The Facts Of Suffering.

Well, folks, we're looking at lesson number 30 on the epistle of 1 Peter today. And it's interesting. I had some discussion yesterday and I boy, isn't that something? My mind's a blank. Who did I talk with? Anyway, thank you, Phil. The situation here in our home really radically changed a couple of weeks ago when I lost the laptop content. I've been building it up again. I think the Lord has blessed me with equipment that works now.

So I got three screens in front of me, but I don't have the laptop. So the camera, which has its own mic, is there. But the mic didn't work when Roger and I looked at it. And so I've got a headset on. I apologize for that. Now, let's get into the word, OK?

What we're looking at in First Peter is the Christian's view now in light of eternity. Remember that this material that we've outlined comes out of Comfort in Suffering by Chester McCulley, and if you haven't visited the site, it's worth a visit. Wordoftruthkc.org is the URL, and you can actually get a copy of that book if you just let them know about it.

The three sections of 1 Peter, as outlined and shared so far, are salvation, submission, and suffering. And we have covered four sessions, two each, on the section of suffering so far. Today, we have lesson number 30, The Facts of Suffering, covering three verses, 12 through 14 of chapter four. And coming up, just to look ahead a little bit, We've got two more sessions that are doubled on the application of suffering, the responsibility of elders, and five relationships, and then the conclusion, which I believe that one, Roger, you're doing, if I'm not mistaken. That's right. Oh boy, that feedback is really loud, isn't it? Well, we'll take it one step at a time today. Let's look at the text of scripture first and let the Holy Spirit speak to us.

Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you as though some strange thing happened unto you, but rejoice inasmuch as you are partakers of Christ's sufferings that when the glory, when his glory shall be revealed You may be glad also with exceeding joy.

If you be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye, for the spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part, he is evil spoken of, but on your part, he is glorified. Notice that this is from the King James Version. I'd like to repeat that text now out of the New American Standard of 1995. Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing as though some strange thing were happening to you. But to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing so that Also, at the revelation of his glory, you may rejoice with exaltation. If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed because the spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part, he is evil spoken of, but on your part, he is glorified.

I don't know if you noticed or not, but that last little phrase, is in the King James. It's not in most modern translations. We're going to begin with this word Beloved. It's a precious word. Maybe even one of the most, for me anyway, personal words in these three verses. It comes from the root Agapateos. Isn't that something? Agapao. We've looked at that word before, but Freeberg gives us three perspectives of its use here.

Very much loved. The only one of a class. Worthy of love. Do not be surprised is an imperative present word. That means this is a command. Think strange is the way Freeberg puts it. And Macaulay adds this to it. Don't let this happen to you. Beloved, do not let this happen to you. Literally, I've translated this. Don't be surprised as a conclusion of that opening phrase.

I might pause right here and just say there are three sections that I'm presenting today. This section that we're going through now is what does the text say? The second section is what are some illustrations of this text in believers' lives? And then the third section is how does this apply to us at Holly Hills Bible Church today? I'm just giving you that so that you know where we're going, okay?

Getting back to the text, the phrase at thee is used here because of the dative case of that word here, fiery, which we'll get to in a moment. Fiery ordeal, the word ordeal is not in the original. It's supplied by translators. And the original word here being in the dative feminine singular is a word that literally means burning. And figuratively, it means suffering sent by God for the spiritual refinement of believers.

It's a fiery test, a painful suffering. I have a question. Is this real burning by men who judged the recipients of this letter worthy of death? That I think is a question before us we need to ask. Peter's writing to folks up in Turkey, at least five different congregations, whom he is addressing personally as beloved. Don't be surprised at the fiery and burning here. So is that real? Or is it, as Feuerberg has put it here, figurative? Is it in figurative form, painful suffering by man to discredit or abuse them with false accusations? Or is it by God to refine them? That's the way Feuerberg takes it.

Is there anybody want to comment? I'm looking at faces that are not answering. Well, remember now, this is Peter writing to churches and he's under the influence and direction of the Holy Spirit to put into words what God wants to communicate. I'm being careful here. I'm being very careful.

I'm just saying, well, this might not be until the middle century, 1500s, but weren't Christians burned to death? But that might come later than this first century stuff. So that's the only thing I had it could be. He could be implying it both ways. But I could be wrong. That's great, Andrew. Appreciate the input. Well, let me give you my conclusion, and it's a conclusion that you'll have to, in studying God's word, come to on your own as well.

I believe Peter may be referring to the real burning under the rule of Nero in Rome. This letter was written to believers who were in communities that were fleeing both Jerusalem and the nation of Israel, as well as Rome itself. Because in Rome, Nero was burning as lights for his home parties, anyone who would not worship him as God. It had begun during the time period that this letter would have been received by the believers. It got real bad in time period after this letter was written. So that's the background behind this.

I'm just sharing it with you. Interesting that how practical sometimes I believe the Holy Spirit is in putting into words a situation and how to handle it for us as believers. Even during this pandemic, I think that he is definitely dealing with us in a similar way, but we'll get to that. The next words that we're looking at are among you. What I'm doing here is looking at the individual words because they communicate what God wants us to know. Look at the article here. It's in the Dative Feminine Singular, and it refers back to this burning, this fiery burning.

It could be rendered, that is, The N here, the preposition, which can mean to, if it's purely dative, or by, if it's an instrumental, or it could mean in, at, or among, if it's locative. I won't repeat this over and over again, but I thought it'd be good to show you that the preposition N in Greek can be used in three different ways. And mostly it's used in locative, in, at, among. And I take it here to mean locative among.

And you is a pronoun you plural. And so you could translate that you all basically. And that's basically what I've given you here in a literal translation. Beloved, don't be surprised at the burning that is among you all. Going on to the next phrase, which comes upon you.

Ginumai here is, it means to come to be, or come into being, to happen. It's in the present tense, so that this was going on continually at the present time. It's in the middle or passive, it's both in the original, both forms are the same. And it indicates that this was coming to be real for them, they were personally involved, while it was being done, to them. Both aspects are there. And there's an interesting thing here. The word follows the phrase in English, for your testing, in the original. It follows it. So the original word order, literal translation, would be, for your testing, this is happening. The next phrase, for your testing, is really interesting.

It's one of those that has a purpose, introducing it, the preposition pros. 12, it says, for, and that's pros here, for the purpose of the equipping of the saints And then there's the translation for, but it's the preposition ice towards the work of service, again, towards the building up of the body of Christ. So the preceding verse, of course, has the pastors and teachers for the equipping of the saints, for the work of service, for the building up of the body of Christ. It gives a different perspective to that Ephesians verse, doesn't it?

The next word is really key, and I was really surprised when I discovered that the Holy Spirit used, not just in James, two words for testing, but here in Peter as well. The word testing is pirasmos. I'm going to go ahead and give you the you here just to clear it out because it's in the deity plural and it means you all again. But in James, these two Greek words for testing are set in contrast.

I don't have time to go into both of them, but let's take the one that's used here. The word by Rosh Moss is never done by God that we learn from James. Holy Spirit used James to be very specific. God does not pirasmas us. He does not test us. This is always done by man or by Satan.

James 1.13 is very specific. Let no one say when he is tempted, I am being tempted of God, but God cannot tempt or God cannot be tempted by evil and he himself does not tempt anyone. Each is a radso, the verb form of this very word that we have here in First Peter, by Rasmus. First Peter shows the same contrast. The word Daki Madzo is used, that's the other Greek word for testing.

It's used back in First Peter 1.7, where it says, so that the proof of your faith being more precious than gold that perishes even though tested by fire may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ here the proof of your faith is shown to be God's testing look at the contrast even in Peter between these uses that the Holy Spirit chose to use of words in what he wanted to tell us. In summary form, Pirasmas, in this verse, is a testing that distorts reality and may cause one to sin. Dakimadso, in 1.7 in this book, is attesting to purify what is believed and not to distort reality, but to reveal what is reality.

I tell you, I just sat back and I spent a long time thinking about this and thanking the Lord for being so careful to show us how he works among us and how man and ourselves and Satan works among us. We in our old nature and other men in their old natures and Satan all distort reality, but God reveals what is real, what is true.

Isn't that something? We could think on that for a long time, I think. The next phrase, as though some strange thing were happening to you. I'm sorry, did you have a question? No? Okay. The word os there is as though, and it's an adverb. It adds meaning to the verb here. And the word endnos is unheard of, used mostly for what might be surprising. And the word who mean again is to you, it's dative. The key word here is this participle and Gingrich gives is happening is a because it's a present active genitive neuter participle. It means it acts like a verb. It is happening right now.

And literally it can be rendered as though an unheard of thing to you is happening. So looking at the whole verse here, where we have this command, don't be surprised at the burning among you. It comes for testing. as though a strange thing were happening to you. Don't let this happen.

Let's go on to verse 13. But to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, ever thought about that? Sufferings of Christ that we share? Allah is a strong contrast used here. Instead, of being surprised at these sufferings. Kato is to the degree that, or in the measure of this. And what is that measure? You are all sharing the measure that you are sharing the sufferings, isn't that something? Of the Christ.

As man and God before crucifixion, Christ suffered from men, ridicule, false accusations, rejection of who he was, and in addition, attesting by Satan to sin against himself. This is our shared suffering. We too are ridiculed, slandered, rejected, and tested to sin. by men, ourselves, and Satan. As man and God on the cross, he died to suffer the penalty for our sins. We do not share with him that suffering. He suffered for us alone. This was his gift for us. Oh boy, that's a lot to think on, isn't it? Instead, to the degree that you all are sharing the sufferings of the Christ is my literal rendering. Keep on rejoicing. Notice that this is translated a durative or an ongoing thing because of the present tense here. And here's an example of it in John 3, 29.

He who has the bride is the bridegroom or the husband. But the friend of the bridegroom or husband who stands and hears him rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. So this joy of mine has been made full. That's John the Baptist speaking about Jesus whom he witnessed coming and presenting himself as the bridegroom, as the friend of the bridegroom, not the wife, not the bride, but the friend, he rejoiced greatly. That's an example of the use of this keep on rejoicing. It's in a command form. and it's to be done continuously. So here's a question. Why use a command here? Why do you think God commanded this? Hello? We got three verses and two commands, okay?

It kind of goes against our grain. Right. What we would normally do out of our signatures is complain, isn't it? I'm much better at complaining. Yeah. You're good at it. Right. Or in order to survive, we would, you know, oh, well, gee, I'm sorry. Gee, how can I rectify this to get along? Right. Well, I've got an answer. And, you know, you can put yours here, but this is what I came up with.

God wanted us to know his view. And that's why he used the command here. He wants his life, all of his goodness, his glory to be seen on Earth through us. That's what he wants. Now, do we want that? He wants us to have his thoughts here. That's why he made it a command. He wants us to be delighted at what he's doing, revealing himself. And as we receive praise for him, for our delight in his life being seen and being rejected by men, while we are here on the earth, he wants us to be delighted at this.

Isn't that something? Right. Yeah. Is it? I mean, to me, it's kind of like Don't don't look at what you're dealing with. Look at me. Exactly. Look at look at the big picture and look at keep your eyes on me instead of what's going on around you. Yeah, I believe you're you're spot on.

Look at Jesus Christ and our focus on him and who he is because we're focused on him and who he is will be seen by those around us and they're not going to understand. and there will be criticism. And it can come even unto the point of death or being burned. Paul kind of says the same thing, you know, set your mind on things above, not on things of this earth. And what are the things above?

Our relationship with the Lord Jesus. Right. And also, isn't there an aspect here that we can rejoice because Christ is being seen and we are being persecuted? If it were just for us that we were being persecuted, that'd be a different matter. If I'm a good person or something and I do good things just because I do that and I get praised for it, is that from God? No. But that's an imitation. But when Christ does it through me, and that is seen, it will bring reproach. It will bring persecution and misunderstanding. Because his genuine life, he went through the same way when he told the truth in front of people. Well, let's go on to the next phrase. I've already put it up here. So that also at the revelation of his glory, you may rejoice with exaltation.

The hinnah is a conjunction used to show purpose again, but it is a different, it's not like pros. This is one that looks at the goal or in order that this goal may be reached. Chi is one of those conjunctions that adds a force to that. For this goal also is translated in, again, that preposition, and here we use the locative, at, the revelation. That is the time when the glory of Him, Christ our Savior, will be revealed. It's at that time you may be praised. Subjunctive mood of potential, aorist tense, or text here for fact and passive voice.

We are acted upon. When I look at these things, I don't know if it stirs you a little bit, but it stirs me a lot that God is so careful in the way he puts things to us. Being very happy is the word he chose to use next. I can't really even say it right, but it is when he comes, we will be very happy because he is coming and revealing his glory, just like he's revealing it now through us. It's a strong emphasis.

Let me give the literal rendering here so that also at the revelation of the glory of him, you may be praised being very happy. If you are reviled in verse 14 now for the name of Christ, you are blessed. The if here is a condition assumed to be true, which we render usually sense. And you are being reviled is a word that's in the present passive. So it is something that happens to you.

And here we have that preposition in again for concerning the name. Notice name here is his reputation and there's no article. It reveals the essence or the nature or the character qualities of his reputation, his all-encompassing name of Christ, the Messiah, the Promised One. Blessed, and it has the significance here of being divinely favored.

Literally, this paraphrase then carries true. And this is a pretty strong paraphrase. I've added some words here. If and I assume it is true, you are being reviled for revealing the qualities of Christ. You are blessed. The next race, because the spirit of glory and of God rests upon you here, the conjunction because is for this reason of this fact.

And here's an illustration of it in John 20, 29. Because, and that's Hathi, you have seen me, have you believed? Blessed are they who do not see and yet believed. It was on the basis of the fact of them seeing him that they believed. And it is used that way here. It is because, and the article Of all of the parts of these three verses, these next few words are so intense.

Ta is neuter, notice that. It's not masculine, it's not feminine, it's neuter. The next case here is not neuter, it's feminine, along with the noun that it accompanies. It is of the glory. so the the there does not refer to of the glory and the conjunction here is again for ascendancy even because he's going to add more and he uses that little article again in the neuter the and then he comes along with of the god again masculine this time not feminine so we're not talking about The and God, but more than that, Spirit. Notice neuter.

It is the Spirit, the breath, the wind, the Spirit, the one and only third person of the Trinity here. I don't know how you would number, but one of the three who is God, Spirit in quality. How careful that was put together. And then the preposition, epi, which means upon, basically. You all, if you're from the South. And then Freyberg adds this figuratively, the epi of the spirit's resting place, remaining on or continuing to be with. The spirit is resting. He is at peace. He is not convicting. He is resting. Literally, I've translated this, because the one of the glory, even the one of the God Spirit upon you all is resting.

Notice the last part of this, verse 14, is, on their part, he is evil speaking of, And this, again, is a fairly unique in Greek construction. Three words tied together in a form on their part is literally what it means. And this is a combination of preposition, particle and pronoun. This is technical, I know, but it's important. That is used to present comparison phrases and the particles and the pronouns change to show the kind of comparison of the compared groups. And so, kata, which ties the two together, and the men and the de gives the contrast, and the atas, and then the next phrase here, gives another pronoun for the us are in contrast to each other.

Well, let's take the first on their part. This is the phrase that begins, on their part, he is being slandered. Third person here gives us the he is being slandered present. But on your part, notice the pronouns changed from them to you and me, he is glorified. And the verb here is being glorified because it's present. Literally, on their part, he is being slandered, but on your part, he is being glorified.

It's interesting that in the King James, we have this text, this last phrase. We do not have it in the texts that came earlier out of Alexandria and Northern Africa. Why they didn't put it in there, I don't know. But I'm giving you that just because it's in the King James, which is used by later texts that did have it in there, but they weren't from Alexandria in the north, the north part of Africa. Taking a look now at the text itself.

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing as though some strange thing were happening to you. But to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing so that also at the revelation of his glory, you may rejoice with exaltation.

If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed because the spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part, he's evil speaking of, but on your part, he is glorified. I'm going to share with you now my literal and paraphrased translation. Beloved, don't be surprised at the burning that is among you all, for you're testing this is happening as though an unheard of thing to you is happening. Instead, to the degree that you all are sharing the sufferings of Christ, be delighted so that also at the relevation of the glory of him, you may be praised. being very happy. And, and I assume it is true, you are being reviled for revealing the qualities of Christ. You are blessed because the one of the glory, even the one of the God, the Spirit upon you all is resting. On their part, he's being slandered, but on your part, he is being glorified.

An illustration of this is in Acts 5.14. And all the more, believers in the Lord, multitudes of men and women, were constantly being added to their number. Skipping ahead to verse 17, but the high priest rose up along with all of his associates, and that's the second of the Sadducees, and they were filled with jealousy. And they laid hands on the apostles and they put them in a public jail.

We're talking about John and Peter. We skipped a lot of verses here. And when they had brought them, they stood them before the council and the high priest questioned them. He said, we gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name. And yet you have filled Jerusalem with all your teaching and intend to bring this man's blood upon us.

But Peter, And the apostles answered, we must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom he would put to death by hanging him on a cross. He is the one whom God exalted to his right hand as prince and savior to grant repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. We are witnesses of these things and so is the Holy Spirit. whom God has given to those who obey him.

But when they heard this, they were cut to the quick and intended to kill them. I'm skipping a lot here to verse 40. And after calling the apostles in, they flogged them and ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus and then released them. So they went on their way from the presence of the council rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for his name.

And every day in the temple and from the house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus the Christ. I couldn't find a better example anywhere than this one of these verses. Here are a few facts of these three verses that are for us as believers in Christ.

First, the term beloved carries a strong message of God's view of each of us that we are uniquely loved by him in his own personal intimate way. God commands us to think as he thinks concerning unjust judgment of us. God tells us that he suffers when we suffer under this unjust judgment of us. God commands us to keep rejoicing when His new nature is seen in us. God promised us that as we rejoice now when suffering with Him, we will joyfully be given more of His praise when He reveals His glory to everyone. God tells us that He, the Holy Spirit, is at rest upon us when we keep rejoicing, even when misjudged, because His new nature is seen in us. And God tells us that anyone's incorrect view of His work in us insults Him, and that our correct view of His work in us honors Him. How profound these three verses are in the message the Holy Spirit has for us. I conclude there. Is there any questions or remarks?