In 1 Peter 4, Peter explained that unjust suffering was nothing new. Therefore, Peter’s audience was in need of endurance in the midst of suffering. For this, they would be rewarded.
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.
In 1 Peter 4, Peter explained that unjust suffering was nothing new. Therefore, Peter’s audience was in need of endurance in the midst of suffering. For this, they would be rewarded.
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.
Speaker 1:
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, and today, david, we're continuing this discussion as Peter is addressing those Jewish believers who've been scattered abroad. We've walked through chapter three, this whole issue of why would we be willing to suffer In Christ's example. We connected the last time this suffering for what is right and it bringing us in this moment and gives us an opportunity to share our faith, which is a phenomenal opportunity. But, as we said the last time, we have to embrace that conviction way before the situation. We have to have our theology right, as you said, and so we're continuing this as we move into chapter four. As always, you see certain words, the therefore, and so connected to chapter three, so let's continue right into that discussion.
Speaker 3:
Yeah, it's like when you were well, when we were kids. I don't know if kids even do, I don't know if they have blackboards anymore, but when we got in trouble, when you got in trouble. You used to have to write.
Speaker 3:
I will not do the blackboard, I will not chew gum, I will not do whatever it is. Well, we need to write a hundred times, right? You were called for the purpose of suffering, just as Christ suffered, right? And so Peter has said that over and over and over. Christ suffered, you will suffer. You need to remind yourself of that daily Because we don't like him. Christ suffered, he did it, he did it. I'm not suffering, you know, I've had enough.
Speaker 3:
So therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same purpose, right? So he's going to say in far one. He says it back to chapter two, you know, for you were called for this purpose because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin so as to live in the rest of the time in the flesh, no longer for the lust of men, with the will of God. So, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, this isn't talking about Christ suffering. The flesh is talking about, you know, christ suffered. Arm yourself for the same thing, because when you suffer in the flesh, when you signed up and you've suffered in the flesh, then you have ceased from sin. Now here's the problem. The antagons are saying you guys are in sin. He said oh no, no, we're not. We're actually on the right side of this because we're doing what's good and right in the eyes of the Lord. We're a king, a priest, a holy nation. Christ suffered. We're suffering, we're taking the gospel to the Gentiles. We're being persecuted by you. We're suffering in the flesh, and so that is a indication that they're on the right side of their. They're on the right side of this equation so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh, no longer for the lust of men but for the will of God. See, the lust of men says I don't want to suffer, but the will of God says you signed up for suffering. You're doing what's good and right in the eyes of the Lord, for the time has already passed which is sufficient for you to have carried out the desire of the Gentiles.
Speaker 3:
You know, go over there and have your best life now, having pursued the course of sensuality and lust and drunkenness and carousels, and you know, and all the you know the drinking parties and abominable. This is what Israel did in the Old Testament. They went down there and they joined the Gentiles. Right, paul's going to say this in Ephesians, chapter two you know, y'all were over there and you're dead in your trespasses and sins. We came over there and we joined you. We just joined right in Right. So that ship has sailed. It's times already past. That's what you're saying.
Speaker 3:
And in all of this they are surprised that you do not run with them into the same excess of dissipation and they malign you. But they shall give an account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. He goes already to said back in chapter three that the dead are in prison. They're ready to be judged. The living be judged. There's a judgment that's coming for all, for the gospel has, for this purpose, been preached even to those who are dead.
Speaker 3:
Again, back to the Noah story. They've heard the gospel so that, though they are judged in the flesh as men, they may live in the spirit according to the will of God. So the gospel went out, it was preached, the spirit of Christ, through the prophets, preached, and these people had a choice to make they're either gonna believe it or reject it. They'll live according to the spirit or be judged in the flesh. And so this whole thing is looking towards the end. It's looking towards the end. So the end of all things is at hand. Therefore, be of sound judgment, understand God's plan, god's purposes.
Speaker 3:
Paul says it this way there's a race set before you. You gotta run the race according to the rules to win the prize. And the rules of the race are suffer now, future reward. So be of sound judgment, understand what the will of the Lord is, understand his plan, his purposes. To cry, suffered, you suffer. So be sober, and, for the purpose of prayer, above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaint, as each one has received a special gift or a gift. Employ it in serving one another. This is back to the using the gifts in the body to build up the body of Christ as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
Speaker 3:
And so this? He's really gonna go down through some of the same things that Paul covers in Ephesians, chapter four, in talking about the building up of the body. So whoever speaks, let him speak, as it were, the utterances of God. Whoever serves, let him do so by the strength of God which supplies, so that all things God, in all things God, may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever Beloved, do not be surprised at this fiery ordeal among you. This is nothing new, which has come for your testing and through your testing, your refining. I'm reminded of James's words over there considered all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith works for endurance. This is all part of it. So Peter's gonna say it, james is gonna say it, paul's gonna say it in Romans, chapter five, and in other places. So this isn't new. This is the same old thing. This has come upon you for your testing and testing to refine you.
Speaker 3:
And so it's not as though some strange thing were happening to you, but to the degree that you share in the sufferings of Christ. There it is again. Keep on rejoicing, rejoicing and suffering. They'll ask you to give it a reason for the hope that is within you. Yeah, so that also at the revelation of the score, you may rejoice with exultation. Right, if it be God's will that you should suffer, that's okay.
Speaker 3:
If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you're blessed. When they ask you well, why are you suffering? Because Christ suffered for me. And then they curse you Well, you got a blessing coming, right, you've got resurrection coming because you are in Christ, because the spirit of the glory of end of God rests upon you.
Speaker 3:
By no means let any of you suffer as a murderer, as a thief, as an evil doer, as a.
Speaker 3:
You know, don't suffer for evil yeah, doing wrong, for doing what's evil in the eyes of the Lord, but for doing what's good. If you suffer for following Christ, if you suffer for being a Christian, don't be ashamed. Let him not feel ashamed, but in that name, in the name of Christ, let him glorify God. For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God, and by the household there. You know he's talking about this household, this household of Israel. The Gentiles are being brought into it, but this refining fire is happening within the house of Israel and it's starting right here, with the Jewish believer. So for it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God. And if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome of those who do not obey the gospel of God? And if it is with difficulty that the righteousness are saved, it's, you know, and the difficulty is through suffering, through endurance, that the righteous are saved what will become of the Godless man and of the sinner who rejects Christ and rejects suffering.
Speaker 3:
So therefore, let those also who suffer according to the will of God and trust their souls to the faithful creator in doing what is right. It seems like every four or five verses he's saying the same thing over and over. I was kidding. He's saying he's kind of redundant here. He's writing it a hundred times on the board. Oh, by the word, keep reminding yourself suffer for doing good, don't suffer for doing evil. Christ suffered for doing good. You are called for this purpose. He was raised from the dead. You will be raised from the dead. You'll have a blessing. Don't let them curse you. If you're cursed, if you're reviled, if you're hated, don't do it in return. But you know. But return a blessing and say it's just over and over and over and say why is he being so redundant? Because we need to hear it over and over and over, because it's really easy to forget.
Speaker 3:
It's easy to remember when things are going well and you're sitting in seminary class or in church. Oh yes, we need to suffer. We need to suffer In the midst of the moment when your husband is being a monster or you're. You know you're bought, whatever it is. All of a sudden, the rubber meets the road and it's easy to forget. And for these believers Jewish believers, to profess Christ, to be hanging out with Gentiles would be making yourself unclean and that would restrict your ability to enter into the synagogue and rejection in the community and suffering becomes very real. Think about the example today of the Muslim who comes to Christ. Well, he's going to suffer in all kinds of ways for that. Well, this is in much the same way here, and so suffering for the cause of Christ is ought to be common to us. It's not anymore, but it should be.
Speaker 2:
What a great leadership book for church leadership, oh gosh yes, imagine. Yeah, wow yeah.
Speaker 3:
Which, by the way, is right where chapter five is going. He's just walking right into that. He's walking right into that so you elders listen.
Speaker 2:
Yeah.
Speaker 1:
Pastors pay attention, therefore I exhort the elders yeah.
Speaker 3:
And so here's what you teach, here's what you preach all the time. And why is it so important? Well, because it's going to be very enticing to tell people what they want to hear. It's going to be difficult to tell people what they need to hear. My experience has been. Here's the great irony in that is that people know what they want to hear, but they're living reality. So what they want to hear is it's going to go. Well, hang your rabbit's foot on your rear view mirror, find your four leaf clover and buy a lottery ticket. It's going. God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. The reality is they know different, and so explain to me why the rabbit's foot's not working.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, I reconcile that.
Speaker 3:
Let me explain it to you. You suppose to work. That's right, because you were called for this purpose, since Christ suffered for you, leading you an example to follow in steps. That's the plan. How's that going? You're going now that rings a bell? Yeah, and then you suffer, you endure. Unless Christ returns and fixes this mess, you die. But you will be raised, and so you better figure out the rules of the game so that you can run the race well and receive a blessing, and during the course of running the race well and enduring the suffering that will surely come, you get to have people ask you, give me a reason for the hope that is within you.
Speaker 3:
There's your chance right, and so this all ties together. It does. It's not popular, it's not fun, no, but there is something undeniably true about it that is comforting and brings joy and peace and patience.
Speaker 2:
All through, the spirit just comes abounding Yep, yep, so Well that's it.
Speaker 3:
So next week we'll pick it up in chapter five.
Speaker 2:
Chapter five Well, david, thank you so much. We wanna encourage our listeners, our viewers, to stay with the conversation and, as always, just wanna encourage them to gather together with other believers, walk through the Bible studies, walk through the devotions, and also wanna encourage them, as we're leaving for today, if they have any questions, to email you and you'll get back with them. And so excited about what God's doing through this podcast, very thankful as it's God's just opening doors to take his story to so many people around the world. So, thank you, david, for the gift, absolutely.
Speaker 1:
Thanks for listening to Teach Me the Bible podcast. Our desire is to use the power of God's word to change lives. For more information, download our app. Join us next week for another episode of Teach Me the Bible.