First Epistle of Peter
EXHORTATIONS TO ALL
Scripture Reading: 1 Peter 3:8 (KJV)
"Finally"
Why did Peter use the word "finally" here? Did he originally intend to wind up his epistle, but then found so much more to write about that he just could not stop? Not unlikely. First he writes to household slaves in chapter 2:18-25, then to wives in chapter 3:1-6, to husbands in 3:7, and now "finally" he returns to writing to all.
"be ye all of one mind"
How important this exhortation is. We find it in Paul's epistles (for instance, Rom. 12:16). Little things were already causing division among the people of God. There are fundamental things on which there can be no difference of opinion, but there are other things of less importance about which should not be allowed to separate Christians.
There is only one way to be all of one mind, and that is to seek the mind of Christ. This can be accomplished only through diligent study of the Word, and submission to the Spirit of God. The Spirit of the Lord is the best teacher. It is splendid to mingle prayer with Bible Study – to ask the Lord to make it plain. Of course, it also takes a willingness to walk in the ways of the Lord. If there would be that complete subjection by all, there would be complete oneness of mind.
"having compassion one of another"
This is literally, "Have a fellow-feeling to one another". We might use the word "sympathy" to express the thought of the apostle, although it probably does not just mean in connection with sorrow. The thought is perhaps best expressed by verse 15 of Romans 12: "Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep." Perhaps it is easier to weep with them that weep than to rejoice with them that rejoice. There is an inclination to be a bit envious of those who have reason to rejoice. It is not so hard to sympathize with those who are going through deep trouble.
True sympathy will not stop by just saying, "I feel so sorry for so and so". Instead, it will seek to do something to alleviate the sorrow. The priest and Levite might have both said (Luke 10), "I feel so sorry for that poor man lying by the roadside, stripped, wounded, robbed and half dead". But feeling sorry did not help him. The Samaritan felt sorry and did what he could to help.
The Lord Jesus was like that. He wept at the grave of Lazarus and then raised him from the dead. If we had true sympathy for the lost, it would drive us to seek winning them for Christ. Christ had sympathy toward poor lost sinners and died to save them.
Many of God's people are in sorrow or trouble and often times little things help to ease the pain. Sometimes, as in the presence of death, we feel helpless. One brother lost his wife. Many sought to console him. Afterwards, he said one brother did more good than anyone. "What did he say to you?" "He never said a word, but shed a few tears on my shoulder." The tears expressed true sympathy.
"love as brethren"
This has been variously rendered, "Be loving the brethren", "Be full of brotherly love". Also, "Be brethren who are loving". This is the third time Peter has put in this exhortation something about loving the people of God (1 Pet. 1:22 and 2:17). Let us, as Peter, again impress our brethren, as well as ourselves, with the great importance of this wonderful truth.
Some congregations have suffered far more because of being unsound in love, rather than being unsound in faith. Of course, one holding unsound doctrines (especially in the fundamentals) can do a great deal of harm; but one who is short on love may do as much, if not more. A lack of love produces envy, evil-speaking, strife and other evils which over a period of time will destroy any work for God.
There needs to be a reemphasis of this great fundamental truth in the midst of God's people. This has been a rather forgotten note and as a result the harmony of some has been destroyed and in some rare cases, Christianity has been made a laughing stock. Let each of us see individually that we are "loving the brethren", then if there are difficulties we will not be the instigators.
"be pitiful"
This is a strong expression meaning "to be full of pity" or "tenderhearted" toward the afflicted. For the most party, human nature is pitiless. Christianity has produced some pity in some places and as a result we have hospitals and infirmaries, orphan homes, etc. World War II proved that this was a very thin line veneer. When we read of Hitler's inhuman treatment of the Jews and some of the atrocities in the prison camps, we have been astounded. Most of us have heard of some pitiless actions even on the part of our own soldiers. It seems just as soon as Christianity loses its grip on a people, pity goes. We, too, need to be careful not to be callous as to the sufferings of others. Let us do what we can to help wherever there is a need.
"be courteous"
Translated "humble minded" in the Revised Version, this is a subject which we have for the first time in Peter. It is very important. "Humble minded" means to have low thoughts of self. This is contrary to human nature. It is natural to hold self as highly important. Most humans think far more of themselves than they should. This is an abomination to the Lord. He never honors a proud Christian.
Sometimes a Christian seeks to exalt self; trying to show off an education or other attainments. Some seek to impress others with their kindness or hospitable. They do a little something for somebody and everybody must know about it. Let us remember the words of the Lord Jesus, "And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted." Let's stop trying to be somebody and be content to let the Lord Jesus be our all in all.
We have many examples in the Scriptures of those who had humble thoughts of themselves; likewise, we have examples of the proud. The proud are put down, the humble exalted.
Moses was a humble man. He persisted in asserting he was not the man to deliver the children of Israel out of Egypt. If he had been a proud man he never would have chosen to suffer affliction with the people of God, rather than the pomp and pleasure of Egypt. How many today would give up what he gave up for what he received? And yet if he had not done so, we would know nothing of him today. Now he is a celebrated man in history with a noted place in glory. It paid for him to humble himself. Other examples could be noted in both Old and New Testament. Think of Abraham, David, Daniel, John the Baptist, Paul. They were all humble-minded and the Lord exalted them.
In contrast, think of Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 4. Hear his words of pride in the thirtieth verse. "Is not this great Babylon that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?" Immediately the Lord took his reason from him and instead of a proud king on the throne, he lived like a wild animal in the field.
In Luke 12:16-20, we read of the rich farmer who said I, I, I, my, my, my. Ten times we have these words in three brief verses. How proud he was and he gave no glory to God. But God said, "Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee" (v. 20). How quickly he was brought down. How needful to be humble-minded.
In Philippians 2:5-11, we have the seven steps in the self-humbling of our Lord Jesus as well as the seven steps in His exaltation. None went down lower than He and none have been exalted to the heights to which His Father lifted Him.
Scripture Reading: 1 Peter 3:9 (KJV)
"Not rendering evil for evil"
It is natural to return evil for evil. It is hard not to do so. Someone does us a mean turn and immediately something in us rebels and we want to say, "I'll get even for that." When we do get revenge in one way or another, it just makes two (perhaps more) evils instead of one. Doing a mean trick incites the other party to do us another and so a round of evils may be started. If we refuse to take revenge, the evil will most likely stop.
Remember that an evil is an evil in the sight of God, no matter for what reason it may be done. Just because one does an evil in vengeance does not in any way make it less evil, nor will the Lord hold us less accountable for it. The only safe way is to never do evil, no matter how severely we are provoked. If one persists in doing evil toward us, we can safely leave it in the Lord's hands. He says, "Vengeance is mine; I will repay" (Rom. 12:19).
Notice David's attitude toward Saul. Saul sought several times to kill David and David had to flee away and hide. Saul even sought him in distant places, hunting him like a hunter would an animal. On two occasions David had opportunity to kill Saul, but this he resolutely refused to do. In a cave David slipped up to Saul and cut off his skirt. He did this just to prove to Saul that although he had the opportunity, he would not kill him. But we read, "And it came to pass afterward that David's heart smote him, because he had cut off Saul's skirt" (1 Sam. 24:5) – it was even wrong to do that.
"or railing for railing"
"Evil for evil" speaks of deeds. "Railing for railing" speaks of words. This also is very hard to take. One may speak evil of us behind our backs, yet when known it hurts. Railing is doing the same thing right to our face in a scathing and insulting manner. It usually implies saying things about us that are not true. At that time it is hard to keep still. Usually, a railer has plenty of faults and the thought may come to mind, "He/she should talk", and we find ourselves saying plenty in return; perhaps making mountains out of mole hills.
Remember this: because one rails at us does not make our railing back any less evil. It just makes two wrongs and two wrongs do not make either right. The Lord will hold us accountable for railing, as though no one ever railed at us. To rail in return adds fuel to the fire. To say nothing allows it to die out. The Lord Jesus was terribly treated and insultingly railed at, but He did nothing and said nothing.
Again, our example is David who did not return railing for railing. When he was forced to flee Jerusalem because of Absalom (his son's rebellion), Shimei, a relative of Saul, cried out behind him and cursed him, calling him a man of Belial (the devil). Abishai wanted to go over the brook and cut off Shimei's head, but David said, "So let him curse, because the Lord hath said unto him, Curse David" (2 Sam. 16:10).
Let's keep in mind that when someone does evil toward us or rails on us, it’s done under the permissive will of God. He knows about it and permits it, no doubt for our own good. Maybe we need it to keep down our own pride. David seemed to think he needed Shimei's cursing. Maybe we need someone to curse us once in a while in order to keep us down. Let us never forget Romans 8:28, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God." This is true even when we get an awful bump.
"but contrariwise blessing"
One might say, "Does that mean we are to be a blessing to those who do us evil and rail on us?" Yes that is exactly what it means. We are to bless those that curse us and do good to those who despitefully use us. God blesses those that curse him. Many that cursed the Lord Jesus unmercifully have been saved and blessed of the Lord. Not only that, such have also been a great blessing to others. The cursers have become blessers.
"knowing that ye are thereunto called"
All the people of the Lord are called to be a blessing. Christ was a blessing to all He met, and we are called to be the same. Notice in the second chapter (v.21) that those to whom Peter was writing were called to suffering. This is true, to a greater or less degree, of all saints, although Peter is writing principally to servant slaves. But here, as we noticed in connection with verse 8, he is not speaking to any select group of Christians, but to all. Every Christian is called to be a blessing.
Sadly, some of us are not the blessing we should be. Are we a blessing? If not, we are not living up to our calling. Remember, the Lord does not save us just so we can avoid going to hell. He leaves us here to witness and live for Him – to be a blessing. We should be kind, loving, helpful, first to the people of God and then to all we contact. It should be the ambition of every Christian to be a blessing. If we are not, we should pray, "Lord, make me a blessing, a blessing to someone today."
It is possible to be a blessing now because we have the Spirit of God within us. Consider this striking verse: "He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly [innermost being] shall flow rivers of living water" (John 7:38, emphasis added). The next verse says, "But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive." Rivers in the Scripture speak of blessing and refreshment. If ungrieved, the Spirit within us is able to make rivers of blessing flow out from us. Who knows what torrents of blessing might flow out if we are fully given to the Spirit!
"that ye should inherit a blessing"
This does not mean only in eternity. We surely will inherit a blessing there, but no doubt Peter meant even here. The following two verses, which he quotes from Psalm 34, speak of temporal blessings and he quotes these to prove his point. Normally it is true that if we are a blessing, we will be blessed. If we are always doing good to others, others and the Lord, too, will be doing good to us. We will inherit a blessing and be a blessing.
