Chapter 3 Verses 8-12
TITLE: Can’t we all just get along?
TEXT: 1 Peter 3:8-12
Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: [9] Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing. [10] For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: [11] Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it. [12] For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.
THEME: Right relationships in the Body
PROP.: We must understand what it takes to have right relationships in the Body of Christ.
INTER.: What does it take to have right relationships in the Body of Christ?
INTRODUCTION: "For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile" (1 Peter 3:10).
INTRODUCTION:
Have you ever heard the phrase, "If life hands you a lemon, make lemonade"? This is easier said than done. When people are going through difficult trials, the meaning of life becomes tainted through eyes that tend to see...
· a desire for less responsibilities
· a return to the good old days
· a yearning for a life with no stress
· nothing but trouble
· the need to fix the problem
· less of godly things and more of worldly things
When hard times come, the need to love and enjoy life takes on an even greater importance for the Christian believer. Instead of just enduring life, God fully intends for His children to enjoy life—a life that He has promised to make abundant (John 10:10). But how is this goal realized?
We live in a world that is full of sickness and desperate needs. Many are hungry, homeless, dressed in rags, diseased, and physically and emotionally ill. And to top it off, millions are lonely, empty, and unfulfilled. They feel they have no significant purpose in life. They do not love or enjoy life: life is more routine and drudgery than enjoyment. This is the subject of this great passage: how to love and enjoy life. There are four steps to loving and enjoying life. (Note that these verses are a quotation of Psalm 34:12-16.)
Verses 8 to 12 will follow the extended injunction of 2:11–3:7 as an appendix. Peter must add to what he has declared concerning the various classes of society in their relationship together, something about life within the stratum occupied. Three particulars the author stresses as essential here: Harmony (unanimity), cordiality, and humility. A part of Psalm 34 is cited at the close in order to enforce the appeal being made. The adverbial phrase commencing verse 8 , Τὸ δὲ τέλος , may be rendered by a single word in translation. This phrase does not conclude the epistle. Rather was it intended to show the close connection between what follows and what precedes, just as indicated. The apostle did not rest content with speaking of class relations, but goes on to consider all the dealings of people amongst themselves. 5
I General Instructions
A Cordial Harmony
First the exhortation calls for likemindedness: “Be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another.” Just two Greek words are used to express this familiar thought. It may surprise the reader, then, to know that the compounds found here are rare in the New Testament, the former occurring but once and the latter but twice.
B Compassionate Hospitality
Not only has the exhorter named a like mind (or spirit) and a like soul, but also he specifies affection as an essential. Unanimity and sympathy 6 are not complete without adding to them the greatest virtue of all-love. Notice how the eighth verse, therefore, continues: “loving as brethren, tenderhearted” (R.V.). Brotherly love cannot be emphasized too much by the New Testament, as it reiterates over and over a call for such cordiality. Only in union, to be sure, lies strength, joy, peace, attractiveness, fruitfulness, godliness, progress. The Revisers have chosen wisely when they changed the Authorized rendering of pitiful to tenderhearted , since the one term has usually a negative thought today instead of a positive. Webster, nevertheless, still has listed “full of pity; compassionate” as the first meaning of pitiful . So a full tide of brotherly affection must be signified by two such words as verse 8 contains. Incidentally, both terms are rare in the New Testament.
BELIEVERS MUST HAVE COMPASSION
The word compassion (sumpatheis) means sympathy; to actually feel with others. It means to feel for others so much that...
· one suffers with those who suffer.
· one weeps with those who weep.
· one rejoices when others are honored.
· one understands the pressure that a leader is under when he has to lead.
· one hurts with those who are criticized and attacked.
· one grieves with the sorrows of others.
Unity cannot exist unless believers feel compassion and sympathy for one another. Believers cannot be selfish and aloof; they cannot be seeking attention and seeking to get their own way if they are to be unified. Unity demands sympathy; unity demands that believers feel for one another—that they feel deeply, so deeply that they actually experience what other believers experience: pain, hurt, abuse, suffering, joy, and rejoicing.
"Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep" (Romans 12:15).
"We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves" (Romans 15:1).
"Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ" (Galatians 6:2).
BELIEVERS ARE TO HAVE BROTHERLY LOVE
Believers must have brotherly love for one another. "Brotherly love" (philadelphoi)
BELIEVERS MUST MUST HAVE PITY
The word "pity" (eusplagchnoi) means to be tenderhearted; to be sensitive and affectionate toward the needs of others; to be moved with tender feelings over the pain and sufferings of others. We live in a world that desperately needs pity, a world of extreme suffering. So many suffer and continue to suffer without ever having their needs met. The means and resources to meet their needs exist, but so many within the world have become hardened to the sufferings of others. They bank, hoard, and build up asset after asset instead of sacrificing and reaching out to meet the needs of the world. But this is not to be true of the believer. Believers are to have pity upon the sufferings of others. Believers are to feel pity to the point that they are moved to act, moved to sacrifice and to reach out and meet the needs of the suffering.
Again, note how pity leaves no room for selfishness. Pity demands that a person deny himself and help others in their desperate needs and sufferings. Note also how pity draws people together. Helping and ministering to one another binds and knits people together. Having pity—feeling for one another and sacrificing and reaching out to help one another—unites people together. A great bond is created between the believer and those to whom he ministers.
"I have showed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35).
"Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body" (Hebrews 13:3).
"Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world" (James 1:27).
But not even a loving and unified mind will satisfy Peter at this point. Christians do well, assuredly, when they can cooperate in a common task and love each other fervently. Beside such positive virtues, however, still another quality is demanded, one that may seem more negative than positive, though only so until it has received due consideration.
C Cooperating Humility
Really, humility, the third and last virtue commended by the apostle, should be understood as the power which safeguards against pitfalls like pride and egotism-what caused the original condemnation of Satan ( 1 Tim 3:6 ). All of verse 9 as well as the last word in verse 8 incites believers to exercise humility. With and without the negative, strong emphasis is being laid on this quality: “humbleminded: not rendering evil for evil, or reviling for reviling; but contrariwise blessing” (R.V.). 7 Compare 2:19–23 ; Romans 12:19–21 .
The Greek word for "courteous" is (tapeinophrones). The word means to be humble-minded; to be lowly in mind. It means to offer oneself as lowly and submissive; to walk in a spirit of lowliness; to present oneself as lowly; to be of low degree and low rank; not to be highminded, proud, haughty, arrogant, or assertive.
Note: a humble person may have a high position, power, wealth, fame, and much more; but he carries himself in a spirit of lowliness and submission. He denies himself for the sake of Christ and in order to help others.
Men have always looked upon humility as a vice. A lowly man is often looked upon as a coward, a cringing, despicable, slavish type of person. Men fear humility. They feel humility is a sign of weakness and will make them the object of contempt and abuse and cause them to be shunned and overlooked.
Because of all this, men ignore and shun the teaching of Christ on humility. This is tragic:
= for a humble spirit is necessary for salvation (Matthew 18:3-4).
= for God’s idea of humility is not weakness and cowardice.
God makes people strong, the strongest they can possibly be. By humility God does not mean what men mean. God infuses a new and strong spirit within a person and causes that person to conquer all throughout life. He just does not want the person walking around in pride. He wants the person to do what the definition says: to offer himself in a spirit of submissiveness and lowliness; not to act highminded, proud, haughty, arrogant, or assertive.
Humility is to be developed. Scripture tells us how:
"Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls" (Matthew 11:29).
"Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18:3-4).
"And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted" (Matthew 23:12).
"Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits" (Romans 12:16).
"Walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love" (Ephes. 4:1-2).
"Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others" (Phil. 2:3-4).
"Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye" (Col. 3:12-13).
"Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time" (1 Peter 5:6).
A humble mind in Peter’s conception is not one that demands what should rightfully be its due. On the contrary, it is one that defers to God as “Him that judgeth righteously” and cares perfectly for His children. It accepts persecution in this world, never anticipating anything better than what was inflicted on the Son of God, inasmuch as the servant is not above his Lord.
Then Christian humility is not spinelessness but spirituality, yieldedness, patient endurance of wrong comparable to Christ, One that could bless His companion on Calvary once he expressed faith and left off reviling.
Again, as in verse 7 , the author has ample support for the cogent language used in addressing his readers. Verse 9 , accordingly, closes with the significant twofold statement: “for hereunto were ye called, that ye should inherit a blessing” (R.V.). 8 Compare 2:21 where the call to unjust suffering was noticed first. Peter, of course, will not repeat everything that he has written shortly before. He simply condenses it in six words. Thus εὐλογίαν may be referred to 2:24 and 25 with their recital of Christian felicity, while inherit will echo the thought of joint-heirs in verse 7 above.
II Guidelines For Implementation (10-11)
To reinforce his appeal for godliness Peter finds an inspired message ready to hand in Psalm 34:12–16a . This lyric was composed by David as his testimony of thankfulness and confidence in the Lord, after God had delivered him from the power of Achish, king of Gath, 1 Samuel 21:10–15 . 9 The part of the Psalm being quoted defines what is meant by fearing the Lord. Nothing could have been more appropriate.
A STOP YOUR TONGUE (v. 10).
If you wish to love and enjoy life, the very first thing you must do is stop your tongue. Few tongues are disciplined and controlled. By far most tongues run, wag, and blaze ever so loosely.
The tongue is easily stirred to run loose. It is easily ignited and just as easily set ablaze. The tongues of so many people are ready...
· to react
· to attack
· to defend
· to mock
· to poison
· to cut
· to hurt
· to scold
A tongue that runs loose and is not controlled and disciplined knows little love and little enjoyment of life. What can be done? How can a person control and discipline his tongue? By doing two things:
1 A person must stop his tongue from speaking evil.
Note: the honest and thinking person knows that no person can control and discipline his tongue perfectly. But Scripture is clear: God does not excuse us, and He expects us to stop our tongue from speaking evil. What we must remember—every couple and every believer—is that there is a vast difference between the occasional offender and the constant offender. An evil tongue is a tongue that constantly...
· cuts in and takes the floor
· reacts
· refuses instructions
· curses
· backbites
· argues
· defends oneself
· retaliates
· gossips
· criticizes
The list could go on and on until every act of behavior is covered. It is very difficult to live with a constant offender of the tongue. A person whose tongue constantly does evil is destroying his or her life. And we must always remember that an evil tongue is a tongue that is constantly doing evil, evil that ranges all the way from interrupting and disrupting others over to cursing and blaspheming the name of God. An evil tongue shows disrespect for others regardless of what a person claims. It shows disrespect and displeasure.
Note what the antidote is: "Let him refrain his tongue from evil." This is an imperative, a command. The believer is personally responsible. He is to stop his tongue—hush, be quiet, quit allowing his tongue to do evil.
2 A person is to keep his lips from speaking guile.
The word "guile" means deceit. A deceitful tongue is...
· a false tongue
· a cheating tongue
· a treacherous tongue
· a deceptive tongue
· a lying tongue
· a mistreating tongue
· a beguiling tongue
· a flattering tongue
We deceive and smooth talk others in order to get what we are after or to protect ourselves. But note what Scripture says: the very first step to loving and enjoying life is to keep our tongues from deceiving and beguiling others. Deception leads to sin and sin destroys. Just think about the deceptive tongues that have...
· destroyed marriages
· damaged friendships
· caused wars
· caused injuries
· prevented promotions
· disturbed children
· ruined reputations
· aroused fights
· maimed bodies
If we wish to love and enjoy life, we must stop our tongues from doing evil and from deceiving others. We must control and discipline our tongues.
APPLICATION:
This is the duty of the believer. It is not something God is going to do for the believer. Of course, God will help us and give us strength. But our tongues are controlled by us; they are under our power. We either do good or evil with our tongues.
"Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice" (Ephes. 4:31).
"And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell" (James 3:6).
QUESTIONS:
1. Why is it so important to control your tongue?
2. In what ways do you struggle to control your tongue?
3. What can you do to control what comes out of your mouth?
4. What is God’s role in helping you to control your tongue? What is your role? God will not do your role for you. Why not?
First of all the quotation warns against misuse of the tongue. Verse 10 has recorded this:
“He that would love life,
And see good days,
Let him refrain his tongue from evil,
And his lips that they speak no guile” (R.V.). 10
Our apostle has not chosen to vary much from the LXX version of the psalm. In consequence the Greek constructions of this and the rest of the material cited are rather unnatural. What is meant, however, can easily be discerned. Any man who wants a long and prosperous life must restrain his mouth from evil speech. (The word κακου̂ connects with verse 9 and also with verses 11 and 12 below. Compare 2:22 for guile and the whole idea of speech. Those who are interested in the grammatical construction of του should consult Robertson.) It is well known that David guarded his tongue from speaking criticism or evil, even when king Saul was the subject. But he might be accused of wrongdoing in the deceit which was practised upon Achish. The king of Gath was led to think that David had lost his mind, so as not to execute the man who had gained fame for his military prowess demonstrated in behalf of a rival nation. Justification of the masquerade, surely, will be found in the fact that David was acting a part simply to escape unmerited death, rather than to execute treachery upon an unsuspecting ruler.
STEP 2: TURN AWAY FROM EVIL AND DO GOOD (v. 11).
1. First, a person is to eschew evil. By eschew is meant to avoid and shun evil; to turn aside and away from evil. What evil is being talked about? Scripture clearly tells us what to turn away from and flee, what to stop doing.
= We must flee fornication.
"Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body" (1 Cor. 6:18).
= We must flee idolatry.
"Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry" (1 Cor. 10:14; cp. Acts 14:15).
= We are to flee foolish and hurtful lusts and the love of money.
"But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness" (1 Tim. 6:9-11).
= We are to flee youthful lusts.
"Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart" (2 Tim. 2:22).
= We are to turn away from all forms of evil.
"This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away" (2 Tim. 3:1-5).
= We are to stop and turn our tongue and lips away from evil.
"For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile" (1 Peter 3:10).
The charge is direct and forceful: we are to stop doing evil. The idea is that we are to stop dead in our tracks, snatch our hands back, snap our eyes away, shut our ears from the evil. We are to turn away and flee evil lest it consume and destroy us.
Note a crucial fact: evil is being pictured as a deliberate choice. We choose to do evil. The command of God is to turn away and flee evil. Turning away and fleeing is also a deliberate choice. Turning away and fleeing evil is up to us. We are the ones who have to repent; we are the ones who have to turn away from wrongdoing and turn to God. This is the second step to loving and enjoying life.
2. Second, a person must do good. Note: it is not enough to turn away from evil. When a person turns away from evil, he is like a vacuum. All the things that had been filling his life are set aside and his life is left with empty spaces. Whereas he had been spending time in the pleasures of the world, he now has blocks of time that must be filled. What is it that is to fill these blocks of time? What is it that is to fill the life of the person who turns away from evil and turns to God? Good works. A person who truly turns to God is a person who gives all he is and has to God. He commits his life...
· to live a holy and righteous life.
· to make Christ known throughout his community and all over the world.
· to minister and meet the needs of the desperate in the world.
"Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it" (Psalm 34:14).
QUESTIONS:
1. What temptations do you face regularly that you must flee from? How can you be successful in your attempt to flee these things?
2. Think of something evil you stopped doing. What did you replace it with? Has it made a difference in your life? In the lives of others?
3. STEP 3: SEEK PEACE AND PURSUE IT (v. 11).
The word "pursue" means to run after, chase, press for, and pursue. It has the idea of swiftness and endurance—of hotly pursuing and going after peace. We live in a world that is full of corrupt and evil people who could care less about peace and holiness just so they get what they are after. However, the believer must not give up, for peace is the very reason he is on earth.
The believer is to follow after or strive for peace with all men. The fact that he has to strive for peace means that peace is not always possible.
= Some persons within the church are troublemakers: grumblers, complainers, gossipers, criticizers; some are self-centered leaders full of pride; some people within the church are just selfish and self-centered, caring more about pushing themselves forward and getting their own way than about peace. Self is put before Christ and the church and its mission.
= Some persons within the world are troublemakers and they cause great trouble for the believer. They oppose the believer: ridicule, mock, poke fun at, curse, abuse, persecute, ignore, and isolate him.
= Some persons within the world are troublemakers for the world at large: dissenters, dividers, fighters, egotists, power-builders, and warmongers. Some people have no interest in peace whatever unless they can have their own way.
The point is this: the believer is to strive for peace with all men—no matter who they are. The very purpose for the believer being on earth is to bring peace between men and God and between men and all other men. Therefore, the believer is to do all he can to live at peace with everyone and to lead others to live in peace.
The believer is to live at peace with all men. The believer is to work for as much peace as possible. Some level of harmony and concord can be achieved at least some of the time. The believer is never to give up, not as long as there is hope for some degree of peace. He is to achieve as much peace as possible. However remember, peace is not always possible—not with everyone.
ILLUSTRATION:
There are times in the life of the believer when certain things happen that actually break the peace we have with others. Look at one man’s story.
Jim grew up in a home where his father controlled him. In a variety of ways, Jim’s father kept him under his thumb. His father figured that if he kept the purse strings on him then the apron strings would be strengthened too.
After Jim became an adult and began his own family, his father was still trying to control him. Seeing how his father was dragging his own family down, Jim finally took the action he had been avoiding for years. He changed the rules of engagement. From now on, Jim would cut the financial ties to his father. Jim decided that either he would make it on his own or not make it at all.
It was no surprise to Jim that his father hit the roof. With anger that would be kept for a vile enemy, Jim’s father cursed him and cut him out of his life. "I don’t have a son any more. If you write me, I’ll throw your letter away. If you call me, I’ll cuss you out and hang up. If you come to visit, I’ll slam the door in your face!" And with that barrage, the peace between Jim and his father blew up into a million jagged pieces.
Several years went by and true to the father’s promise, there was no relationship with his son, Jim. But during this time, Jim continued to pray for his father. One day Jim drove his car across the state to visit his father. As Jim knocked on his father’s door, he was looking over his shoulder for a quick way of escape. The door swung open and his father slowly reached out his hand...and then he took a step toward Jim...then he suddenly embraced Jim. "Jim, please come in. We just have to work this thing out between us."
Peace-making or peace-keeping? There is a world of difference. Our charge is to attempt to make peace...not to keep it.
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God" (Matthew 5:9, NASB).
QUESTIONS:
1. Why does making peace seem to be so fleeting and elusive at times?
2. Do you think peace is possible with everyone, all the time? Why or why not?
3. Who do you need to make peace with today? What do you need to do to make peace with this individual?
QUESTIONS:
1. God can see your actions, your motives, your thoughts. Is this a comfort to you or a disturbing thought? Are there some things in your life that need to be worked on?
2. Why does God answer the prayers only of a righteous man? What should that fact prompt you to do?
3. Do you ever feel that the evil person is getting away with murder while you are trying so hard to be good? How does God’s Word help you deal with this?
In the second place the citation warns against continuance with evil at all. The good should be done instead of remaining longer in a life of sin. Then peace, the inward calm resulting from practice of goodness, is to be sought for and pursued, as one would rush to overtake the fleeing foe and strip him of all, so as to make the victory complete and crushing. 11 Military phraseology from an invincible soldier like David can signify much.
BELIEVERS ARE NOT TO RETALIATE
Believers do not retaliate, but bless those who do evil against you. This point refers to both believers and unbelievers. As tragic as it is, some believers do evil and rail against other believers. Nevertheless, no matter the source of the evil and railing, true believers are not to retaliate. What are they to do when someone does evil against them?
The believer is not to react; he is not to return evil for evil to anyone. In the world and in the course of behavior between men, everyone is mistreated and reacted against at one time or another. Therefore, the believer suffers evil and mistreatment just as everyone else does—just in the course of behavior as a man. However, the genuine believer suffers additional evil: he suffers evil and mistreatment because he is a follower of Jesus Christ. As a follower of Christ...
· the believer is living a life of righteousness and purity, honesty and truthfulness; and such behavior is often opposed by the world. Therefore, the worldly person often opposes and abuses the believer.
· the believer is bearing testimony to the corruption of the world and to God’s salvation; to man’s need to escape the corruption by turning to Jesus Christ and His righteousness. Again, the worldly person often opposes the message of Jesus Christ and His righteousness.
The point is this: the believer is not to react against a person who mistreats and does evil against him. There are at least two reasons why he is not to react.
Reaction will most likely lose the friendship of the person and lose all hope of ever reaching the person for Jesus Christ. The evil doer will be able to say, "A Christian did that to me." The believer will have made Christ an unappealing Savior. On the other hand, if the believer returns good for evil, he opens the door for eventual friendship and bears testimony to the love of God for all men, even for those who do evil.
Reaction is not the way of God or of Christ.
"But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also....That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust" (Matthew 5:39, 45).
"Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing" (1 Peter 3:9).
"See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men" (1 Thes. 5:15).
"Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself: I am the LORD" (Leviticus 19:18).
"Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the LORD, and he shall save thee" (Proverbs 20:22).
"Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me: I will render to the man according
to his work" (Proverbs 24:29).
The believer is to bless those who do evil against him. The word "bless" (eulogountes) means to speak well of. It means to speak well to our persecutors. We do not react against them by cursing, speaking harshly, or striking out at them. We do not try to hurt them either verbally or physically. On the contrary, we seek to find something that is commendable about them and we commend them for it.
"Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing" (1 Peter 3:9).
"Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you" (Ephes. 4:31-32).
It means to speak well about our persecutors. When speaking to others, we do not down the persecutor, but we mention some commendable trait. We praise some good thing about the person; we do not tear him down. It means to pray for our persecutors. We must do as Jesus said and did.
"But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you" (Matthew 5:44).
"Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots" (Luke 23:34).
Now the question must be confronted: How is it possible to do good? The same man who wrote Psalm 34 also composed Psalm 14 , where the admission is made freely: “The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” Certainly the royal Psalmist could not set himself up as an exception to the sinfulness prevalent everywhere. Granted, then, that no good is being done in the world, is any change possible? Judging from the tenor of Psalm 34 , one would suppose that good might be accomplished were an individual but minded to do the right and cease the wrong. But can this assumption be correct? Yes, it can be proved so; nevertheless only upon one condition can it be, namely, that the sinner act as David has bidden in Psalm 37:5 , 6 : “Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.” How well did this man of Bethlehem speak the truth! In another of his psalms, for instance, the testimony is borne: “I said, I will take heed to my ways.... My heart was hot within me, while I was musing the fire burned: then spake I with my tongue, LORD, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am. Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreath; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best estate is altogether vanity.... And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee. Deliver me from all my transgressions” ( Ps 39:1 , 3–5 , 7 , 8 ). It must be concluded then, that unaided man does no good and can do none of that which is accounted good by God; nevertheless that the man of faith, enabled by God, can perform the good.
III God’s Inclinations
Part three of the Davidic material cited by Peter, the final words in the quotation, look more closely at the divine attitude toward right and wrong:
“For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous,
And his ears unto their supplication:
But the face of the Lord is upon them that do evil” (R.V.). 12
The face of the Lord is turned toward His people in blessing at the same time that it is directed against evil-doers for the purpose of punishment. Parallel passages will clarify what is signified by the actual wording, “The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous.”
Psalm 33:18 , 19 affirms: “Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy; To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.”
And Psalm 32:8 , 9 -a Davidic composition-adds, “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye. Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee.” Compare Proverbs 15:3 for both thoughts of verse 12 here; 2 Chronicles 16:9 ; Revelation 5:6 . If the first line in the citation means deliverance and guidance, the figure of speech in line two will connote that God hears and answers prayer. See Nehemiah 1:6 ; Psalm 10:17 ; 17:6 (a Davidie piece).
One word in the twelfth verse may still call for discussion, “the righteous”- δικαίους . This term is contrasted with “them that do evil.” So it must signify the kind of person who does good (verse 11 ). How can that be explained? Probably an answer for the question has already been suggested, when it was pointed out above that nobody can perform the good without faith and the divine enablement to bless the faith. One who is so favored by God, however, is none other than the person that has entered into covenant relation with God by an initial act of faith, somewhat comparable to Abraham, Genesis 15:6 . Hence Isaiah, the great prophet of redemption, bears testimony: “I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels” ( 61:10 ). Beside imputed righteousness like this, of course, there is personal uprightness. Still the former must always be the foundation for the latter,-which makes the two inseparable.
4. STEP 4: REMEMBER THE SOURCE OF LIFE, THE LORD HIMSELF (v. 12).
No person has life apart from God, and God sees exactly who it is that is to receive life.
1. God sees the righteous
= God sees the person who controls his tongue, who does not speak evil nor deceive people.
= God sees the person who turns away and flees from evil.
= God sees the person who seeks peace and pursues it.
This is the righteous person, the person to whom God gives life and good days. Note also that it is the righteous person whose prayers are answered. God’s ears are open to their prayers. The idea is that He hears their cries in times of need and He meets their need. God cares for and looks after the righteous day by day, never letting them suffer more than they can bear. This is a most wonderful thing: it means that the inner cry for life is met. God gives life, both abundant and eternal life, to the righteous; and He looks after them by answering their prayers while they journey throughout life.
"If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you" (John 15:7).
2. God sees those who do evil. Who are the evil?
= The evil are people who do not control their tongues, who speak evil and deceive others with enticing and smooth talking words.
= The evil are people who do not turn away from evil, who do not turn away from fornication (immorality), idolatry, foolish and hurtful lusts, the love of money, youthful lusts, and all forms of evil.
= The evil are people who do not seek and pursue peace, who are divisive, who grumble, complain, criticize, backbite, plot, fight, and war.
Note that the very face of God stands against those who do evil. The picture is that God not only sees the evil person, God stands face to face against him, to judge him.
"And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity" (Matthew 7:23).
ILLUSTRATION:
In the final analysis, you are able to love and enjoy life because Jesus has given it to you as a believer. This story from the pages of American history frame this point for us.
"Once when Calvin Coolidge was Vice President and presiding over the Senate, an altercation arose between two Senators. Tempers flared, and one Senator told the other to go straight to hell. The offended Senator stormed from his seat, marched down the aisle and stood before Mr. Coolidge, who was silently leafing through a book.
"’Mr. President,’ he said, ’did you hear what he said to me?’
"Coolidge looked up from his book and said calmly, ’You know, I have been looking through the rule book. You don’t have to go."
Remember, God is the source of eternal life, not other men. It is up to you to choose which path to take.
CONCLUSION:
The apostle’s words, 3:7–12 , have not conveyed rich morsels of truth comparable to the Christology in 2:21–25 . They are none the less valuable and timely for all that. Even a Paul dared not continue long on the exalted plane of doctrine, but needed to interlock teaching and exhortation in all his letters. Indeed, the two must never be severed, because “faith without works is dead.”
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5 5. Verse 8 is lacking a verb. No doubt the imperative form of the copula will suffice for a verbal, as happens frequently.
6 6. Compare the margin of the Revised Version.
7 7. In the final part of verse 8 the Authorized Version follows the reading of only two MSS., K and P. The better MS. authority has “humbleminded,” a hapax legomenon constructed on the basis of familiar words. This term, by the way, is found once in the book of Proverbs. So it may form one of the writer’s many allusions to that hortatory work. L, the Vulgate, and some other authorities contain both readings (Bigg).
8 8. The Authorized Version supplies knowing with the first conjunction here, but without much justification or need of doing so.
9 9. In the heading of this Psalm the name Abimelech is found. Yet it seems obvious enough that the Philistine Achish was meant. Cf. passages like Gen 20:2 .
10 10. The Revision has not changed the popular version here, except in the first line where a more modern use of grammar is adopted, and, of course, in the style of printing.
11 11. The aorist imperative is used throughout verses 10 and 11 , which would indicate that a decisive turn of life has been commanded, not mere continuance in a certain line of conduct.
12 12. Again the Revisers may have improved on the common version slightly. Yet it seems as if one good feature of the old translation, itself a minor detail, has not been preserved as it should have been. This is the play on epi , a preposition occurring twice. In the first line it must mean over or upon , but in the third it manifestly has a thought of opposition, against . See Robertson, Word Pictures in the N.T .