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February 19, 2023
Suffering For Purpose

Persecution was a new thing for the first generation Gentile Christians. Imagine not having the Bible to instruct us on God’s purpose of it and suffering alike. Humans would easily develop improper theology. A theology of many American Christians even today: “We should live a life of comfort.” Thankfully the Lord has prepared us in every way to live life the way we ought, with an understanding and possible wisdom on the nature of suffering, its purposes, and its current and eventual benefits. This morning we will complete Peter’s first letter to Asia Minor and we will leave equipped to understand God in our world because of it.

The title of the sermon is "Suffering For Purpose."

#1 We suffer because Christ suffered.
#2 We suffer to give and receive glory.
#3 We suffer because because we are sinful.
#4 We suffer because God strengthens our character through it.
#5 We suffer because it is grace.

#1 We suffer because Christ suffered.
12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. 15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. 16 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. 17 For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 And “If the righteous is scarcely saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?” 19 Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.

• In vv 12-15, Peter takes his audience on a review of what he has already said. Therefore we shall review it to.
• 12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. (cf 1:6)
  • Don’t be surprised about suffering.
  • It is Peter’s view that persecution is certain in time.
  • It’s coming = “when it comes”
  • 14 If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.
• 15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. (cf 3:17)
  • The word “[meddler]" means in the Greek, “a self-appointed overseer in other men’s matters.” (Wuest, p 121)
• 16 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. (cf 3:14)
  • Suffering is a “privilege and not a penalty.” (Barclay)
  • Acts 5:40-41, And when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.

  • [Wiersbe wrote,] The world believes that the absence of suffering means glory, but a Christian’s outlook is different. … suffering Christians do not have to wait for heaven in order to experience His glory. Through the Holy Spirit, they can have the glory now. This explains how martyrs could sing praises to God while bound in the midst of blazing fires. It also explains how persecuted Christians (and there are many in today’s world) can go to prison and to death without complaining or resisting their captors. (2:921)

#2 We suffer to give and receive glory.
Back to verse 13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, (cf 1:6)
- We have to rejoice now to rejoice later!
- that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. (cf 1:6)
- If we do not learn to handle suffering well here, then there is little hope for a corresponding reward.
- This idea is easily overlooked because of bad teachers.
- Romans 8:16-17, The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

#3 We suffer because because we are sinful.
17 For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?

• Not only are we headed to a judgment later, we are in the middle of judgment here also.
• Part of our judgment is due to our choices.
• Suffering is part of God’s sanctifying work. Suffering done well roots out all types of sin.
• “Our suffering is now, but theirs will be when they stand before God in judgment. Our judgment, by unbelievers now, is lighter than their judgment by God will be later.” (Constable)

18 And “If the righteous is scarcely saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”

• The Greek word “scarcely” > also = with difficulty, hardly, not easily.
  • We are barely saved in other words.
  • This verse used to bother me when I was a young Christian.
  • It took God’s everything, God’s death. There was no more left to give!
• “…what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”
  • Revelation 20:11-15, Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

LARGE APPLICATION SECTION

• God is doling out suffering to everyone.
• Us here. Them here and there.
• 19 Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.
• “The Greek word ‘[entrust]’ is a banking term meaning ‘to give in charge as a deposit.’” (Wuest, p 123; Wuest had “commit”)
• God wants YOU AND I to deposit OUR SOULS to HIM.
• Give our lives fully to God.
• We can do this because He is Creator.
• Not only, Creator, but faithful Creator.
• Peter called God Creator, this is the only time this name is used of God in the NT. [273, Blum, p. 249]

5:1 So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed:

• Here Peter speaks briefly to elders in Asia-Minor.
• “As a fellow elder.”
• Elder = presbyteros = #1 def. senior citizen.
• “Church leaders”
• He acknowledges the sufferings elders were going through in the first century, but he encourages perseverance and right leadership, again, for the glory that is to be revealed.
• 2 shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight,
  • Flock of God - God’s sheep
  • Among you - those that the Chief Shepherd has placed in their care.
  • Exercising oversight - Thayer defines the term as “to look upon, inspect, oversee, look after, care for.”
  • Barclay said, “When a man enters the eldership, no small honour is conferred upon him, for he is entering on the oldest religious office in the world, whose history can be traced through Christianity and Judaism for four thousand years; and no small responsibility falls upon him, for he has been ordained a shepherd of the flock of God and a defender of the faith.”
• Elders were and are to serve in specific ways:
• Section of compares and contrasts.
• not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you;
  • Elders are not to lead because they feel they have to.
  • “Elders who minister begrudgingly, under constraint, are incapable of genuine care for people.”[281, Strauch, p. 301]
  • God would have all elders serve willingly.
  • We are to do nothing good from compulsion, but should look at all service as an honor to God and a help to others.
• not for shameful gain, but eagerly;
  • Leading for the money alone is shameful.
  • Lead eagerly.
• 3 not domineering over those in your charge,
  • It’s hard to see domineering as a problem in the Bible belt of America. If people feel dominated, real or imagined they leave a church and go to another. But in first century, Asia minor culture things were different.
  • Older people were respected much more.
  • Churches were limited too.
  • The First Apostles either appointed or had elders appointed.
  • So the opportunity for domineering was more prevalent.
• but being examples to the flock.
  • To be an example, one must lead from the front.
  • Biblical leadership leads from the front as Jesus did.
• 4 And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.
  • Calvin cited the look to the future coming of Christ as a correcting motivating factor just as Peter has been doing. Calvin wrote, "To prevent the faithful servant of Christ from being cast down, there is this one and only remedy, to turn his eyes to the coming of Christ."¹

5:5 Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

• 5 Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders.
  • The reason the younger people are to submit to the senior leadership, though not developed here, is self-evident: the older have more experience in living in the first century. (Constable)
  • Now, many older men have been saved longer than your men have been alive.
  • As the elders were to be subject to the chief Shepherd, Jesus, LIKEWISE, the younger men were to be subject to the elders.
  • In America, modernity made “youngness” all the rage.
  • Old people are out of touch, dumb, slow, etc.
  • Nothing has changed in God economy, those older in the faith are to rule from experience.
  • You men are to, look at 5b, Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another,
  • Clothe yourself = to fasten or gird on oneself with the white apron of slaves and distinguished slaves from freemen
  • Be known for these things.
  • humility = the having a humble opinion of oneself; a deep sense of one’s (moral) littleness; modesty, humility, lowliness of mind.
  • Humility is to describe interpersonal relations with young men.
  • All of you.
  • Henry was right when he said, “Humility is the great preserver of peace and order in all Christian societies, consequently pride is the great disturber of them.”[298, p 1948]
  • Paul too said, in Colossians 3:12, Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.
  • Peter gives the reason too young people in verse 5…
  • for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” COMMENT

#4 We suffer because God strengthens our character through it.
5:6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 11 To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

• 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you,
  • Humble > what do I know about what I need? God knows best.
  • Peter reminds his audience they are to rest under God’s might hand.
  • God is powerful enough to rescue us. He has us in situations to learn things. He is able to repeat processes too!
  • There is a proper time to be exalted–but not yet or here!
  • 7 casting all your anxieties on him,
    anxieties = “worry or anxiety as when one does not know whether to do this or to do that, ‘distraction.’”[300, Lenski, p. 224]
  • Suffering brings anxieties > the what ifs
  • Cast the what ifs on Him.
  • Why? because he cares for you.
• To stay humble and anxiety free we use several tools:
  • 8 Be sober-minded; (cf 1:13; 4:7)
  • be watchful.
  • Stay on patrol for the enemy.
  • Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
    • Adversary the devil.
    • Prowls around.
    • Seeking someone to devour.
    • Lit. “gulp, swallow down, both of liquids and solids” (LSJ)
    • 9 Resist him, firm in your faith,
    • Calvin said, "Here is, as it were, a certain characteristic of the divine Word, that it never comes forth while Satan is at rest and sleeping."²
    • The Devil seeks to undermine our faith.
  • knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.
  • One of the ways we measure what is going on is that we are not alone.
  • 10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.
    • #1 restore > also = adjust, put in order, mend, set a dislocated limb, restore to a right mind, reconcile, make good (LSJ)
    • #2 confirm > also = ground, to be firmly set or be firmly fixed (LSJ)
    • #3 strengthen,
    • #4 and establish you > also = to lay the foundation, to found: properly
    • Look at the list of good God uses suffering for.
    • SUFFERING IS FOR OUR GOOD. COMMENT
• 11 To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

#5 We suffer because it is grace.
12 By Silvanus, a faithful brother as I regard him, I have written briefly to you, exhorting and declaring that this is the true grace of God. COMMENT

• Persecution is the way to glory. The way of suffering is the way to the crown. Jesus’ glory, joy and crowns await the men who, through thick and thin, remains true to him and His ways.³
• Stand firm in it.

Notes

¹ Calvin, John. “The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Hebrews and the First and Second Epistles of St Peter,” in Calvin’s Commentaries, p. 317. As quoted in Constable.

² Calvin, John. “Prefatory Address to King Francis I of France,” sec. 7, in Institutes of the Christian Religion. As quoted in Constable.

³ Adapted from Barclay, “The Inevitability Of Persecution.”

Works Cited

Scripture quotations [unless otherwise noted] are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Click here to access the works cited web-page for this document, save those marked as “Notes” or “Other Works Cited”–if any. Most of these cited works correspond to the verses they are outlined with. In the case of general background information and references, one will find cited material with the Bible books the citations are associated with. ¶ Furthermore, all numbered notes that are URL linked are retained numbered notes from Thomas Constable’s, “Dr. Constable’s Expository (Bible Study) Notes.” These links are preserved “as is” at the time of this work’s formation and sometimes include other citation information from Constable.

Other Works Cited

Marshall, I. Howard. 1 Peter. The IVP New Testament Commentary Series, Ed. Grant Osborne, et al, InterVarsity Press, 1991.

Michaels, J. Ramsey. Word Biblical Commentary: 1 Peter. Ed. David Hubbard, et al., Word Publishers, 1988.

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