Lesson 48
Study of
First Peter Chapter 3
Review:
#3 Stability is the Result of this growth 4:14-16
Vs:14
gives us a view of what stability is not with several metaphors that give us a
vivid picture of arrested spiritual development. The
instability that results from rejecting truth.
In vs:15-16
we have the positive aspect; what we should expect from mature believers; those who have been functioning within the
sheep - shepherd relationship; and therefore are being equipped; prepared for a
worthy life.
Spiritual phases of an individual:
1. new-believer = infants; justified, in Christ; but with limited
capacity; limited knowledge
2. adolescent believer; advancing, growing in word; many side trips
while failing to utilize the resources;
3. Mature
advancing believer who demonstrates a measure of the stature of Christ in
view in Eph 4:13.
4. Glorified believer; face to face;
conformed to the image of Christ!
Back
to 1 Pet 3:8
Virtue
#2 sympathetic
sumpaqh,j 1x to share in feeling, to sympathize
with;
- speaks of having the capacity to sympathize with others
who are undergoing testing or even blessing.
Virtue
#3 brotherly - fila,delfoj speaks of one's
love of the brethren, that is other members of the royal family of believers in
Christ
Virtue
#4 kindhearted eu;splagcnoj speaks of tender compassion; also of being sensitive to the needs of
others, give encouragement, comfort or aid as needed.
- Phil 2:1-4;
3:9 Begins our response to hostility (9-12)
not
returning evil for evil or insult for insult,
- Here Peter is giving the expected application for those
believers who are under persecution, who are under maximum pressure from those
in their periphery that they have to deal with.
Do not return evil for evil (kako.n avnti.
kakou/) here refers to
the production of the sin nature, ie. personal sin.
There are 4 different ways that you may respond when faced
with various circumstances including persecution.
#1. you can
render good à for good
(easy to do)
#2. you can
render evil à for evil
(revenge tactics) cmd'd never to do
#3. you can
render evil à for good
(sin nature production)
#4. you can
render good à for evil
(highest virtue)
or insult for insult loidori,a word here refers
to verbal abuse
What
is to be our response? but
giving a blessing instead;
- which lit. means to speak a good
word; idea is to bless or to praise someone
- but the context here is exhorting us to praise, to bless
or to give a good word to someone who is not
dealing with us with integrity, who is more than likely persecuting us through
verbal assaults;
Need
to remember that this is consistent with the thrust of the end of ch-2 where we
saw the example of Jesus Christ dealing with UNDSF by patient endurance,
application of BD and entrusting Himself to the one who judges
righteously.
for
you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a
blessing.
- He's
giving us the reason that we are to apply doctrine when persecuted, or maligned
or in some way verbally assaulted instead of responding with revenge tactics,
or verbally assaulting our protagonists.
Next follows the purpose: that
you might inherit a blessing.
- the intended result of applying doctrine under UNDSF
As
believers we are to bless others, not primarily in order that we should inherit
a blessing, but because it is God's will and therefore our duty; and from
fulfilling that duty flows the inheritance spoken of
here.
- Yet the conundrum is that there is a volitional response
by the believer, by us if this inheritance to be realized.
- We must know the will of God, that
is what is right in any situation and be willing to do it.
- If we face the same verbal UNDSF the abuse, maligning
and react to it, retaliate then that UNDSF instead of inheriting a blessing it
becomes punitive because your now out of fellowship
since there was failure to apply the Word.
- We need to stay occupied with Christ, positive to the
Word and drawing on the inner resources from the Word in you to field the
tests, persecution, and the pressures of UNDSF that you might be facing.