To do good or evil?

Previously, from the background of Psalm 34 Peter urges the church to be like-minded in doing good. The Christian Standard Bible labels these verses, “Do No Evil” and the New King James Version, “Called to Blessing.” Yet just five verses later Peter calls on us to suffer.

Our action? “Seek peace and pursue it.” [1 Peter 3:11b CSB]

Peace, from the greek, εἰρήνη – eirēnē, is a trait of witness for followers of Christ, therefore Peter insists that we must pursue it to be Christ-like.

Depart from evil and do good;
Seek peace and pursue it.

The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous
And His ears are open to their cry.

Psalm 34:14-15 NASB

This, too, Peter urges from the Psalm; but then he draws an application from this Psalm of David applying it to followers of Christ.

Pursue Suffering?

1 Peter 3:

The CSB calls it, “Undeserved Suffering” and the NKJV heads this section, “Suffering for Right and Wrong.” J.B. Phillips summarizes Peter’s central message of his letter to the church, “Do good, even if you suffer for it.”

13-16 [PHILLIPS] After all, who in the ordinary way is likely to injure you for being enthusiastic for good?

It’s a question of fairness, but also one about our motives in what we pursue.

We may sense some fairness from unbelievers when we do good. Yet those who pursue good (but not Christ) sometimes pursue evil and may turn against Christ-followers.

The Greek idea of pursuit here, διώκω – diōkō, actually suggests:

‘to make to run or flee, but also, to run swiftly in order to catch a person or thing, to run after or to press on.’ Metaphorically to pursue good, to seek after eagerly, earnestly endeavour to acquire.

Peter reminds from the Psalm that the Lord watches both those who pursue evil and those who pursue good.

14 CSB But even if you should suffer for righteousness, you are blessed.

Peter quotes the Prophet Isaiah [8:12] urging:

Do not fear what they fear 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.

Christ, holiness in your heart

Patiently endure suffering, for our Lord and Savior also suffered.

The NKJV states: 15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and the NASB urges: 15 but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts. What does this mean to a follower of Jesus?

Who is Lord? Who is supreme in your life?

Peter’s guidance to the church comes from his own personal witness.

– excerpt from Mark 8:27-29 CSB

Jesus had asked Peter and the Twelve, “Who do people say that I am?” He then asked the Disciples, “… who do you say that I am?”

Peter answered him, “You are the Messiah.”

Christ Jesus Lord!

Χριστός Christos Ἰησοῦς Iēsous κύριος kyrios

All of the Apostles (not just Peter) witnessed Jesus as the Christ to the church. John, who would have been with Peter here, also writes the Good News of their earlier calling:

One of the two who heard John [the Baptist] speak and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He found first his own brother Simon [that is, Peter] and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which translated means Christ).

John 1:40-41 NASB

Have you found the Messiah?

That is, do you have Christ [God with us] in your heart, Peter asks those who suffer for Jesus?

Sanctify Christ as Lord

If God is with you, then act like Jesus so that unbelievers may see the Lord in the actions of your heart.

15-16 NKJV But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed.

Sanctify Him in your hearts.

What does that mean, what must I do?

Understand the holiness of the Lord God!

The Creator is not like any other man or object of His creation. And the Messiah Jesus must be honored with this same Holiness.

Sanctify – ἁγιάζω – hagiazō – from hagios, ‘sacred (physically, pure, morally blameless or religious, ceremonially, consecrated)’ – 1. to render or acknowledge, or to be venerable [commanding respect because of great age or impressive dignity] or hallow; 2. to separate from profane things and dedicate to God; 3. to purify

Some will recall Jesus’ instruction to the Apostles about prayer from the King James Version:

Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

Matthew 6:9a KJV

Hallow the Lord in your heart, Peter tells us. καρδία – kardia, which we recognize as the heart ‘denotes the centre of all physical and spiritual life.’

All tradition from Jewish teaching recognizes the heart not only in the physical sense, but more importantly as ‘the centre and seat of spiritual life.’

A Model for Suffering

Gentleness and respect begin Peter’s list here of qualities of a sanctified heart for Jesus.

He continues with keeping a clear conscience, so that unbelievers who slander you for doing good are put to shame before the Lord.

Suffer only for doing good, but not for doing evil as the false followers of God will claim.

For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring you to God.

1 Peter 3:18a CSB

Do you realize that your suffering for Christ Jesus may lead someone unrighteous to God?

Peter, having God’s own Spirit in his heart, puts forth Jesus as our example of both suffering and hope.

He was put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit…

1 Peter 3:18b CSB

He went and preached to the spirits in prison.

Peter witnessed the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus! And Peter tells us more of the Lord’s victory over sin and death.

Without Jesus’ death for our sin we would have no victory. Those who died not knowing Jesus had no victory, though they did suffer death.

Who are these spirits in prison?

It’s a somewhat secondary debate from the greek of Peter’s letter, but consider the events following Jesus’ death and His appearance three days later.

The Gospel records that He yielded up His spirit [gk. pneuma].

Matthew 27: NKJV

Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints [ hagios or holy ones ] who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.

Peter now proclaims a cleansing of the spirit comparing baptism (permanent change possible only in Christ) to the Lord’s cleansing of the earth at the time of Noah.

One understanding of prison as a Greek metaphor for waiting illustrates the time of one of the three watches of the night. (See Stongs’ explanation.)

1 Peter 3:

NIV 19 After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits— 20 to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built.

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, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God with angels, authorities, and powers subject to him.

1 Peter 3:21-22 CSB

Why Suffer?

1 Peter 4:

Therefore since Christ suffered physically, Peter begins, understand why you must suffer for doing good for Him as your Lord. (Remember that these first century believers were already suffering for their faith in Jesus.)

“Arm yourselves also with the same purpose,” the NASB reads.

Why?

“… because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin…

You, beloved believer are changed permanently in Christ. For you suffer in the flesh as did our Lord AND you have ceased to sin.

[You are] finished with sin— 2 in order to live the remaining time in the flesh no longer for human desires, but for God’s will.

What an uplifting encouragement from Peter to the suffering church. Yet he strengthens their personal resolve further.

What remaining time did these suffering believers have?

Perhaps little; some only days or weeks.

And you, beloved follower of Christ, what little time might you have left to suffer in the flesh?

Our Former Sin

3 For there has already been enough time spent in doing what the Gentiles choose to do: carrying on in unrestrained behavior, evil desires, drunkenness, orgies, carousing, and lawless idolatry.

Judge yourself, fellow sinner. Even if we have not committed some of these godless offenses in the eyes of the Lord, our flesh without Christ has coveted evil. Peter warns suffering believers to hold firm in our faith.

4 They are surprised that you don’t join them in the same flood of wild living—and they slander you.

And I remind us where Peter began this contrast between you or me and those who cause us to suffer for Christ.

2 … live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.

Peter then assures us of God’s fairness and judgement.

They will give an account to the one who stands ready to judge the living and the dead.

1 Peter 4:5 CSB

Hope in the Gospel

Peter speaks of Jesus preaching even to the dead. The end is near for some of the believers to whom he writes. What is the hope for those who suffer? Why must we suffer for Christ?

For this reason the gospel was also preached to those who are now dead, so that, although they might be judged in the flesh according to human standards, they might live in the spirit according to God’s standards.

1 Peter 4:6 CSB

We were once dead in our sins. Yet God wants us to live in the spirit according to His will.

Jesus, our Savior will judge, separating those who follow from those who will receive the justice of their own sin — punishment without the grace of God’s mercy.

Endure in your suffering for Christ Jesus, in these last days.

To be continued...