1 Peter 3:8-12

Peter gives the positive attitudes we should all have all of the time. We are to live in harmony with each other, love one another, and be compassionate and humble towards each other. We all know people where these attitudes are very much lacking, but it is also true that we can find the opposite of these attitudes arising in us. This happens because of the flesh. We need to be on our guard (remember that earlier Peter told us to prepare our minds for action), and when we notice the opposite of these attitudes arising we need to do something about it.

I have heard it said that it is how we react that shows us what we are really like. This may be true, but it is very unhelpful. When we are saved we are born again and new life comes into us, but we also need to crucify the flesh, to take off the old self. When we become aware of the old self reasserting itself we need to choose not to give into it, but instead to choose positive Christian virtues, eg choose to forgive. In this way we put the old self to death. Putting the old self to death is a process. If at times we fail (as we all do), then we need to repent quickly and put things right.

We are not to repay evil with evil, but with blessing. Jesus said we are to love our enemies. Abraham was chosen to be a blessing to all nations, the same applies to us. We were chosen to bless not to curse.

Peter then quotes from Psalm 34:12-16 to back up his teaching. In short, we are to turn away from evil, and turn towards good.

1 Peter 3:7

"In the same way". Peter now turns his attention to wives, and the context does not seem to be too flattering to husbands! He has just been talking about harsh masters and how Jesus responded to unjust treatment, so "in the same way" seems to put this in the context of how wives should respond if they have harsh or unjust husbands. In particular, he is focusing on how unbelieving husbands can be won for Christ, and the emphasis is on action not words.

The underlying message of this section and previous ones is that the beauty of Christ is shown best in our lives when we refuse to give in to our natural instincts when mistreated (ie to retaliate or to take on a grudging attitude), but instead we determine to become even more godly.

Inner beauty is far more important than outward beauty. Today both men and women spend ever increasing amounts of beauty products, and even going to the extent of having surgery. While there is nothing wrong with putting some effort into out personal appearance, and indeed it is sensible to do so, in the end our outward appearance will fade away. Conversely, when we cultivate a gentle spirit within this will have eternal value. Most importantly it is of great worth to God. Our prime concern should be to impress God.

Peter cites Sarah as the prime example. Note that failing to do what is right is equated with giving in to fear. Giving into fear is often a cause of sin.

1 Peter 3:1-6

"In the same way". Peter now turns his attention to wives, and the context does not seem to be too flattering to husbands! He has just been talking about harsh masters and how Jesus responded to unjust treatment, so "in the same way" seems to put this in the context of how wives should respond if they have harsh or unjust husbands. In particular, he is focusing on how unbelieving husbands can be won for Christ, and the emphasis is on action not words.

The underlying message of this section and previous ones is that the beauty of Christ is shown best in our lives when we refuse to give in to our natural instincts when mistreated (ie to retaliate or to take on a grudging attitude), but instead we determine to become even more godly.

Inner beauty is far more important than outward beauty. Today both men and women spend ever increasing amounts of beauty products, and even going to the extent of having surgery. While there is nothing wrong with putting some effort into out personal appearance, and indeed it is sensible to do so, in the end our outward appearance will fade away. Conversely, when we cultivate a gentle spirit within this will have eternal value. Most importantly it is of great worth to God. Our prime concern should be to impress God.

Peter cites Sarah as the prime example. Note that failing to do what is right is equated with giving in to fear. Giving into fear is often a cause of sin.

1 Peter 2:18-25

Peter now addresses slaves, and instructs them to submit to their masters, irrespective of whether or not they are kind and considerate. How much more should we apply this to our own situations, which are almost certainly way better than that of a 1st century slave? Behaving well, even under grossly unfair treatment, is a true sign of belonging to God. We find this sort of teaching hard to take, for our natural reaction is to complain how unjust it is.

Peter cites Jesus as an example and motivation for this teaching. He is the supreme example of suffering unjustly. We too must be prepared to do likewise, and if we do it is commendable before God. Pleasing God is to be out first priority.

The answer to the objection that this teaching is unfair or just plain impracticable is to look at Jesus. He was insulted and suffered unimaginably. Yet He did not retaliate. Remember too that Peter had sought to defend Jesus by cutting off one of the soldier's ears, but was rebuked by Jesus.

Jesus did not retaliate because He entrusted Himself to God, rather than taking the task of judging upon Himself. In so doing Jesus took upon Himself our sins, so that we could die to sin and live for righteousness. By His wounds we have been healed. This is often applied in the context of physical healing, but the primary context hear seems to be healing of sin, and we should take it in that way. By the way, Isaiah 53 does have relevance for physical healing, for Matthew quotes Isaiah 53:4 in Matthew 8:16,17, it just seems that the "by His stripes .." bit is not the relevant bit!

Once we were going astray, but now we have returned to the shepherd of our souls. We need to listen to Him and to follow His guiding and example.

1 Peter 2:14-17

This respect for authority is to transcend to all levels. This immediately raises questions in us about what to do about evil governments. Verse 15 has the answer, God wants us to silence the foolish by doing good. God's response is not to fight evil with evil, but to overcome evil with good.

Verses 16 then takes things further. We are not use our freedom to cover up evil in our own lives. It is so easy when we claim to be acting on someone else's behalf, that we are looking only to our own interests. The devil can appear as an angle of light. The freedom Christ has given us is the freedom to live as God intended us to. Verse 17 sums up what this means. We are to respect everyone, love fellow believers, fear God and honour the earthly leader. The order is interesting, for love for other comes before fearing God. In practice how we react to and treat other people is a very good indicator of whether or not we truly love God. As John says, how can we say we love God who we cannot see if we do not love our brothers who we can see?.

1 Peter 2:11-13

Foreigners and exiles. A foreigner or exile never really feels at home in the land they are in. We are foreigners and exiles in the world. Ie we will not feel at home in this world, there will be features of its ways which are alien and abhorrent to us. In particular it is essential that we abstain from sinful desires, for these will war against our soul. Evil desires are not just something that we feel and that some obscure religious book has forbidden, it is much more serious than that. The desires themselves war against our soul, they seek to destroy our innermost being.

Instead we are to live good lives, we are to be living examples of Christlikeness in the world. In Peter's day the Christians were accused of doing all sorts of things, much the accusations deriving from the Lord's Supper. There can be a place for protext, but our primary response to false accusations is to live even more excellent lives. Then one day they will have to glorify God, they will have to admit that they were wrong.

We are to submit to earthly authorities. When we read this we must remember that Peter (and Paul, who wrote similar things) was not well treated by the authorities, but the NT writers were adamant that earthly authorities had been placed there by God. That is not to say that all that they do is right, nor that we should never challenge it, but God has placed authority there to make the world run better.

1 Peter 2:6-10

Peter now quotes from Isaiah 28:16, Psalm 118:22 and Isaiah 8:14, respectively. The quote from Isaiah 28 comes from a passage where God is saying that the people's attempts to make themselves safe will prove futile, all man's efforts would be unable to resist the coming judgement. Instead God had laid a precious stone in Zion, only He would be a sure hope of salvation.

Psalm 118 follows a similar theme, stressing that only by taking refuge in the Lord can we be safe. Men thought God's way was useless, but God's way had proved to be the centre of it all.

Again, Isaiah 8 is in the same vein, but is directed specifically at Isaiah, warning him not to fear what others feared, but to fear only the Lord.

Peter is showing that the fact that many have rejected Christ means nothing, for God has chosen Him. We have been chosen by God, and chosen to believe in Christ. We are God's special possession. This should not engender pride in us, but it should engender security, and an awareness of our worth. We have been called out of darkness into His light. We are now special because of what He has done, because of the mercy He has poured out on us.