Suffering and Awareness of God

Introduction: Part 1

It can often be easy for people to wonder what it means to live as believers in the world.

What does God expect of us?

The Bible addresses this with great frequency.

Last week’s study made us consider how believers are to behave within various social settings:

Emperors and their governors.

Slavery

Marriage

Peter introduced this line of thought with the verb submit, and he links each instance together with its repetition, usually as a participle.

Government

Social structure

Order within the home.

Peter also wants his readers to expect that others will accuse them of using their devotion to Jesus to defy those institutions.

Devotion to God and the demonstration of His characteristics are to be the object of the life of the believer.

Background of Jesus’ Teaching.

We can see evidence of Jesus’ own teaching present in Peter and Paul’s teaching about the unsavory institution of slavery.

Let’s reexamine Luke 6:30–33 “Παντὶ αἰτοῦντί σε δίδου, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ αἴροντος τὰ σὰ μὴ ἀπαίτει. Καὶ καθὼς θέλετε ἵνα ποιῶσιν ὑμῖν οἱ ἄνθρωποι ποιεῖτε αὐτοῖς ὁμοίως. καὶ εἰ ἀγαπᾶτε τοὺς ἀγαπῶντας ὑμᾶς, ποία ὑμῖν χάρις ἐστίν; καὶ γὰρ οἱ ἁμαρτωλοὶ τοὺς ἀγαπῶντας αὐτοὺς ἀγαπῶσιν. καὶ [γὰρ] ἐὰν ἀγαθοποιῆτε τοὺς ἀγαθοποιοῦντας ὑμᾶς, ποία ὑμῖν χάρις ἐστίν; καὶ οἱ ἁμαρτωλοὶ τὸ αὐτὸ ποιοῦσιν.”

Parallel Passages in Paul.

Ephesians 6:5–9 “Οἱ δοῦλοι, ὑπακούετε τοῖς κατὰ σάρκα κυρίοις μετὰ φόβου καὶ τρόμου ἐν ἁπλότητι τῆς καρδίας ὑμῶν ὡς τῷ Χριστῷ, μὴ κατʼ ὀφθαλμοδουλίαν ὡς ἀνθρωπάρεσκοι ἀλλʼ ὡς δοῦλοι Χριστοῦ ποιοῦντες τὸ θέλημα τοῦ θεοῦ ἐκ ψυχῆς, μετʼ εὐνοίας δουλεύοντες ὡς τῷ κυρίῳ καὶ οὐκ ἀνθρώποις, εἰδότες ὅτι ἕκαστος ἐάν τι ποιήσῃ ἀγαθόν, τοῦτο κομίσεται παρὰ κυρίου εἴτε δοῦλος εἴτε ἐλεύθερος. Καὶ οἱ κύριοι, τὰ αὐτὰ ποιεῖτε πρὸς αὐτούς, ἀνιέντες τὴν ἀπειλήν, εἰδότες ὅτι καὶ αὐτῶν καὶ ὑμῶν ὁ κύριός ἐστιν ἐν οὐρανοῖς καὶ προσωπολημψία οὐκ ἔστιν παρʼ αὐτῷ.”

Colossians 3:22–4:1 “Οἱ δοῦλοι, ὑπακούετε κατὰ πάντα τοῖς κατὰ σάρκα κυρίοις, μὴ ἐν ὀφθαλμοδουλίᾳ ὡς ἀνθρωπάρεσκοι, ἀλλʼ ἐν ἁπλότητι καρδίας φοβούμενοι τὸν κύριον. ὃ ἐὰν ποιῆτε, ἐκ ψυχῆς ἐργάζεσθε ὡς τῷ κυρίῳ καὶ οὐκ ἀνθρώποις, εἰδότες ὅτι ἀπὸ κυρίου ἀπολήμψεσθε τὴν ἀνταπόδοσιν τῆς κληρονομίας. τῷ κυρίῳ Χριστῷ δουλεύετε· ὁ γὰρ ἀδικῶν κομίσεται ὃ ἠδίκησεν, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν προσωπολημψία. Οἱ κύριοι, τὸ δίκαιον καὶ τὴν ἰσότητα τοῖς δούλοις παρέχεσθε, εἰδότες ὅτι καὶ ὑμεῖς ἔχετε κύριον ἐν οὐρανῷ.” :

1 Timothy 6:1–2 “Ὅσοι εἰσὶν ὑπὸ ζυγὸν δοῦλοι, τοὺς ἰδίους δεσπότας πάσης τιμῆς ἀξίους ἡγείσθωσαν, ἵνα μὴ τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ ἡ διδασκαλία βλασφημῆται. οἱ δὲ πιστοὺς ἔχοντες δεσπότας μὴ καταφρονείτωσαν, ὅτι ἀδελφοί εἰσιν, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον δουλευέτωσαν, ὅτι πιστοί εἰσιν καὶ ἀγαπητοὶ οἱ τῆς εὐεργεσίας ἀντιλαμβανόμενοι. Ταῦτα δίδασκε καὶ παρακάλει.”

Titus 2:9–10 “Δούλους ἰδίοις δεσπόταις ὑποτάσσεσθαι ἐν πᾶσιν, εὐαρέστους εἶναι, μὴ ἀντιλέγοντας, μὴ νοσφιζομένους, ἀλλὰ πᾶσαν πίστιν ἐνδεικνυμένους ἀγαθήν, ἵνα τὴν διδασκαλίαν τὴν τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν θεοῦ κοσμῶσιν ἐν πᾶσιν.”

The key issue that arises here is that being a believer in Jesus as Messiah does not justify disrespect or disregard for social conventions. Instead, righteous, godly behavior is to occur even while the social relationships themselves may be awkward.

Slavery as Parallel to Believers in the World

As we breakdown the passage, note the foreshadowing of 1 Peter 3.

Hence, this hierarchical institution may be singled out because of how closely it parallels the position of believers in the world or at least the possibility for suffering unjustly.

Peter’s distinction between types of slave owners brings out the consistent nature of righteous behavior.

Believers who happen to be slaves are to live with conscience toward God no matter what their owner is like.

Having an morally corrupt owner does not change what righteous behavior is.

Introduction (Part 2):

What we have studied in this section of the letter might strike us as insignificant, but it has brought us to the most profound teaching of Jesus .

“The Golden Rule”

If anyone wants to be my disciple let him take up his cross and follow me.

It is now bringing us to consider what discipleship means, a regular topic of Jesus’ teaching, and the meaning of Jesus’ own suffering.

The cross is worthy of our consideration from multiple perspectives: theology, soteriology, discipleship.

Perhaps we are reminded of the seriousness of the decision to trust in Jesus as Messiah. A right relationship with God is no light matter.

Exemplifying God’s Grace

Peter defines “grace” or evidence of divine favor:

If someone is enduring sorrows while suffering unjustly because of awareness of God.

Consciousness of God must include:

Awareness of God’s will

Awareness of God’s example/model in Christ

Awareness that to obey God is the highest act of obedience possible.

Awareness of God’s vindication.

The long passage about the example of Jesus Christ will demonstrate this meaning.

There is no fame in enduring suffering and punishment for actual sins or crimes.

It is evidence of God’s grace, and it pleases him, for enduring if one has done that which is good and undergone suffering (think about Jesus’ own sufferings in Acts 1).

The Example of Christ (Part 1)

Peter links the previous admonition with the example of Christ that follows with the words: “unto this you were called.”

Enduring unjust punishment and suffering is part of the responsibility of the believer. Peter has already established that everything about his audience was accounted for in God’s redemptive plan.

Their suffering did not point to error. It was consistent with the true and living God’s purpose.

Such unrighteous suffering is part of being a follower of Jesus.

One way to think about Christ’s sufferings is as an example (the servant is not greater than his Lord… John 15:20“μνημονεύετε τοῦ λόγου οὗ ἐγὼ εἶπον ὑμῖν· οὐκ ἔστιν δοῦλος μείζων τοῦ κυρίου αὐτοῦ. εἰ ἐμὲ ἐδίωξαν, καὶ ὑμᾶς διώξουσιν· εἰ τὸν λόγον μου ἐτήρησαν, καὶ τὸν ὑμέτερον τηρήσουσιν.”).

He says that Christ also suffered on our behalf while leaving behind a pattern (stencil) for us so that we might follow in his footsteps (language of discipleship).

This forms an idiomatic expression to refer to the imitation of one’s manner of life or conduct.

The relevant specifics: We can see this is not just about slavery. It is about all the teaching to this point.

He did not sin, nor was deceit (1 Pet. 2:1) in his mouth.

While being insulted, he did not return insults.

While suffering, he was not threatening future harm to those who brought that suffering upon him.

Consider all the grief and sorrow Jesus expressed over the coming judgment of Jerusalem because of their rejection of him.

He requested the Father to forgive the ignorant soldiers who were responsible for carrying out his execution (Lk. 23:34).