1 Peter: How to be Blessed in Suffering
Notes
Transcript
Exegetical Point: Suffer well and be blessed!
Homiletical Point:
Introduction
Introduction
Let’s name the elephant in the room.
We can’t go on without mentioning the fact that, yes, today we will be looking at “those” verses: 3:19 & 21.
It’s verses that have troubled many people, and a great many commentators throughout history have spent much time working out what they think it means!
It causes some people such difficulty that I’ve even heard of preachers who flat out refuse to talk about it and just skip over it to avoid the trouble.
But, if we’re serious about believing that the Bible is from God, and that it’s all profitable for us, then we should inquire, humbly, about what God says here through the Apostle Peter. Whether we come out confused, challenged or confirmed, we’ll still be the better for it!
It should be fun! I’m looking forward to it!
But, we have a bit of ground to cover before we get there, and it is worth remembering that the “tricky” bit is but one part of a longer section built around one theme:
Suffer well like Jesus, and be blessed!
Suffer well like Jesus, and be blessed!
That theme is fleshed out over 3 basic sections in today's passage. There’s overlap between each section, after all Peter wasn’t thinking about a 3 point sermon structure when he was writing his letter, but in broad strokes I've broken it down into:
Bless others in Suffering (v8-12)
Share your hope in suffering (v13-17)
You triumph, like Christ did, through suffering (v18-22)
Basically we’re just going to walk though the text bit by bit to see what the Spirit says to the Church. I encourage you to keep your Bibles open so you can see for yourself, but if you don’t have a bible, or you aren’t all that familiar with the Bible, don’t worry I’m going to pop the relevant sections up on the screen
Lets get into it!
Bless others in Suffering (v8-12)
Bless others in Suffering (v8-12)
This section starts with the words “Finaly, all of you..”. This should immediatley tip us off to the fact that the bit we’re looking at today is part of a longer section. This bit is the end of what Peter started in 2:11:
Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
So, Peter is calling those first century minority of Christians in Turkey (and by extension, us) to live well as exiles in this world. Not treating this place as our home, taking on the “local customs” of earthly passions but living in an exemplary way, reminiscent of the home that we’re longing for, suffering well until we get there. He develops his thought to instruct us how to live here and now in this life as refugees - Everyone submit to authorities, Slaves to Masters, Wives to Husbands, and Husbands love your wives - even when it’s hard.
Then we come to our passage, where Peter is not addressing one particular group anymore, slaves/wives/husbands/ but its application for everybody:
Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.
Wow!
We’re called to that beautiful ideal of community life, where we’re living with care and love for each other
Like minded - on the same page, harmonious
Sympathetic - understanding and appreciating people’s experience
Loving one another, Compassionate
Humble - not puffing ourselves up with pride but considering ourselves a servant to all.
What would that look like if we truly embodied that?
Imagine if we took this command seriously and sought to live out all these things in our church? What about in the microcosms of the church, or homes?
To be fair, we know that to a certain extent that these things already exist here at flooding creek - I have experienced them already. It is a great thing to see this godly character played out!
But i still ask the question, have we arrived yet? Is there room to grow in these qualities in our faith community?
I don’t know about you, but I find the next part particularly hard: “Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult.”
My first instinct is to wan to defend my cause, plead my case, give my return fire!
No. We are not the people of scheming Jacob who killed all the men in a city for the crime of one man. We are like Joseph who did not destroy his brothers despite the fact they sold him into slavery out of jealousy.
And like Joseph, who suffered a great deal, we will bless those who have harmed us, and we will be blessed as well.
This is the unintuitive way of thinking for the Christian, that they should bless others even while they suffer - like Christ himself who interceded in prayer for the men who executed him.
Sure, the blessing of love and care that we give to those who insult us may not be returned in this life, but it is both an opportunity to grow spiritually in our discipleship of Jesus an an opportunity to lay up treasures in heaven.
“repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.”
You never know, the person who was most vehemently opposed to Christ and his Christians may have the walls of their heart broken down by the authentic love that they have received. Your blessing in the face of opposition may gain you a brother or sister in Christ!
Peter goes on to quote Psalm 34 extensively, both so that he can exhort them to live holy and righteous lives, but also to remind them that God is looking out for them:
For,
“Whoever would love life
and see good days
must keep their tongue from evil
and their lips from deceitful speech.
They must turn from evil and do good;
they must seek peace and pursue it.
For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous
and his ears are attentive to their prayer,
but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”
So, this faith community called the church, is called to bless others, yet in doing to they themselves are blessed. We live as a compassionate, humble, harmonious people who seek peace while the Lord watches out for us, listening.
What an encouragement! What a challenge!
Suffer well like Jesus, and be blessed!
Share your Hope in Suffering (v13-17)
Share your Hope in Suffering (v13-17)
Speaking of doing good as mentioned in the previous section, for the most part we don’t need to worry about suffering harm if we’re living good lives, loving our neighbors, submitting to the authorities.
But,
there’s people out there who either hate what is good (truly good, God’s good) or they misunderstand Christians, so they persecute us. We thankfully have not had to endure being kicked out of our homes or arrested or flogged, probably just opposition in the public square, and perhaps the disapproval or ridicule of our family & friends. But for the people who are received this letter directly from Peter, they would have much more to fear than us. As do many Christians around the world today.
We’ve discussed in past weeks how these early Christians may have been at the mercy of others who didn’t believe and may hold it against them - civil authorities who were opposed to them, slave-masters who could abuse them, husbands who could sideline their wives and so on. Many of those early Christians were in situations where there was a great power imbalance and they could suffer greatly.
But as we’ve discussed before, there’s no nobility or honor in suffering because deserved it. No use griping or complaining over the consequences you brought on yourself. Best way to avoid suffering is to live upright and godly lives, the chances that someone will want to hurt you are much reduced if you’re not out there causing hurt.
But it will happen, that people suffer for trying to do the right thing in serving God. Eventually what God asks of us will fall afoul of what the would around us asks of us, and is such case we may suffer for doing the right thing. Peter speaks to this:
Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.”
We don’t need to fear or be frightened, God’s aware and watching.
Instead of being fearful, spend your efforts worshiping the Lord and preparing to share with other why you are so hopeful of salvation in Jesus Christ:
But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.
Notice gentleness & respect - we’re not here to trick people into believing, or to manipulate or force them. We are to be ready to share in kindness, not putting on a false show, but a authentic life to go with our message - one that shows up any lies made about you for what they are.
The truth always comes out - when you speak to someone about some drama in their life, it usually sounds like the most horrible thing. But sometimes when you hear other people’s take on it, things seem a lot more clear, and you can see that you’ve been taken for a ride.
Live in such a way, speak in such a way that any accusations made against your character are revealed as lies.
In the midst of your suffering, share your hope in Christ, be a blessing to others.
Suffer well like Jesus, and be blessed!
You and Christ Triumph through Suffering (v18-22)
You and Christ Triumph through Suffering (v18-22)
Leading off v17 - Jesus is the ultimate example of suffering for doing good.
For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.
We have already seen this theme pop us before in 1 peter, but it is being repeated, so it must be important! Our suffering and adversity is a reflection of, and a homage to what Christ did to bring salvation for his people.
To bring you to God.
Peter then goes on to give 2 examples, based off the same story - of how a godly suffering minority triumphs.
Example 1: Suffering Jesus triumph over enemies
Example 2: Noah’s “baptism” triumph
Example 1: Suffering Jesus triumphs over enemies
Example 1: Suffering Jesus triumphs over enemies
For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits—to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water,
Let’s follow the thought here carefully
Christ suffered for sins to bring us to God
He was put to death in the fleshly, human body.
He was made alive in the Spirit.
(no after) In the spirit, he proclaimed to imprisoned spirits.
Which spirits? Disobedient spirits from Noah’s day.
First things in interpreting here, what does this not tell us?
The species of spirit who’s imprisoned,
when it happened,
what was said.
Because of the lack of information on these three points, it is difficult to understand definitively what is going on here.
There are two scenarios that are most likely in my mind.
Scenario 1:
Earlier in this letter, Peter tells us in 1:11 that the “Spirit of Christ” was in the prophets of old, which would include Noah who warned his community of the coming wrath and salvation of God. It could be that Peter in his letter is making reference to Noah preaching to people who later died in the flood and who now reside in the grave or Sheol or Hades.
If this is what peter is getting at we could rephrase the verse to make it clearer:
“Jesus was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. Alive in the spirit like in Noah's day when he made proclamation to the now imprisoned spirits who were disobedient”
If this is the case, Peter is essentially encouraging believers that there has been a history of people rejecting the Gospel, and so they don’t need to be afraid because just like the people of Noah’s day rejected the message of Christ and suffered judgment, the same will happen in this day to your oppressors.
This scenario 1 makes pretty good sense, but as we’ll see for scenario 2, it’s not as neat as we would like.
Scenario 2:
This might be a little harder to get your head around, but you might just join me in thinking it is the better explanations.
You know how we use turns-of-phrase to conjure up in mind an idea or theme from pop culture?
If I were to say “Luke, I am your father” I can import into the conversation a whole mythology and story that most of us would be able to recognize quickly. If it needed a little more, we could say that “Han shot first” and “do or do not, there is no try”. Star Wars is s common epic tale that is in the public consciousness and (until Disney ruined it) held a certain awe and appreciation despite the fact that it is fiction.
A similar thing could be said of the ancient Greek myths, which encapsulate many experiences of human life. We can speak about “flying to close to the sun” like Icarus, or “rolling a stone uphill” like Sisyphus and in doing so import meaning and depth to what we’re saying without having to relate the whole myth of Icarus or Sisyphus. In fact, some meanings of the Greek myths are so ingrained into our cultural consciousnesses that the story is not needed anymore because the word itself carried the whole meaning - the story of Narcissus becomes Narcissism.
I digress.
Coming back to the passage - what appear to be happening here is that Peter is making a reference to pop culture of his day, and saying that Jesus fulfilled the picture that an extra-biblical book enumerates.
He says that Jesus essentially enters the Dark Door and walks the Paths of the Dead before the Return of the King,
or
He crossed the Styx to make proclamations in the Lands of the Dead.
This extra biblical book is called “Enoch” and no, there’s no chance it was written by the Enoch in Genesis, but it is a collection of stories and apocalyptic literature that is “attributed” to Enoch. Like if someone today sat down and wrote a story about Mary Magdeline and put it in the first person. We would know it’s a story but it might collate various traditions and stories about Mary and package them up for good reading. That’s what the book of Enoch was, but for Enoch. Stories and traditions and prophesies packaged up as if it was Enoch himself who wrote them.
Now while this book is not part of the Bible, there are several allusions to it in the Bible. And this part of 1 Peter seems to be one of those allusions.
In 1 Enoch, there’s a story told of how the rebellious Sons of God of Genesis 6, which we read earlier, were imprisoned by God for their rebellion. While they’re in prison they call on Enoch to intercede for them, essentially asking Enoch to be their lawyer before God who’s the Judge.
So these spirits, who are already imprisoned plead to God for a pardon, but Enoch is sent back with a message from God with a resounding “no way!” “Your treachery and sin was great, and there is no way of escape from judgment.”
SO, if Peter is making a reference to this story, he is picking up this imagery of Enoch proclaiming the judgment of God over the powers of evil and applying it to Jesus while he is dead physically speaking. Though his body was dead, he was alive in the Spirit, telling the dark powers and principalities that he is Victorious, even in death!
If this is the picture that Peter is aiming for we can paraphrase the verse slightly to clarify what he’s saying:
“He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. After being made alive in spirit, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned rebellious spirits, to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built.”
With Scenario 2 He is essentially communicating to the Christians, that despite the suffering and even death that you will experience like Jesus, the victory over evil and death is secure. Jesus announced his triumph in the grave, before shaking off the shackles of death in resurrection.
Whether or not the story of Enoch is true is irrelevant to us, what concerns us is whether or not Christ did what Peter said he did. We have no reason to doubt! Jesus appears to fulfill an ancient typology that was in the popular consciousness of his day, but also one that is explored elsewhere in the Bible.
This scenario 2 seems to be the more likely one, as it is a neater fit: It fits the story from Enoch, the vocabulary that is used is most often used in the new testament to refer to divine beings rather that dead humans, and, the end of our section here makes direct reference to Jesus resurrection and ascension to God's right hand “with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him” 1 Pe 3:22 - Jesus triumphant over the spiritual world.
Example 2: Noah’s “baptism” triumph
Example 2: Noah’s “baptism” triumph
Peter, already talking about goings on in the time of Noah, takes the opportunity to flesh out another example of a righteous suffer triumphing and apply it to Christian life. Lets read it first:
and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.
The days of Noah - where there were a tiny proportion of righteous people - only 8. You feel like a minority now, imagine being one of only 8 Christians on the whole planet!
They, like you felt, the pressure of a world who was opposed to them - yet they were saved miraculously! They passed through the waters of judgment unscathed because they entrusted themselves to God in faith.
Though they looked the fools building the ark, they are the ones who were vindicated in the end.
It’s a picture of Baptism! This ritual washing that we give to Christians. Like communion which we celebrated before, it is a physical sign of a spiritual reality.
We’re spiritually cleansed, our sins are washed away, we are then spiritually united to Christ in his burial into the grave, like those who have gone into the chaotic waters, and we are spiritually raised with Christ who came forth alive from death in tirumph!
It’s not about the action of the water, but of faith - appealing to God.
Baptism saves you in the same way that Noah was saved - God saved him but he had to enter in to the water in faith.
Noah had to declare his loyalty to God over the world around him and be rescued through judgment in God’s ark of salvation.
Like Israel who stood on the sand of the red sea, we must enter into the parted waters, following our Pillar of Fire - Christ, declaring to the armies of Egypt and their emaciated gods that we stand with the one true God. We will walk though on dry ground while the waters of judgment sweep away God’s enemies.
We, must declare our loyalty to Jesus over the world around us and be rescued through the wrath of God in Jesus, the ark of our Salvation.
The waters of judgment are coming for this world… Christ is coming again.
Will you enter the ark of baptism, or no?
Be saved through the ark!
Take the sign of the spiritual reality!
Join Christ in his victory over all the spiritual forces!
We may be small in number, but the righteous few can suffer well, knowing that the suffering of Christ led to triumph in death, and like Noah’s adversity we will be saved from the onslaught when we take refuge in Christ - a refuge symbolized by baptism.
What now?
What now?
Bless others in Suffering
Share your hope in suffering
You triumph, like Christ did, through suffering
Suffer well like Jesus, and be blessed!