Suffering for God s Glory

Lesson 14: Suffering for God s Glory Bible Study Peter s First Epistle February-March, 2013 12 Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; 13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. 14 If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified. 15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people s matters. 16 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter. 17 For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 Now If the righteous one is scarcely saved, where will the ungodly and the sinner appear? 19 Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator. 1 Peter 4:12-19 Suffering for God s Glory OPENING QUOTATION: In her book In the Lion s Den, Christian writer, Nina Shea asserts that more Christians have died in the 20 th century simply for being Christians than in the past 19 centuries combined. [The People s Bible General Epistles by Mark Jeske, p. 123] Beloved - Earlier in the Epistle Peter also addressed his readers as Beloved, when he exhorted them to live a godly life in this world (2:11). It is an interesting term based upon the Greek noun agape, that wonderful love of understanding and purpose. The term beloved is used nine times in the

Gospels, each time by God the Father regarding Jesus, His beloved Son. It is used 57 times, however, in Acts and the Epistles with only two of those citations referring to Jesus. The rest are the Apostolic writers referring to their fellow Christians. God s love for us as revealed in His gift of His beloved Son, stirs our love as His children and forms the basis for our loving relationships with each other (cf. Jn. 15:12; 1 Jn. 4:7-11)....do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you... - For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways, says the LORD. (Is. 55:8) During His ministry Jesus disciples thought of the kingdom of God in earthly terms, seeking future high positions and personal power (cf. Mt. 20:20-21). Peter, however, had come to recognize that the Christian s life would often involve taking up the cross and sharing in Jesus suffering (cf. Mt. 16:24-25). Consequently, he urges his readers not to think it strange when they faced fiery trials. The world had rejected and persecuted Jesus, and so would also reject and persecute them (cf. Mt. 10:24-25)....but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ s sufferings... - How can a person rejoice in the midst of fiery trials? Peter ties such a thought to Jesus and His death on our behalf. Earlier in that Apostolic Age, Peter and the other apostles had rejoiced after being beaten by the officers of the Jewish Sanhedron, for as Luke explains, they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name (Acts 5:41). By the time Peter penned this 1st Epistle, Christianity had been identified by the Roman government as a religion separate from Judaism. It was deemed illegal. Its practitioners were condemned, imprisoned, and not infrequently martyred. QUOTATION: The first persecutions against the Christians were done by the Jews who saw Christ as a major threat to their religious beliefs and way of life. The same Sanhedrin that had put Jesus to death saw to it that the deacon Stephen became the first martyr (Acts 7). After that murder, the floodgates of hatred and persecution were opened, and most of the Christians were driven from Jerusalem (Acts 8). They took their faith with them, however, and planted new congregations wherever they went. The Roman government at first ignored Christianity, thinking that it was just a weird offshoot of Judaism, which had official per- 2

mission to exist. By the time Peter was writing his first letter, however, the split between Christianity and Judaism was apparent to all, and Christianity was viewed as a dangerous and subversive movement. The emperor Nero (ruled A.D. 54-68), a violent and immoral man, in July of the year 64 chose to blame the Christians in Rome for a terrible fire that had destroyed part of the city. According to the Roman historian Tacitus, hundreds of Christians were arrested, convicted for anti-social beliefs, covered in the skins of wild animals, and torn to death by dogs; others were crucified, coated with pitch, and set on fire, so when darkness fell, they burned like torches in the night. [People s Bible Commentary General Epistles by Mark A Jeske, p. 118f.]...that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. - Peter assured his readers that they had no need to fear, for by sharing in Christ s sufferings even should they lose their lives, they were assured of everlasting life and eternal glory! (cf. Mt. 10:28-33; 16:25-27) If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you - Peter s words here are reminiscent of one of the Beatitudes in Jesus Sermon on the Mount: Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you (Mt. 5:11-12). The sufferings of this life are but for a moment, while the glory and rewards of heaven are forever!...the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. - This was promised by Jesus (cf. Mt. 10:17-20). This was clearly evident when Stephen was martyred (Acts 7:54-56). With God on our side and at our side there is never...ever a reason to fear, while there is always reason to rejoice! (cf. Phil. 4:4) Discussion Topic: Certain prominent Christian preachers in our day preach a prosperity gospel, in which they suggest that if you have sufficient faith God will richly bless you. The inference is that if you are not richly blessed, then the problem is simply that you have insufficient faith. Evaluate such thinking in view of Peter s words in this section. 3

On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified. - Jesus once said: He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad (Mt. 12:30). There is no fence-sitting when it comes to faith in and a relationship with Jesus. Choices are made either you oppose or support, you blaspheme or glorify! But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people s matters. - To suffer for righteousness sake is one thing; to suffer for sin is quite another. Suffering for our sins...the chastening of our God through men...may well have some value for our lives, as we come to understand the cost not of discipleship, but rather of our own foolishness. It is much better for us to strive with the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit to make good choices, which in turn on most occasions will be blessed by the Lord. Should we suffer while making good choices, then we can rest assured that in His wisdom God is preparing us for an unexpected future He has planned (cf. Rom. 5:3-5; Eph. 2:10). Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter. - God is ultimately in control of our lives through His providential care. He will either prevent evil from entering our lives, or if He permits it to come, He will limit its extent and use it for our blessing or the blessing of others (cf. Job 1:12; 2:6; Gen. 50:19; Rom. 8:28). Because our God is a faithful God, we can entrust ourselves to Him with confidence irrespective of our outward circumstances (cf. Hab. 3:17-19). Discussion Topic: We live in a time when many people s attitude towards life in general, but towards religion in particular can be described with the word whatever. Discuss why such an attitude is completely inappropriate when dealing with one s spiritual life. Discuss ways that you might be able to help someone with such an attitude come to understand the significance of the gospel message. For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God, and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? - Old Testament prophets spoke of the Savior coming in judg- 4

ment. Malachi, for instance, wrote: Behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, and all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them up, says the LORD of hosts, That will leave them neither root nor branch. (4:1) Clearly, this is a reference to Jesus second coming. Peter alludes to the New Testament era as the time for judgment to begin and to begin, interestingly, with God s children. God chastens those whom He loves (cf. Heb. 12:1-11). Peter asks a thought-provoking question: If God does not abide sin in the lives of His children, who confess them and mourn over them, how much more will He not abide sin in those who reject Him and refuse to believe? QUOTATION: Here he (Peter) quotes...the prophet Jeremiah Behold, I begin to punish in the capital city where My name is uttered. Therefore first of all I punish My dearly beloved children, who believe in Me. They are the first to be subjected to suffering and to be led into the glowing fire. And do you, who do not believe and are My enemies, think that you will escape punishment?. Therefore he says: The time of judgment, foretold by the prophets, is at hand. When the Gospel is preached, God begins to punish sin, in order that He may kill and make alive. He whips the pious with a foxtail, which is primarily a mother s rod. But what will happen to those who do not believe? It is as if he were saying: If God deals so seriously with His dear children, you can figure out what kind of punishment will be inflicted on those who do not believe. [Luther s Works, Vol. 30, p. 129f.] Now If the righteous one is scarcely saved, where will the ungodly and the sinner appear? - We are members of the church militant here in this life, not the church triumphant. God does not promise us a comfortable life in this sin-filled world. Life can and will at times be very difficult as Satan, the world, and our sinful flesh oppose God and us. Paul foretells a falling away before Christ s return (cf. 2 Thes. 2:2). Christ warned that false christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect (Mk. 13:22). Believers ought not despair, but they should be aware of the difficulties they will confront. If hardship will be part of the believer s life, how much more so will not the unbeliever suffer hardship when Christ ultimately comes in final judgment! Hardship is intended to draw people to Christ! 5

Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator. - In the end our God is faithful. He will not He cannot deny Himself (cf. 2 Tim. 2:13). In the midst of good times and bad, we can and should commit ourselves to His loving care! (cf. Ps. 37:3-5; 1 Peter 5:6-7; James 4:10) Discussion Topics: 1. Judgment Day is not a popular topic in our day, yet it is a very important topic for everyone. Everyone will one day stand before Christ and give an account. Discuss how we might speak the truth in love also about the importance of preparing for Judgment Day, especially with our acquaintances who give little appearance of concern. Pastor Paul D. Nolting / Immanuel Lutheran Church / Mankato, MN Winter 2013 Bible Study of Peter s First Epistle 1 1 Peter 1:1-2 The Greeting 2 1 Peter 1:3-12 A Heavenly Inheritance 3 1 Peter 1:13-21 Living in Holiness before God 4 1 Peter 1:22-2:3 God s Enduring Word 5 1 Peter 2:4-10 The Living Stone and Chosen People 6 1 Peter 2:11-17 Living Before the World/Submission to Government 7 1 Peter 2:18-25 Submission to Masters 8 1 Peter 3:1-7 Submission to Husbands/A Word to Husbands 9 1 Peter 3:8-12 Called to Blessing 10 1 Peter 3:13-17 Suffering for Right and Wrong 11 1 Peter 3:18-22 Christ s Suffering and Ours Part 1 12 1 Peter 4:1-6 - Christ s Suffering and Ours Part 2 13 1 Peter 4:7-11 Serving for God s Glory 14 1 Peter 4:12-19 Suffering for God s Glory 15 1 Peter 5:1-5 Shepherd the Flock 16 1 Peter 5:6-11 Submit to God/Resist the Devil 17 1 Peter 5:12-14 Farewell/Prayer for Peace 6