Lesson 55
Study of
First Peter Chapter 3
The
verse brings us back to the theme begun in verse 14 and offers more
encouragement to those suffering for righteousness.
He
is going to stress the importance and value of UNDSF dealt with correctly by
the believer.
For it is better, explanatory ga,r gives us another reason for facing UNDSF
- better (krei,ttwn)
is a
comparative adjective that says that it is better in the sense of more useful
more advantageous for you to under go UNDSF than suffering for discipline
This
is followed by a parenthesis that stands before he finishes the statement,
better than doing what?
His point; better to
suffer for doing good than for doing evil.
Peter will in
Now to the parenthesis:
Lit: "if perchance the will of God should will it"
- with the 4th class conditional statement
there is no certainty of fulfillment, it’s the furthest removed from reality,
indicates possibility only.
- It will always be the will of God that we acquire good
conscience so that we have the N&S to evaluate any circumstance and do the
good, the right thing.
- But this 4th ccc is focused on the
suffering, says it is would be unusual if God directly causes it.
Summary
1. These believers were under fantastic pressure from sins
of the tongue, verbal abuse even as they were applying BD. [good behavior]
2. It is better, more advantageous for them to suffer this
abuse as a result of application of truth.
3. Reason: UNDSF oriented to produces DG which provides comfort in time
and reward at the JSC.
4. We must be on guard not to let the pressure of
suffering sidetrack us getting our eyes off of Christ and motivating us to
retaliate in kind.
5. If this occurs the result is the UNDSF is turned into
divine discipline, punitive discipline since we failed to apply truth and
reacted to the circumstances faced.
6. The key bottom line are the choices we make related to
the circumstances of life.
See chart on back page!
Options in
Testing and Persecution
With vs:18f once again Peter goes to the example of Christ
as an illustration of how to deal with UNDSF so that we can do so with
confidence.
The treatment of Christian suffering for righteousness in
verses 13-17 prompted Peter to refer to Christ's undeserved suffering in the
first part of vs:18
1. The Character of His Suffering (vs:18a)
The
opening "For" (o[ti) indicates that Peter was offering encouragement to his afflicted
readers; it makes the connection to the
previous section on UNDSF
There
is a question of a reading here: is it
apathanen (died) or epathen (suffered)
- The thought flow is not materially affected by either
reading since the reference is clearly to Christ's cross work on our behalf.
suffered (aor act
once - this adverb a[pax coupled with the aorist of
the verb suffered indicates
the uniqueness of Christ's work as something that cannot be repeated in history
or in symbol
for sins lit. concerning
sins reminds us that He paid the penalty for all sin, that is the doctrine of
unlimited atonement, 1 John 2:2 makes it clear that He bore all sin for
everyone for all time.
the just = the just,
upright or righteous; stands in
apposition to Christ which is describing Christ as absolute righteousness,
perfection
This
phrase "The righteous for the unrighteous" (dikaios huper
adikon) directs attention to the character of the sufferer as well as those who
benefit from His sacrificial death.
- the
unjust - gen pl of a;dikoj the
unrighteous; which speaks of all humanity as unbelievers
2. The aim of His suffering (vs:18b)
so that
He might bring us to God,
- This
phrase brings into view man's fundamental need, that we are separated from a
holy and righteous God by a barrier that must be removed before we can have a
relationship with God.
- What is in view here is
reconciliation, the bringing of man to God, that is the removal of the barrier
that stands between us all by faith in Jesus Christ.
3:18 For Christ also died (spiritual death) concerning
sins, once, a just one on behalf of unjust ones in order that He might bring us
to God, on the one hand having been put to death with reference to the flesh
(real humanity) but on the other hand made alive by the Spirit.
Options in Testing and Persecution