ABOUT
PERSECUTION
Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear;
not only
to the good and gentle, but also to the froward. For
this
is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God
endure
grief, suffering wrongfully. For what glory is it,
if, when ye
be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it
patiently? But if,
when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it
patiently, this
is acceptable with God" (I Pet. 2:18-20).
Peter
directed that admonition to his brethren scattered among Gentile nations. It
was important that they set the proper example before the Gentiles. He had
instructed them to "lay aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies,
and envies, and all evil speakings" (vs. 1), and to seek growth in Christ
by desiring the milk of the word (vs. 2). They (both Jews and Gentiles) were a
chosen generation and were to keep their manner of life honest before the
Gentiles.
Among
the good correct attitudes to be displayed, Peter said, are those of respect
and honor to various government authorities, their brethren and a fear of God.
By doing so the Christians of the first century would "put to silence the
ignorance of foolish men." After those instructions, Peter listed then
wrote the words at the beginning of this article.
What
kind of reasoning prompted Peter to teach obedience to “froward,” or severe,
masters? Actually, Jesus had taught something similar in the Sermon on the
Mount: "But I say unto you, love your enemies,
bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them
which despitefully use you, and persecute you. ... For if ye love them, which
love you, what reward have ye, do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than
others, do not even the publicans so"? (Mt. 5:44, 46-47)
Persecution takes many forms. Many of the first Christians faced
death or other physical hardships. We seldom face such things today, but we do
face dealing with good and bad actions by others. The boss may be unreasonable,
fellow employees often ridicule or seek unfair advantage, friends become
enemies, and brethren do not follow the instructions to lay aside guile,
hypocrisies and evil speaking. With little thought, this list could increase.
Christians often struggle with how to deal with this type of persecution. We do
not necessarily face it because we are Christians, but our reactions to it show
what kind of stones we are.
The point made by both Jesus and Peter is that suffering for your
own fault brings no reward from God. Sin always has consequences. Suffering for
our lack of love or wrong actions are simply the consequences of sin, and
deserve no reward. We should expect it and take it patiently, even if the one
causing the suffering is a perverse, unreasonable master or enemy.
However, suffering for doing what is right and good does bring
reward from God. We may not see the reward immediately, but God will reward our
suffering for good. Peter even had the nerve to say that we should be happy
about this type of suffering (I Pet. 3:14, 17; 4:15-17). And Paul added in one of his letters to Timothy: "It
is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him:
If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny
us" (II Tim. 2:11,12).
A
certain amount of suffering or persecution will come to all Christians, some
more than others (II Tim. 3:12). How we deal with that persecution, and with
those who are responsible for it, is vital to our salvation.
Christians
do not have the privilege of revenge (Rom.12:19-20). There are times that we
simply have to endure the suffering, ridicule, unjust treatment, lies, gossip
and lack of love by brethren and the world. We should expect these things from
those who do not love God or subscribe to His principles, but it hurts much
more when it comes from those in the church, who are supposed to know better.
Nevertheless, it will come, as it always has (I Tim. 4:10; Phil. 1:29-30).
Developing
the ability to endure suffering does not come easy. For most of us it will be a
lifelong struggle. But remember that God is on our side and that spiritual
endurance has its eternal reward. "Wherefore let them that suffer
according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well
doing, as unto a faithful Creator (I Pet. 4:19).
Jack