New Thoughts: (04/12/14-04/17/14)
It seems to me that I have gathered far more quotes from sundry translations to comment upon than usual in this passage. I could almost reconstruct the whole section from varied quotations, but I shall not do so. I will, however, be taking this effectively verse by verse once I have noted the overarching point.
That point is effectively the same point Peter has been making from the outset. Suffering, and in particular unjust suffering at the hands of unbelievers, is to be expected. It is no cause for doubt or shame, but rather for rejoicing. But, lest our flesh rapidly deceive us, Peter consistently strikes a harmonic on this matter: Suffering justly because of sins committed is a different matter. That must not be our story, and if it is then repentance is the correct answer. He is not discussing suffering in general, but rather suffering for a specific cause. And, ever the response is to persist in righteousness.
With that out of the way, what specifically does Peter address in this passage? For that, as I said, I shall be taking things verse by verse. So, we start with verse 12. Don’t be surprised. Don’t think it strange that this is happening. Those two terms – surprise and strange – share a common root: xenos. In fact, strange is that root word. It is curious, although clearly not particularly pertinent to the passage, that the word translated as surprise can also speak of acting as host to strangers. But, in our case, the meaning is clearly the idea of thinking something odd or shocking. Persecution, whether intense or merely embarrassing, ought not to surprise us. It ought not to seem out of the ordinary at all. In fact, it could easily be argued that this is exactly what we ought to expect. Jesus said as much. Trials will come. In this life you will have troubles. Blessed are you when men persecute you for My name’s sake. The theme runs right through the Gospels.
Sinful people do not like to be forced to face their sins. Nobody seeks to be hauled before the judge, and it’s a rare one indeed who will respond to justice by saying, “it’s a fair cop.” No. It is in our nature to do everything in our power to avoid justice. But, a part of what Peter relays here, what God reveals of Himself consistently, is that Justice cannot and will not be avoided. The course of this present life may seem to suggest otherwise, but there is an eternal reckoning coming. That is a point we may find resonating more loudly nearer the end of this passage.
So: What exactly is it we ought not be surprised by? The ‘fiery ordeal’. Here, the terminology is that of smelting or refining fire. There is a song of which I am rather fond which speaks of the crucible of affliction. That image could be taken straight from this passage. One refines metals in a crucible. The fire required for that task is intensely hot. Indeed, we have many passages that speak of God as an all-consuming fire. We have another song well known to the modern church that sings lovingly of the Refiner’s fire. But, here’s the thing: The fire that refines is going to hurt. Having the dross of our sinful lives boiled off is not going to be a pleasant sensation. If our eyes are on the trial we are at risk of being consumed by the trial. If, however, our eyes are on the God who tries, aware that He has provided the way to not only survive the trial but prosper spiritually for the experience? Then, we shall find ourselves not consumed but refined. We shall come forth as pure gold.
The process that transforms the rather coarse and unpleasant raw ore of gold, with all that dirt and rock mixed in, into a material that has been the standard of beauty and excellence through the ages is one that few other materials would survive. The solid ore must be heated to melting. It must be left, as it were, on the boil for a period, so that all that is not gold will rise to the top, becoming something of a skim coat. That material must be scraped off and disposed of. The process may very well have to be repeated several times before the pure gold emerges. This does indeed serve as an apt picture of the process of sanctification.
So, then, this refining fire comes, a fiery ordeal. But, look! That ordeal, that Refining Fire, is by God’s direction. It is His intention for us. This is not cause to run from God as though He were some cruel and malevolent deity. No. God remains Good. He does not send these things our way to crush us and destroy us. It is true that we shall tend to see these things as calamities. And, I would note that God is not ashamed to admit to being the one who sends calamity. Why should He be?
Let us consider first the calamity that comes against the unbeliever. What is that but the beginning of a just punishment? Where then is cause for complaint? There is none. Perhaps it shall even be discovered that God sent that foretaste of punishment to prod that unbeliever to repentance, in which case a great good indeed has been accomplished, and we have cause for rejoicing. But, where do we go with the matter of bad things happening to good people? It’s a question many have spent entire books trying to address. Arguably, the book of Job is the first to do so. Of course, that whole question rests upon a dubious point: that there is any such thing as a good person. Fundamentally, we are forced to accept that there is no such creature. We are all sinners by nature, and therefore all worthy of punishment, deserving of the calamities that befall us.
However, we who have come to Christ count ourselves amongst the redeemed, those saved by grace. And somehow, we get the sense that this ought to excuse us from all punishment. We are no longer under the curse of the Law, so why is this happening to us? If we are not extremely careful, we slide right back into the lie of saying, “I have done nothing wrong.” The truth is far nearer, “I have done nothing right.” So, God sends these calamities our way. Why? As trials, as tests of character. They are, in the best light, an experiment by which God seeks to prove that there is that core of gold within our raw ore. Yes, calamity consists in adversities, afflictions and troubles. But, they are not sent to bury us and drive us to despair. They are there to prove us.
Now, it would seem suitable to ask who it is that needed the proof. God certainly doesn’t. He already knows. He knew from before the foundation of creation. Does the devil require proof? One could get that sense reading Job. Look at my servant there, Satan. He’s as righteous a man as you could hope to find. And what is Satan’s response? Let me see the proof of it. But, in the end, it matters not whether Satan is convinced of our righteousness. He may be a lawyer at heart, but he is not the Judge, and it is the Judge’s opinion that matters. No. I think it must be recognized that it is we ourselves who most need the proof. There is an aspect of this proving which serves as testimony to those who observe our trial, and that may indeed prove a powerful testimony. It may be – we ought even to hope it shall be – that our sufferings, if they must needs be, lead to the salvation of others. But, they also come to produce confidence in us as we suffer. As we see how we have responded we are witness to our own progress. We are granted to observe how the Holy Spirit of God is working within us, which point Peter addresses in verse 14, so let me set it aside at this juncture.
I mentioned that I had gathered quotes from several translations this time around. For verse 12, I shall combine two, one from The Message, and one from The Amplified Bible. I think it should be pretty clear which is which. “When life gets really difficult, don't jump to the conclusion that God isn't on the job”; “as though something strange (unusual and alien to you and your position) were befalling you.” Now, that idea that we would conclude God is not, ‘on the job’, is certainly not to be found in the immediate verse, and indeed requires a fair amount of interpolation. But, why else would it seem strange to us? How quickly do we reach the conclusion that if I’m going through this junk, God must be mad at me. He must have turned His back on me. Maybe that’s the case, maybe it’s not. We’ll explore that further going forward. But, it certainly is not a necessary conclusion. One thing we can be absolutely certain of is that God is on the job. God never slumbers nor sleeps (Ps 121:4). We do so more than we ought, but He never does.
So, whatever is happening to us, we can be sure of this: It is not something that slipped God’s attention. That’s in that ouk-mee realm of impossibility. The very idea loses all meaning in God’s proximity. How, then, ought we to respond? Do we automatically rejoice for suffering? Do we immediately conclude that every adversity that comes our way must be God showing us how far we’ve come, or the devil complaining about how much we are achieving for God’s kingdom? No. That, too, is an uninformed, unthinking response. We shall have to consider the cause. That is a matter Peter does not allow us to lose sight of. Trials will come. Suffering is the common experience of the Christian. The question is not how can this be? The question is what is the reason this time?
Turning to verse 13, Young’s Literal Translation presents us with this clause: “as ye have fellowship with the sufferings.” The fellowship of which he speaks is the sharing other translations indicate. We share in the sufferings of Christ. That odd wording in Young’s gives us a clue that the terminology here is somewhat unusual. In fact, what we have is a variant of koinonia. In other settings we would expect this term to indicate a close fellowship, something nearer a partnership. We also tend to associate it with a certain pleasure in that relationship; a sweetness if you will. In our day, the term has come to take on the sense of being particular to Christian fellowship, as though no other association among men could attain to the same depth of mutual support.
How much of this understanding should we bring into what Peter is saying? It is perfectly natural to us that we would count ourselves partners and associates of Christ. That is, after all, a large part of being a disciple. It may be a rather unequal partnership, but it is a partnership, an association we have established one with another and seek to maintain. But, with His sufferings? That’s an entirely different matter. We may accept the necessity of that sharing, or the inevitability of so doing. Indeed, Scripture is very clear on the matter. And yet, I suspect we all hope that somehow we are to be excused from participating. We have a note from our doctor.
But, look at the way Peter develops this. If you are in fellowship with the sufferings of Christ, rejoice! Keep rejoicing. Count it not strange. Count it a privilege and an honor. Rejoice now, and you shall find yourself leaping for joy when He returns in His glory. After a fashion, this seems to build on the teaching Jesus had regarding love and forgiveness. Who will love more? The one who has been forgiven more. Who will rejoice more? The one who has known more suffering. Their relief will be the greater. The sum of it is that as odd as it seems to join koinonia and suffering in the same thought, it is actually quite fitting.
That said, we need to probe a bit at the way we react to that concept. I know I need to do so. As clear as we are on the Scriptural perspective on suffering, we still find ourselves possessed of a mindset that it is something strange, something that we oughtn’t to have to deal with. Why should we suffer? We belong to Christ! What business have sickness and hardship with the sons of God? There’s entire bodies of teaching built upon such a mindset. This is at the root of the whole health and wealth ‘gospel’. One has to wonder, though: If those who welcome their fellowship with the sufferings of Christ are the ones dancing for joy at His return, what becomes of those who have pursued a life of ease and plenty here? Which do they more closely resemble: Jeeves or Lazarus?
I’m sorry. It is not that wealth of possessions is inherently evil. It is not. Indeed, we might do well to consider that if these things are gifts from God, it would be rude in the extreme to refuse the gifts. But, to make them the point? If they are the point, then they are your god. Meanwhile, the God Who Is has described a far different course of life as being suited to His children. They road to heaven is not the wide, easy boulevard. It is the narrow path, and there are many along the way who seek to oppose your progress, who seek to entice you onto some detour or other. But, every detour is found to be a dead end street. The goal is not health and wealth. The goal is heaven. The way is not a garden path. It is a trail of tears. If they hated the Master, they will hate the servants. It’s a given.
There is a corollary here that bears observation. If they don’t hate the servant, what does that say of the servant? If your life is truly free and clear of every sign of trial and there does not ever seem to be much of any testing that comes your way you really need to begin to question your standing. God, we are told, disciplines those He loves (Heb 12:6). If, then, there is no discipline, do you really suppose it is because you have been so perfect in your pursuit of sanctification? But, we know better! There is none who is righteous, no not one (Ro 3:10). If you are not being tested, it should be assumed that the reason is that you have long since failed so utterly that there is nothing left to prove.
And yet, dear believer, we know how we react to these things. It’s not fair! I don’t deserve this! Now, somewhere deep inside, we know that we are correct that we don’t deserve this, but only technically correct. We think we deserve better. In truth, we know we deserve far worse. Far be it from us to demand of God that He treat us as we deserve. There could be no crueler fate. But, our pride rises up. I am a son of God! Don’t you know who I am? We hear it from our politicians and think them to be giving evidence of far too great a sense of entitlement. It is no different when it comes from our own lips or our own thoughts. It is clear indication that we still think too highly of ourselves.
Think about it. How can I be so proud as to suppose it unfair that I should suffer these lesser indignities when God Himself was treated worse? He died that I might live, and shall I complain if life is occasionally hard? Far be it from me! And yet, I know I do this all the time. Let the traffic lights be running against me as I am late (particularly if I’m late for church)! It’s not right! Lately it could be argued that most any minor inconvenience could suffice to set me off. I can write some of that off to things I am dealing with at present, but I cannot do so legitimately. There can be no excuse for such a sense of privilege. I need to get back to that lesson I read for missionaries, for we are all missionaries: You have no rights. That was actually the name of the book in question. But, it is something we need to have plastered across our brow. You have no rights. Stop complaining about how it’s not right and how you don’t deserve this or you do deserve that. You have a God Who provides perfectly. You claim this as concerns Him, so how about you act like you believe it. If God provides perfectly, and He disciplines those He loves, what is the proper response should He choose to provide difficulties and tribulations? Praise God, and may I have another? No. That is probably taking it too far. But, to be teachable under trials? To remain joyful in the face of adversity? That is surely the proper way of the Christian. It is a way that seems particularly foreign to us in the modern west, but it is a way we must needs recover. To the degree you have fellowship with the sufferings of Christ, rejoice. If you have shared in His sorrows, know that you shall share in His glories.
Peter builds this point a bit further before presenting the counterbalance. For our sinful flesh, hearing about how glorious it is to suffer, will seek to convince us to go be insufferable. Doing so, we will excuse every bit of boorishness on our part. Indeed, we will not even recognize our own sinful behavior. We will write off the inevitable response of others as proof of our own righteousness. But, it is nothing of the kind. As I said, Peter will bring the corrective. But, let us join him in considering the positive side of the message more thoroughly before we get there.
Look at where he takes this in verse 14. Are you reviled for being a Christian? You are blessed! For, the Spirit of glory – the Spirit of God – rests upon you! Wuest makes the point even stronger: “In view of the fact that you have cast in your teeth, as it were, revilings.” Sufferings? They cast their insults in your teeth! They spit on you. To bring it up to date, they throw shoes at you. They drag your good name through the dirt, start twitter-storms, unfriend you on Facebook, and post scurrilous videos denouncing your good name on YouTube. But, “blessed [are you — […], regardless of your outward condition]”, says the Amplified.
That is a key concept for us to latch onto: Regardless of your outward condition. This is the thing that distinguishes joy from happiness. Happiness flows from circumstance. Joy persists in spite of circumstance. We are not to be controlled by circumstance but by God. It is in Him that we have our joy, and on that basis our circumstances cannot alter our joy for good or ill. But, here we are not looking directly at joy, although it is not so far removed. Here, we are looking at our understanding of what is happening to us. There is cause for rejoicing, as Peter has indicated. But, why? There is cause for rejoicing because the very fact that we are reviled for being Christians is clear evidence that the Spirit of the glory of God rests upon us. It is the clearest of proofs that God abides in the temple of our flesh, for where He is, offense must come. Sin cannot abide His presence any more than He can abide the presence of sin.
Wuest, in looking at the closing clause of this verse, expands on the impact of His Spirit resting upon us. “The Spirit of God is resting with refreshing power upon you.” In fairness, I can find nothing in that verse that speaks to refreshing power, as it is presented to us in translation. The meaning is hidden away in the idea of rest. The term translated is anapauetai. That word really does bear the sense of refreshing, recuperative rest. Further, which ought really not to surprise at this point, the term is presented in the Middle Voice. Looking to Wheeler, there are a number of possible ways that voice might play out. It is clearly not a case of the subject acting upon himself, as if I could bring down the Spirit of God upon myself and demand He recharge me. Neither is it a case of acting in my own interest. One might posit such a meaning were God the subject rather than me. We come, then, to the Causative/Permissive sense. The subject (me) has, allows or causes something to be done for himself. And in that list, the best I can claim is has. There is nothing about allowing God and certainly no means of causing God to act. There is only the reality that He has thus acted. He causes refreshing to rest upon those facing trials for His name’s sake.
Now, if I may permitted a truly trivial aside, I want to have a brief look at the word reviled. Here, we have a Greek term arising from the root oneidos, indicating a taunt or disgrace. That term must surely have a familiar ring to it, as we consider that most of the flatware in American households comes from the Oneida company based in Oneida, New York. On review, however, the name of both town and company derive from the Oneida Indians, not the Greek term. If there is a lesson to be drawn from this paragraph, I suppose it might pertain to the etymological fallacy being a risk to us as we parse the text of Scripture. It is not the usual form of that fallacy, but it is an application none the less. We must not assume the meaning of the root has clear and necessary bearing upon the meaning of the derived term. We also must not assume that an apparent etymological connection from the Greek to our own language is necessarily real.
Let us move on with Peter to the obverse condition of suffering. Suffering can and should come to the murderer, the thief or the evildoer. Even in our fallen and farther falling world we have systems of justice to address such matters. Those who break the law are deemed deserving of the suffering that comes of being caught. That hasn’t changed just because you came to Christ. God did not save you from sin so that you could ignore the civil authorities. Indeed, we have the word of Scripture informing us that those very civil authorities are by His appointment. “It is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing. It is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath upon the one who practices evil” (Ro 13:4). Let it not be supposed that we have immunity. Let it not be supposed that newness of life has somehow eliminated our responsibility for the crimes of the old life. The curse of the Law is removed, but not our responsibility to it. That may seem a fine distinction, but it is a critical one. We are not made lawless in Christ, but rather declared righteous before His court. The civil court remains.
Consider that we have such distinctions even within the civil justice system. One can find he has no case under one aspect of the system, and yet bring suit under another, and there are several layers of this. Innocent of breaking federal law, one may still be in violation of state law. Clear of state law, there may be local ordinances. Even where one has been cleared on those grounds, there remains the civil suit. In short, while the atoning work of Christ assuredly relieves us of the ultimate penalty that is sin’s due it does not relieve us of responsibility for the repercussions of our moral lapses. Suffering that comes our way due to being morally reprehensible is not cause for rejoicing and does not serve to boost our hopes for the return of our Lord and Savior.
These are not sufferings with merit. They are sufferings well deserved. By God’s good grace they may yet serve to our benefit if they bring us to repentance. They are made sufferings for our discipline and not our destruction because we are yet His children even when we blow it, as we so often do. But, we must be clear that not all sufferings are created equal. If you are suffering as direct result of sin, be ashamed. That is the unstated corollary of Peter’s message. If it’s simply for being a Christian, there is no cause for shame whatsoever, but if it’s for wrongdoing, there is.
To bring the point home, consider that last category Peter mentions: the troublesome meddler. This is a challenging term for the translators because they don’t have much to work with. The Greek term, allotriepiskopos, is only found this one place in Scripture, so we don’t have opportunity for direct commentary of Scripture upon Scripture. Here, we must risk the etymological fallacy and look to the constructed term, for what else is there? Clearly, we have the term episkopos here, which will be recognizable from church governance. It is the overseer, the elder. It is interesting to note that underneath that term we will find skeptomai, with its indications of peering about and watching. One thinks of the Pharisees who were watching Jesus, peering into His affairs and looking for something by which to accuse Him. Of course, we do not expect our overseers in the church to have so dark a purpose. However, the overseer must remain aware of the condition of those he oversees, and if there is that which needs confronting, he must be willing and able to confront, yet do so with the love of God.
What makes the distinction here is the addition of allotrios, another’s not one’s own. If the episkopos has a certain vested authority in the case of those who belong to the church in which he serves, that authority does not extend to another church, at least in most forms of church governance. It certainly cannot be taken as applying outside of the church. He may be able to speak with a sense of moral authority, but it is only a sense. It is not binding. Those who are without the church can quite rightly set aside his rulings. It may be done at their own peril, but it may be done. He has no authority in that situation.
Does this drive us to the exact meaning Peter intends? It cannot be said with certainty. If we take it in this sense of church governance, it would seem to threaten Peter’s own authority in addressing these churches. Is he not thereby becoming a “curious inspector and meddler in other people’s affairs” as Zhodiates defines our term? Of course, Peter is an Apostle and can therefore be said to have oversight authority throughout the Church in all its local subsets.
Thayer suggests a slightly different understanding. His view is that Peter is addressing those whose zealousness for Christianity has them meddling in the affairs of unbelievers in such a fashion as would seek to conform them to Christian standards. Given that Peter is not directly addressing the leadership, so far as we know, it would make sense that he intends something with this broader application. And, certainly, we can think of examples from our own time of this sort of theocratic perspective on society. How wonderful it would be if only the whole of society were conformed to Christianity! And, indeed, come the fullness of the kingdom of God we shall see it so. But for the present, we might as easily consider how wonderful it would be if only the whole of the church were thus conformed, or even the whole of our own lives. What we do not have in the mandate of the New Covenant is a command to go out and force worldwide conformance to our system of law. We have a mandate to go and make disciples. It must be noted that disciples are not coerced into discipleship. They are not conscripts. They are voluntary associates who have seen in us something worthy of emulation.
We look about the world and see a radical form of Islam seeking to coerce the nations into compliance with their conception of religious law. Even here in the US we can see efforts at bringing their concept of sharia law into practice as part of our legal system. And, where sharia cannot be implemented, they will seek other means to enforce their views. Christianity, looked at across its full history, cannot be said to be exempt to similar motivations. When the church has found itself with political power it has not been averse to utilizing that power to enforce its views. This, it must be said, has rarely if ever proven to be to the glory of Christ. Yet, we will still find those who think it the right course. It is one thing to oppose legislation that is at odds with our morals or to support legislation that accords with our views. It is quite another to demand that all bow to our tenets like it or not. The time will come, to be sure, and every knee shall bow. But, it is not in our purview to seek to enforce that condition in the present. We are called to glorify God by our example, to represent Him as correctly as we are able, and to be lights in a darkened world. We are not called to set the world alight.
Turning to some verses that parallel Peter’s thoughts, we are led to 2 Thessalonians 3:11, where Paul is addressing the undisciplined lives led by some in the church. Not all are working: problem number one. But, there is a concomitant problem: They are acting like busybodies. Therein lies our parallel, but the term is different: periergazomenous. Peri: through or all over. And then, the middle voice of ergon, work. A literal translation would lead us to one who is working all around, bustling about. But, the sense of it is that they are meddling. One might say they are working all around as opposed to working at their own labors. They are busily getting into everybody else’s business. That, of course, connects with Paul’s first issue of them not working – same middle-voice of ergon. You’re so busy poking into everybody else’s business that you’re not dealing with your own.
So, then, there is clearly a different thrust to this point Paul is making. There, the point is getting in their business. Here, the issue would seem to be trying to be their law. It is nearer to Jesus’ parable of casting pearls before swine (Mt 7:6). What was His prediction of the result? “They will trample them underfoot, and then turn on you and tear you to pieces.” In a word, being such a troublesome meddler leads to suffering.
In verse 16 Peter returns to the positive aspect: Suffering for being Christian is no cause for shame. Indeed, if this is our situation, let us glorify God in that name. How ought we to understand that last bit? The NET presents the verse as, “But if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but glorify God that you bear such a name.” That renders the point as being that we should be honored that we are accounted Christians. Recalling that the term Christian began as a derogatory reference for those who followed the Way of Christ, there’s something to this. They cast the word as insult, but wear it with honor. However, I am not fully convinced this is Peter’s point.
The CJB points us in a different direction. “But if anyone suffers for being Messianic, let him not be ashamed; but let him bring glory to God by the way he bears this name.” This seems far more in keeping with the overall message of the epistle. Suffering is a reality in Christian living, but it mustn’t shape the character. We cannot allow ourselves to respond in kind. We do not have the luxury of revenge. In large part, we do not even have the luxury of self-defense. What is the command of Christ except that we turn the other cheek and leave the vengeance to God?
Thinking about the fact that this perspective is set forth in the CJB makes me think of the particular challenges our Jewish brethren face. To become a Christian is a particularly challenging matter for them. True, those coming from a Muslim background face challenges more immediately life-threatening, but for the Jew there is this particular stigma attached. To their fellow Jew they have ceased to be Jews entirely. Parents will disown children for such a decision. That same mindset which would put under the ban any who taught of this Jesus in the earliest days of the Church persists. For a Jew to become a Christian, then, is to enter into a life of rejection by one’s most intimate relations. It is to be ejected from the social fabric in which one was raised. It is to be reviled as a non-entity and worse. “But let him bring glory to God by the way he bears this name.” Do not take up revenge. Do not return evil for evil. Do not return reviling for reviling. Rather, persist in doing what is right, living by according to the Way. We have heard this repeatedly. Persist in doing good whatever evil they may do you.
If it is true of the Messianic Jew in a particularly poignant and painful way, it is true of us all. To become Christ’s is to cease being the world’s. We remain in the world but no longer of the world. We are not continuing in the ways and habits of our past, and as Peter said in the previous section, this causes our old companions to scratch their heads and even to resent us. Our determination to live in righteousness must needs expose to them their own unrighteousness. It removes the freedom to ignore sin’s stain. If forces awareness, and that awareness leads to resentfulness. I did not wish to know, and I shall not think well of that one who made me to know - unless, of course, the Holy Spirit of God so moves as to grant me to think more wisely.
In the combined message of verses 15 and 16, I find a reason for pause. There is the obvious positive and negative cause for suffering that Peter has presented. But, there’s a deeper message to hear. First, there is this: Suffering is not pointless. There is a reason. There is, for the Christian, great hope and encouragement to be had in knowing that it is God who brings calamity. The modern Church by and large chooses to downplay this fact or even deny it. No! God is love. How can Love bring calamity? Well, ask Him. He’s the one who says He does so. In fact, though, He has already answered the question, hasn’t He? “He who spares his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him diligently” (Pr 13:24). “For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, and He scourges every son whom He receives” (Heb 12:6); which continues, “It is for discipline that you endure.”
The author of Hebrews had the benefit of some cultural certainties. “We had earthly fathers who discipline us, and we respected them” (Heb 12:9). It is the sad state of our culture that we cannot even say with confidence, “We had earthly fathers,” except in the most basic, biological sense of the matter. No. Even there, we can no longer suppose this as a given. But, fathers who disciplined? That is by no means a given, and even where it is true, society has trained many a child that they should revile such a parent rather than respect them. And we wonder at the society we have created!
But, back to Peter. Suffering is not without cause. It is true for the unbeliever, but it is equally true, if not more so, for the believer. Do you suffer, O Christian? Look to the reason! It is clear from Peter’s carefully balanced presentation that we dare not assume the cause. Suffering is not in itself cause to think we are progressing well. It may very well be that suffering has come as discipline, as a response to sin. Suffering may very well be a call to repent. God is not given to winking at our sins. Neither is He so unloving as to leave us to our sins. In truth, He cannot leave those whom He has called to our sins because to do so would require Him to be untrue to Himself, to invalidate His own decree. That cannot be. God cannot be not-God.
On the other hand, suffering cannot be assumed to presuppose sin in need of punishment. It may come as test rather than discipline. Consider the entire book of Job, for that is the overarching point. Job was not being punished for some sin he refused to repent of, and he knew it. However much his friends sought to help by leading him to repentance, he knew there was nothing in that. Now, he may have slipped into mindsets he needed to repent of under the weight of his suffering, but that’s a different story. That’s an outflow of testing.
There is something wonderful in that matter of testing. Testing and temptation are, in fact, the same term, but they are very different in their aim. Temptation comes our way with the goal of leading us into failure. Temptation is of the devil, and he seeks only to rob and kill and destroy. But, testing, though it comes in the same form as temptation, is of God, and seeks to strengthen, reprove, and improve us. Testing comes with the clear intention of demonstrating that we can pass the test.
One might well ask why this needed demonstrating. God certainly needs no proof. He knew before He set the test, for we shall either succeed in His strength or fail in our own, and either way, His perfect knowledge is aware of how it will play out. Is this all to prove something to the devil? I think not. It may be brought forth in evidence at the last day, but I rather doubt it. After all, if the last day consists in evidence presented, there will be plenty that can be brought forth to demonstrate our failures. But, the plea is never to our successes in the first place. The plea, the only plea, is to Christ. He has done the perfect work of righteousness, and He has satisfied the court on my account. There and there alone is my hope of legal justification. Perhaps, though, our perseverance in testing may be presented as evidence concerning our sanctification. Perhaps it is set out as the valuation upon which our reward is calculated. Here are those works that will not burn up like chaff. I speculate, to be sure. But, I don’t suppose it hurts us to find value in our suffering on that basis, so long as we don’t suppose we come to heaven with a demand for payment on that basis.
But, look! Suffering is never pointless! That in itself is a cause for joy. It is not evidence that God is not God, or that God is some capricious creep like so many of the gods of Greece and Rome were. No. He is firmly in control of events and He has sent this your way to a purpose. You, my friend, must needs consider the particular purpose. Is there something of which you need to repent? Doubtless we can all think of many things. Well, then, here is a fine opportunity. But, is there no discernable sin for which this suffering has come? Don’t think it pointless. Think testing. Rather than railing against the unfairness of it all, consider: What is the test? How ought I to respond that I might glorify God even amidst this trial? I’ll give you a hint (and by you I mean me): it’s not by bitter complaining about circumstance.
Oh! How I need to take this to heart. There can be but two proper responses to suffering. The first is introspection, a searching out of the leaven of sin unrepented. Where is the idol I have set up before my God? Let me cast it down and return to Him. Let me fall down before Him and seek His forgiveness, knowing that He is indeed faithful to forgive. And let me further seek His strength to repent in truth, and not merely in sorrow for being caught out. The second response must then be, how do I move forward? How do I walk forward in the face of suffering? To run from it is to fail. To rail against it is to deny God. To react in kind is ruled out as something that does not glorify God. There is only perseverance in the certain hope of God. There is only the insistent, persistent pursuit of walking in righteousness; a determined effort to act as God would have me act regardless of circumstance. And therein is that joy which transcends circumstance. Suffering? Here’s a reaction that’ll throw ‘em: Rejoice!
Do you know, that response is always well suited. Are you suffering because of sin? Rejoice that your God has seen fit to bring you back to your senses that you might repent and live! Are you suffering in spite of righteousness? Rejoice that He Who is determined that you pass the test considers you able to withstand. It is proof of your progress. And, if you would have a purpose in the testing, there it is. You need that proof. Proof of progress builds our strength, particularly the strength of our hope. If we had gone a decade or two in faith and had no clear evidence of progress where would we find cause for hope? If all we had was our growing awareness of our need for Christ, the image of the depths of our sinfulness coming clearer day by day, we would have cause for nothing but despair. We need the proof of our testing. We need to see the effects of discipline. We need to see that we are making progress. And our loving Father is pleased to make certain we do see it. It’s never for nothing.
[04/16/14] Coming into verses 17-18, we hit a rather difficult section. It is difficult for many reasons, not least because the implications are troubling. “It is time for judgment to begin with the household of God.” Wait a minute, there, Peter! I thought our Savior had already dealt with that. Are we not already proclaimed righteous before the court of heaven? If the case is already settled, what judgment are you talking about? It would be easier to swallow, I suppose, if we could take his meaning as being that men are judging the church, but God will later be judging them. However, the progress of his thinking leads me to believe he is discussing God’s judgment throughout. I base that on the second clause: If it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for them?
Let’s understand this: God is Just. He cannot be unjust. It is reasonable to say, then, that His Justice requires Him to judge not only those He has reserved for condemnation, but also those He has called unto salvation. It would hardly be a just judge who only tried those he had determined to be guilty beforehand. Even if his knowledge of the case were perfect, even if he knew beyond the shadow of doubt who was guilty and who was not, it would be difficult to lay claim to justice if there were no trial. Add to this that, despite our legal standing of justification, there remains the very real fact of our sin. Never mind our culpability due to our federal representative Adam. We have more than enough sins of our own to answer for. Justice therefore requires that we face trial. Yes, we know the outcome. Yes, we have our debt paid in full. But, that debt must first be established in full before the requisite payment can be determined, does it not?
So, then, if I am reading Peter correctly, we shall all be judged, both the redeemed and the reprobate. It would not be hard to see that in Jesus’ message about separating the sheep and the goats (Mt 25:32-33). All the nations will be brought before Him for separation. The implication there is that nobody is excluded. From other passages it becomes clear that not even one’s physical condition – as being dead or alive at the time – will alter the need to stand trial. Whatever we make of our salvation, then, we cannot make of it that we skip the White Throne.
Coming back to Peter’s message: It is time for this to begin. Time, in this case, is kairos. It is the fit time. We are considering time as providing the opportunity – even the necessity – of this being done. It’s not just the passage of time, it’s the purpose of time. It is time. The present has been provided for this very purpose: That judgment may begin with the household of God. Judgment may be deferred for others, but their time, their kairos, will come. Right now, it’s our turn.
This actually builds upon what I was saying yesterday. There is comfort in knowing that what is happening to us and around us is not without purpose. God remains in control of events. How could He not? He is God! What is happening does not provide evidence that He is not God after all. It does not indicate that He has lost control, that the devil has slipped something by Him. Not at all. It is simply that the current time is for the purpose of judging the Church.
It would be tempting to think in terms of the wheat and the tares (Mt 13:25-30), to suppose that what Peter is getting at is that all the evils that may have infiltrated the Church are now being culled out. The harvest is sufficiently nigh that wheat and tare can be discerned one from the other, and the tares can now be removed without danger to the wheat. But, that line of thought does not seem to accord with the flow of his letter. What his letter would leave us to understand from this passage is quite simply that the trials we face, the persecutions that come our way, are for judgment of His own. It is to be supposed that they also serve to fill the guilt of our persecutors to the full. But, then, who knows but that they may at some future date turn out to be our brothers? Indeed, that must be our hope even in the midst.
Let us, then, draw this lesson from Peter’s words. God judges His own. We have that point made repeatedly. Call it discipline. Call it testing. It amounts to the same thing. God judges His own. We might add to this from Paul’s teaching, that grace (which is ours in abundance) does not provide permission for sin. Grace, if we are truly among the elect, has most assuredly made full recompense for sin. The atoning work of Christ has left no least sin of ours unaccounted for. When we face the judgment of God we have that knowledge to cling to. We cannot stand before Him and deny the charges. We cannot look at the devil, our accuser, and claim his accusations are all libelous lies. We cannot even hope to parade our litany of righteous achievements (could we even find such things). What we can do is admit our guilt, await the sentencing phase, and when our due penalty has been assessed, point calmly to the notation indicating that said penalty has already been paid. Justice has been served. Because of what our Lord Jesus has done on our behalf, we shall be declared free to go.
All of this pertains to the matter of salvation. There remains sanctification. I am inclined to see in our sanctification the basis upon which we may expect such reward as may come our way upon entrance into God’s heaven. We are informed that many will find all their efforts of seeming merit burned away. They will retain salvation, but they shall be saved, as it were, as having been snatched from the fire. You’re in, but that’s all that can be said. The implied corollary is that there will indeed be those with something to show for their time on the earth. Sanctification: A life lived more and more for God and less and less for fleshly pleasures or desires. That is what we are after here. That is the thrust of Peter’s message.
Are you suffering? This is no cause to doubt your salvation. Indeed, assuming the reason for your suffering is not simple justice, it is cause to be assured. Don’t suppose all suffering is therefore fine and dandy. Don’t go seeking to be offensive that you may suffer, and certainly don’t think that being born again means you can head out on a crime spree without concern. By no means! “How shall we who died to sin still live in it” (Ro 6:2)? By no means let any of you suffer on account of being a murderer, a thief, a miscreant, or even an annoyance.
Let me break for a moment to consider the quotation Peter gives us in verse 18. In the NASB, it is presented as, “And if it is with difficulty that the righteous is saved, what will become of the godless man and the sinner?” Many, perhaps even most translations follow a similar reading. But, come to the KJV and others in that vein, and we find, “where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?” Well, that would be the phrase pou phaneitai. Pou gives us the where, or what place, and in essence provides the question mark. Phaneitai, Middle Indicative of phaino, has the thought of showing, to bring to light, to show or be shown.
Pay attention to that middle voice! It is clearly not a case of the subject acting on himself, nor even of personal involvement in the action as pursuing one’s own interests. How can it be in the interest of the sinner to be adjudged guilty on all charges? But, if we consider once again the causative/permissive sense of the middle voice, we see the subject as having something done to or for himself. It reads to me nearer to the idea of, “Where shall their true nature be show?” or, “Where shall they be shown for who they really are?”
Now, the notes lead us to Proverbs 11:31 as being the source for Peter’s quotation. “If the righteous will be rewarded in the earth, How much more the wicked and the sinner!” I have to say that if this is the source, Peter’s rendering of it is pretty much free-form. It is interesting that in Proverbs, the focus seems to be on the course of this life. The righteous will be rewarded ‘in the earth’. Ergo, it seems reasonable to suppose ‘in the earth’ applies as well to the case of the wicked. Peter, on the other hand, seems to be looking farther afield. ‘In the earth’ it would seem that we are rather far removed from justice. The righteous are rewarded with unjust trials, persecutions, and even death, while the wicked show every sign of prospering. It’s an age-old complaint. But, Peter says, Justice encompasses the full scope of eternity. These few years passed on the earth are but a moment, and God will not forget. He will not forget the sins of the wicked. He will not forget the injustices suffered by the righteous. The books shall be balanced.
I actually come to like his rendering of things. “If it is with difficulty that the righteous is saved...” Notice that the proverb quoted says nothing of the kind. But, it is a timely reminder for us. We are not saved because we are such wonderful people. We are not saved because we deserved it, and really, what else could be the outcome? No! We were saved with enormous difficulty. God Himself had to come down, take on the full cloth of humanity and walk the path He requires of every man. God Himself had to accept the injustice of suffering the penalty that was our due – indeed, the cumulative penalty due every man He would save through all the ages. You think it was easy? You think you have some basis for complaint in the indignities you face for so brief a moment? You share the sufferings of Christ Himself! That’s nothing to complain of. That’s cause for rejoicing. God has sufficient confidence in your progress in sanctification as to know you can withstand this share of what His Son withstood. Consider it a badge of honor – not merit, by any means, for even in this it is God who works in you (Php 2:12) – but, honor indeed to be found fit to share in the sufferings of our Savior.
The understanding that Peter urges upon us is a continuation of the prophetic message. Let me set but a few examples before you, taken from the parallel verses to this section. “You alone have I chosen amongst all the families of the earth. Therefore, I will punish you for all your iniquities” (Amos 3:2). It is an act of love! To leave you in your iniquities is to assure your destruction. But, in punishment you are brought to repentance, and in repentance you find forgiveness, and in forgiveness your are shown to be indeed chosen. “I am bringing calamity on this city that is called by My name. Do you suppose you will be free from punishment? You will not! For, I am summoning a sword against all who are on the earth” (Jer 25:29). Oh! What shall we do with our expectations of avoiding the Tribulation? What shall we do with those purported prophets of our own day who suggest that their warning, if heeded, will keep us from calamity? “Slay young and old alike, but do not touch any man who bears the mark. You shall start from My sanctuary” (Eze 9:6). There, I think, is your answer. We shall do nothing to save ourselves. What can be done has been done, by the God Who saves. If you bear His mark, then calamity may come, but it shall not destroy utterly. Oh, it might kill you, it’s true. Count on it: Many among the redeemed died alongside the reprobate when Assyria came into Israel and when Babylon took Judea away. But, it’s only the flesh. To die is gain! Don’t you get it, yet?
I read a rather misguided remark on the Internet yesterday – I know, a shocking thing, that. But, it was some atheist snark to the effect that if Christians really believe in this eternal afterlife, why is it one never finds them anxious to get there or even seeking early entry? Well, this of course presents a naïve, quite probably willful misrepresentation of the matter. At the very least, it takes on the concept with a wholly incomplete picture of Christian doctrine. Further, it ignores a pretty hefty portion of Christian history. Many a believer has indeed embraced death’s arrival. That is not to say that they went out looking for an early exit. But, when death threatened, they did not cower. Even when death approached by most gruesome means, with tortures not to be contemplated, let alone borne, they did not run away, but rather rejoiced to be found worthy to suffer for the sake of Christ.
Many a Christian, arrived at a ripe old age have sought not to extend life indefinitely, but rather to be allowed their gentle exit. It is not suicide to refuse ‘heroic measures’. It is not suicide to welcome the final result of aging with grace and dignity. It is one thing to speed the process along. It is quite another to simply allow the process to unfold without impediment.
All that having been said, there are quite a few who are accounted Christians who do share this fear of death and this inordinate interest in extending life as long as possible. But, that, I think, has more to do with imbibing the culture than with moving toward sanctification. We are not a death cult, but any means, and we shall gladly (or in some cases grudgingly) accept as many days as God sees fit to provide us. But, we should be coming nearer Paul’s perspective on the matter. If I live, it is not simply to prolong days or to avoid what must come with death. If I live, it is to serve Christ in serving you. If I die, what? It is gain! I am with my Savior, and all the troubles of this life are done with. I should complain?
I had some quotes from various translations here, but I really don’t see the need to pursue them at this point. Let me instead turn to a couple of passages from elsewhere in Scripture. “For this cause I suffer these things without being ashamed. For I know whom I have believed and am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day” (2Ti 1:12). “To Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy” (Jude 24). This is the God who has called us, who has saved us, who keeps us. He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him. He is able to keep all that He has in His hands, and none can snatch them away. He is able to make me stand in His presence. What is death when that awaits? Indeed, I may not be inclined to seek it out early. Besides, I could not alter God’s schedule one iota even if I wished to do so. But, I have no cause to fear its approach. It is but my ticket home.
[04/17/14] Touching the last verse of this chapter, what remains to be said? There is some ambiguity in the text, apparently. The NASB inserts an ‘also’: “Let those also who suffer…” I cannot find cause for that word. If it is an also, what is the other category? Those who suffer apart from the will of God? That would seem the contrasting concept, but it seems to me Peter has just made clear that nobody suffers apart from the will of God. Indeed, nothing at all transpires apart from His will. Is he suggesting that whereas those who are not suffering trust themselves to Him, those who are suffering have not been doing so? That might fit. But, I am mindful that as concerns the elect, the message is not that you might suffer difficulties. It is that you will most assuredly suffer difficulties. In short, then, I cannot find cause for adding that also.
The KJV also seems to have added a word, when it concludes with, “as unto a faithful Creator.” Here, there is nothing in the manuscripts to support the ‘as’. It is not a figure of speech being presented. It is not a simile or a metaphor. Perhaps their intent is to indicate the manner and motivation for persisting in well doing. In the midst of suffering, show your commitment to keeping your souls by doing what is right, by acting towards even your tormentors as if towards God Himself. But, that would require some hefty interpretive reading of what they chose to write.
The HCSB seems to me to come closer to Peter’s intent. “So those who suffer according to God's will should, in doing good, entrust themselves to a faithful Creator.” I might quibble somewhat with the softening of the statement, as I see it, in making it a ‘should’. It is not an advisory statement, a suggested guidance. It is an imperative: Commit the keeping of your souls to Him.
It is also, I would note, once more in the middle voice. Here, we might accept that the subject’s personal involvement is stressed. I think there is also a sense in which we might need to keep in mind the reciprocal action of God and man in this effort, if it is to be successful. That we are committing the keeping to Him makes it clear that the keeping part is not our doing. We commit, He keeps. He will not keep what we do not commit, and we cannot keep therefore we do commit. But, again: it’s an imperative. It’s a command. Do this. Commit your souls to Him. He will keep them, for He is a faithful Creator.
There remains the clause by which the NASB closes the chapter: “In doing what is right.” This would seem pretty clearly to supply the means by which we are to satisfy the command. There is, then, a building of the argument here. There is the reason: You are suffering according to God’s will. I think we can say that by this Peter is pointing specifically to the undeserved persecutions for the sake of Christ’s name, not the suffering consequences of sinfulness. It would do no harm, though, to extend the response to both cases. Cause: You are suffering. Commanded response: Entrust your souls to God. Reason for doing so: He is faithful. Means of committing: By doing what is right.
We might also view this such that our committing of our souls to God provides the power for us to do what is right even while suffering. That would also be true. We entrust, He keeps. He empowers. Remember that mention of the Spirit of God resting on us in the very midst of the trial so as to refresh and invigorate? By His power we are able to persist in doing what is right. By doing what is right, we show that we have passed the test. We show ourselves that our God is strong to save. We show our persecutors that there is a God. We demonstrate our trust in God by not taking matters into our own hands. It is a powerful testimony all the way around. And yet, it is no cause for boasting, for it is a middle-voice response. We couldn’t do it, except that He is faithful.
Lord, what a marvelous point to end on. You are faithful. Would that I were faithful, too. But, I know too well that this does not yet describe my typical response to trials and difficulties. I want an easy life. But, you have promised no such thing. Indeed, You have been very clear on the fact that it will be quite the opposite. O, Father! You made Yourself known to me at the outset by demonstrating Your control of events. You have repeatedly made proof of Your goodness, both in general and specifically towards me. How then can I complain of Your determinations in my regard. You are good, and You have already given sound assurance of my eventual completion in You. Once more I must commend and commit myself to Your decisions. Do as You will, and let me be mindful that it is indeed Your will. Thy will be done. Period. Even if it demands a present-tense unpleasantness; even if it should demand my life: Thy will be done. This is where I need to be, but I confess that in myself I am unable to stand that strong. Holy Spirit, come strengthen me. Lead me not into temptation, but where You would test me, let me see Your hand at work in allowing me to pass that test. Where You are correcting me, let me by no means prove stiff-necked and proud. But, let me be swift to repent where You have shown me my sin, and let me be persistent in doing what You have declared is right, however wrong the world may be.
