1 Peter (written)

Wednesday, 27 November 2019

…who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. 1 Peter 3:20

The words here need to be kept together with the thought of the previous two verses to be fully understood –

“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, ¹⁹ by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, ²⁰ who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water.”

As was seen, there is a tremendous variety of translations of verse 19. Each is based on a guess as to what is being relayed and who is being referred to. The only way to properly evaluate the content of those words is to check whatever conclusion is made with the rest of Scripture.

Peter had said in verse 3:19 that the spirits in prison had been preached to. As interpreted by some, their idea is that Christ, after the death of the people being referred to, went and preached to their departed spirits to call them to repentance. This is assumed because they never had a chance to hear the gospel and Christ took care of this after the fact. The claim is that it was after His crucifixion and prior to His resurrection He went to those spirits and gave them the gospel that they had not previously heard.

This would be comparable to someone in a jungle today receiving a special grant from God because no one comes and physically preaches to him. This is entirely incorrect, and it is not at all what is being discussed here. First, the Bible is clear in Hebrews –

“And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.” Hebrews 9:27

Therefore, this is not speaking of people being given a second chance for salvation after death. Further, the very point of leaving man here after salvation is to carry the message of Christ to the world. Whether before the cross, or after the cross, it has been man’s duty to warn his fellow man concerning righteousness.

The burden rests upon the saved soul to continue that process of continuing on with proclaiming the gospel. And that is done by conveying the word of the Lord which came through the prophets and apostles. As Paul says in Romans 10 –

“How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? ¹⁵ And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written:
‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace,
Who bring glad tidings of good things!’
¹⁶ But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, ‘Lord, who has believed our report?’ ¹⁷ So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Romans 10:14-17

This is the way that man is brought the gospel message. One man preaches of righteousness and repentance, and those who hear either accept the preaching and turn, or they are condemned. It is irresponsible for people to claim that there is a second means of receiving the gospel apart from that which is ordained in Scripture. It punts man’s responsibility off to some other supposed means that people can be saved – visions of Jesus, second chances after death, and etc. But the Bible is clear. There is one gospel, and it is man’s duty and responsibility to get that word out to the world.

All men are already in Adam and are already heading to hell. Jesus confirms this in John 3:18 when He says we are “condemned already.” We have this life to get it right with God. When our eyes close for the last time, our eternal destiny is sealed.

As man is appointed to die and then face judgment, it cannot be speaking of Jesus going to those who have died and giving them the gospel in order for them to repent and be saved. Such an idea is not found in Scripture. Understanding this, Peter now continues with, “who formerly were disobedient.”

The Greek here reads, “having disobeyed in time past.” It is referring to a point in time when the people were alive and in a state of disobedience. This is then further explained by the words, “when once the Divine longsuffering waited.”

It is an idea which is found all through Scripture. Man disobeys God, but God is patient with them, even in their state of disobedience. It is seen, for example, in the Lord’s words to Abraham –

“But in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.” Genesis 15:16

The Lord gave the Amorites 400 years to live, repent, and even allow their wickedness to continue before He finally destroyed them. He did this with Israel again and again as well. But He also did it with those before the Flood of Noah. In Genesis 6, it says “that the wickedness of man was great in the earth.” What this means is that the whole earth had become wicked, implying that the Lord was longsuffering. Otherwise, He would have snuffed out all life much earlier.

This is then confirmed with Peter’s next words. He says, “in the days of Noah.” By the time Noah reached the 600^th year of his life (Genesis 7:6), the Lord had finally had enough, and He brought the floodwaters upon the earth. Prior to that, He had allowed man to continue in his wickedness.

However, before the destruction of the world, Peter explains what Noah was doing. In 2 Peter 2:4, 5, he says, “For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; ⁵ and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly.”

Noah was a preacher of righteousness. He told the people that God is holy and that they needed to return to the Lord in righteousness and holiness because they were accountable to Him. And he obviously continued to do so right up until the last moment, because Peter next says, “while the ark was being prepared.”

There would be no need to include this statement unless verse 19 was speaking of it being Noah, not Jesus, who did the preaching, and that it was before, not after, the deaths of the people being referred to.

In other words, what Peter was saying in verse 19 is that the saving message of Christ which was originally promised to Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:15 – the Protoevangelium, or “First Gospel”), and which was later understood by righteous men such as Enoch and Noah, was preached by those men even back then. The “spirit of Christ” enabled these men to plead with the people; to preach to the people.

It is because the people being referred to were dead, at the time of Peter writing his epistle, that he speaks of them now as “spirits in prison.” They weren’t in prison when they were preached to. Rather, they are in prison as Peter writes about them. This is obviously why the NASB added the word “now” into their translation (see commentary on verse 19). They rightly understood that this was not speaking of Christ preaching to spirits who had died, giving them a second chance. Rather, they had been preached to by the “spirit of Christ” (meaning either the hope of Christ in those godly men, or – possibly – the Holy Spirit) which resided in the men of God while they were still alive.

However, the message from Noah fell on deaf ears. He next says of this world of wickedness, “in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water.” Of all of the people on the planet at Noah’s time, only eight were saved – Noah and his wife, and his three sons and their wives. The rest of the world failed to heed, they were exterminated, and their souls went to prison where they remain to this day, awaiting the final judgment which all men will someday face.

This is the correct and proper interpretation of these verses which have been well-abused by sensationalists and those who determine to deny that a literal judgment and a literal hell await those who refuse to come to Christ.

Life application: God doesn’t leave the people of the earth without a testimony of who He is. Even if they don’t hear the gospel which can lead to salvation, they still have creation itself to testify to who He is –

“Nevertheless He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.” Acts 14:17

It took 100 years for Noah to complete the ark, during which time he preached repentance to the people. The question of the day is, “Do you really believe in the account of Noah and the flood?” Too many churches and theologians dismiss it as myth, as does the evolutionary community. But the Bible doesn’t leave us with that option. If you are not sure, ask yourself this question, “Is Jesus a liar?” If you are a Christian, you can only answer “No!” Claiming that Jesus is truthful then necessitates a belief in Noah and the flood. Noah is mentioned in Jesus’ genealogy, and he is spoken of by the apostles and by Jesus as well –

“And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.” Luke 17:26, 27

Noah was real, the flood was real, and the judgment of the flood really happened. Eight people among the population of the world were spared. Such is the judgment of sin. Thank God for His gospel and His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Lord God Almighty – in Your powerful hands are the saved of the ages. Also, in Your powerful hands are the souls of the condemned. You are righteous in Your judgment and merciful towards the objects of Your favor. Thank You for Jesus, thank You for the cross, thank You, O God, for Your Gospel of Peace. Amen.

Tuesday, 26 November 2019

…by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, 1 Peter 3:19

Translations of this verse are based on what the translators believe is being conveyed. Here are some variations of it –

After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits– (NIV)
So he went and preached to the spirits in prison— (NLT)
in which also having gone, He preached to the spirits in prison (BLB)
Christ then preached to the spirits that were being kept in prison. (CEV)
and in his spiritual existence he went and preached to the imprisoned spirits. (GNT)
And he preached to those souls who were held in Sheol, (Aramaic Bible)
in which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison, (NASB)
by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, (NKJV)
in which He also went and proclaimed His Message to the spirits that were in prison, (Weymouth)
in which also to the spirits in prison having gone he did preach, (YLT)

This is a large enough sample to show that it is a verse which is translated almost completely based on some type of presupposition. For example, the CEV specifically says “Christ.” They assume it was Christ who did the preaching. The GNT says, “in his spiritual existence.” That is not at all in the Greek, but they have made that presupposition, again assuming it is Christ while not in His physical body. The Aramaic Bible equates “prison” with Sheol, the place of the dead. The NASB inserts the word “now” (now in prison) assuming that it is speaking of spirits who are now in prison, thus implying that the preaching occurred before they went to prison. The NKJV says “by whom” instead of “by which” or “in which” thus implying that it is the Spirit who influenced the preaching. The Weymouth says, “that were in prison,” thus implying that they were in prison, were preached to, and are now free from prison. The YLT puts everything in the past tense.

How can this be sorted out? The answer is by the most literal possible translation of the Greek, without presuppositions, and by using the rest of Scripture to determine if a translation matches what is said elsewhere or not. The main consideration immediately, however, is the context. Peter has been speaking about having a “good conscience” (see verse 16) towards God, and about the difficulties and suffering one can expect, because of being right with God.

He will give his example now, and then he will explain that it is based on having “the answer of a good conscience toward God,” again in verse 21. The entire passage has not deviated from the main thought of going through suffering, but doing so with a good conscience towards God. Because this is so, he is giving examples of those who put themselves on the line, like Christ did, in order to have a “good conscience” towards God. Therefore, and getting ahead of things a bit, this is not speaking of Jesus, nor is it speaking of Him preaching to people who had died.

For now, the Greek reads, “in (by) which (whom) also to the in prison spirits went (having gone) preached.”

Peter had just written, “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit.” The first thing to determine is, “Who or what is the subject of the verse now being considered?” Is it speaking of Christ of verse 3:18, or of the Spirit or spirit? Note that the word “He/he” is not in the Greek, but it is inserted by those who presuppose it is speaking of Christ Jesus, or the Holy Spirit. The logical answer as to who is being referred to is the nearest antecedent, the spirit. As noted in the previous verse,

This leaves two choices – either it is “the Spirit,” meaning the Holy Spirit, or it is “the spirit” as explained by Cook in the previous verse where he said, “Thus we must be careful and not understand spirit here of the Spirit of God, as distinguished from the flesh of Christ, but of the spiritual nature of Christ; ‘the higher spiritual nature which belonged to the integrity of his humanity.’”

Which it is can be debated, but it is not Christ who did the preaching. Rather, it was either the Spirit, or the spirit. There was a preaching conducted by a spiritual force. As the Spirit does not preach, but rather inspires men with the word of God, we are being shown that there was a preaching by man in a spiritual state, or under a spiritual influence. To whom and when this occurred still needs to be inferred.

Was it to someone in the past who is now in prison, as implied by the NASB, or was it to someone in prison in the past who was given the gospel, as implied by Weymouth and others?

Next, what is “prison” referring to? It appears clear, and commentaries pretty much unanimously support, that “prison” is speaking of the state of those who have died already. In other words, the word “Sheol” as translated by the Aramaic is correct. It is the pit, Hades, Sheol, etc. The people were either dead and were preached to while dead, or they are now dead but they were previously preached to.

The mystery of this difficult set of verses will continue to be searched out until a suitable answer, which is in accord with other precepts found in Scripture, is given.

Life application: This verse, along with the next one, has been completely misunderstood by many, and it has led to much confused thinking. In various sects, such as the Mormons, it is used to justify their stand that there is no hell and no torment.

But that is contrary to the message of the Bible. There is one life to be lived by man, and then that man must face his Creator in judgment. Be wise and discerning. Understand that without Jesus, all are condemned.

Lord God, thank You for faithful men of righteousness who preach the true and precious gospel to the people of the world. Thank You that we have a chance to respond to this message and be born again – born from above – by Your gracious Spirit. May those who hear this marvelous message make the right choice while there is still breath in their lungs. Amen.

Monday, 25 November 2019

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, 1 Peter 3:18

Peter just stated that “it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.” To fully support this, he now demonstrates that the Lord set the premier example of the notion for us to see, perceive, and emulate. He does so by beginning with, “For Christ also suffered.”

The implication is that Christ did nothing wrong and yet He suffered. Even if someone simply read Peter’s words without understanding who Christ was, that person would say, “I have a concrete example of someone who suffered, and yet who did no wrong.” Further, the verb is aorist active. The action is past, and it is complete, never needing to be repeated, and yet its effects continue on for all time.

From there, Peter then explains why Christ suffered, but it brings in a theological point that cannot be missed. He says, “once for sins.”

If one considers what Peter has already said, that “Christ also suffered,” it becomes evident that Christ’s suffering is set in contrast to that of others, even Christians. A Christian may be jailed for his faith. He may be beaten for his faith, and he may even die for his faith, but his sufferings are not on a comparable level to what Christ did.

To suffer for sins is deserved. Sin is evil and therefore one who sins deserves the suffering that is meted out. However, because Peter is using Christ as the example for suffering without having done wrong, it then becomes immediately obvious that He suffered for the sins of another and not for Himself. The Greek word translated as “for” is peri. It signifies “all around,” and thus it means “concerning.”

This then follows through with what Paul says elsewhere, such as in 2 Corinthians 5:21 –

“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

Christ’s suffering was a vicarious act. He did not sin, and yet he was made sin for us, as Peter says, “the just for the unjust.” The Greek contains no definite articles. It rather reads, “just for unjust.” This highlights the graphic nature of Christ’s work. There are two separate categories. Christ is in one category, while all others are in a separate category. Even the Christian who suffers does so in the same category as all others. And yet, Christ suffered on behalf of all.

The idea is that He became a sin offering to God on behalf of others. This concept is referred to throughout the epistles. It is noted in Romans, Galatians, Hebrews, & 1 John. For example, John says –

“And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.” 1 John 2:2

Further, Peter says that He did this “once.” This shows the full and complete nature of the act. It is explained by the author of Hebrews –

“For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; ²⁵ not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another— ²⁶ He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. ²⁷ And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,  ²⁸ so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.” Hebrews 9:24-28

What Christ did was vicarious, it was one-time and for all time, and it was based on His just character which stands in opposition to all others’ unjust character. The same general thought is also repeated elsewhere in Hebrews, such as in verses 7:7 and 10:10. It is a main thought of the author there, and Peter exactingly follows through with the idea.

Understanding this, Peter then astonishingly says that it was “that He might to bring us to God.” The suffering of Christ has a purpose. It wasn’t just to die for someone else’s misdeeds. Others have done that, offering to die for what someone else has done. But Christ’s suffering had a greater purpose.

When someone dies for another, the life of one is allowed to continue. But that person will eventually die and will be separated from God because of his sins. The death that the other person died was simply to allow another’s life to continue without the immediate pain of physical death. But Christ’s death was to correct the spiritual death which all men already possess. This is seen in Paul’s words –

“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, ⁵ even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved).” Ephesians 2:4, 5

Man is already dead because of inherited sin. The disconnect exists, and it cannot be overcome by the death of another, because all have inherited Adam’s sin nature. However, Christ did not.

Therefore, Christ’s death was in contrast to the nature possessed by all others, that of one who is just for those who are unjust. In this act, and because He came from God and returned to God (see John 16:27, 28), He also brings to God those who come to Him. The disconnect, which came through Adam’s sin, is corrected and man is restored to God. Peter then says that this resulted from His, “being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit.”

It is important to see that the Greek contains no articles before “flesh,” and the article before “spirit” is lacking in many manuscripts. Here, the flesh is being placed in opposition to the spirit, and it is probably not speaking of the Holy Spirit.

Vincent’s Word Studies provides an analysis of what may be on Peter’s mind –

“The words connect themselves with the death-cry on the cross: ‘Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.’ Huther observes, ‘Flesh is that side of the man’s being by which he belongs to earth, is therefore a creature of earth, and accordingly perishable like everything earthy. Spirit, on the other hand, is that side of his being according to which he belongs to a supernal sphere of being, and is therefore not merely a creature of earth, and is destined to an immortal existence.’ Thus, we must be careful and not understand spirit here of the Spirit of God, as distinguished from the flesh of Christ, but of the spiritual nature of Christ; ‘the higher spiritual nature which belonged to the integrity of his humanity’ (Cook).”

Charles Ellicott speaks in a similar manner concerning this –

“…the spirit, set free from the body, immediately receives new life, as it were, thereby. To purely spiritual realities it becomes alive in a manner which was impossible while it was united to the flesh. The new powers are exemplified in what follows immediately. So long as Christ, so long as any man, is alive in the flesh, he cannot hold converse with spirits as such; but the moment death severs flesh and spirit the spirit can deal with other spirits, which Christ proceeded forth with to do.”

Life application: Christ suffered for our sins. He took upon Himself the sins of the whole world though He was without sin. By trusting in this noble and glorious act, God “imputes” Christ’s righteousness to us, and our sin is transferred to Him at the cross.

We were separated from God by an infinitely wide chasm, but Jesus – being fully God and fully man – was able to remove that infinite gulf. As Man, He could take our sins from us; as God, He could place His hand on the Father and obtain forgiveness for us. He is the bridge which spans the divide.

What an absolutely glorious bargain! The Just one – Jesus our Lord – died for the unjust! We are now freed from the wages of sin and death through His precious blood. O God! How gloriously wonderful You are to deal with us in such a gracious manner. May our hearts never fail to praise You for the wonderful deeds You have wrought. Amen.

Sunday, 24 November 2019

For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. 1 Peter 3:17

Peter has been speaking of the Christian maintaining proper conduct and a proper witness and testimony, even if it involves suffering wrongly in the process, such as being defamed as an evildoer, even if such is not the case. He now expands on that by saying, “For it is better, if it is the will of God.” The Greek actually has a play on the word “will” in it, literally reading, “if the will of God should will it.”

The idea here is an emphatic one. If it is the will of God that wills something, regardless as to how we perceive it from our finite ability to grasp all that is involved, it is the preferable thing to occur. In the case of suffering, Peter continues with, “to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.”

One can see that suffering for doing evil is to be the expectation that is in accord with the will of God. Peter is conveying that as a certainty. However, there are times that suffering is God’s will for those who do good.

The two are set in contrast. For doing evil, suffering is an appropriate thing to occur, and it is expressed by the will of God. However, for doing good and suffering, it is a higher expression when it occurs because of the will of God. Hence, Peter says that is “better.” HELPS Word Studies says that it is “‘better’ after exerting the power needed to ‘plant down God’s flag of victory.’”

God has a plan, and suffering is a part of that plan, even when the person who is suffering did good and not evil. There are examples of this throughout Scripture. Abel suffered after doing good. Joseph suffered without having done any wrong. He followed his father’s words, did what was proper, and suffered for it. In 2 Chronicles 24, Zechariah the priest suffered for doing what is right.

Such instances started at the very beginning, and they continued right up until the coming of Christ, who only did what was good, right and proper. And yet, He suffered. But it was the will of God that He did so (Isaiah 53:10), and it served God’s will for it to come about. But such things also served God’s purposes within the stream of redemptive history.

After the coming of Christ, these things did not cease. Stephen, the first martyr, found this out. The apostles each suffered for doing good. And since then, God’s people have suffered greatly for doing good, but these instances serve their proper purpose within God’s will for a greater cause.

Life application: No one in his right mind wants to suffer. There are times in the history of the church, however, that people have actively gone out looking for martyrdom thinking that they will receive a greater reward for it. This kind of thinking may reflect a lack of vitamins in the diet, but it doesn’t represent anything the Bible teaches.

Having said that, if suffering, reviling, or even martyrdom comes, we can expect a blessing from God. This is confirmed by Jesus’ words, as well as elsewhere in the New Testament. The only hindrance to receiving such treatment is timidity on our part. We can’t expect to suffer for doing what is right if we don’t put ourselves in the position where we could possibly face the suffering.

How easy it is to stay in our comfort zone and live in ease and security, but how much more notable it is to pursue and excel in that which is difficult. Do you ever take time to consider the faithful Christians in every country of the world, sent from their homes and families in order to teach, preach, and translate the word of God? Some of them will never return home, but they have found a greater calling in this life than Sunday afternoon football followed by a week of work that anticipates more Sunday afternoon football.

And one doesn’t have to travel to distant lands to step into places of difficulty. Most towns and cities have places that need to hear the gospel and where one can also expect reviling and possibly suffering. But this is where the gospel meets the heart, and this is where miracles can still happen. Don’t be afraid to step out and proclaim Christ. Your eternity is secure, so fear not – what can man do to you?

Lord, give us hearts and desires to see Your message spread – in whatever place it needs to be proclaimed. Let us not be timid or fearful of the reviling of man, but rather let us proudly stand in defense of Your word. May our lives be a testament to Your faithfulness in this world. Amen.

Saturday, 23 November 2019

…having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. 1 Peter 3:16

In the previous verse, Peter admonished his audience to “always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.” He now expands upon that with the words, “having a good conscience.”

The word translated as “conscience” is seen thirty times. Peter has used it once in verse 2:19. He uses it here now, and he will use it just one more time in verse 3:21.

The use of it now is because having a good conscience is an absolute necessity when giving a defense for one’s faith. It would be logically inconsistent for a person to give a defense for the gospel message while living hypocritically. It is certain that all, including the most saintly people we know, harbor dark thoughts and – at times – conduct themselves in a manner others might find inappropriate. However, the goal and aim of all apologists is to live in the same right manner which is in accord with the gospel they proclaim and defend. Thus, they will have a good conscience.

Peter then explains the particular reason for this necessity beginning with, “that when they defame you as evildoers.” Here, Peter assumes that such will be the case. There is no “if” in his thought. People who proclaim the gospel, and those who defend that same glorious message, will be defamed as evildoers.

And time has borne this out. Throughout history, those who defend the gospel have been accused of evil doing. This has even been (and continues to be) the case by those who are supposedly Christian. During the Reformation, those who defended the truth of Scripture were persecuted and even martyred for their stand. And the main foe for them was the Roman Catholic Church. The dark dealings of that devilish den continues to this day, and their accusations against true Christians are brought up from time to time – calling them the evildoers!

However, by maintaining a good conscience, Peter says that “those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed.” The word Peter uses, and which is translated as “revile,” is found only here and in Luke 6:28. It signifies “to intimidate by using threats and false accusations ‘tailor-made’ to the situation, i.e. under-handed tactics ‘customized’ to smear someone’s reputation” (HELPS Word Studies).

When such reviling occurs, and without any true basis for it, they will eventually be ashamed of what they have done. This can go one of two ways. They could be ashamed of their own conduct, repent of it, and accept the truth of the gospel defense. This would obviously be the minority. Most people who revile the truth of the gospel will revile its defenders as well. Even after a sound defense, they will simply double down on their hatred of the truth.

The second way they will be ashamed is at the judgment.  The word translated as “they shall be ashamed” is found thirteen times. Once it is used by Luke, twice by Peter, and ten times by Paul. Paul, citing Isaiah 28:6, says that those who put their trust in the Lord will not be ashamed. Peter used that same verse in 1 Peter 2:6. It is the sure hope of a future approval from the Lord. Likewise, those who reject the Lord and His gospel have the surety of shame coming their way. The very people that they accuse of evildoing will stand approved, and they will stand condemned.

Life application: Peter’s words of this verse may be as hard for a faithful Christian to fulfill as any verse in the Bible. The vast majority of times, those who defame us won’t care diddly and will go on persecuting. However, the faithful testimony of Christian witnesses under persecution is a strong sermon to those who see it. Many people throughout the ages have seen the faithfulness of those being persecuted, and have repented of their accusations, coming to Christ in humility and remorse.

To remind yourself of the call to which we have been called, do a general image search on “Christian persecution.” Or, you can visit the Voice of the Martyrs website. There you will see the truth of Islamic, communist, and even socially liberal people as they mistreat Christians because of their faith. The tide is turning to this type of treatment even in America. When it comes, be set in your mind to have a good conscience towards those who defame you for Christ’s sake.

Lord, we sure don’t look with joy at the prospect of reviling, torture, or death for Your sake. We can certainly admit this freely. But Lord, should this day come for us, please give us the courage and soundness of mind to respond in a manner worthy of the most honorable title of Christian. To Your glory, may this be the result of our testimony and witness. Amen.