Titus II Lesson -- September 20th

How Shall We Then Live in a Post-Christian Culture
“The Suffering of Believers – Conduct Needed in Suffering”
1 Peter 3:13-17

Review
In 1 Peter 1:13, after having explained the greatness of our salvation in 1 Peter 1:1-12 (i.e., what God has done in salvation), Peter says: “therefore.” That is, in light of this great salvation we are to live in a manner that is consistent with this great salvation. So, in 1 Peter 1:13-2:12, Peter sets forth seven calls to action related to our sanctification as believers. Next, Peter chooses to focus on the submission of believers (2:13-3:12). In this section, Peter has something to say about Christians living in a society that is less than ideal, to slaves who are living in circumstances which are less than ideal, to husbands and wives in marriages which are less than ideal, and to those churches which are less than ideal. Finally, we move into the final section of the epistle. This section focuses on suffering. This week we are going to consider the “conduct” needed in the midst of suffering.

Text

“And who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled, but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong” (1 Peter 3:13-17).

Introduction
He begins in these verses by speaking of the confidence with which a godly man of faithful life can face the opposition of the world. (1) And yet, we are not guaranteed that godliness will always be received with gratitude and good deeds in return. This specific passage is not so much about the favorable responses we might receive in response to godliness but the unpleasant responses of persecution and false accusations. Nevertheless, adversity is the soil in which the gospel thrives. Thus, Peter sets forth our conduct in response to persecution so that the gospel is proclaimed, God is glorified, and we are truly blessed. (2)

Transition
To aid us in our consideration of the “conduct” needed in the midst of suffering, I am going to group my comments around three concepts:

• Avoidable Suffering
• Unavoidable Suffering
• Useful Suffering

Avoidable Suffering (3:13) (3)

“And who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good?”

How does one avoid suffering? Peter begins his major discussion (3:13-5:12) on suffering by insisting that one way of avoiding suffering, in the midst of a hostile environment, is a passionate zeal for what is good. John MacArthur calls this a “passion for goodness.” Peter teaches us that it is very difficult, for most people, to mistreat those who are zealous for good. Even a hostile world is slow to hurt people who do good, who benefit society, who are gracious, who are unselfish, who are kind, who are merciful, who are thoughtful, who are loving, and who are caring. This is seen in verse 13. It's a rhetorical question -- who is there to harm you? The implied answer is no one (or at least very few). It says: "Who is there to harm you if you prove (the verb really translates if you become) ... if you become zealots for what is good?"

Now what does this word "zealot" (zelotes) mean? A zealot is a person with a passion. It is a person with a great ardor for some cause. Peter is saying: "You be a zealot, only you be a zealot for what is good. Be in love with goodness. When it becomes your delight, when it becomes your joy, when it becomes your goal, when the wrong things lose their fascination, when the wrong things lose their power to attract, and you become consumed with doing what is good, the world will find it difficult to persecute you even though the world is hostile.” Bottom line (2): “Obeying God’s Word will spare you much needless suffering.”

Unavoidable Suffering (3:14a)
While obeying God’s Word will spare us much unnecessary suffering, it is no guarantee we will be spared from all suffering. Obeying God’s Word is something like defensive driving. It does not keep one from having an accident, but it may keep us from many accidents. Having established a “good life” as being advisable, Peter continues: (2)

“But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed.”

The little phrase "but even if" could be translated "per chance" or "contrary to what is expected." This is an optative verb in the Greek which simply means it is a subjective possibility without a definite time. In other words, there's no certainty of fulfillment but it could happen. (3) Peter wants us to know suffering may come our way even when we are living as God instructs us to live. Indeed, suffering may come our way because we are living godly lives. (2)

A number of evangelical Christians fail to grasp this. They sincerely believe that if they follow the divine principles of Scripture, they can be assured of a happy, trouble-free life (i.e., a life of “prosperity”). Job’s friends made this same error. They assumed Job’s prosperity was the result of his piety. When adversity overtook him, they were certain he had done something wrong. The way back to prosperity was to find the sin in Job’s life and remove it. This was also the view of the scribes and Pharisees in the days of our Lord. They linked material prosperity with spiritual piety. Imagine how shocked they would be to hear the Lord Jesus say: “Blessed (6) are you who are poor … 24a But woe to you who are rich…” (Luke 6:20b, 24a). (2)

This is what John MacArthur calls: "pliability in suffering.” In spite of the general truth of verse 13, there will be times when those who do good suffer. In other words, we have to bend with it, we have to accept it, we have to acknowledge that God is bringing it to pass, or allowing it for our testing, as chapter 4 verse 12 says, in order to perfect us. There will be points at which our society will not tolerate even a good life. They will not tolerate a righteous man or a righteous woman. The very presence of holy virtue will irritate them to the point that they will have to act aggressively against you. But, says Peter, when we suffer for what is right, we are blessed. (3)

Now what does "blessed" mean in this passage? It's not so much the idea of happy, it is not so much the idea of joyful, as it is the idea of privileged or honored. Do you remember what is said of Mary: "Blessed art thou among women?" It didn't necessarily mean "happy." In fact, her heart was pierced with many sorrows. But she was privileged and she was honored. It meant that she was the object of divine favor, divine grace. A special dispensation from God was granted to her to do a unique task and to enjoy extraordinary goodness at the hand of God. And that's exactly what it means here. Even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you're privileged, you are honored. Why? Because you join, as it were, in the sufferings of Christ. You can fellowship in His sufferings, as Philippians 3:10 mentions (see also Matthew 5:10). (3)

We need more Christians who have this “pliability in suffering.” What do I mean? We need to see suffering as a source of blessing and do not compromise with the world. We need to choose not to back track in our faith. We need to avoid trying to eliminate suffering by changing our theology. Like Martin Luther -- who stood before those who would condemn him (the hostile and the religious world) and said: "I can't recant. I cannot. I cannot." – we need to be Christians who are courageous, bold, righteous, holy, and zealous for good. And if we are persecuted, we need to count it joy to suffer for the one who suffered for us. (3)

Useful Suffering (3:14b-16)
We have considered avoidable suffering and unavoidable suffering. Finally, let us consider “useful” suffering. What do I mean by “useful” suffering? Useful suffering is how we should conduct ourselves in the midst of suffering to make our suffering a blessing, both to others and to ourselves. Or stated differently, useful suffering is how the gospel is proclaimed, God is glorified, and we are blessed.

“14b And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled, 15 but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; 16 and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.”

When we pray the Lord's Prayer, the first petition we make is: "Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name." The first priority in the heart of Jesus is the name of His Father. Likewise, the first priority of the followers of Jesus should be the name of our Lord and Savior. That word "hallow" is the same word that Peter uses in verse 15 of this text when he says: "Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts." That is, hallow Christ as Lord in your hearts. (5)

What does it mean to sanctify (hallow) Christ as Lord? It means to regard Him as the holiest being in the universe. It means to regard Him as unique, one of a kind, without peer or rival in purity and goodness. It means to put Him in a category by Himself — the highest place, the greatest value, the most supreme treasure, the greatest admiration, the most cherished prize, the one you esteem and honor and love the most out of all persons and all things in the world. Let this sink in a moment. When you get up in the morning, you need to think: Today, the ultimate purpose of my life is to sanctify (hallow) the name of our Lord and Savior. The main reason I am alive today is to show the value of Jesus to others. (5)

Does sanctifying (hallowing) Christ as Lord have anything to do with the other concerns of this text — not fearing, giving a defense, and keeping a good conscience? Yes, it has everything to do with each concern. The ultimate issue in this text – and in our lives – is sanctifying (hallowing) and honoring Christ as Lord. As such, Peter identifies three specific ways in this passage we can sanctify Christ as Lord in the midst of suffering (5) -- each being in itself, also, being a means of proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ.


1. Christ is Sanctified or Valued as Lord by Our Fearlessness
First, Christ is sanctified or valued as Lord by our fearlessness. This can be seen in verses 14-15:

"But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled, 15 but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts."

The last words of verse 14 and the first few words of verse 15 are a reference to Isaiah 8. In these verses, God warns the prophet Isaiah not to buckle under to the opposition he receives in response to the message God gave him to proclaim. Peter uses these words to remind us that we too should not be frightened or intimidated by the opposition we receive from men. We are to faithfully embrace and proclaim the truths of God’s Word. Peter is concerned that when things get tough, we will be tempted to be silent or to take the edge off our witness. Who should understand this better than Peter who, under pressure, denied being associated with His Lord (see Matthew 26:69-75)? Thus, he now writes that times of persecution are often occasions for bearing witness to the Savior. These are the times we dare not be intimidated so we deny our Lord, remain silent, or dilute the message of the gospel. (2)

How does our fearlessness sanctify Christ as Lord? Fearlessness shows that our hope is unshakable. Fearlessness is a clear testimony that our hope is real. And since Christ is the ground and the goal of our hope, fearlessness sanctifies Him (hallows Him, honors Him) by showing His unique worth and value in our lives. (5)

2. Christ is Sanctified or Valued as Lord by a Well-Defended Hope
Second, Christ is sanctified or valued as Lord by a well-defended hope. Notice verse 15:

"Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, [by] always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you."

When he says, "always being ready to make a defense" (the Greek word is apologia from which we get an apology, or an apologetic, a defense of something), you might assume that this is a formal defense in a court somewhere. And by the way, it is so used in 2 Timothy 4:16 where Paul speaks about his formal defense in a courtroom situation (see also Acts 25:16). But you have the same word, apologia, used in Philippians 1:16 apparently in an informal sense. It refers to just being able to give a defense to anyone who asks you, not just a judge or a magistrate or a governor or somebody formally sitting in judgment over you. Furthermore the word "always" indicates that it's not just while you're on some official trial basis, but (always) in all situations you are to be ready to give a defense (not just to a judge or a magistrate) to everyone who asks you. (3)

And what is this defense about? It's a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you. What is that? Very simply it’s the Christian faith. The hope that is in you is the Christian faith. It's just another way to identify the Christian faith. In other words, you are to be able to give a rational explanation and defense of why you are a Christian. That's all. The Christian faith or the Christian hope is synonymous really. We see this in Chapter 1 when Peter says: "We have been born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ." There that living hope is tantamount to our living faith or our living the Christian life. So, Peter is simply saying: “Be able to defend your Christianity. Be able to tell people why you believe what you believe. Understand why you believe what you believe and then be able to articulate it.” (3)


And then Peter adds in verse 15: "Yet with gentleness and reverence" (for an interesting take on gentleness and reverence see Vincent Cheung, “Commentary on First Peter”). (7) There is to be a tenderness and a graciousness in our spirit. The word "gentleness" is actually the word for meekness or humility. Power under control is one way that we think about that word. And then the word reverence, teaches us that we are to have a healthy reverence for God, a healthy reverence for truth and even a healthy reverence for the person to whom you speak. (3)

Christ is not honored by groundless hope. If someone says to me: "Why do you hope in Christ for forgiveness and for help and for eternal joy," and I answer, "No good reason, I just grew up this way," Or: "It seems like a good gamble." Or: "Everybody's got a religion, I decided to choose Christianity." If I answer that question in any of these ways, then Christ is not sanctified in my heart. He is not sanctified, hallowed, or honored. He is made to look like a fool. We say He's our hope, but we don't know why He's our hope. If Christ is not sanctified by a groundless hope, how is Christ sanctified or hallowed by a good defense of our hope? When our hope looks strong, Christ the ground and goal of it looks strong. Thus He is sanctified (hallowed, honored) when we show that our hope is unshakable. (5)

3. Christ is Sanctified or Valued as Lord by Our Maintaining a Good Conscience (2)
Finally, Christ is sanctified or valued as Lord by our maintaining a good conscience. Peter writes:

“And keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame” (1 Peter 3:16).

Peter puts his finger on a very important outworking of a clear conscience. He says we are to have a clear conscience so that when we are slandered, those who have spoken evil of us for well-doing will be put to shame. Godly conduct puts sinners to shame. But when godly conduct shames sinners, it often results in persecution. The Christian is tempted to draw back, to modify his conduct to reduce or minimize the persecution he faces. Peter urges us not to violate our conscience by compromising our convictions. Peter well understood what he was saying. How painful the memory of his own denial of the Lord must have been, as he once sought to avoid arrest and punishment by denying he even knew the Lord. Peter was a new man. His conscience had been cleansed. He would (with a few exceptions—see Galatians 2:11-21) no longer compromise to avoid persecution. And he now urges us to do likewise.

Daniel was also a man faithful to his conscience. When he was far from his homeland living as a captive in Babylon, Daniel nevertheless made every effort to live with a clear conscience. When he was given food to eat which would have violated his conscience, Daniel wisely petitioned the one in authority so that he would not defile himself (see Daniel 1). His conduct was such that his jealous peers knew they could only accuse him in some matter related to his personal practice of spiritual piety (see Daniel 6:1-5).

How does this work out practically? I believe a clear conscience gives one a boldness to witness we do not have when we compromise. This is evident in Daniel’s life and in the life and ministry of Paul. When Paul was falsely accused by his Jewish adversaries, he was able to say: “1 “Brethren, I have lived my life with a perfectly good conscience before God up to this day” (Acts 23:1). It is little wonder that Paul’s accusers were greatly upset by such words. Their “religion” did not make such a statement possible. Paul would have us keep our conscience clear, so that our lives will contrast with the sinful ways of the world and our lips will be able to proclaim the good news of the gospel without fear that we are hypocritical in so doing. If we maintain a good conscience, Christ is sanctified (hallowed, honored).

Conclusion (2)
Suffering affords opportunities to bear witness to the lost about our faith in Christ. Our endurance in doing good in the face of persecution demonstrates that we have a hope lost men do not possess. Maintaining a clear conscience when suffering for Christ may provide occasions where we are asked to explain the hope which is ours in Christ. Often, times of suffering are when the church experiences the greatest growth and the blood of the martyrs is seen to be the seed of the church. Thus, this text assures us that suffering for Christ’s sake will lead to opportunities for witnessing. It also teaches us some very important principles concerning evangelism. Allow me to share a few.

1. Witnessing is not an attack waged against an unwilling victim, but an explanation given in response to a request about our hope.
This is not to say we only share our faith when asked, but one finds little support for the forceful style of evangelism more characteristic of those selling aluminum siding or carpet cleaning than of our Lord or His apostles. This is especially important in relation to the principle of submission. Submission is putting the interests and needs of others above our own. Submission in evangelism does not seek to force the gospel on unwilling victims, but to stimulate interest and then respond to it (see also Colossians 4:6).

2. Evangelism is not trying to identify with unbelievers to show them how much like them we are; it is about living a distinctly different life than they live and then explaining why.
Too much of today’s evangelistic effort tries to look and act like the world, trying to make people comfortable with us and our faith. It is the difference between the believer and the unbeliever which is so important, and it must not be compromised by defiling our conscience when opposition to our well-doing arises.

3. If you want an opportunity to witness to your unsaved friends and neighbors, do what Noah did—build an ark.
Obviously we do not need to build a literal “ark” like the one Noah built over 120 years. The ark was but the physical evidence of Noah’s faith and obedience. The ark symbolized his willingness to spend this life in preparation for the next. It served to condemn the sins of the people of his day and to warn them of future judgment. If we did as Peter has instructed — fix our hope completely on the grace to be brought at the revelation of Jesus Christ (1:13) — our neighbors would begin to see the ark in our lives, and we would have many opportunities of explaining our hope. As I read the commands of our Lord in the Gospels, I begin to see that our obedience to them would make us “Noahs” in our own time. The key to evangelism is not some gimmick or slick presentation of a packaged gospel; it is a life that witnesses to our waiting and working for the things not of this world but of the next.

I dare not leave this text before asking you a very direct question: “Are you in the ark, or are you outside the ark? Are you living only for the pleasures of this age and disregarding God and the judgment which awaits you?” The people of Noah’s day were warned of coming judgment by Noah and the building of the ark, but they disobeyed God and disregarded this warning. Both Noah and the people of that age went through the flood. The difference was that Noah and his family were delivered through the flood, inside the ark, while the rest were destroyed by the flood, outside the ark. By God’s design, there is a coming day of judgment when sinners will stand before a Holy God and acknowledge their sin and guilt. And they will bow their knee to Jesus Christ. They will also spend eternity suffering the consequences of their sin in this life. God has provided a solution for man’s sin and a way to escape divine judgment. The only way of escape is Jesus Christ. He took on human flesh, adding sinless humanity to His perfect deity. He suffered and died for sinners, and He was raised from the dead so that men might be justified before God. The wrath of God on sin was outpoured on Him. Those who are in Christ need not suffer God’s wrath, because they have been punished in Christ. Those who lack righteousness need not fear the wrath of God because they are declared righteous, in Christ. And so I ask you very simply, “Are you in Christ, or are you outside Christ? Are you trusting in your righteousness, or in His righteousness?” The difference between those who are saved and those who will suffer eternal torment is the difference between being “in Christ,” by faith, and being apart from Christ. I urge you to acknowledge your sin, your need of salvation, and to trust in the One whom God has sent to deliver you from His wrath — the Lord Jesus Christ.

Endnotes
(1) Robert Rayburn, “A Christian Observed” (1 Peter 3:8-18)
(2) Robert Deffinbaugh, “A New Slant on Suffering” (1 Peter 3:13-4:6)
(3) John MacArthur, “Securities Against a Hostile World” (1 Peter 3:13-17)
(4) Derek Thomas, “A Christian Apologetic” (1 Peter 3:8-17)
(5) John Piper, “Christ is Hallowed in Us When We Hope in Him” (1 Peter 3:13-17)
(6) “Peter uses a different term for blessing here in verse 14 than he employed in verse 9. In verse 14, the term is essentially the same as our Lord used in the Sermon on the Mount as recorded in Matthew 5:3-12 and Luke 6:20-22. In verse 14, Peter underscores his teaching by joining the teaching of Isaiah 8 with that of our Lord in Matthew 5 and Luke 6.” – Robert Deffinbaugh, “A New Slant on Suffering” (1 Peter 3:13-17)
(7) “The rest of verse 15 is frequently cited as a foundational verse for the practice of Christian apologetics, the defense of the faith: "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect." The word translated "answer" (NIV, KJV) or "defense" (NASB, NKJV) is apologia, from which we derived the English word "apologetics." This is to be given in response to the demand for a "reason" (logos), which suggests that the answer or defense would come in the form of a rational argument or discourse. Since the topic concerns "the hope that you have," we understand that Peter is referring to an answer or defense that is both rational and biblical, or Christian. Commentators suggest that by now Peter has broadened the context to include all kinds of unbelievers. Although some of the previous passages deal with our response to public officials and other human authorities, our verse says to Christians, "Always be prepared" to answer "everyone who asks." But this is awfully careless. Everyone should know that "everyone" almost never means everyone! That is, seemingly universal terms like "all" and "every" often occur within contexts that restrict their meanings, so that "all" means all that is within the defined boundaries, and "every" means every one that is within the specified restrictions. With this in mind, the previous passages, at least from 2:13 to 3:6, all deal with submission to human authorities. But lest anyone should say that 3:8-12 has severed the continuity, our verse is itself enclosed by other verses that refer to those who have the power to "harm" (3:13) Christians, the potential to make threats and incite fear (3:14b), and cause them to "suffer" (3:14a and 17). The text continues to say that Christ "died" (3:18) for the unrighteous, that he was "put to death" (3:18), and that he "suffered in his body" (4:1). The "everyone" is no ordinary fellow. The point that we need to make is that this context restricts the words, "But do this with gentleness and respect." The statement has been used to prescribe the proper attitudes, mannerisms, and even the vocabularies that Christians are to use when answering challenges from all kinds of unbelievers. Thus the verse has been reduced to something like, "Always be ready to do apologetics, but do it nicely." However, such an interpretation of the verse would condemn the prophets, the apostles, and even the Lord himself, as there are times when they conducted themselves with anything other than "gentleness and respect" toward the unbelievers, at least as these words are now understood. Rather, they called the disobedient and unbelieving such things as whores, dogs, pigs, foxes, snakes, fools (or morons), hypocrites, wicked men, blind men, dead men, brutes, rubbish, dung, and so on. And do we need to repeat all the negative remarks that Peter himself has made about the unbelievers in this very letter that we are studying? On the other hand, the prophets and apostles usually answered authority figures with gentleness, doubtless "for the Lord's sake" (1 Peter 2:13) and acknowledging the fact that "there is no authority except that which God has established" (Romans 13:1). In one instance, Paul answered his interrogator with some of the harshest words possible, even with a curse, but he softened once he discovered that he was speaking to the high priest: Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin and said, "My brothers, I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day." At this the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near Paul to strike him in the mouth. Then Paul said to him, "God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! You sit there to judge me according to the law, yet you yourself violate the law by commanding that I be struck!" Those who were standing near Paul said, "You dare to insult God's high priest?" Paul replied, "Brothers, I did not realize that he was the high priest; for it is written: 'Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people.'" (Acts 23:1-5) Thus the strong tendency among apologists and interpreters to universalize 1 Peter 3:15 and condemn those who do not adhere to their standard of "gentleness and respect" is unbiblical (since it removes the words from their context, and distorts and misapplies them) and irreverent (for it indirectly criticizes the prophets, the apostles, and even the Lord). And I say that they use their standard of "gentleness and respect" because, whether in context or out of context, they do not use Scripture itself to define these words, but the non-Christian notion of social propriety. The result is that the unbelievers are controlling how Christians must deal with them. This in turn takes away the sting that is part and parcel of a biblical defense of the faith. It is not that we must be constantly harsh and insulting – that is not the point at all – but we must remain free to display the variety and intensity of expression as prescribed and exhibited by the relevant biblical commands and examples, and as necessitated by our encounters with different types of unbelievers. In any case, Christians should no longer allow teachers of apologetics to get away with the misuse of 1 Peter 3:15.” – Vincent Cheung, “Commentary on First Peter”