In Peter’s closing remarks, he acknowledges the contribution of Silvanus in the writing of this letter. Peter regards him as a faithful brother. Do you have a faithful brother/sister? Does anyone regard you as such?
We don’t know exactly the extent of Silvanius’ help – some even surmise he actually wrote the letter using the themes of Peter’s preaching as his source. One thing is certain – no matter whose hand held the pen, the Holy Spirit is the ultimate author.
We also know him as Silas, the companion of Paul and Barnabas. He is a veteran of Christian service and suffering. Singing praises to God with Paul at midnight in a Philippian jail is typical of his response to suffering (see Acts 16). He also was part of the delegation sent from Jerusalem to welcome the new Gentile believers into the church (Acts 15).
Silvanus (Silas) is an example to us of what it is like to stand firm in the grace of God.
The letter has come to an end. We are left on “Red Alert”, as they might say on Star Trek. Why the concern? We have an adversary, the devil. He “prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour.”
This cannot be understated or ignored. This enemy is actively seeking ways to destroy us. His primary weapons are fear and deception, hoping to dislodge that seed of faith which God has sown in our hearts.
But we are not without hope or defense. By His Spirit, we can resist the devil and his schemes. We can remain firm in our faith and even see it increase. The suffering that the devil brings is not limited to you and me, but is experienced by all believers throughout the world.
And we know a secret that the devil doesn’t know or has forgotten. The suffering is only for a little while. The outcome of this battle is known and certain. Remember the beginning of this letter? The God of all grace has called us. He choose us. Nothing can change that. God will overcome our enemies and rescue us. Regarding us, He Himself will:
Restore
Confirm
Strengthen
Establish
In short, we win. And don’t forget: there’s a pretty nice inheritance as part of the deal, too.
“For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God…”
Wait a minute… Don’t we get out of this sort of thing? Doesn’t God pull us out of here before any of that gets started?
Sorry. We begin to feel the fire of God’s judgment the moment we are saved. Not the judgment that leads to condemnation – thankfully we won’t face that! But God begins purifying us and making us holy right away. The unbeliever waits, perhaps in self deceit, thinking he will escape judgment since he hasn’t got caught – yet.
If we think it’s tough for us, then it will be so much more terrible for the lost and disobedient. It is much better to surrender to God now, while there is still time, than it is to refuse and then be taken captive.
But we have hope. We can entrust ourselves to our faithful Creator. Though we may suffer a little for a little while for doing what is right, we know He will bring us through it all, stronger and better for it.
“…live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.” 1 Peter 4:2
Ever notice how a little pain immediately reasserts cold, hard reality? Maybe it didn’t bother you as a kid, but now walking across hot blacktop in your bare feet is definitely not a good idea. Sure, we’ve all done stupid things that we regretted or paid for dearly the day after. That’s part of life and having fun with your friends, right? Somehow the pain and discomfort is forgotten the next time the opportunity comes around.
But, have you ever made a decision knowing that all you’ll get out of it is pain and suffering? You might ask, why would I ever want to do that?
At some point we will all face a crucial moment when we realize that to continue following after the crowd or to indulge in our our cravings and lust will dishonor Jesus. We may not even be fully convinced that such behavior is actually sinful, yet we suddenly see that to proceed will cause Christ much sorrow. We have to make a choice: who is my friend? What is the right thing to do? The question of what will cause the least pain and bring the most pleasure recedes from view.
Anyone who has made such a decision to stick with the Lord and his ways while facing certain retribution – whether verbal taunting or physical violence – knows that the pull of sin loses a lot of its grip in the aftermath. We are not so easily deceived the next time. And we find ourselves strengthened by the Lord to endure.
“…he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison…”
Why do those supermarket tabloids always grab our attention? We easily see through their outrageous headlines and pasted-together photos… yet we still want to see what’s inside.
We can be just as easily drawn to spiritual nonsense, too, and this passage has more than it’s share of proponents for wild explanations and sensational revelations. How can you keep from being taken in? A good rule of thumb is to look at the context, both in the same paragraph and from the greater context of the entire Bible.
What is the context here? It’s something we see scattered throughout Scripture. God has been continually at work for the salvation of human souls. Peter brings it up here since he has been speaking of the suffering we encounter in our lives. He wants to emphasize that Jesus suffered as well, but for a far greater purpose. His suffering was for our sins that he might bring us to God.
It doesn’t help that the language here is somewhat less than crystal clear. We must be careful not to make inferences that cannot be supported by the clear teaching found elsewhere in the Bible. The best explanations I’ve read about this passage are also the least sensational and appealing to our thirst for “secret” knowledge. In the days of Noah, Jesus, being part of the Godhead with the Father and the Spirit, preached to the people through Noah. Those people are now dead, or imprisoned, since they did not heed the message.
The main takeaway is that the eight people who trusted God were brought safely through the water. The obvious comparison is to baptism. It’s not about soap and water and scrubbing behind your ears, but about dying to sin and being raised to newness of life. Jesus was resurrected from the dead and is now in heaven, where all angels, authorities and powers are subjected to him. And nothing can stop Him from bringing us along.
For more details, see 1 Peter 3:18-22. No UFO’s. I promise.
“…always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you…” 1 Peter 3:15
Most Christians have probably heard that they need to be ready to share the gospel to whoever might ask. If the truth be known, a lot of us prefer this to the idea that we should share the gospel even when we aren’t asked. There is nothing particularly wrong with either approach, and our preference for one or the other may be influenced by our own gifts and abilities as well as our comfort zones.
“Defense” in this case is usually seen in the sense of a reasoned argument supporting an idea or position, and not in the sense of repelling an attack or protecting ourselves from danger. But the context that Peter provides suggests both ideas are in play.
Why would anyone object or oppose you for getting excited over what is right and good? This may have sounded ridiculous a generation or two ago, but the understanding of “good” and “right” is not so clear in this present generation. The possibility that Christians might suffer for righteousness’ sake keeps getting stronger.
In response, Peter encourages us to “have no fear of them, nor be troubled” and gives a two-pronged course of action: 1) maintain the Lordship of Christ in your heart, i.e., He’s the boss, He’s in charge, not the opposing voices; and 2) prepare a defense of your hope in Christ, seasoned with gentleness and respect.
This is not done out of a need to “be nice” when talking about Jesus, but to avoid responding in the natural fleshly manner: repaying evil for evil or reviling when reviled (see previous post). There should be nothing in our actions or reactions that could be cause for accusation. “It is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.” 1 Peter 3:17.
How can we be prepared? By thinking out in advance why you have placed your hope in Jesus Christ. The basic truths are the same for everyone, but God has dealt with each one us in slightly different ways. Perhaps your story may strike a chord with an accuser in a way no one else’s could.
What are people like after being around you? Are they gladdened when you are with them? Do they feel better? Are they comforted and encouraged?
How about when things aren’t going your way, when lies and false accusations besiege you? Do you fight fire with fire, escalating the tension by bringing a fruitcake to a pie fight?
Yes, some people are naturally contrary. Even some Christians. Is it possible that even this is a spiritual gift?
If this sounds like you, here is your big chance to put that gift to productive use. When everyone around you is heaping on scorn and abuse, be contrary by becoming a blessing to them!
“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.” 1 Peter 3:9 ESV
“…when he suffered, he did not threaten…” 1 Peter 2:23
Sometimes we get what we deserve. Sometimes things just happen. Other times we may get what we definitely do not deserve.
When we act foolishly, is it to our credit that we suffer the consequences with patience and dignity? Chances are we knew what would happen if we did it and got caught. Yet we did it anyway. Can we claim we are being treated unfairly?
Other times we do the right thing with the right attitude and find we can’t please anybody. Do we protest and fight back? Or do we suffer patiently through it?
It’s not because God likes to see us suffer. It’s not because suffering is good for us. It’s because we are closely associated with Christ. He suffered for us to deal with our sin, leaving us an example to follow of sacrificial love. He also suffered at the hands of the world simply because of who he was. And he refused to fight back.
The irony of the gospel is that we get what we do not deserve. Our sin is taken away by God’s grace. Our due punishment is borne by Jesus Christ and we receive the gift of salvation. But when we do well, and perform in a Christ-like manner, we may be criticized, ridiculed or even punished. Not by God, but by the world around us. Fair? No, but get used to it.
“Servants, be subject to your masters…” 1 Peter 2:28
It is significant that Peter turns the topic of submission to our experience in the workplace. Things haven’t changed much since he wrote these words. A common source of complaint among us still is “the boss” or the “home office.”
We will probably never be without someone over us. We will often find ourselves over someone else. And how we treat those under us may be greatly influenced by how we respond or react to those over us. Peter adds to his statement the phrase “with all respect.” This is not mere lip service, but an indication of what is to be in our hearts.
Is it universal that bosses overwork their workers? Or is it closer to say workers resent being made to work? Peter says submission is required whether the boss is “good and gentle” or tough to get along with. The implication is that the boss may not be exactly honest and forthright, understating the amount of work to be done and overstating the possible pay and rewards. Our response should be the same for both.
