In 1 Peter 3, Peter continued with his teaching on suffering. His attention turned to instructing wives and husbands concerning suffering. He also reminded them of the reason for their endurance in the midst of suffering – hope.
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In 1 Peter 3, Peter continued with his teaching on suffering. His attention turned to instructing wives and husbands concerning suffering. He also reminded them of the reason for their endurance in the midst of suffering – hope.
Stay engaged with new and up-to-date content, including newsletters, articles, podcasts, etc. Download the Teach Me the Bible App from any app store or Apple TV/Roku device.
You're listening to Teach Me the Bible podcast, where we unpack the meaning of books, passages and themes from Scripture. Join us each week as Dr David Klingler walks us through God's Word and teaches the Bible. Each episode has a study guide available in the show notes. This is Teach Me the Bible podcast.
Speaker 2:Hello everyone, my name is Tim Webb and I'm here with Dr David Klingler for our Teach Me the Bible podcast. We're glad that you are with us. We are continuing our discussion Peter's Epistle to those Jewish believers who've been scattered abroad. We're moving into really the middle of the letter and this is going to get really interesting, and there's some pretty amazing things in this discussion that we often don't like to focus on. We do not like to, as people focus on submission and suffering, but in that context it gives us an opportunity to share our faith. Let's continue in this and what do we see as we're moving into chapter three?
Speaker 3:Just by way of reminder, I guess if we had one verse that captures it. Quick summary these Jewish believers, they're scattered and they're suffering.
Speaker 2:They don't like it, they're trying to get out of it. Nobody likes suffering.
Speaker 3:The point that Peter is making is that Christ suffered. You suffer as well. So then, chapter two, verse 21,. This was the last time for you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example to follow in his steps. And he goes on to explain why this is headed towards. Chapter three, verse 13, 14, 15.
Speaker 3:This is actually a verse that many of us know If you've been around the church for a while or you've done any kind of memory verses, but it says but set Christ apart as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you. That's kind of where they stop quoting. Keep going, though, to give an account for the hope that is within you. The point here and you see this in all of the letters to the Jewish believers Israel was to be a kingdom of priests and he's already said that back earlier in this letter A holy nation to take the gospel to the Gentiles, but also take the gospel as part of the believing remnant to their unbelieving Jews. Here you are, and you're enduring your suffering In this section, before servants. Why is this servant choosing to suffer, to be obedient, to be submissive not only to the good and gentle master, but to the crooked and evil one. Why? Because Christ did that. Because Christ suffered at the hands of wicked men to die for sins once for all, because he bore our sins and his body on the cross that we might die to sin and live to righteousness, for by his wounds we are healed. For you are continually straying. We're going to get this word. That is translated in the same way. There's no chapter break, there's a chapter break. The logic, the argument just continues right into chapter 3, and it addresses wives in 1-6, and then it goes to husbands and then he's going to sum it up. This section is kind of the capturing of the argument. If you get chapter 3, you've got it. If you don't get chapter 3, you don't have it.
Speaker 3:Are we called to suffering? Are believers called to suffer? Yes, is the Jewish believer called to suffer? Yes, has this been going on for a while? Yes, who is the one we look to? Who suffered beforehand? Well, it's Christ. We're over there in Hebrews. He has run before. He's run the race before. He's the forerunner, and so we run after Christ. He's the beginner and the completer, and so we follow in his footsteps.
Speaker 3:And so, if you think that coming to Christ is gonna solve all your problems is not. In some ways they get worse Absolutely, because you're called to a life of submission, obedience and suffering, not only to Christ but to the authority structure that God has put in place, and that's not always a good thing, and so so suffering is it's not always just either. In fact that's the point, right that. What credit is there this is back in chapter 2, what credit is there if you sin and are harshly treated and you endure it? There's no reward for that. But if you do what is right in the eyes of the Lord and are harshly treated for it and endure it, this finds favor with God. The problem with that is there's no immediate reward, it is a future reward, and that's what.
Speaker 3:What Peter's trying to get these folks to see is that this is a future reward. Peter Paul does the same thing in Timothy and Philippians. It's present, suffering, future reward. And so in picking that up, it's in turning to the wives in the same way Wives be submissive, be under-assigned and we talked about that last time be under-assigned to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won over without a word. And that's the point, right. When they see your behavior, when they see your suffering unjustly and everybody sees that you're suffering unjustly then they're gonna pull you aside and they're gonna say what are you doing? Why are you doing this? There's your chance, right. And so set Christ apart as Lord in your life, always being ready to make a defense for the hope that lies within you. That's where it's headed and that's, and so you know, you've got this husband, who's a monster disobedient to the word, right. What do you call to do? Well, you're called to be, you know, submissive, and they may be won over without a word by the behavior of their wives as they observe your chase and respectful behavior.
Speaker 3:So don't let your adornment be merely external. You know, back then it was braided hair and wearing a gold jewellery, or purting on the dresses or whatever. But let it be in the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality Of the gentle and quile spirit which is precious in the sight of God. See, god sees it. It's good, right in the eyes of the Lord. For in this way, in former times, the holy women also who hoped in God there's our hope language again used to adorn themselves being submissive to their own husbands. Thus Sarah obeyed Abraham. One of the things that I see and look, this always comes up in the husband-wife discussion, rightly so, but I never see it carry over into any of the other discussions where there is authority structure.
Speaker 3:To submit and to obey go hand in hand, right, it's not submit in one, you know on one hand and obey on the other, but they go hand in hand. Now, do you obey evil? Well, no, right. And we can think of. You know, daniel, chad, rack, meshach had meant to go right, bow down to this formal.
Speaker 3:I don't care what you say, I'm not doing it. I don't care if you're the king, I don't care who you are, and you can throw me into that fiery pit if you want to, but my God's able to do, and even if he doesn't, I ain't bowing down, right, so you know. So we want to do what is what is always, what is right in the eyes of the Lord. And this gets into some tough spots because, on the one hand, you know you're called to submit and obey and, on the other hand, obey an evil command. You may not work and that'd be the right. And so how do you submit and obey the Lord and not obey a husband, whether wicked or evil, commands. So this isn't always clean, but the point is still the same and it ought to carry into all of our relationships that when we're under assigned, there is a call to submission and obedience, right, well, it's pretty clean in the sense that you're going to suffer when you make that decision.
Speaker 2:Oh, yes, absolutely so you know what's coming.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and so he covers the wives and he turns to husbands. Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with a weaker vessel, since she is a woman, and grant her honor as a fellow heir of grace, as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered. Right, there's a lot there. So the under assigned one, if you are, if someone is under your care protection provision, you know that's the job of those. That goes hand in hand with it. Yeah, that goes hand in hand. So it's not. You know, we think of submission and obedience. The one in authority is to boss around and tell them what to do. And no, that's not it. It's to bless, it's to bring blessing, it's at the sacrifice of the one in authority for the benefit of the other, and she is a fellow heir. And if you don't do this, your prayers will be hindered, Right? In other words? It's interesting this in the Old Testament you get this concept of the king, the king of the.
Speaker 3:You know, Israel wants a king, like the other nations, and the word king melloc is always goes with this, this Hebrew word, all to king or to reign over, but the masha'al, the story's looking for a masha'al is to rule in the midst of, to be like God in the midst of, really is how I would translate that. And that's an important difference. Remember when Israel wants a king and Samuel says you're gonna get a king, just like the nations, just like you ask for he's gonna subjugate your sons and daughters. They're gonna build your houses, build your stuff. Your sons are gonna serve him. He's not gonna serve you, right, and he's exactly opposite. Christ serves the church. The husband is to serve, to lay down his life for the wife, and so there's a lot here, and it's so.
Speaker 3:It's a call to do what's good and right in the eyes of the Lord. And so he says in verse eight. So to sum it up, let us be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kind-hearted, humble in spirit, not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, just as Christ didn't, but giving a blessing instead. And there it is, For you were called for this very purpose that you might inherit a blessing. And so when you're persecuted, when you are afflicted, when you're ill-treated and you ill-treat in return, there's no reward there. It's not, that's not good in the eyes of the Lord. You're just suffering for doing evil. You deserve it right. But if you suffer for doing what it's right, in other words, you're persecuted, you're suffering unjustly and you return a blessing and you patiently endure, you receive a blessing. That's the point, right.
Speaker 3:And so then he says he quotes Psalm 34, there's pretty extensive let him who means to love life and to see good days refrain his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking guile, and let him turn away from evil and do good, and let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous and his ears attend to their prayers, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil. It's important to, when you read those verses, to remember the timing of it. Right he sees, the Lord sees and he will. He hears their prayers and he will reward, he will give a blessing when at the return of Christ.
Speaker 3:And so you endure. And so there's your hope, the reason for your hope. You're looking for this return of Christ Because the Lord's face is against those who do evil. But we don't see that, we don't see that judgment happening right now. And so you're going to have to endure, you're gonna have to suffer, you're going to have to endure harm. So he says in verse 13, and who is there to harm you? If you prove zealous for what is good Now, they can harm your body. They can even kill you.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 3:But Christ is gonna resurrect you right and so, at the end of the day, and if you don't have this present suffering for future award, if your hope is not a future resurrection, a future hope, and your hope is in present circumstance, present situation, you're never gonna get there.
Speaker 2:You're never making it through this You're going to revert to the.
Speaker 3:I deserve life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. I deserve to be happy. God wants me to be happy. You're gonna resort to and revert back to. These TV preachers are gonna tell you that come to Jesus, do everything you want. Come to Jesus and you'll get everything that you need now and you'll get everything that you want later resurrection, right. And so verse 13,. Then who is there to prove to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer and if you go down this trail, you probably will, for you were called for this purpose. Since Christ also suffered for you For the sake of righteousness, you're blessed. If you suffer for the sake of righteousness, if you suffer for doing what's right in the eyes of the Lord, you're blessed.
Speaker 3:And do not fear their intimidation and don't be troubled. Why? Because they have nothing to threaten you with. Right, yeah, we will kill you. Okay, christ will raise me. Right, but you better have your theology right, but set Christ apart as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you, because when you're enduring suffering unjustly, everyone sees it and they can't figure out why you're doing it. Right, you say, because I was called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered from me, leaving me an example to follow in his footsteps, and so it's what he did. This is what we're called to do, and this is what I'm gonna do, and they're gonna look at you like you're from another planet, right, and you are.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and yeah you're, yeah, You're doing it with people.
Speaker 3:And so they'll ask you, they'll ask you, give an account for the hope that is within you, because their hope is a present hope, a present day happiness, not a present day suffering, a present day happiness, right.
Speaker 3:And so you've got this future hope, and they can't figure it out yet. With gentleness and reverence, and keep a good conscience so that the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ, may be put to shame. Now, let's not forget, we've kind of generalized there a little bit, and certainly it's warranted. But the antagonist here, the people that are given these Jewish believers grief, are Jewish unbelievers and they're persecuting them because they are believers and they're hanging out with Gentiles and so that we talked about this back in chapter to keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing that they slander, you see it's not the Gentiles who are slandering you, it's these Jews who are saying you shouldn't be doing this right. So keep a good conscience so that, in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. They see that you're operating as a kingdom of peace, a holy nation, taking the gospel to the Gentiles. This is what Peter is saying to them, and so here's the point, another verse that we probably ought to pay attention to, for it is better, if God should will it, so that you should suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong. You better get your categories right and wrong right, correct, and here's why. Here's the reason for Christ died for sins once for all the just, for the unjust, and Lord he might bring us to God. See, christ suffered for doing what was right. Following his steps, same thing back in chapter two, having been put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, in whom he also went and made proclamation to the spirits down in prison.
Speaker 3:Now, this passage is pretty well debated, but let's not forget what's been said earlier in the chapter. This was back in chapter one, verse 11, seeking to know so it was pick it up in verse 10, as to this salvation, the prophet's prophesy of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries, seeking to know what person or time the spirit of Christ within them was indicating, as he predicted, the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow. In other words, the spirit of Christ was working in the prophets of old as they proclaimed this deliverance like Noah. Right, so Noah would be an example. And so Christ suffered.
Speaker 3:But Christ was made alive in the spirit. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, that same spirit in whom he also went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison through the prophets, like Noah. So Noah goes and proclaims that this Christ is coming, that get on the boat, be delivered. And they don't. And so they're now those people who've rejected. They're now not, they're in prison, they're down there in Hades and it's not going well for them. It's like in Luke, chapter 16, the rich man who dies, and he's in Hades, and he's saying he's in prison. He's saying there's a great chasm here.
Speaker 2:There's no escape from this thing.
Speaker 3:So who were once disobedient when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the destruction, or construction, destruction of the ark.
Speaker 2:Construction of the ark.
Speaker 3:Construction of the ark In which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water and corresponding to the water. Baptism now saves you, but not the water baptism that removes the dirt. That's not the baptism that saves you. It's an appeal to God for good conscience through the resurrection of Christ. It's the spirit of Christ. He's been baptized in the spirit, as a believer. That was the promise of the new covenant. And so this Christ, who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels and authorities and powers have been subjected to him, but so we say he's ascended the right hand, he's making intercession, psalm 110.
Speaker 3:The writer of Hebrews makes this point, but we don't see. All things have been subjected to him, but we don't see it. And so wait, endure, hold on to the hope of the return of Christ. And so, as we're finishing up chapter three, that's the appeal through this book, and it's the same appeal. If you've been listening to us from book to book, it's the same thing over and over and over.
Speaker 3:All of these apostles and prophets are referring to the same story, the same sequence of events, the same things that have happened, are happening during their time and will happen in the future. Christ came, he suffered, he was raised, he ascended the right hand of the Father. He's making intercession, all things have been subjected under his feet, but we don't see it yet, and so we wait, we endure, endure suffering as he suffered, unjust suffering. If you enduring suffering, you deserve. That's not what we're talking about. It's suffering for doing what's right in the eyes of the Lord, because wickedness and evil still run in this world. So that's chapter three and that's the exhortation, and that'll lead us right into chapter four next time.
Speaker 2:As we're moving into chapter four, I think you can't divorce this fact of oftentimes. It's not the outward struggle with others, it's the inward struggle of this conviction.
Speaker 3:Oh sure.
Speaker 2:And so I think it's really what you're walking us through. The greater struggle is you embracing this conviction of truth?
Speaker 3:Oh yes.
Speaker 2:And you own that and you're brought to that place of conviction and so that it's very clear, very simple, what he's saying here. But the struggle for us is coming to that conviction and embracing that conviction so that when I'm in the middle of that moment of being persecuted or even just some trivial difficulty with others, to be gentle and patient and approach them the right way.
Speaker 3:This, yeah, as you're calling it, this conviction, this is a ship that has to have sailed before you come to the Before the situation, absolutely. And so if you don't have your theology right and if you don't recognize that you were called for this purpose when you came to Christ, you didn't sign up for having your best life now. You didn't sign up for a better job, a better whatever all the stuff that the TV evangelist tells you you're gonna get. What you signed up for is present, suffering, future reward.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and what you said in the middle of chapter three, in the moment suffering connected to the opportunity to share why that conviction has to be set in place longer. For that moment, or you're gonna blow the moment Absolutely.
Speaker 3:So let's don't blow the moment. Yeah, absolutely. So if we said well, why don't we see suffering in the church today? Because we don't choose, we don't choose. We have changed the gospel so that we think we don't have to subscribe, and that's a shame.
Speaker 2:Well, david, thank you for today, looking forward to the next chapter, even though we do not like making the chapter breaks, but we're gonna continue on. So thank you, david.
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