THE FIRST LETTER OF ST. PETER
Promise of Vindication
1 Peter 3:13-22
INTRODUCTION
So far in his letter, Peter has first shown that Christians do suffer persecution, sometimes from the most unlikely of sources—the family, and second, has explained the way that Christians should respond to persecution—with a gentle spirit. Peter will continue these themes in this next section; however, he is going to add another element to his discussion of persecution: just as Christ was vindicated after He was persecuted, so Christians can expect o be vindicated after their persecution has passed.
RIGHT BEHAVIOR PREVENTS PERSECUTION (3:13)
Although there are times when Christians experience persecution because they are Christians, there are other times when Christians experience suffering for other reasons. For example, whenever Christian wives neglect their families because they are at the church every time the door opens, they can expect criticism from their husbands. Yes, no husband, or wife for that matter, should ever demand that their spouse neglect those things which will help them grow in their relationship to Christ; however, the Christian should not use the Lord and the church as a means of escaping the family which is not filling all his/her needs. In other cases I've seen some Christians who have some unresolved issues in their lives, and when they refuse to deal with those issues, they fail to function properly in relationships. When their relationships fail, they claim to be suffering persecution from Christians. That person isn't being persecuted; they're being given a wake-up call that they need to deal with some monstrous issues in their lives. God is not obligated to help you deal with these people when you are refusing to deal with your own issues. He has most likely allowed those people into your life to help you understand that you need to deal with these issues. What He wants first is that you deal with these issues so that you'll be in proper relationship with other people. The norm is this: whenever Christians behave properly with regards to other people, government institutions, other friends, etc., they can normally expect to be treated properly in return. Peter wants Christians to suffer only because they are Christians and not because of some sin in their lives.
PERSECUTION IN SPITE OF RIGHT BEHAVIOR (3:14-17)
Although there are times when Christians suffer because they have not dealt with sin in their own lives, there are also other times when Christians suffer precisely because they are Christians. It's nothing personal against them; it is a direct attack against the Christ who lives within them. Just like Satan persistently attacked Jesus when He lived on earth 2000 years ago, so Satan continues to attack Jesus by attaching the people Jesus lives within—Christians.
Peter informs us that whenever we are being persecuted because we are Christians-"for the sake of righteousness," we are "blessed." He does not say that we will be blessed but that we are blessed. By this Peter means that the Christian who suffers persecution for the sake of Christ and who responds properly to that persecution can expect to have that awareness of God's presence in their lives. Those who have tasted and seen that the Lord is good will testify that this is the most wonderful thing we can experience on earth. Heaven is simply more of the same—a million times more, but nevertheless more of the same.
How should we respond to persecution for the sake of Christ? First, negatively: "do not fear their intimidation and do not be troubled." Peter would admit that although it would only be natural for Christians to have some fear during times of persecution, he would still demand that Christian not let their fear get the best of them so that they deny Jesus during persecution.
How can we get a handle on our fears? By sanctifying "Christ as Lord in your hearts." When we have the proper view of Christ in our lives, then we are going to be able to handle persecution properly. It is only natural that we fear pain and death; however, a healthy positive fear of the Lord should help us deal with our fears of persecution. Which scenario do I want to face? Fear of persecutors when I refuse to deny Christ? Or fear of Christ when I face Him on Judgment Day after I denied Him on earth during times of persecution? Fear is going to happen; we just have to decide which fear is going to determine our lives.
There is another way to deal with persecution when we set Jesus apart as Lord in our lives. When we come to grips with the fact that He is Lord over all people and all things, we then come to realize that when we are living obediently to Him, He will allow nothing to come into our lives which He and we cannot handle:
"No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful who will not allow
you to be tempted beyond what you are able but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also
that you may be able to endure it" (1 Cor. 10:13).
The fact is that if I am living close to the Lord, He will not allow anything to come into my life which He and I cannot handle. I can get up out of bed each morning with full confidence that the Lord is in control and that ultimately I have nothing to fear. Yes, hardship does come and excruciating pain does befall Christians; however, Christ is in control, and He has promised us that we will have victory over these painful events.
One thing I've learned is to quit denying that pain does not enter our lives. How much is pain a part of life? Jesus promises that one of the major characteristics of heaven which is absent here on earth is that in heaven there will be no sorrow caused by pain: "And He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall no longer be any death; there shall no longer by any mourning or crying or pain; the first things have passed away (Rev. 21:4). Why does Jesus have to promise this? Because pain, mourning, death, crying, and tears characterize the time in which we live. Even the Christian life can be hard. At the end of Paul's discussion on the resurrection, he writes: "Therefore [because we will br raised from the dead], be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord knowing that your TOIL is not in vain in the Lord" (1 Cor. 15:58). No, we're not supposed to be all gloom and doom; however, neither are we to deny the reality of pain and hardship during the present time.
Not only is Jesus' lordship to be the reason we're not to let our persecutors intimidate us, His lordship should also motivate us to "give an account for the hope that is within you." The basis for our hope in the future, the basis for our hope that a glorious future awaits us, is the Lordship of Jesus Christ. He has promised us eternal life and a glorious dwelling place. If He is not Lord, then our hope is worthless.
Note that Peter says we're always to be ready to give this account of our hope. There will be times when Christians face official persecution, that is, whenever they are brought before government officials. When this happens, Christians have ample time to prepare their defense; however, much of the persecution Christians face takes the form of slander and ridicule which can occur at any time. For the sake of those who slander you or ridicule you, you need to be prepared at any time to be able to respond to their remarks.
Peter then goes on to urge Christians to live in such a way that they have a clear conscience whenever they are being slandered. (Notice that slander is still the primary form of persecution Peter's audience was facing. Later they will face actual death for the cause of Christ.) The only way to have this clear conscience is living in such a way that their slander is baseless.
It goes beyond this, though. Many times Christians are living such Christ-like lives that they are persecuted for the sake of Christ. I've seen Christian ministers really slandered because of some power battles going on in a church. I've seen persons drive Christian ministers to say certain things they should not have said and then those persons cry out that the ministers have violated a standard they themselves are not willing to live up to. They justify this by claiming that ministers and not they themselves should be held to a higher standard. The Christian (whether he be a minister or not) had made the mistake of responding improperly to criticism or persecution by getting angry or by saying something s/he should not have said. At that point those persecuting the Christian focus on the wrong response the Christian (minister) gave. Of course that person drove the Christian to that response, and whether they like it or not, they're going to be held accountable for that; however, the Christian should not have responded in that way.
Note that this situation differs from the situation Peter addresses in 1 Pet. 2. There he was hoping that the persecutor would be converted as a result of the Christian's Christ-like response. In this situation, though, the person persecuting the Christian is not going to change and become a Christian as they observe the Christ-like response of the Christian. Although the conversion of the persecutor is a worthy reason for Christians to respond properly, it is not the only reason. Sometimes people just refuse to change. The main reason we are to respond properly is that Christ the Lord has commanded it.
EXAMPLE OF CHRIST (3:18-2)
Just like he mentioned earlier, Peter here uses the example of Jesus as being the primary reason we're to respond in a passive, quiet way:
"For Christ [who suffered quietly] also died for sins, once for all, the just for the unjust, in order that He
might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit" (3:18).
Christ suffered and died because He had been falsely accused and wrongfully treated. Just like His behavior led others to change and become Christians, so too our right response can lead to the conversion of others.
Of course, there is a great difference between Jesus' death and the persecution we face. Whereas our right response can influence others to be saved, Jesus' death actually creates salvation. Christ died for our sins so that He might remove them and might provide for us an entrance into God's presence. Our death can never accomplish that. Furthermore, there is no need for that because Christ's once-for-all death has made salvation possible for all people.
Peter has said everything up to this point already in previous passages; in this verse, though, Peter adds another element—vindication of God’s people who suffer persecution. Although he does not explicitly say that Christians will be vindicated, he implies it by reminding us that God vindicated Jesus after He had suffered persecution:
“having been put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit in which also He went and made
proclamation to the spirits now in prison . . . who is at the right hand of God having gone into heaven
after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him” (3:19, 22).
Although Jesus died because of persecution—“suffered death in the flesh,” the Father, nevertheless, vindicated Him by raising Him from the dead—“made alive in the spirit.” At that point, Jesus made proclamation to the spirits in prison and then was given the highest place of honor in the entire universe—the right hand of the Father, only the Father being higher than Him. At that point, the Father subjected all things beneath the feet of Jesus. Although this subjection is still in process, it is as good as done.
This is similar to what happened in WWII. We all state that Germany was defeated in the Spring of 1945. While this is ultimately true, it is also true to say, though, that Germany was defeated on June 6, 1944, or rather that they were as good as defeated on that day. Once the Allies established a base of operations in Normandy, it was all just a matter of time before they marched into Berlin as victors. Yes, great battles lay ahead—Battle of the Bulge; however, D-Day spelt the end of Nazi Germany. (The same could be said about the Battle of Midway and the conquest of Imperial Japan.) The same is true of the cross and resurrection. Although the final battle is yet to be fought, although many Christians have really suffered since the cross and resurrection of Jesus, the truth is that the cross and resurrection of Jesus served as D-Day for Christians. This one great event spelt the inescapable doom Satan now faces. On that last day, we shall see this process completed whenever knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father (Phil. 2:10-11).
What Jesus experienced was not restricted just to Him. The Father has promised that every Christian who is faith to Him shall receive the same destiny that Jesus Himself is experiencing right now:
”those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the one
One Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:17)
and even better . . .
”He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne as I also overcame and sat down
with My Father on His throne” (Rev. 3:21).
The quotation from Revelation is especially important because it links persecution with ultimate vindication, that is, being enthroned with Jesus when He returns.
The above interpretation is the major teaching running throughout 3:19-22; however, as you can tell, I left out verses 20-22 which are some of the most controversial verses in the Bible. The 3 most popular interpretations of v. 20 run like this:
All these interpretations are interesting; yet they fail to meet one major criterion of interpretation: what in the world do these interpretations have to do with the context? Peter is writing about Jesus’ vindication and exaltation, and these interpretations are referring to Christ preaching the gospel during Noah’s day. Either Peter has totally gone off on a tangent (which is possible), or else another interpretation is operating here.
They key words here are “spirits” and “prison.” The word “spirit” can refer either to angels (in this case demonic angels) or to human beings. Next, the word translated “prison” normally does mean “prison”; however, it can also mean refuge. I opt for the interpretation which claims that the spirits are referring to demonic spirits and that they are in a place of refuge but not in prison. In this case, the interpretation is such: after Jesus was vindicated by His Father, Jesus went and proclaimed to the demonic angels their coming doom—angels who have been operating even since the days of Noah. They thought that they had safe places of refuge where the hand of God would or could not touch them. This great event showed them, though, that there was no escape from the coming catastrophe which is about to befall them. The demonic realm which has plagued mankind for millennia will one day come to judgment. Complete victory belongs not only to Jesus but also to us who have died with Him.