1 Peter 4:15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters.

16 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.

17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?

19 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.

5:1 The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:

2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;

3 Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.

4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

5 Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.

6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:

7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered awhile, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

11 To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

 

MEMORY VERSE: Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. —1 Peter 5:5

 

CENTRAL THOUGHT: We have been called, by the God of all grace and salvation, to share with Him and His blessed Son, our Saviour, eternal glory and happiness in the eternal world to come. Let us therefore be diligent to follow and obey Him in all the truth of His holy Word, with love to one another and to all men.

WORD DEFINITIONS

 

1 Peter 4:15, “busybody”: Meddler, looking into other people’s affairs.

Ver. 16, “on this behalf”: Or for his good and eternal welfare.

Ver. 17, “judgment must begin at the house of God”: Of all men, we who partake of God’s salvation are most responsible to faithfully obey His Word and do His will.

Ver. 18, “scarcely be saved”: Will be saved with adverse difficulty in trials and tests.

Ver. 19, “suffer according to the will of God”: Endure faithfully the temptations and trials that God permits to come our way. “commit”: Entrust into God’s loving grace and care.

1 Peter 5:1, “elders”: Leaders such as pastors, teachers, and ministers,

Ver. 2, “oversight”: Watchful and loving care and protection. “not by constraint”: Not just because you have to. “filthy lucre”: Unholy, worldly riches. “ready mind”: Faithfully determined to be true and obedient.

Ver. 3. “lords”: Big demanding bosses. “ensamples”: Good and faithful patterns for people to follow of godliness, holiness, and patience in heart and life.

Ver. 4, “chief Shepherd”: The Lord Jesus Christ, Shepherd over all.

Ver. 6, “exalt you”: Lift you up to spiritual blessings and power.

Ver. 7, “casting all your care”: Committing fully your safety and protection.

Ver. 8, “sober”: Solemn, earnest, diligent, and fully aware of the extent of your responsibility. “vigilant”: Very watchful, careful, and fully on your guard.

Ver. 10, “stablish, strengthen, settle”: Confirm and set you solidly and fast in the right direction.

LESSON BACKGROUIND

 

We have come to the closing chapter of this inspiring and beneficial epistle of our dear brother Simon Peter. He states in verse 12 that he wrote this, “exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God.” His counsels in this epistle are encouraging and strengthening to our hearts. He states that our suffering must not be because of ungodly and sinful behavior, but because of our Christian faith that is at variance with the sinful world around us. And, if we suffer because of our faith and holy behavior, we need not be ashamed, but give God the glory and continue on in the true religion that Christ has brought to us. We are bearing judgment established by our Heavenly Father through His Son, Jesus; so we must be brave, courageous, and commit to God the keeping of our souls in well doing.

We have Peter’s counsel to the elders and leaders of the congregations of saints, given as from him who was also an elder, being a witness of the sufferings of Christ. Yes, Peter was an eye-witness of what our Lord Jesus went through. It was a difficult thing for him and the other disciples to witness the arrest, mock trial, and horrible sentence of death on the cross. We have read how Peter denied his faith as one of Christ’s disciples and also tried to defend Him by wielding with the sword and cutting off a man’s ear. However, after our Lord was risen from the dead, we find Peter being given a leading place in all He was directing His disciples to do, receiving the blessed Holy Spirit and preaching with power the message that we have on record in Acts 2.

So Peter encourages us in his two wonderful epistles to be strong and not afraid to suffer for the sake of the gospel of Christ. He joyfully points us to the crown of glory we all, who are faithful and accepted of Him, will receive when He shall appear in glory at the end of this fleeting world. Oh, how wonderful are his counsels in these epistles! Let us all be steadfast and unmovable in the precious gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, and, as Luke 21:36 says, “Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.”

—Bro. Leslie Busbee

 

QUESTIONS:

 

1. Why should we not be ashamed to suffer as a Christian?

2. How can we be fully prepared to stand before Him in the final judgment?

3. What will the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

4. What can we do if we suffer for Christ according to the will of God?

5. What is the duty and responsibility of being an elder for the gospel?

6. What do we hope to receive when the chief Shepherd shall appear?

7. What does it mean to be clothed with humility?

8. What can we do if we become heavy with care and sorrow?

9. Why should we be sober, watchful, and vigilant?

10. What will God faithfully do for us if we faithfully suffer for Him?

COMMENTS AND APPLICATION

 

History reveals that many, many Christians have given their lives and died because of their faith and testimony for Christ. In this present day, we are hearing of men and women being persecuted and many dying because of their faith. It is traditionally reported that all twelve apostles of Christ were sentenced to die, and all except John laid down their life for the Saviour. The account is that John was cast into boiling oil, but he came out unhurt. He is the only one of the twelve that died a natural death. It is said that Peter was trying to escape martyrdom in Rome, when he had a vision of Christ, Who said to Peter, “I am going down to give my life at Rome.” Peter turned around and went back and was arrested and sentenced to be crucified. Peter requested that he be crucified head down, for he did not feel worthy to be crucified as Christ was. So we see that Christ has made it clear that we are living for Him, not for the preservation of this life and the vain substance of this world. Our hopes are on things eternal. Let them cut off our heads or throw us to the lions, or burn us at the stake. We know that Jesus said, “He that loveth his life shall lose it, and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal (John 12:25).”

—Bro. Leslie Busbee

REFLECTIONS

 

I have recently read of the severe persecution going on in northern Nigeria. A militant Muslim group, Boko Haram, (meaning “Western education is forbidden”) had attacked one village eleven times between January 2012 and September 2013. During one of the attacks, a pastor was ordered, “Denounce Christ if you want to be spared.”

“No,” he declared, “How can I denounce Christ if I was the one teaching others not to deny Him?” Miraculously, at this point, his persecutors were interrupted and his life was spared. He said later, “One thing that keeps on strengthening me not to give up is the voice of the Lord that speaks to my inner mind. That’s why I stand firm, not minding how my life will end.”

Another man told his wife, who stood by crying with fear and grief, “Don’t worry—the death of a Christian is a great gain, not a loss.” He was then shot in the face and left for dead. As his wife cried over his body, she heard him gasp. Although he wasn’t given medical aid until the next morning, God miraculously spared him and healed his wounds. Today he says, “Since that day, I pray, ‘God, forgive them.’ My prayer is that that they will be saved. . . I love them. . . If I have the opportunity to see them, I will hug them and forgive them.”

Still another, after watching his young wife suffer and die, burying his brother, whose head had been shot off by the insurgents, and learning that his father had also been killed, said, “My internal joy remains constant. I always thank the Lord for giving me the opportunity to partake in Christ’s suffering; I don’t mind even the hardest.”

May this challenge us to love Christ enough to suffer and die for Him.

—Sis. Angela Gellenbeck