1 Peter 3:18-22 Through The Difficulties To The Meat

My commentary calls this “one of the most difficult portions of the New Testament,” and says, “We may not be able to solve all the problems found in this section, but we do want to get the practical help that Peter gave to encourage Christians in difficult days.”

 

It pointed to Christ and what He did as the most important point to consider – “the perfect example of one who suffered unjustly, and yet OBEYED God.”

 

To make a long story short, the writer of my commentary, Warren Wiersbe, honed in on the practice of the early church regarding baptism.  “When converts were prepared for baptism, they would be asked if they intended to obey God and serve Him, and to break with their sinful past.  If they had reservations in their hearts, or deliberately lied, they would not have a good conscience if, under pressure of persecution, they denied the Lord.  So Peter reminded them of their baptismal testimony to encourage them to be true to Christ.”

 

He listed several lessons Peter was sharing even for us today:

 

1)       Christians must expect opposition.

2)      Christians must serve God by faith and not trust in results.  Noah served God and kept only 7 people from the flood, yet God honored him.

3)      We can be encouraged because we are identified with Christ’s victory.

4)      Our baptism is important.  It identifies us with Christ and gives witness that we have broken with the old life and will, by His help, live a new life.  The act of baptism is a pledge to God that we shall obey Him.

 

Finally, Wiersbe said, “I want to make it clear that Christians must not make baptism a test of fellowship or of spirituality…. The important thing is that each Christian avow devotion to Christ, and make it a definite act of commitment … It does us no good to quibble about differing interpretations of a difficult passage of Scripture, if what we do believe does not motivate us to share the gospel with others.”

 

Father, I know a lot of people are just waiting to hear Your explanation of what Peter wrote someday.  For me, it will be enough to see You and Your Son on that day.  Nothing else will matter.

 

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford