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September 27, 2020
Jason Meyer (Downtown Campus) | 1 Peter 4:15-19
But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And
“If the righteous is scarcely saved,
what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”
Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.—1 Peter 4:15–19
Introduction
Last Week: Why We Suffer
First Peter 4:12–14 gave us the interpretation of suffering, so that we do not stare at it as if it were strange. The sticker on the car that says “student driver” helps you understand why the car keeps going around the parking lot and parking multiple times. In the same way, the sticker on suffering that says, “refiner’s fire” helps you understand why God would choose suffering for his people—he is purifying our faith. What we are losing is our dross; what we are gaining is a greater glow to our faith—less pollution, more purity. And they are blessed in suffering rather than forsaken in suffering because the Spirit of God—that is, God’s very presence—powerfully rests on them.
The apostle Peter pastors his people in the midst of trials. They will not be able to endure those trials if they can’t interpret them. Unless they understand them rightly, they will not rejoice fully.
This Week: How We Suffer
Our text this week focuses more on how we suffer. In other words, Peter wants to make sure that if we suffer as a Christian, then we suffer in a certain way.
Main Point: Entrust yourself to a faithful and sovereign God in suffering while doing good.
Outline
But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler.
I am not really sure why the ESV has the translation “but.” The Greek word is the word meaning “for” or “because.” How would it work to translate the connection as a ground or explanation?
Rejoice when you share in Christ’s suffering and regard being insulted for bearing the name of Christ as a blessing … because none of you should suffer as a murderer or thief or an evildoer or as a meddler, but as a Christian.
I think the logic goes like this: Not all suffering qualifies as a source of joy and blessing. Some suffering is cause-and-effect, a natural consequence. It is a matter of justice. If you do wrong, you suffer the consequences for the wrong.
Obviously words like murder and theft would be against both Old Testament law and Roman law. The word here for evildoer appeared earlier in the letter to refer to obvious evil that governors exist to punish:
Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.—1 Peter 2:13–15
In other words, you should not have to “suffer” punishment from the government for doing evil things. You cannot rationalize that as “Christian” suffering.
But the fourth word in the list is set off from the others. The first three terms form a group, “as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer,” but the fourth term has its own group, “or even as a meddler.” It seems to stand out from the list as in a different class and the meaning of the word seems to reinforce that sense. Unfortunately, this is not easy to interpret. Thomas Schreiner says,
The fourth word represents one of the most difficult interpretive problems in the New Testament. This word, translated “meddler” (allotriepiskopos) by the NIV, occurs nowhere else in the New Testament, nowhere in the Septuagint, and nowhere in other Greek literature before 1 Peter.
Some think the word means “an embezzler,” but it is a little of a stretch to make that work. Some make that argument because they think there should be something here that is criminal like the others in the list.
But it is even more likely that Peter recognizes most Christians are not going to be guilty of killing or stealing, but they may become too focused on the affairs of others (like the self-appointed moral police over unbelievers). The word literally means “to watch closely over the affairs of another.” Peter could be focused on the tactless, awkward, meddlesome way that Christians try to get involved in the lives of others. In other words, people who do not obey the gospel will not give them a fair hearing because they will seem like they are always poking their nose where they do not belong and will be perceived as pests. This is the opposite of wise and winsome. It is tactless, clumsy, and forced.
Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name.
This verse puts emphasis on the name “Christian.” Peter says both “suffer as a Christian” and glorify God “in that name.” Obviously, the term “Christian” has significant meaning for Peter. The term “Christians” has a fascinating ending (ianoi). We see this ending in Mark 3:6 and 12:13 (Hērōdianoi) as a reference to the followers or supporters of Herod. In the same way, “Christians” (Christianoi) means “followers of Christ.”
In a politically tense season, this word is a good reminder. We are not named as Trump-ianoi or Biden-ianoi. We do not bear the name of Republican or Democrat. We are Christianoi. We look to Christ, trust in Christ, hope in Christ, follow Christ. We are defined by our allegiance to Christ the King, not to a political candidate or party.
Peter calls believers not to be ashamed of the name. In particular, being ashamed of the name of Jesus may be a self-protective move to avoid suffering. We could be tempted to bend over backwards so as not to sound “too Christian.” This command not to be ashamed shows up with reference to suffering in 2 Timothy 1.
Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God.—2 Timothy 1:8
The appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me.—2 Timothy 1:10–12 (cf. 2 Timothy 1:16, “ashamed of my chains”)
The opposite of being ashamed of the name of Jesus would be confessing him and giving him public praise and glory and honor.
This verse says that the goal of Christian suffering is glorifying God. I do not want to skip over that phrase as if it were commonplace at Bethlehem—like yesterday’s news.
So what does it mean to “glorify God?” God’s glory is the shining forth of the sum total of his perfections. When you open up a great treasure, you see a great glow. The Bible talks about the splendor of his holiness—meaning the glow of his greatness.
When the Christian glorifies God, it means something similar to what we mean when we say “magnify.” We mean “bring something into focus” or “call attention to something.” We bring God’s greatness into focus. We call attention to his incomparable beauty and wisdom and love and mercy and power (his attributes).
We are called to do everything to the glory of God: eating and drinking (1 Corinthians 10:31), good works (Matthew 5:16), using spiritual gifts (1 Peter 4:10–11), and even suffering (1 Peter 5:16). In other words, we are to have a heart that wants to glorify God in everything.
And we recognize that we are called to have a heart that is like God’s own heart. Look all over this room and this world and this universe and ask, “Who has the most passionate heart for God’s glory?” The answer is God himself. No one is more committed to the glory of God than God. He will always act in accord with the pursuit of his own glory. Let’s take six snapshots of this pursuit.
1) Eternity Past
Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace—Ephesians 1:4–6
2) Creation
“Everyone who is called by my name,
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed and made.”—Isaiah 43:7
3) Why did Jesus come into the world?
For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy.—Romans 15:8–9
4) Why does Jesus want you to be with him?
Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.—John 17:24
5) Why is Jesus coming back?
Since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.—2 Thessalonians 1:6–10
6) Why did Jesus endure suffering?
“Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.”—John 12:27–28
Jesus embraced suffering rather than attempting to escape suffering with a heart that said: “glorify your name.” That is the heart we should have in suffering and the prayer we should pray in suffering.
So the question must come: How do we practically glorify God in our suffering? The first way we glorify God in suffering is through something we know. Namely, we know about the two judgments.
For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And
“If the righteous is scarcely saved,
what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”
He does not say “family of God,” but the “household of God.” In both, Ezekiel 9 and Malachi 3, judgment begins with the “house of God,” the temple.
As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.—1 Peter 2:4–5
1 Peter 2 has already made it clear that they are the temple and they are the priests making spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God. This refining work that God is doing is part of making their sacrifices acceptable as priests.
The closest text, conceptually, is Malachi 3:1–4.
Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the Lord. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years.
Notice that Peter constructs a contrast between those inside the household and those outside (those who do not obey the gospel of God). In fact, the text follows the same order as Malachi 3. A purifying judgment for his people followed by a judgment upon those who do evil and do not fear God (Malachi 3:5).
He says something startling. We sometimes talk about God’s judgment and we mean “the judgment to come.” But Peter says, “God’s judgment has already begun.” And it has started in a surprising place: his people.
He then contrasts the judgment that has begun with the judgment to come. So we have three interrelated questions:
a) What is the judgment that has begun?
The “for” tells us that Peter presents suffering as God’s purifying and refining work on believers (1 Peter 1:6–7; 4:12; Malachi 3:1–4).
b) How does the judgment believers receive now differ from the judgment that will come upon those who do not obey the gospel?
Verse 17 is a rhetorical question: “What will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?” Meaning: If God’s judgment looks like this with his children who obey the gospel, then how much worse will it be for those who do not obey the gospel? The obvious answer: “Worse than we can imagine.”
The Old Testament quotation from Proverbs 11:31 reinforces this point with a similar rhetorical question: If the righteous is scarcely saved, then what will become of the ungodly and the sinner? The obvious answer: “The judgment for them will be terrifying.” But we must dig deeper into one part of the quotation that unlocks the rest: the meaning of the word “scarcely.”
The word scarcely here could be used in two different senses. It can mean “scarcely” like “barely” or “rarely.” That is the sense of Romans 5:7—someone will scarcely die for a righteous person. But the word can also mean “with difficulty.” That is almost certainly what it means here. For instance, Acts 27:7–8 and 16 speaks of a sea voyage and how the wind was against them; they made it, but it was difficult.
In other words, Peter is not saying that the righteous are barely saved—that would call into question the abundance of grace that is found in the gospel (where sin abounded, grace abounded all the more). What he means is that the righteous are saved with difficulty—meaning the suffering that believers must endure to be saved. God saves his people by refining and purifying them through suffering. It is part of his plan.
If you think that this life will be smooth sailing on the way to the celestial shores, you will think suffering is very strange. Peter is trying to help us see that the wind of the world will be against us all the way on this journey. God has ordained that his children will go through many trials. It will be hard. If it is hard for his children (the judgment we face now), how much harder will the final judgment be on those who are not his children?
The fire that comes upon the children of God is a refining fire, but the fire that falls upon those outside the family of God is a destroying fire. If the godly are saved through the purifying work of suffering, then the coming judgment for the “ungodly and sinner” will be truly terrifying and horrific.
c) Why are we not ashamed of suffering as we bear the name of Christ? How do we praise God in it?
Answer: We are not ashamed because we know what God is doing—in other words, we know the difference between this judgment and the judgment to come. And we are thankful beyond words that he is purifying us now rather than destroying us later. But now the conclusion in verse 19 spells out how we glorify him in even more vivid terms.
Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.
Believers are once again reassured that suffering passes through God’s hands. It is according to God’s will.
In other words, embracing suffering as God’s will can only happen if we believe that God is faithful. The focus is on the faithful character of God—meaning, you can trust his will for you in suffering. You can’t endure suffering if you can’t embrace it as coming from a faithful God and thus entrusting yourself to him in the suffering.
Peter uses the term faithful “Creator” because it is a way to emphasize his sovereign rule and control over the whole world that he has made.
This is my Father’s world,
O let me never forget
That though the wrong
Seems oft so strong,
God is the ruler yet.
To entrust means to give something to someone for safe keeping. We believe that God is so faithful we can entrust our very souls to him. Not just our bank accounts or marriage or job or next few years, but eternity. He is so faithful that we can entrust our eternity to him. He will not fail us. He will not drop us. He will never leave us or forsake us or fail us. He will never be untrustworthy.
I remember a pool party when I was young. I was so scared to jump into the water that I sat at the edge and just kicked water. My friends tried to get me to jump in, but I was too scared. Then I saw my dad in the water. He just had his arms stretched out. He said, “Jump, Jason. I will catch you.” He just stood there for a few minutes and then said, “Trust me.” So I jumped and he caught me.
Our Father today has his arms stretched out. And he says, “You want to glorify me? Trust me. Jump. I will catch you.”
That is what this text is saying. Entrust your souls. Entrust your eternity to a God whom you know is faithful. He is faithful and he will catch you.
Conclusion
This text is moving us to look at suffering the way Charles Spurgeon did.
So far as personal sorrows are concerned, it would be a very sharp and trying experience to me to think that I have an affliction which God never sent me, that the bitter cup was never filled by His hand, that my trials were never measured out by Him, nor sent to me by His arrangement of their weight and quantity.
Oh, that were bitterness indeed! But, on the contrary, the prophet here sees the hand of God in all his trials, and I pray that you and I may do the same.
May we see that our heavenly Father fills the cup with loving tenderness, and holds it out, and says, ‘Drink, my child; bitter as it is, it is a love-potion which is meant to do thee permanent good.’
The discerning of the hand of God is a sweet lesson in the school of experience.
How do we glorify God in suffering? We glorify God in suffering by savoring how faithful he is. Our response is not simply to sing a song, but to give our souls: “I believe I can trust you with eternity—all of me, for all time.”
Benediction
And now I commend [same word as “entrust”] you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.—Acts 20:32
Main Point: Entrust yourself to a faithful and sovereign God in suffering while doing good.
Outline
Discussion Questions
Verse 15
Why does the apostle Peter use the word “meddler”? How is it different than the other three terms on the list? What would be the opposite call of being a meddler?
Verse 16
Verses 17–18
Verse 19
Application Questions
Prayer Focus
Pray for a grace to entrust this life and the next to our Faithful and Sovereign God.