PETER’S EPISTLES: PREPARING FOR ETERNITY

III. Rejoicing In Verbal Persecution

(1 Peter 1:6-9)

I. Introduction

A. Before the Apostle Peter began to minister for the Lord in the Church, his outlook was impacted by Christ’s prophecy in John 21:18-19 that he would be crucified for Christ. Eternity was thus always in Peter’s mind.

B. We study Peter’s epistles that focus on preparing for eternity, and in 1 Peter 1:6-9, Peter taught that we believers are to rejoice in verbal persecution in view of eternity. We view it for our insight and edification:

II. Rejoicing In Verbal Persecution, 1 Peter 1:6-9.

A. The believer’s hope of attaining glorification at the rapture that Peter mentioned in 1 Peter 1:5 is the cause of the believer’s great rejoicing in 1 Peter 1:6a.

B. However, such rejoicing for Peter’s readers was also accompanied by suffering various trials, 1 Peter 1:6b NIV. Since this epistle was written in A. D. 63 before Nero’s persecution of the Church, the “sufferings referred to are those which often come to Christians as they live faithfully in a pagan and hostile society” (Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, 1978, “Introduction to the First Letter of Peter: Readership,” p. 1757).

C. Peter stated that the trial of his readers’ faith, being far more precious than a trial of gold that perishes, though it be tried by fire, was to be found unto praise, honor and glory at the appearing of Christ, 1 Peter 1:6c-7.

D. This particular trial was one of verbal persecution as is explained elsewhere in this epistle (as follows):

1. In 1 Peter 2:12 NIV, Peter noted that his readers were accused of wrongdoing, and we know from secular writings that when Christians withdrew from the “close knit framework of pagan society” by not being involved in pagan sacrifices and idol worship, it “won them the animosity of the Roman mob” (Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, volume Four, p. 411).

2. In 1 Peter 4:12-14 NIV, Peter referred to the “fiery trial” his readers would face, the same trial mentioned in 1 Peter 1:6c-7, and how this involved his readers being “insulted” for the name of Christ.

E. Regardless of such persecution for Christ, Peter noted that though his believing readers had not seen the Lord Jesus, they still loved Him due to the relationship they had with Christ through the Holy Spirit, 1 Peter 1:8a.

F. Also, though Peter’s believing readers did not then see Christ, they still believed in Him, 1 Peter 1:8b. Peter may have had in mind Christ’s statement to His disciple Thomas in John 20:29 that Thomas was blessed because He saw the risen Lord, but that more blessed were those believers who believed in the risen Christ even though they had not seen Him!

G. The result of such faith in Peter’s suffering believing readers was their experiencing by the indwelling Holy Spirit “an inexpressible and glorious joy,” 1 Peter 1:8c.

H. In 1 Peter 1:9, Peter claimed that his readers could rejoice (v. 8) because they “are (present tense) receiving (komizomenoi, ‘to receive as a reward’) what was promised, namely salvation, the goal or culmination (telos, ‘end’) of your faith” (Bible Know. Com., N. T., p. 842).

I. To explain this present tense of salvation, such salvation is experienced in a believer’s past (cf. 1 Peter 1:3 NIV where “He has given us new birth”), it is also experienced in a believer’s present (“through faith are shielded by God’s power,” v. 5 NIV), and it will yet be experienced in a believer’s future (his “inheritance,” v. 4 NIV, which will be revealed in the last time,” v. 5 NIV, and is “the goal of your faith,” v. 9 NIV. (Ibid.) Thus, the ministry of the Holy Spirit in providing an inexpressible and glorious joy in believers who had not yet seen the Lord, but believed in Him and loved Him, itself worked in Peter’s readers to certify to them at the time they read Peter’s epistle the reality of their Christian faith and of their future acquisition of glory at the rapture, cf. Romans 5:1-5. That experience produced great joy and a sense of triumph amid their suffering.

J. The same experience is predicted for believers who would suffer physical suffering and death in the era of the ten Roman persecutions of believers in the Church of Smyrna: For being faithful unto death, those believers were promised of the Lord not to be hurt of the second death, the pain and alienation of God in the Lake of fire, Revelation 2:11. Testimonies of people who have suffered physical persecution for Christ verify the fact that God has actually blocked out pain and fear of their persecutors, edifying those who suffered for Christ!

Lesson: Though facing verbal persecution for Christ, Peter’s readers by faith experienced God’s edifying nurture of an inexpressible joy amid their persecutions, edifying evidence of the reality of their Christian faith.

Application: If we suffer verbal persecution for Christ, may we rely on God for His edifying spiritual fellowship.