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Sufferings of the righteous

Sufferings of the Righteous (1st Peter 3:8-22)

  • Introduction
    • We know that 1 Peter was written to Christians facing many forms of persecution
    • Our understanding is that Peter is encouraging his audience to remain steadfast in their faith, endure amidst their trials, and demonstrate God-fearing behavior, in all things.
    • Chapters 1&2 Talks about,
      • Our Inheritance: 1 Peter 1:3-12
      • Our Mandate: 1 Peter 1:13-25
      • Our Identity: 1 Peter 2:1-10
      • Our Witness: 1 Peter 2:11-25
      • Our Relationships: 1 Peter 3:1-12
    • As we continue further into chapter 3 and talk about “Our Defense”. We will investigate how we, as believers, can share the reason for hope, even amid suffering.
  • Understanding the Context (Slide Below)
    • The suffering of believers in Asia Minor – prominent in Peter’s mind
      • 1 Peter 1:6, 2:12,15,19; 3:1, 9
    • Believers need to be ready to defend their faith (3:13-17)
    • Believers should anchor their hope in the death and resurrection of Christ (3:18-20)
    • Jesus warned His followers – you WILL face persecution
      • The Sermon on the Mount
      • Matthew 5:10-12
      • John 16:33
    • The Apostle Paul – emphasized the theology of suffering
      • 2 Corinthians 4:17, 11:23-30, 12:7-10, Phil 4:11-12
      • Colossians 1:24

·       First, let us understand the context. The suffering of Asia Minor believers never went far away from Peter’s mind, as shown in these scriptures.

·       As we see, Peter, in many places in this letter, talks about suffering.

·       And now, this subject of suffering returns in this portion, as a means of encouragement for believers who are facing persecution

·       So, in this portion, we will see Peter emphasize that believers need to be ready to defend their faith (3:13-17)

·       Instead of shying away in fear or intimidation, Peter exclaims that believers should present a case for the hope sustaining them

·       This purpose of ours is what Paul puts forth in Philippians 1:29 – “for it has been granted to you on Christ’s behalf not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for Him”

·       In this portion, we will also see Peter emphasize that believers should anchor their hope in the death and resurrection of Christ (3:18-20)

·       The hope of a believer is the furthest thing from an empty hope. Believers can be confident that Christ’s life, death, and resurrection was sufficient to keep their faith and perseverance through persecution

·       And through their sufferings, the Spirit of God is granting the believers the full understanding of their higher calling.

·       Jesus warned his followers about what they will face. What will they face? They will face persecution

·       Sermon on the Mount: Matthew 5:10-12: “Blessed is those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. You are blessed when they insult you and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you, because of me. Be glad and rejoice because your reward is great in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

·       And in the last days of his life, Jesus even encouraged his followers by telling them this: “you will have suffering in this world. But be courageous, I have conquered the world” John 16:33 

·       The apostle Paul also emphasized the theology of suffering

·       Colossians 1:24 – Paul says “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and I am completing in my flesh what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for his body, that is, the church”

·       Nothing lacked in Christ’s atoning work, but the church was still confronted with many occasions to suffer for Christ and continue to press on with the mission entrusted to them, until His return.

Now, before going into verses 13-22, let us first consider the verses preceding it, to further establish our context and understanding:

CONTEXT IN THE CHAPTER: 1 Peter 3:8-12

8 Finally, all of you be like-minded and sympathetic, love one another, and be compassionate and humble,[a] 9 not paying back evil for evil or insult for insult but, on the contrary, giving a blessing, since you were called for this, so that you may inherit a blessing. 10 For the one who wants to love life and to see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit, 11 and let him turn away from evil
and do what is good. Let him seek peace and pursue it, 12 because the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do what is evil.

  • Verses 8-12
    • First, we see that Verse 8 to 9 talks about the relationship amongst the believers. The need for everyone to be of one mind.
      • Because, since everyone in church can be different in character and behavior, it is by the SPIRIT OF GOD that we have oneness. Compassion, love, tenderheartedness, courteousness – all these things point to our oneness through the Holy Spirit. And this aspect of oneness, as I am sure we already know, is discussed by the apostles in many places throughout the Scriptures.
    • We are called to behave like children of God. We should strive to have a pure heart.
    • And Verses 10 to 12 bring scripture from the Old Testament. Does anyone know where Peter quotes from?
    • We see Peter quote from Psalms 34:12-16 (“keep tongue from evil, keep lips from speaking guile, depart from evil and do good, seek peace and pursue it…”)
      • But the context starts even from Psalms 34:11, where David says “come you children, listen to me, I will teach you the fear of the Lord”
      • We are called to be set apart, but we live in a world corrupted by the dominion of the devil 
      • So, we see here the importance of managing our tongue appropriately, refraining our tongue from evil, keeping our lips from deceit, turning away from evil and doing good, and seeking peace and pursuing it. Because the eyes of the Lord are on us. 
      • In here, we also notice godly fear and the need for wisdom 
      • God looks over us, and as children of God, we should turn away from evil, seek peace, and pursue peace. 
      • God’s face is away from all those who do evil.
      • Even though we do good, the world could still persecute us 
      • Our righteous behavior towards the world comes out of the fear of God, so we eschew evil. 
      • Not by fear of persecution, but by the fear of God our master 
      • For to the world, we are strangers, as Peter has already showed in the previous chapter:
  • 1 Peter 2:11-12 – Dear friends, I urge you as strangers and exiles to abstain from sinful desires that wage war against the soul. Conduct yourselves honorably among the Gentiles, [a] so that when they slander you as evildoers, they will see your good works and will glorify God on the day he visits.
  • So now, with this context in mind, let us turn our attention to verses 13-17.

BE READY (1 PETER 3:13-17)

“13 Who then will harm you if you are devoted to what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. Do not fear them or be intimidated, 15 but in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, ready at any time to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you. 16 Yet do this with gentleness and reverence, keeping a clear conscience, so that when you are accused, those who disparage your good conduct in Christ will be put to shame. 17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.”

Verse 13: “Who then will harm you if you are devoted to what is good?”

  • So first, verse 13 begins with, “who then will harm you?”. A rhetorical question.
  • I would like to then pose a question for the audience: What does harm mean?
  • The definition of harm from the dictionary: A situation where a person’s legal rights, belongings, or physical or mental health are negatively affected or reduced
  • Now the physical definition of harm = temporary harm = physical suffering.
  • But Peter’s definition of harm = ultimate harm = separation from God.
  • This “harm” that Peter talks about, is NOT necessarily about physical harm. He is talking about eternal harm, our eternal life, our security. 
  • Peter is saying that no one can TRULY harm us, because no one can take away our salvation.
  • Nothing then, considering eternity, can truly “harm” us
  • This does not necessarily mean physical harm will not occur, but rather that any harm suffered is temporary, and cannot truly harm the believer’s relationship with God.
  • We are convinced of this in Romans 8, for example:
  • Romans 8:31 What, then, are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us?…38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
  • The essence of the argument, that we have already shown through our context from verses 8-12, is that the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous. 
  • And Peter’s insistence, that no harm will come to the righteous, is because God’s eyes are on them. 
  • So, his point is NOT that charitable deeds prevent others from abusing us, BUT that God’s people are doers of charitable deeds, and God is vigilant to watch over them.
  • So, Peter infers, “if God’s eyes are on us, no one can harm us.” 
  • Now…has Peter somehow lost the conviction that pervades this whole book? – that suffering for doing good is to be expected?
  • No, for the next verse says, v.14 “but even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed” (3:14) 
  • The world is under the devil’s influence; they hate light and always pursue unrighteousness. 
  • But your suffering, Peter is saying, is for the sake of righteousness.

Moving on to verse 14

Verse 14: “But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. Do not fear them or be intimidated”

  • Clearly one should, or one does, suffer for righteousness’ sake. Suffering is allowed by God, so it is inevitable for every believer to suffer in this world some way or another. 
  • We do not ask for suffering, but God has allowed a part of suffering to each one of us. And not everyone’s suffering is necessarily the same. 
  • So, what Peter is saying here is this: “When you are under God’s sovereign watch-care, those you cause you suffering do not bring you harm, but you are blessed by God.”
  • Peter is differentiating between temporary harm and ultimate harm.
  • And under God’s watchful, loving, sovereign care, those who are zealous for kind deeds will only endure what leads to GREATER BLESSING.
  • No ultimate harm.
  • No harm can come to a Christian, unless God wills it for his good.
  • As Jesus Christ says to the people, in Luke 12:
  • 4 “I say to you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that can do nothing more. 5 But I will show you the one to fear: Fear him who has authority to throw people into hell after death. Yes, I say to you, this is the one to fear! (Luke 12:4-5) 

Any questions/comments?

Now onto verse 15a

Verse 15a: “but in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy

  • “In your hearts, regard Christ the Lord as holy”

·       Now, verse 15 begins with an exhortation to sanctify the Lord

·       And here is another question: what does it mean to sanctify the Lord?

·       It means we regard Christ the Lord as holy in our hearts, and we regard Him by knowing him more. His knowledge must fill our hearts. We give Christ our WHOLEHEARTED ALLEGIANCE.

·       We value the worthiness of our Lord, more than our thoughts, feelings, or emotions, by growing in His knowledge.

·       When we sanctify the Lord in us, we increase in the knowledge of Christ. We understand suffering as a necessity, and something ordained by God, instead of being troubled by it in our hearts. 

·       In the eternal perspective, God is molding us into a higher level of understanding. James also talks of this necessity.

·       And Paul writes of this desire very clearly, in Philippians. He writes this, in Philippians 3:10 – My goal is to know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death

·       As Paul describes here, this is our personal realization of the worthiness behind this suffering

·       And we know that the magnitude of our suffering, no matter how great, still pales in comparison to the glory that is set forth for us. As Paul says, in Romans 8:18: “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us.”

Verse 15b: “ready at any time to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.”

  • When you are faced with a question on why you have this hope in you, when someone questions why you are a Christian, you are prepared to answer. You are prepared to defend. 
  • And as you sanctify the Lord in your heart, you are now prepared to give a defense and a reason for the hope in you.

·       Therefore, give yourself to honor Christ as supremely valuable or precious, until your hope is unshakable. When it is unshakable, people will ask us why we do not fear what they fear, and that is when we can tell us the reason for our hope.

  • And here is the question: what is the reason for our hope?
  • 4 Reasons
  • 1. God, creator of the universe is the one who called us and gave us promises. He never fails. 
  • 2. He has given us faith, to live on this earth. “The just shall live by faith”
  • 3. We have the Word of God
  • 4. God has given us the Holy Spirit in us. And the power of the Holy Spirit, the same power that gave life to Christ from death. We have the guarantee of the presence of the Holy Spirit in us with the security of our salvation. 
  • Peter talks about this in 1 Peter 1:3-5
  • Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead 4 and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you. 5 You are being guarded by God’s power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.
  • These are some of the reasons for our hope. 

Moving onto verse 16

Verse 16: “Yet do this with gentleness and reverence, keeping a clear conscience, so that when you are accused, those who disparage your good conduct in Christ will be put to shame.”

  • Q: What does it mean to keep a clear conscience?
  • To keep a clear conscience, is to understand and have confidence, that we have not, even in the slightest, done a hurtful thing in telling others about Christ.
  • Those who wrongfully hurt us for our good behavior should feel shame for doing so.
  • To keep a clear conscience means to be convinced that we are not evildoers. We do not live life aggressively, hatefully, or violently. But the opposite.
  • And when we defend, we must uphold our character.
  • When we give a defense for our faith, we must do so in meekness, gentleness, reverence, and with the fear of God. 
  • It is not necessary for us to convince anybody by our defense… 
  • But we are doing the will of God, and God will do His work.
  • We are humble servants of God, and because we fear God, we should seek to do the will of God, through prayer and supplication.

As we continue onto verse 17

Verse 17: “For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.”

  • We are doing the will of God. To suffer for Him. As a servant of God.
  • That is why, as we will read, it says Christ also suffered. He was rejected, no one believed in Him. And he suffered for doing good because that was God’s will.
  • So, believers should always be ready to provide a reason for their faith. And they should do so kindly and engagingly. 
  • If they keep a good conscience because their behavior is correct, any accusations against them will prove false. Their accusers will be put to shame.
  • 1 Peter 2:20 – “For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God.”
  • 1 Peter 4:19 – “Therefore, let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.” 
  • Paul and Silas were arrested in Acts 16 because of the demon they cast out from the girl
  • They were accused, attacked, stripped of all clothing, severely beaten by rods
  • And they were thrown into jail, fastened at their feet in the stocks
  • And in the jail at night, while in shackles, they were praying to God and singing hymns to God, with all the prisoners listening to them (we can see the Joy they had for the honor of suffering for Christ) when a big earthquake happened. It loosened all their shackles. It opened the door. It freed them. It allowed escape.
  • The prison guard got scared, took his sword, and was about to kill himself
  • But Paul said “wait! We are here! Do not hurt yourself!”
  • The guard saw that all the prisoners were there
  • The guard asked what to do to be saved
  • Paul said accept the Lord Jesus Christ
  • They were persecuted and put in jail. Even though there was persecution, they did not shy away. Even when there was a means of escape, they did not at once run after it. And we see, how those who threw them into prison, were put to shame.
  • We should not be looking for an immediate escape from persecution. We should trust in God’s plan and purpose.

And then we read of our ultimate example, in verse 18 on…

BE ASSURED (1 PETER 3:18-20)

“18 For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, 19 in which he also went and made proclamation to the spirits in prison 20 who in the past were disobedient, when God patiently waited in the days of Noah while the ark was being prepared. In it a few — that is, eight people — were saved through water.”

Verse 18: “For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit,”

  • This is a key statement on the substitutionary atonement of Christ
  • He suffered and died as the righteous one in place of the unrighteous, to bring us to 
  • God. Being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit.
  • Jesus died physically but was raised from the dead by the Holy Spirit.
  • Peter is now bringing CHRIST’S suffering in relation to OUR suffering; to establish that in all things, the will of God is being done.
  • What did Christ do for us? He suffered. He did the will of God. To save us.
  • Christ did not threaten. He did not revile. Though he had every right to, though he could have summoned tens of thousands of angels, he chose not to. He committed Himself to the one who judges righteously
  • He showed his willingness to fulfill God’s plan and suffer for the salvation of humanity. 
  • He had every power to defend his innocence. But he did the will of God and died for us, for our sake. 
  • And with that, he was made alive by the Spirit. 
  • Though He was dead, the Holy Spirit resurrected him.
  • It was needed for him to die, to fulfill the will of God, but by the power of the Holy Spirit, He was resurrected from the dead

Verse 19-20: “in which he also made proclamation to the spirits in prison 20 who in the past were disobedient, when God patiently waited in the days of Noah while the ark was being prepared. In it a few — that is, eight people — were saved through water.”

  • In which, meaning by the Holy Spirit, Christ proclamation.
  • It is the speaking of Christ to Noah and family for their saving (Make yourselves and ark. I will save you and your family.. all the people of the world will be killed by the flood including birds.
  • Noah and his family were saved from death.
  • The construction of ark was Noah’s testimony and condemnation of God.
  • It is not about saving angels, nether speaking salvation to the dead unrighteousness men of Noah’s time

SHOW OTHERS (1 PETER 3:21-22)

“21 Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you (not as the removal of dirt from the body, but the pledge of a good conscience toward God) through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God with angels, authorities, and powers subject to Him.”

Verse 21-22

  • Peter is saying that whatever happened in Noah’s time, can be drawn in a comparison and a reality in us
  • Because Noah and his family was “baptized,” surrounded by water, they were saved, and he did not die physically
  • We are talking about a baptism where God saved us out of eternal death
  • In context, this part is brought up to highlight our salvation. Through the saving work of the Holy Spirit. God saved us by the power of the Holy Spirit. The same Spirit gave life to Christ
  • Hebrews 5:7-9 says this about Christ, 
  • ““Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death and was heard in that he feared. Though he was a son, he learned obedience by the things which he suffered. And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all those that obey him.”
  • And now, through the Spirit, we can worship God in good conscience because He saved us.
  • We know Christ is at the right hand of God. And Christ intercedes for us, even in our infirmities.
  • In Hebrews chapters 9 and 10, which I encourage us to read, we can come to an understanding that we no longer have an evil conscience that prevents us from worshipping God. The Old Testament sacrifices could not and did not work to eradicate our evil consciences. 
  • But Christ did. Christ freed us from that old conscience, through the baptism of the Holy Spirit. It is through Christ that we have a new conscience, a good conscience, a clear conscience.
  • Hebrews 9:11-14: 11 But Christ has appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come.[a] In the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands (that is, not of this creation), 12 he entered the most holy place once for all time, not by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a young cow, sprinkling those who are defiled, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, cleanse our[b] consciences from dead works so that we can serve the living God?
  • And Chapter 10 further emphasizes that we can now approach God, without an evil conscience, not by what we did, but because of what Christ did.

Key Takeaways:

  • The faith we have, the hope we cling to, the assurance we hold fast to, are all given to us by God, through Jesus Christ our savior 
  • We trust in His provisions because it is GOD who has given it to us. The Creator God, the Sustainer God, the God of the UNIVERSE, by His power, has given all these things to us. And this power, was communicated through the humility of Christ- the Gospel of God
  • We set our eyes on Christ: – Hebrews 12:2-3 “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.”
  • Likewise, we should demonstrate such hope, such assurance, such faith, and such power, with humility, meekness, and fear of God.
  • Because all glory should be to God. We are vessels, FOR HIS GLORY.
  • Final Slide: 2 Corinthians 4:7-12
  • “Now we have this treasure in clay jars, so that this extraordinary power may be from God and not from us. 8 We are afflicted in every way but not crushed; we are perplexed but not in despair; 9 we are persecuted but not abandoned; we are struck down but not destroyed. 10 We always carry the death of Jesus in our body, so that the life of Jesus may also be displayed in our body. 11 For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’s sake, so that Jesus’s life may also be displayed in our mortal flesh. 12 So then, death is at work in us, but life in you.”

·       We have this precious treasure, in earthen vessels. In jars of clay.

·       So might we be encouraged that God uses broken and imperfect people such as us, to carry out His will.

·       And might we be encouraged that God can use US to carry out important things and that, when we use the tools He provides, the Holy Spirit, the power is not our own. The power belongs to Him.

·       The persecution, affliction, and hardships that we have and will endure, that we have seen others endure, are part of the Christian experience. 

·       But they will never crush or destroy the believer….

·       Because the treasure entrusted within us, and the living hope that we hold fast to, will prevail.

May the name of the LORD be glorified.