1 Peter 3: Repaying Evil with Good
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Good morning, brothers and sisters in Christ. It is good to be back here this Sunday to visit you again.
We started this series of messages on the 1 Peter, and we managed to go through chapters 1 and 2 last year. I thought of continuing with chapter 3 today, chapter 4 later this year.
Just as a reminder, Peter wrote this first letter that bears his names to the believers in what is today Turkey, at the time the eastern frontier of the Roman empire, to encourage believers who were exiled there from Rome because of their beliefs and their evangelistic effort. Peter seek to encourage the believers living in community and a society that is largely hostile and negative towards Christianity, not unlike the situation that we face today in Australia and many other countries, both Western and otherwise.
In chapter 1, Peter establishes that our identity is in Christ - we are first and foremost Christians, before whatever else that may define us - our citizenship, our privileges or lack of thereof. And because of our identity as Christians, we are heirs to the imperishable, undefiled, unfading salvation, safeguarded in heaven for us. This, in turn, defines our attitudes and shapes our responses towards the sometimes hostile community we find ourselves in.
In chapter 2, Peter reminds that because we are Christians first and foremost, our collective identity is a community of Christians - we belong to the house of Christ, the children of God. And because of this, we insist on doing the right thing, even if this results in suffering and persecution.
In chapter 3, Peter focuses on 2 things - first, on the relationship between husband and wife; and second, how do we believers respond to those who persecute us; who slander us, who do us harm, just because of whom and what we believe.
Wives and Husbands
Wives and Husbands
Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, when they see your respectful and pure conduct. Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious. For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening. Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.
Here Peter continues on his instructions on household rules from 1 Peter 3:1. The opening word “likewise” links this passage as the continuation of chapter 2 from verses 13 onwards. In verse 13, Peter asks the believers to “be subject … to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor … [and] governor”; in verse 18, Peter tells the “servants, be subject to your master.” Here, Peter says, “Likewise, wives be subject to your own husbands”, even if the husband is a non-believer. And he encourages them to emphasise on quality of the imperishable beauty of their inner person, rather than outward adornment of jewellery, clothing and cosmetics.
And this is not a sexist command - Peter is quick to follow on verse 7 to remind the husbands that the authority they have over their wives is sole for the purpose of building up, cherishing and up-holding their wives. Peter reminds us of the equality of man and woman, husband and wife, as co-heirs of “the grace of life.” Now Peter is NOT saying that a man is above his wife, or should lord over his wife; what Peter IS saying is that the husband is given the responsibility and the duty to honour and respect his wife, to build her up and to uphold her, so that he can come to God with the right attitude and relation in prayer.
Suffering for Doing Good
Suffering for Doing Good
Peter goes on to encourage us to do good even when we are slandered and persecuted.
Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. 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.
Here Peter asks us to be like-minded; to be sympathetic, to show brotherly love; to have a tender heart and be humble. And to be so not just among ourselves; among believers, but with everyone we know, including those who do us evil. For Peter goes on to ask us to repay evil with good and he gives us 3 reasons for doing so.
First, Peter calls us to do good despite being treated otherwise; he alludes to Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus says, “… for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.”
On the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:10-12 Jesus says,
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Then, Peter quotes the Davidic Psalm 34:12-16. When David was pursued by Saul, he was driven away from Judah, his homeland and ran to King Abimelech, probably King Achish of Gath in 1 Samuel 21 verses 10 to 15,
What man is there who desires life and loves many days, that he may see good? Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry. The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth.
For “Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit; let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. For 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 evil.”
And Psalm 34:16 goes on to say this, “to cut off the memory of them from the earth.”
The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth.
And what David, and so Peter also, is saying here is that God is just; He calls us to do good; He will protect and bless those who do good, those who are righteous; and He will punish those who do evil, even the believers who do evil. And Peter goes on to encourage us to trust in God when we face persecution, “Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good?” in verse 13.
The second reason is that we are Jesus’ followers and disciples, and Jesus has left us an example to insist on doing good when he was persecuted to the point of being crucified. Peter says in verses 14 to 17,
But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.
And we are asked to be prepared to give a reason for the hope that sustains us through suffering and persecution, and the same hope that enables us to continue to do good - even to those who do us evil - for this is the best defence of our innocence, the best answer to those who persecute us.
And the third reason is that we have pledged to do good when we were baptised. In 1 Peter 3:21-22 Peter writes,
Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.
The Christian baptism has its origin in the ceremonial washing of the Jews, which is based on the ceremonial washing in Leviticus, e.g. chapters 15, 16:23-26. When a Gentile convert to Judaism, he or she is washed, or baptised, symbolising the washing away of the things that defile oneself before coming to God. But the Christian baptism is not for the removal of dirt or things that defile us; rather, Peter says it is an appeal, a response, an answer, a pledge, to God of a good conscience; like Enoch and Noah; that when the judgment of God, like the flood, symbolised by the water of baptism, comes, we shall rise from it through the resurrection of Christ. We pledged to God that we will follow Jesus’ example in righteous living when we confess our faith in Christ Jesus.
Summary
Summary
In summary; Peter encourages wives with unbelieving husband to submit to their husbands, and to convince them of the truth of Christianity by the beauty of their inner person; and believers to continue to do good in a community and society which views them negatively and may even slander and persecute them; our action is our best defence of our innocence. We can do this as Christians because we know that ultimately, God is in-charge and He is just; He will bless those who pursue peace and righteousness; and answer their prayer.
Let us close with a word of prayer.
