1 Peter 3:13 makes the simple point that no one usually attacks people for doing good things. As he stated in 2:13-14, people generally do not suffer insults and persecution for doing good things (although there are always exceptions). It is better to suffer for doing good even if it is unjust, than suffer justly for doing wrong things.
The verb “zealous” may have been chosen because at this point in Judea the Zealots were beginning to coalesce into an armed resistance against Rome. Even if the “zealous Jews” were rebellion against Rome 
in Judea, Peter tells his readers to channel their zeal into a quiet life that is worthy of respect.
But Peter knows that “strangers and aliens” are not always fairly treated, and it is likely that they will be attacked unjustly (v. 14-15a). The syntax of verse 14 is very difficult, the ESV’s “even if you are persecuted” expresses the optative verb well. It is not that the readers are already facing regular persecution, but the sorts of slander that outsiders usually face when they live in another culture. The verb is a present active optative from πάσχω, the verb Jesus used to describe his suffering in Luke 22:15, for example, but it also appears frequently for Christian suffering (1 Peter 2:21, Phil 1:29). Peter may allude to the teaching of Jesus when he says that the believer will be blessed when people persecute them. In Matthew 5:10 Jesus says much the same thing (in the form of a beatitude).
The one that suffers for Christ’s sake has no reason for fear or trouble, probably an allusion to Isa 8:12-13. This is a significant because the original line in Isaiah referred to a time in Judah’s history when Jerusalem was threatened by the politics of the larger world. Isaiah is warned in 8:11 not to walk in the ways of the people of Jerusalem, who are afraid of the nations that threaten the city. In contrast, Isaiah is to not fear the things that the people fear, but rather to honor and fear the Lord alone.
The readers are living as strangers and aliens, among people that suspect them and will eventually begin to hate them and physically persecute them. The quote functions as an encouragement for the readers to fear what really needs to be feared, the Lord and him alone. Fearing persecution is not necessary since the Romans cannot really harm the believers (Matt 10:28). Peter has just said this specifically to the wives in 3:6, now he repeats the command to the whole congregation.
Reblogged this on Talmidimblogging.
I personally think that it is very interesting the implications that Peter is making with this quote. We know for certain that Christians will suffer persecution, Christ said that those who follow him will be hated by the world (Matthew 24:9), so does that mean that being a Christian is a bad thing? I should think not, for even if the persecution is unjust it would still be better than if we did the wrong thing to avoid the persecution. I would also like to reference the intriguing aspect of how aliens to countries will face persecution because of their differences. This is almost exactly how Christians should be treated in regards to the mildest forms of persecution, due to the fact that Christians shouldn’t fit within the natural order of the world. John mentions how the world love darkness and so turned away from the light (John 3:19), and as such they should turn away from us as we are supposed to be mirrors to reflect the light that is Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18). In this way the world should turn away from us as it turned away from Christ. It is in this way that we should suffer persecution, that the world rejects us the same that it rejected Jesus Christ. However, no matter how much persecution that befalls us we should not be afraid, for God looks after his flock and makes sure that we have what we need when we need them, and there is nothing that he cannot provide (Psalm 95:1-7).
Being able to tangibly bless those who insult you is a terribly difficult deed. However, as you have mentioned, the bible has a multitude of examples of the Leaders of the Church telling Christians to do exactly that. If it was not important than Jesus Christ would not have spent the time preaching it when he had such little time on earth to preach as it is. As such the first thing that came to my mind when talking about tangible gifts was the thoughts of giving gift basket dinners. Some churches have a great community of cooks that provide meals to people who are having trouble with a new life style change, particularly new mothers, and so wouldn’t it be amazing to take those talents and provide a meal to those who insult the Church? It would tell them that we care enough about you that despite the insults you gave us we are still willing to locate your house and cook your family a nice homemade meal. Another benefit of this would that it would prevent the awkwardness that comes from inviting a person who hates Christianity into a Christian’s home. While inviting those who insult you to have dinner at your house is a good idea, it reality either parties could leave feeling even angrier than before, or the insulting party could just flat out refuse. I guess it would be the thought that counts, but with giving them a gift basket with a home cooked meal inside it avoids the problems of refusal and is much more work intensive than a simple phone call. It requires a person to make a special meal, than locate the house, and then drive there to hand it off. All of these are reasons why I think that gift basket meals would be a great way to tangibly bless those who persecute Christians.
This is an interesting way of looking at persecution. I personally have never truly spent much time thinking about what persecution would be like or just fearing it or anything along those lines due to the fact that at this time it is not present in America at the moment. However, this does bring encouragement to the fact that faith is stronger than any persecution of people who are not in Christ’s favor if you will. I find this encouraging because of the fact that you mention not having to worry about fear of persecution but only fear of the Lord and it just reminds me that faith is stronger than anything man can do because our God is greater. Although Christians do stand out in some cases we still have faith in God and that is more powerful than any man made persecution could ever do to This is encouraging because Peter discusses not being afraid of people but only of the Lord and that is the way we should always strive to live.
I have to agree. Persecution is not really present in America. We may suffer a loose kind of emotional persecution, but it is simply not the same thing. Like the passage in the third chapter of 1 Peter says, Jesus similarly challenges societal norms by saying “”Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28). What should we really fear if we ultimately can’t suffer any kind of eternal torment as professing and believing Christians? I think Peter suggests that to fear God is our role as believers. We should respect and fear God as the only one who can truly change and shape our eternal destiny. I find that Peter’s writings tend to address persecution in much the same way that a pastor might address persecution today. Jobes writes that the pluralistic society of 1st century Rome was quite quick to adopt new gods while rejecting the monotheism of Christianity. After all, what’s one more god, right? Similarly, we should respond in the 21st century by rejecting the pluralism of our day and singing bright as luminaries in our own context in a way that best fits our own challenges.
To be able to have this encouragement from Peter and also to have the words of Jesus from Matthew 10 at hand is/probably was a great reminder to Christians back then and today. If something Jesus said maybe didn’t quite fit in the specific situation that the Christian found themselves in, then they could look to Peter’s ideas and explanations of the same thing in his letter. Taking this together with the whole Hebrew Bible, God’s plan to encourage those who stand up for Him seems evident. Honoring God and suffering for doing right has always been better than doing wrong. What great encouragement for believers back then! and even now too! i am encouraged by the constant promise of God’s care over me in all i do, especially if i were to be persecuted for being a Christian. But this brings me to my other half of my comment. Persecution just doesn’t happen in the same way in America as it would have happened back then. This is one thing that separates modern readers from the principles in the letter, but it nonetheless is still true.
I believe that most of the suffering that people endure in their lives are due to the poor decisions that they make. I also think that suffering is a poor word for that, more like the due consequences of the actions taken. Suffering done on behalf of Christ is always because of the character of Christ in the believer. I once heard a pastor preach that if a professor of faith isn’t going through some kind of godly suffering that the believer isn’t living right – the devil doesn’t waste his time on the ones who aren’t living according to the Book . This was an expounding of 1 Peter’s strangers and aliens section. The point was that if we as believers aren’t living in such way as to stand out from those around us, then we aren’t reflecting our true identity and there is no need for the enemy to level attacks at us for we have no chance at making a difference in the lives we interact with. But if we are living differently then we will invite suffering just for being different.
There is much to take from the light of what God says to each of us. But this is the case where he is speaking to us through others, having them explain why we have to help the ones who need it most and suffering for it is fine. You should not worry over your sufferings on earth but to worry about what you will cause God to suffer if you refuse his good will. People of the church are being asked to continue there service of the poor and needy just as they had done as Jews. And those who are not Jews are being asked to start participating in the helping of the afore mentioned.
On earth we know what we are going through and so does God but even so we often forget him and think only of ourselves. We are actually in todays society to do so and we have also become able to allow the world to trick us into thinking that helping people and feeling good about it is wrong. God never spoke of us not taking pleasure in his will but to understand and honor that it is his will in which we are doing it for. Respect or fear of the lord is the same thing in most cases.
You will respect someone who has power over you but it doesn’t mean what they ask of you will not be able to enjoy as well. You must shy away from what others tell you and focus on is words asking throughout the bible to help others, you must do it even if it makes no sense to you or the other people watching because if you do not you are denying your lord. The best way I can explain what I understand about it is this:
You must do what he asks even if it means you could lose friends and people will hate you for it, you must do it even if it means giving up everything you hold onto, and you must do it for God and take joy and peace in that and not allow others to change the way in which God is leading you.
I like to think I’m suffering for Christ when simply bored at work or doing homework. Lame, I know. We are not particularly persecuted in America and as such, I question if we can fully grasp the encouragement Peter gives us. If anything, we seem to fear the ostracism that being acknowledged as “Christian” would bring. While losing friends and being looked down upon by our friends is hard. I’d say it is hardly comparable to being imprisoned and unjustly murdered for our faith. In respect to that, proclaiming Christ despite the mere threat of ostracism could be considered easy. All the more so considering our individualistic culture here in America. Jobes brings up that the family units were of huge importance to the Roman and Greek civilizations. I would compare this to several of the modern nations persecuting Christians such as India and the various Muslim nations. Christians there face the usual imprisonment we generally hear about, but also, the communities are far closer than what we are accustomed to. By proclaiming Christ, the person risks alienating themselves from that community, their family, and all of the support that goes along with both. To them, life would become extremely difficult should that happen.
In America, we don’t see suffering as how they suffered in Peter’s time. We view suffering as a form of pain, and something missing from our lives, and we defiantly don’t see suffering as something that is meant to be good. As far as persecution it is something that I have never thought much about, I know it is still happening today, but I have never had to worry about it. After reading this blog it has gave me the impression that persecution is suffering for the good, the good of Jesus Christ.
With respect to the information above, there is no doubt that Christians will suffer for following Jesus. Unfortunately, those who have the freedom here in America do not experience the kind of persecution that our fellow believers in Christ experience in other cultures. However, those that live in the American society know that we will be looked at differently. Like Jobe’s mentions in the section on aliens and residents, we are basically the outcasts. Outcasts in a way that we are aliens to this world because we think and act differently than that of the normal American society. Suffering for Christ is viewed in so many different ways, but the way that the Petrine is describing here is a simple fact that doing the right thing will not bring unjust harm. When we act in a way that is submissive to the authority, we are living out the scriptures that are found in 1 Peter. Therefore, if we do the right thing and are abiding by the authoritative positions we will not endure persecution, rather be looked at different.
I agree Trent. Here in America our idea of persecution is when people look at us differently or make fun of us. For us that is the worst possible thing to go through. We do not always take into consideration the real persecution that is going on, on the other side of the world. On the other side of the world people are dying for their beliefs and being beaten. We always want to think that we have it bad when in reality we have the freedom (for now) to belief in and worship God without fear of being beaten or dying. I think that obeying authority is a way to set an example but we need to be smart about what we agree to follow. An example would be the Jews in Germany, they followed blindly the authority of the Germans and a lot of them died for there beliefs.
This blog post somewhat convicted me. I understand that we do not have as much persecution in America as other places. Of course, other countries and other cultures, may be more violent in their responses to Christianity. Karen Jobes talks about the foreigner and how they stand out. She explains a foreigner is someone who comes and stays in an area that is not their own. They might have different legal rights or a lack of. I instantly thought of my dad. My dad is from Belize and he does not have all of the rights that an American citizen has and he definitely stands out. Jobes compares this example of a foreigner to us as Christians. As Christians we are foreigners because we should stand out and if you stand out you will receive persecution. She says, “The Christian as foreigner and resident alien implies ‘a clear distance in relation to society, a distance from its values and ideals, from its institutions and politics” (Jobes, 2011, pg. 336). Are we not being persecuted in America because we are not standing out? Are we not distancing ourselves enough from worldly things? Should we want the persecution that Peter talks about, because then we know we are doing something right?
-McKenzie McCord-
No matter where in the world you are someone is being persecuted for following Jesus Christ. However, when it comes to all of us living here America we do not suffer as much persecution as others do in different parts of the world. And we especially do not suffer the same level of persecution they did in Peter’s time. Peter’s analogy that we are “strangers and aliens” in this world is actually pretty accurate. Because as Christians it can feel like the world is against us due to the fact we follow Jesus. Which makes us feel like strangers in the world. Jobes points out something interesting stating that in ““Hebrews 11:13 speaks of God’s people as those who were faithful to the end of their lives but nevertheless only saw the promises of God at a distance because they were foreigners (parepidemoi) on earth” (Jobes, 2011). I wonder if sometimes that is how people in other parts of the world who suffer persecution daily feel? That they see God’s work at a distance but do not get to fully experience it because they feel like “foreigners” in this world. I feel we as Christians should not feel like foreigners and that we should stand up for ourselves. Ephesians 6:13 states, “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.” This verse means to me that we should stand firm in what we believe and that with God’s help we can withstand anything.
Adam,
You are on point with your comment here. It does not matter where at, someone is being persecuted for professing their faith in Jesus Christ to the world. It is a sad reality but we do have it pretty easy here in America like you also mentioned. No matter what though, as followers of Christ, we cannot be afraid and worry about what someone else and speak what we believe in. There is a verse that comes to mind that speaks directly about this I feel like. It comes from 1 Peter 4:11 NIV and that reads “If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.” Again, I enjoyed reading what you had to say!
As stated by other comments above, we don’t see persecution in modern day America the way that Peter and the fellow Christians did at the time. Stoning and cruxificiton aren’t really a concern, nor are we hiding our Bibles. However, although we do not face suffering the way that other people do/have, that does not mean that we do not suffer and that being a Christian is always easy. I did not receive verbal hatred for my faith, but after I committed to Christ I lost all of my friends I had had my entire life. As time goes on, the number of Christians in America lessens. We may become more and more of a foreigner than we once were in America. “When the Son of God cam was a man into this world. he wasn’t born into the lap of luxury. The Son so humbled himself to the extent that he died the death of a slave…” (Jobe’s,p434) If we are called to imitate a life like Christ, although it may not include crucifixion, it will include suffering.
It’s so hard to relate to what our brothers and sisters in different countries go through in other countries as we don’t experience torture, hiding of Bibles or decapitation etc. Similar to what Trent said, I think it was interesting that Jobes described Christians as outcasts to world as we live so much differently and separate from how the world acts and operates. I loved the quote in the article that read “The one that suffers for Christ’s sake has no reason for fear or trouble”. What makes this quote so powerful is that we know suffering for Christ means suffering for righteousness sake. When you are standing up and suffering for the goodness and righteousness of Jesus Christ, the fact that there is no reason to fear or tremble brings me great joy. As a Christian, I have been looked at differently and have lost friends because of my faith. Although those things were very hard to go through, it doesn’t compare to true suffering where blood is being shed.
One thing I have to wonder is how well a good number of us can properly understand this passage. Jobes mentions very heavily the idea that Peter’s audience was likely those who were in a sense foreigners, either literally or more metaphorically. While I certainly have had my share of times feeling like I didn’t belong somewhere, due to my life experience and lineage I haven’t ever really felt like a foreigner in someone else’s land, which I feel somewhat minimizes the impact of this passage. It’s far easier to accept the idea of suffering when you aren’t going through severe persecution, so I wonder if there’s something I’ve lost in all of this.
Annika,
After reading posts i usually quickly scroll down and read through some comments. I feel hearing about the topic in the words of students help me grasp the overall message even better. As i was reading through the Jobes chapter there was a quote that resonated with me; it was, “It is by engagement with others that one’s faith is tested or stretched or affirmed or weakened, depending on who is involved and in what kind of situation” (Jobes, 368). After reading your comment on how after you committed to Christ you lost all your friends this quote stuck out to me and it is so true. There is no doubt that our faith is tested and the people around you have an impact on your life. Unfortunately, sometimes it is necessary to cut people out of your life. I have had many friends that were not helping me grow as a person and as a Christian. Therefore, i had to give up friendships. On the other hand, being a Christian is not always easy. Like others said in their comments the world has a way of making Christianity seem not the norm. Making Christians sort of the “stranger”. I really enjoyed reading what Peter says on this topic. Overall, i like how he states that when it comes down to it the only fear someone should truly fear is when it comes to the Lord.
As many other people mentioned above I think that it is difficult for Americans to truly wrap their heads around what it means to be persecuted or suffer because of faith. This is an incredible blessing, but it can make passages like this one difficult to understand. I think that we’ve all experienced hardships and struggles with the Lord and defending our faith. As Peter says, and Karen Jobes affirms this is what tests our faith and ultimately makes it stronger.
It’s interesting to me that many people can come to the general consensus that Christian persecution isn’t nearly as present in the US as it is in other countries, where people literally die for believing in God or Jesus, or quite literally anything that doesn’t conform to those who are in power. I would agree. There is, one instance however from my childhood that I’ll always remember as far as Christian persecution goes — and it wasn’t even done to me. Rachel Scott was a martyr in the Columbine shooting who, when asked if she believed in God/was a Christian, she said yes, and was promptly shot and killed.
I’m not saying that this is the biggest re-occurrence out there. But I believe that at some point in our Christian lives we do come across those who find what we believe in to be “idiotic” or shameful, but I think for those of us who have the freedom to believe what we believe, we suffer as followers in different ways. Jesus never said that following him would be easy, and I think that in a world-wide scope of things that’s still true. I think the bottom line, for as much as times change, is that we should not fear the opinion of others, but only how we are in the sights of God.
In this day of age, there are still stuffing and persecution still happening to those who follow the word of God. In America, we don’t see the sufferings that other Christians from other countries have to go through. We don’t even see the sufferings that people had to go through around Peter’s time. We have the freedom in America to not go through the persecution that we may see on TV or read on the news. In the book, Jobes touched on the topic about suffering. She said that “To suffer persecution, even the threat of death, and to remain faithful to Christ is a profound act of self-denial and cross-bearing” (Jobes, 342). The threat of death is where we as Americans don’t have to go through. There are terrorist groups that tries to strike fear in our eyes with persecuting Christians but that don’t actually happen in America itself. In John 13:37, Peter failed to be faithful to Christ on the night He was arrest. The story followed that Peter would deny Jesus three times when asked if he was a follower of Jesus. Christ makes a statement that Christians should be willing to die for there faith rather than denying there belief. Christ wants us to die for our faith if question. Through death, he will reward us with eternal life.
Peter calls believers to do something that seems strange to logic. When we are treated unfairly, we the situation to be rectified, especially when we have done nothing wrong. We want to have justice. But Peter tells the believer that they must suffer, and not for doing something wrong, but for doing the right thing. Peter knows that when we do as God commands us, we will be punished by certain people in the world, they will cause us to suffer. This kind of suffering is unjust, but Peter says that this is the way that the world will work for believers.
Peter then points to Jesus as the example of this suffering for doing good. Throughout his letter, Peter tells us to imitate Christ, and to suffer in the same way. Jesus lived a perfect life, without any sin. He was rejected by men, and then sentenced to death, even though he did no wrong. He suffered on other people’s behalf, suffering an unjust punishment. Peter says that we are to do the same. When we do what God calls us to do, as Jesus did, we will suffer at the hands of this world. We will be doing what is right, but be persecuted for that same reason. But our hope is not that God would take away the suffering on Earth, but rather that when we are with him, there will be no more suffering.
As I read this article, I thought it was unique as the Jews were suffering for doing good. But as I read through this article the end of it really caught my attention. I thought that is was unique in the way that the Jews were aliens in this new place and that they were fearing the wrong thing as well. I think that Peter was able to reach them and point out that the only person they need to fear after is God. They shouldn’t be afraid of death or persecution because it should not harm them or their faith. Peter addresses the whole congregation of this point and as the article says the zealous Jews are trying to act out. But they really need to act and tame themselves to their beliefs rather than their freedom. As God is in control of all that is happening, and they can’t change it no matter how hard they try. This is a good reminder to us to fear after God and not our own fears.
What caught my attention was how Peter puts verse 13 at the beginning of the passage, then the rest follows.
IF you are doing good, how many people will actively seek you out to harm you?
Of course it can happen and Peter addresses that scenario also. But first, he asks his readers what they are doing that should cause them fear. Peter assumes that the proper actions of the Christian and of the church are focused on doing good. As mentioned in the class notes and in Jobes, he doesn’t instruct the church to go out protesting the evil around them. He doesn’t tell them to find the most godless person and confront him or her about their sin. The posture, the attitude, of the Christian – even those living in hostile lands – is to be one that is focused on doing good.
Yes, they will still be ridiculed and so forth, but the chances of getting beat up for passing out cookies vs telling everyone how awful they are are significantly different.
By nature, humans do not like to stand out from a crowd; we don’t want to be singled out. We want to blend in, to belong. I am reading a fictional book right now. The main character is going to a new school and does his best to act like he’s always gone there, like he belongs. He doesn’t want to be the new kid. It’s a children’s literature book and what strikes me is that this angst, this desire to fit in isn’t something new to kids. The author didn’t have to go into a detailed explanation of why this character is so nervous. He simply puts his character in a bustling, strange classroom in a new school. And all his readers get it.
This sort of blending in is what I wonder Peter might be getting at. The Christians aren’t going to blend in (nor should they try!) due to their legal status. They are expats, foreigners. In addition, they are of the kingdom of heaven. If they are going to stand out anyways, shouldn’t they strive to be known for good things?
If, in their pursuit of honorableness they are persecuted, is what Peter addresses primarily. But I find it interesting he doesn’t start there and rather begins by telling them to do good.
In the context of 1 Peter 3: 13-16, the apostle Peter discusses suffering for doing good. As a Christian persecution and suffering are expected in the Christian life. Jesus Christ told in John 13:33 and said, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). However, a believer’s response to suffering should point others to Jesus Christ. Peter emphasizes that Christ suffered and died to provide eternal life for those who believe in Him, and His example of suffering for doing good should strengthen all of us. Christians are to be make sure they suffer for the sake of righteousness and be prepared to five a defense of the hope of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Peter deals with the more practical aspects of life; how we should live our lives regardless of our national identity. Though the first century Christians lived under persecution, they still had certain obligations. Today many of us see our own government behaving in ways we disapprove of, ways we feel are unrighteous and even harmful to us, yet we still have certain obligations as citizens.
When we suffer for doing good (1 Peter 3:14), even we suffer as a direct result of our own poor choices, our suffering is never wasted. God promises to use even our most heartbreaking pain for good if we will trust him with it. Paul who suffered more than most apostles, he wrote, “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that ae unseen are eternal” (2 Cor. 4:17-18). Christians are called to suffer for doing good for others to see Christ image in our personal life because Jesus suffered in order to bring us to God. As a Christian we should follow his footstep.
1 Peter 3:13-16 begins with Peter stating the obvious that people often do not harm those who are doing good. There are always exceptions for people who do good to still be harmed, and I see this as the enemy at work. This is not to say that the Lord does not protect us from the enemy, but sometimes bad things simply happen to good people, and it is all part of God’s plan in the end. Even though the act of having to suffer for doing good is unjust, it is still worth it when serving the Lord. Jobes, talking about foreigners and resident aliens, questions, “what made you different from the people around you?” (p. 334). This struck me because my faith should be the top thing, the first aspect of me that makes me different than the nonbelievers in the world who surround me daily. Being a follower of Christ does not result in the perfect life, in fact it has been said many times by Paul, and lived out, that you indeed may have to suffer more, but you will be suffering for Christ. By suffering for Christ, we have someone to put our full trust in to protect us with His will and His plan for our lives. That is a sense of security that cannot be received through anything but having a faith in Jesus Christ. Being foreigners and resident aliens in the world we were born into, just like every other human being, was intentional by God.
1 Peter 3:13-16 starts with Peter who is reminding us that normally people who are doing good don’t get harmed. But as we live in a fallen world the enemy also attacks us and people who are doing good work still get harmed. There is a saying that goes “Bad things happen to good people”. And I personally believe that because everyone has things in life that go bad and the Lord is our protector and even though bad things do happen to good people that doesn’t mean Jesus isn’t protecting us, He already had it all planned out and knew what was going to happen. Jobes mentions that there are aliens and strangers which are those who are like foreigners. She mentions that “Peter makes a social barrier between the covenant community and the outside world. The purpose of the barrier isn’t to isolate Christians, but it is allowing them to re-form their priorities, values, and practices of God’s kingdom” (p. 774, online textbook). Personally, I struggle with putting my faith first and practicing my personal time with God. We aren’t perfect people and that is mentioned in various different verses in the Bible. We all will suffer and just as Christ has suffered for dying on the cross for us we too shall suffer. Jobes and Peter both talk about suffering and how we will all face trials. But as Christians we need to remember that God has a plan for all of us and even though we don’t understand the pain and suffering that happens in life we need to make sure that we put our full trust in Him.
I think that this is something huge that we as believers often forget and stray away from. We are a lot of the time afraid and ashamed to even mention the Word to people in public spaces because we are afraid of judgement. This verse shows that we need to not worry about any of this because if we truly are zealous for him we have nothing to worry about because we will be blessed. We as believers all need to keep this near to our heart. I think that it is most important to remember that we who suffer for Christ’s sake are held safe in His arms. Despite if the earthly suffering is hard and you are physically being attacked, we need to stand firm in our faith and stay because this is only earthly suffering. If we suffer for doing good, and stay strong to what we believe, God promises us that will be blessed eternally which is much more appealing than being saved for a little bit on this short-term life we have on earth. As we live on this earth, someone will always be getting persecuted, more specifically, Christians will always be persecuted. The difference is, backing down and falling to the earthly suffering and giving into the sinful nature. Or staying strong in the Word and have spiritual strength that will hold no matter the difficulty of a situation or trial. A good quote from Jobes that offers up a reason why we should endure the suffering is, “Although believers share in suffering by following the example of Christ, they also share in the sure victory of the one who has gone ahead of them and should therefore be encouraged to persevere in faithfulness. By virtue of his vicarious and atoning suffering, Jesus opened the way for those who follow him to approach God. As Peter puts it, “Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.”
persecution back then was life threatening. they were executed, thrown to the colosseum to be slain by lions, or their best bet was to be imprisoned for their beliefs. Paul is the prime example of this when he was stoned, imprisoned, and then later executed. some of the other apostles’ ae examples of this persecution as well. peter was crucified, john was exiled, Thomas was skinned alive. the persecution that happens now in America is nothing compared to what people back 2000 years ago had to suffer with. from getting bullied for believing in Christ to being murdered, we have it good compared to the believers during the Roman rule. however, we will be continued to be hated and mistreated because this is what they did to Christ. the world will hate us, Christians, because it first hated Christ. we have to continue to push on in living in the faith that we have, especially when times get hard.
For the readers of 1 Peter, persecution was a real problem and would continue to get worse as the persecution of the new Christians extended. However, Peter writes to encourage the believers to not let their hearts be troubled as they were aliens in different pagan cultures. In fact, Peter even went so far as to say that suffering and persecution was something to be blessed for. Many cultures of today, and even then, focuses on escaping hardship and persecution. Therefore, it seems backwards that it is something to be blessed and praised for. And it also seems backwards that Peter would write that “it is God’s will for Christians to follow in Jesus’ footsteps and to choose to suffer rather than to sin” (Jobes, 286). Most would rather tell a little white lie to get out of a punishment rather to suffer because they sinned. Although that is a faulty analogy, it shows that the human nature instinctively bends towards running away from the bad, like suffering or persecution. And interestedly, it was Peter himself who denied Christ because he did not want to suffer from knowing him. And yet, he turns around and tells belivers to suffer and not sin. I believe the reason why it is better to suffer than to sin is summed up in Peter’s words in verse 16, so that by our “good behavior In Christ (others) may be put to shame”.
Because of the experiences of his life, it makes sense that the Holy Spirit prompted him to write about being zealous and suffering for the sake of Christ’s name. Besides “Peter”, this man is also referred to as “Simon the Zealot” in Matthew 10:4. Whether he was part of the Judean Zealot group or not, it follows that at one point he was zealous about something so much to the point where it was part of his identity. I have a feeling that he writes about zeal because of his own journey of where to channel his energy. What is very cool to me about this is that Simon Peter does not lose his personality when he becomes a follower of Christ. He is still a force to be reckoned with, but now that quality in him is being used for the Kingdom of God to encourage others amidst suffering. Even though Simon Peter is courageous, Jobes brings up the point of “How quickly his courage crumbled when asked if he was a follower of Jesus” (342). Peter is not some perfectly bold and courageous person encouraging others to be like him. He probably focuses on suffering for Christ’s name because he understands very well how difficult it can be, especially in his incident of denying Christ three times immediately after declaring his devotion to him (Luke 22:54-62). Overall, this section of Peter’s letter represents the events in Peter’s life and what he learned from them.
In movies and shows you might see a character struggling to choose right from wrong due to their treatment by others. Mostly this person is seen as a “bad guy” or “evil”, and some people who know this person intimately try to tell this person to do the right thing. A lot of times they respond with something along these lines, “people see me as the bad guy, so why not do what I want”. Similar to what their friends are telling this person, and maybe us who are siting on our couch yelling at the TV (definitely not me), this is what Peter is saying in his writings. Despite being seen as “strangers and aliens”, Despite the persecution and suffering that you will face, despite all that…it is far better to suffer for doing the right thing versus doing the wrong thing. This is the code most superhero live by; do good, help others, and present hope. Not that I’m comparing christians to super heroes, but with expectation that we most likely will face challenges and attacks, doing good sets an example for the world that despite circumstances our actions show them Christ through us. Maybe for the modern world, Peter would tell us to follow the superhero steps in that code. To do good because you are in a position of authority for the world, so set this example to show the hope of Christ to others.
It’s very interesting that Peter makes the point that people are not normally attacked for doing good things. Peter even goes so far to say that it is better to suffer doing good than to suffer not doing good. It is so interesting that Peter brings up this point because he knows that the people he is writing to are presently suffering and will suffer in the future. It is a hard passage for modern Christians to read because we don’t often find ourselves suffering. Sure some of this persecution that Peter is talking about means the snickering or ostracization happening to Christians, which we often face today. But some of it was deeper than that a general distrust of Christians and the beginnings of deeper persecution which we don’t often face today. This passage is an easy section to overlook because of this. Jobes on page 343 talks about how if Christians are willing to die for Christ that we should also be willing to live for him and through that suffer. This brings us back to Jobes original point of Peter’s Christology being the suffering Christ. If we are to act like Christ when we accept him and take on his identity as our own, we should also expect to suffer for Christ and as Christ did.
I think when reading this post it cna be hard to grasp Peter’s ideas on suffering for doing good. In America so many of us are given the opportunities of freedom. It isn’t as common for Chrisitan’s in America to face persecution as the Jews did during biblical times. However, unfortunately in our world today we are able to see this persecution in other countries that are experiencing times of suffering. Jobes (2011) shares, “It is by engagement with others that one’s faith is tested or stretched or affirmed or weakened, depending on who is involved and in what kind of situation” (p. 368). Tests to our faith ans “suffering for doing good” is what encouragages growth in our relationship with the Lord. While there may be times of suffering as Peter mentions, I think ultimatley these trials lead to a more benefical outcome of a deeper relationship with the Lord. Suffering comes in many forms in our society today and while for some it is still persecution (and we should be praying for them and supporting them) there are many other forms of suffering Christians can face. Ultimatley they are the times we need to lean on the Lord the most.
The prosperity preachers certainly have not read 1 Peter carefully…
It is interesting that Peter describes suffering not only as a sad reality, but in fact a positive part of the Christian life that should be celebrated. Jobes makes it clear that this good suffering mentioned by Peter is not the kind that arises due to personal sins and natural evil, but rather it is the persecutory kind of suffering that comes as a result of the Christian being so faithful and loyal to Christ that they are noticeably separated from the world, resulting in persecution (342). When a Christian is willing to die for Christ, as Peter was, and when they are happier in their suffering than in their sin, then their faith is obvious and true. Additionally, the believer who suffers for the sake of Christ on earth will receive boundless riches in heaven. Oppositely, the one who stores up pleasures on earth is not rich toward God, and will not be so graciously lauded in heaven. This concept is described at length by Jesus in Luke 12:13-34. Ultimately, the believer has their eyes on things greater than the small, insignificant things of this world. It is truly sad to see people so engrossed and obsessed with the things of this world, to the point where they are willing to die for their politics, idols, and savings accounts. How sad that they do not know how small and insignificant those things are! It is truly a motivating reason to share the gospel to as many people as possible in the short time left here on earth.
Prosperity preachers don’t read anything very carefully (except their bank statements)
In this world, people often respond to good with evil, but Peter told us to always answer evil with good. Peter teaches us that when we suffer hardship for reasons of righteousness, there is also a benefit, because God is going to make things right for us. God cares for us even more when we are suffering unjustly. As believers, we should not be afraid of facing suffering, and God can rescue us from facing suffering at any time.
God is the most powerful being, so we should be afraid of him instead of fearing others. In Matthew 10:28, it says, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” What are we fearing in life? Are you afraid of being poor, suffering, people, or demons? God can destroy them all in one second. Peter wanted us to not be discouraged from doing good deeds because we need to make room in our hearts for God and be prepared to defend our beliefs whenever necessary. We should not put other things first in our hearts, and we cannot worship false gods or anything else because we only must worship God and put him first in our lives. We must defend our beliefs, and for that, we can face challenges and suffering, but it is all worth it. God will never forget our suffering and our defense of our beliefs. When we defend our beliefs, it means we honor, love, and obey God. We do not want to go through pain, but if we must, may it be for a good cause rather than a bad one.
In 1 Peter 3: 13-16 the idea of doing the right thing despite what the consequences may be, can be established broadly speaking. However, one specific point I think is very important and is an idea that we see echoed throughout many teachings and examples is in verse 14, it basically says don’t be frightened and don’t fear the threats of those critical of the good that you are doing. Persecution despite doing the right thing is common historically and persecution is a concept that is often referenced biblically. Daniel continued to pray to God after it had been forbidden, he was doing the right thing, refusing to be frightened by the threats of the King and as such he was punished. Perhaps the greatest example of fearlessness and steadfastness of God’s word and doing the right thing is in Daniel 3, when Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stood in defiance of the king’s orders and kept God’s commandment under punishment of a fiery death. This action showed tremendous courage and is an example of believers refusing to give into worldly demands. They laid before us the example of believers who refused to be threatened out of their belief and what was right. It is better to endure suffering as a result of doing the right thing according to God than to suffer as a result of one’s own sinful actions.
The way Peter writes indicates there is some sort of persecution going on in the time of his letter; however, there is no mention of a decree inciting a persecution toward the Christians. Instead, it seems that there is a constant threat, and a fear of that threat, of being persecuted especially in their very home by someone they respect or love. To quench that fear, Peter tells them to fear God instead.
When we fear the world, the people living in it, we conform to what the world wants from us, dismissing who we were and what our faith means to us, which can be dangerous in all aspects of our health. God is more powerful than anyone on earth, and He is even more powerful than death. If we fear God, we do not fear death, and we gain eternal life.
In today’s world, persecution for Christians is still in existence, but there is also the threat of that, especially with the complete contempt the LGBTQ+ community (and abortion supporters) has for us. We have this far, more importantly, of what people think of us, which evolves into anxiety (such as social anxiety) and changes the way we communicate or behave in an attempt to fit in or please. I think the prospect of wanting to please or fit in is far more dangerous than the fear of persecution, or perhaps the danger for both is one and the same.
Peter says, “don’t worry about that; stake your fears in God.” Though he wants the Christians to be careful and convert pagans through doing good things, he also wants them to not fear the pagans, for there is no reason to when eternal life is given to those who are saved and believe in God.
To think that no matter the culture that exists in this world, a true Christian culture will always be different from the rest, no matter if the content of the people used to be of that culture, they too will now be viewed as foreigners in their own land. Not to compare Christian culture from the rest, but it is a good comparison to make if a Christian culture is heavily repressed or persecuted. An honest Christian culture with be alien from the dominant culture and be obviously against that culture. So, if a particular Christian culture seems to fit in with a main culture, is that Christian culture a true “Christian” culture. It is hard to not demoralize Christians when you tell congregations that because of the way they are supposed to function, means they might and will face backlash for their practices. Then add to the fact that they aren’t meant to resist that backlash, leaving Christian with limited options, but that is what comes with being a follower of Christ and not conforming to the world. Christians should fear God more than governments because he has ultimate control, and we are also ultimately glorifying him by doing so.
The idea of suffering when doing something good is definitely a tricky concept when it comes to Christianity. This is part of the reason why many people in the world, even in America, do not want to give their lives to Christ. The fact that if you honor God and give him glory in your every day can cause you pain within society and being looked down upon is enough to push people away which is very sad. Meanwhile, there are so many people in other countries who will be killed if they show their faith to the world. This is why it is important to remember what Peter is trying to teach about the Beatitudes and how you will be blessed if you are persecuted. I really liked how Long used the example from Isaiah 8:12-13 saying that if you suffer for Christ you should not be afraid. Karen Jobes points this out by saying, “The Christian as foreigner and resident alien implies ‘a clear distance in relation to society, a distance from its values and ideals, from its institutions and politics” (Jobes, 336). This clearly relates to the idea of doing good but suffering because in society today we often find that it’s not always the right way or good way that people do things.
Wait, you mean I might end up suffering even if I do the right thing? While not often, people of other religious beliefs and even ethnic backgrounds face excessive mockery for being “foreigners,” the very type of language Peter employs and invokes in this instance. To live “as foreigners and alien residents,” interpreting individual and shared experiences with family, friends, neighbors, and outsiders through that lens means that people must be comfortable with being misunderstood, scrutinized, and suspected – in other words, analyzed through a magnifying glass for their faith (Jobes, 2011, p. 336). This was especially true of Greco-Roman society at the time, for the word paroikos (resident alien) “was a technical term with specific legal and social implications. It designated those whose legal, economic, and social rights were limited because they were foreigners” (Jobes, 2011, p. 334). As Long (2018) suggests, “It is not that the readers are already facing regular persecution, but the sorts of slander that outsiders usually face when they live in another culture.” This does not bring to mind martyrs and abuse; rather, it establishes a more present reality for Christians – that there are legal, economic, and social consequences for attempting to live out their faith in a society that is spiritually blinded. Eventually, people in the churches to which Peter wrote would have faced an accommodating Roman culture, a time when Christians out of obedience to God “would not be able to honor the demands of the emperor and would suffer for it” (Jobes, 2011, p. 338). Peter instructed his readers to “live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us” (1 Peter 2:12 ESV). The letter is written at a time when Peter, similar to modern Christians, could hope to maintain good relations with the state. Christians may face social ostracization for their beliefs, an experience that is certainly unpleasant. However, Christians can still assume that their government will not unduly trouble them for peaceably practicing their faith and reflecting holy behavior to the greater world.
The core of the message to which Peter attests accentuates all Scripture: Readers must fear what necessitates fearfulness, “the Lord and him alone” (Long, 2018). What immediately comes to mind is Paul’s call to action, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2). A Christian who claims that God simply desires them to live a happy life and thus they should not have to suffer is in for an immense reality check. In Peter’s letter, all Christians are to live as God’s slaves (1 Peter 2:16), thereby becoming slaves of righteousness (Romans 6:17-18), with the humbled Sin as an example. According to Jobes (2011), “The Son so humbled himself to the extent that he died the death of a slave, crucifixion, which was not a lawful execution for those who held Roman citizenship. . . Jesus was a foreigner with respect to Roman law” (p. 343). Simultaneously being in and not of the world involves engaging and residing within a given culture with eschatological rest in mind because it is only then that believers can practice the imitation of Christ for those looking in.
In the face of persecution, we must stand strong. As Christians, we will always be persecuted one way or the other. Everybody in life will suffer or be persecuted at one point. It is hard to see suffering or persecution as a good thing. We should remember Jesus’ words how we are blessed when we are persecuted and how we shall not fear those who persecute us (as seen in Matthew 5:11). As modern Christians, we face a lot of judgment from the world. For Peter, he faced persecution similar to how Jesus did, by being crucified. Suffering for Jesus’ sake is a worthy cause. And if you suffer proclaiming Christ as your Lord, you can take pride in him. Many of Jesus’ disciples suffered so much for Him that most of them were killed. We may not be killed for him, but we can suffer for Him by losing friends or being looked down upon or being seen as hypocrites. We should always strive to be like Christ, and if that means suffering in his name, so be it. Even though this is a scary thing, we should be brave and have peace through everything we might go through.
When I think of suffering I think of hurt for doing bad actions and not good actions. Usually when bad actions are committed, there are bad consequences and when good actions are committed then there are good consequences. I believe that suffering is aligned with bad doings but also a lack of faith in Jesus Christ. There can be many concussions that result in suffering such as addiction, hatred, or simply any type of heinous sin that due hurt to yourself or others. I believe that sin had a lot to do with the topic of suffering because it makes me think of how Jesus suffered on the cross to die for our forgiveness from God. This is one of the largest examples that comes to my mind because I truly believe that this was one of the largest examples of suffering that had occurred in the Bible. I know that there are many other circumstances where individuals or groups of people have suffered but this is one of the most important in my opinion because it shows that the one and only son of God even suffered.
It can be stated that there are many different types of actions that result in a type of suffering. In another one of my classes, we talked about how poverty is not only a result of financial instability but it can also be the lack of knowledge of the blessings that are in your life. I feel that this can go along with the context of suffering because if some of us believe that we are truly suffering can be a result of us not understanding how God is working in our lives. I believe that suffering is a great topic to think about because every one of us has either suffered or is going to suffer in life and it is important to gain an understanding of what suffering truly is and why it happens.
It is interesting how the apostle Peter talks about suffering here. It is true that it is a great encouragement for us Christian, even more in the modern days where it just feels more and more that our society does not know how to deal with discomfort even more with suffering times. It’s quite interesting actually to compare the values in which families are being raised today and the values we learn from the Bible, from simple things to big subjects. As an example is the idea of our parents living exhausted because they think they can let their kids be bored, so they must give full time attention. Those kids grow up and they have a really hard time dealing with discomfort and suffering, can you imagine what persecution would do to them. There are great Christian articles that support even more the encouragement of Peter about persecution, to look at persecution as an opportunity to God being glorified, for many times when Christian are persecuted the gospel is shared, the faith of Christian is made strong. But it is true, as mentioned above, our perspective on perception will vary depending on who we fear, if we fear the Lord or men. When we fear the Lord above all, we know God is with us no matter what, and we know that just like Jesus suffered for a great purpose, so any of the suffering or persecution we may suffer is not in vain. “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ” (Phillipians 3:8, NIV).
We are called to be Christians. And that does indeed mean suffering. Jesus Himself suffered for what He taught, died on the Cross for our sins, and was resurrected after three days, ascending into Heaven seated at the right hand of the Father. When we are meant to follow Jesus, suffering is something that is not only normal, but also expected. While the scenarios and contexts are mentioned in the New Testament are in different contexts, in a different time, and in a different culture, we still see much of the same today (Jobes, 2011, p. 284). It transcends time in a way.
While it is true that where you currently live could be considered much different than other Christians (especially Americans and European Christians), Christian’s are still suffering in other parts of the world. Consider your personal life, there is almost always something that may not have gone right, or because of your faith, you suffered for it. While this is not as common in America, it is much more common elsewhere unfortunately. Christians are different than the world, and it can clearly be seen in all that we do. Is it no wonder that we are persecuted and suffer because of this? “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2, ESV).
The verse in 1 Peter 3:13 really highlights the truth that good people are often not motivated. Peter emphasizes the importance of faithfulness even in the face of adversity. He acknowledges the growing trouble in Judea with the Zealots rallying against Roman rule, but he encourages his listeners to pursue a peaceful and respectful life. Peter acknowledges the possibility of unfair treatment of strangers and guests and advises them to be prepared for the possibility of trouble. The language used, especially the act of making choices, suggests a possible future rather than a present reality. This sentiment echoes Jesus’ teachings, where suffering for righteousness’ sake is viewed as a blessing. Using the wisdom of Isaiah, Peter encourages his listeners not to fear the threats of the earth but to honor the Lord alone. For those who are marginalized, this advice makes a lot of sense. Emphasizing the fear of persecution and the invincibility of the fear of God, Peter offers comfort and guidance to a community facing hostility. Ultimately, Peter’s counsel transcends immediate challenges in the context of his audience, offering the timeless wisdom of pursuing suffering with faith and integrity. Fear of persecution pales into insignificance when compared with the fear of the Almighty, who gives strength and assurance in times of trial.