
Some mistakingly believe and teach that suffering for a
Christian is AUTOMATIC. And if you never suffer or never have
persecution, and whatever else people may think is suffering, you
are not really a true Christian. That is NOT TRUE! It is
according to the WILL of God. There are and have been, many a
true Christian down through the ages who have gone through living
a godly life, who have had VERY LITTLE, some would even say, NO
suffering (sure the word "suffering" can have different meanings
for different people). The apostle Paul went through many
sufferings as the book of Acts brings out, but the apostle John
it would seem had little "sufferings" as the like of Paul, and
lived to a ripe old age, falling asleep in death, from what we
can gather from history, of natural causes.
Suffering for the sake of Christ is for the WILL of God to
decide, IF and WHEN and WHAT it will be.
CHAPTER FIVE
Peter now talks to the Elders of the Church of God, as one
himself, and also one of those who were witness to the sufferings
of Christ, and one who will partake in the glory to be revealed.
Elders are to SHEPHERD the flock of God, as an OVERSEER. A
shepherd loves his sheep, he cares for them, serves and protects
them, he guides them into good pasture, lets them feed by still
waters. Elders are to do this work for the flock of God, not
because they feel forced to, not because of the wages they may
get paid, but they are to do it, because they know it is their
calling from God, to guide and care for and love the Church of
God. Elders are not to be acting like little (or big) BULLIES or
TYRANT or HITLERS. They are not to be a domineering hard-nosed
price-fighter who is going to show he is the world champion in
the boxing ring of the Church of God. They are to be EXAMPLES to
the flock of God. Examples of HOW a Christian should live and act
and speak. And when THE CHIEF SHEPHERD appears they will receive
their crown of gory that fades not away. They should not be
trying in this life time to acquire some sort of crown of glory
from people in the body of Christ. The praise of men they should
not seek. The praise of God is all they need. In glorious eternal
life they will have their crown, and all will see then, at that
time, as how well they did their job as an Elder in the Church of
God.
The younger Elders are to respect and submit to the older
Elder. Those who have served long and well in the Eldership,
should be respected by those who have served for much less time
in the Eldership. Then on the other hand Peter says, all should
be submissive one to the other. All should be clothed with
HUMILITY. The key to every persons praise from God is HUMILITY.
You may have all kinds of gifts, all kinds of knowledge, all
sorts of power over words and oratory, all kinds of good works,
great righteousness as Job had, you may spend long hours in
prayer, long hours in Bible study, you may fast often, BUT if you
do not have HUMILITY, it will be of no avail.
I cannot over-state this aspect of what makes a true child
and true Elder in the body of Christ - HUMILITY, HUMILITY. I have
written an in-depth article on humility called "Humility - the
precious Gem of the Christian crown." You can find it on my
Website.
God will RESIST the PROUD! He will fight against the proud,
the vain, those who will not be humble. All Elders and all
children of the Lord are to be humble under the mighty hand of
God, and He in due time, will exalt you. We are to cast all our
care on Him, not on men. We are to care for the things of God,
and not worry or care about what men think. As we care for God
and His way of living and working as His child or His Elder in
the body of Christ, then He will care for us. He does care for
us, and wants us to be the very best we can be in the Church of
God, whatever our function is.
Elders (and of course all members in the Church of Christ)
are to be SOBER (margin - self-controlled), VIGILANT (margin -
watchful), because the adversary, the Devil, is walking about
like a roaring lion, trying to destroy whoever he can. We are to
RESIST him, be steadfast in the faith, knowing the same spiritual
battle is being experienced by the whole brotherhood of saints
everywhere in the world. We are all in the same army of the Lord
waging war on the Devil, human nature and the pulls of this world
in all of its varying ways.
Peter ends his first epistle with:
"May the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal
glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered for a while,
perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the
glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen"
It was through Silvanus that Peter wrote, he being the
scribe, testifying and exhorting that this was the true grace of
God in which they all stood. The church (she) in Babylon sent
greetings, as did Mark.
They were to greet each other with affection - in their custom of the day,
it was a kiss of love, as some nations today still practice.
Peter's last words in this epistle are: "Peace to you all
who are in Christ Jesus. Amen"
..................
Written May 2007
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