In the past few weeks much of my time in study has been in 1 Peter (here @ Bible Gateway). There are several threads that permeate the book. Many of them combine to form an encouragement for Peter’s readers to handle suffering well.
In the past couple of years, I have been privileged to serve believers in Morocco, Cameroon, Togo, and Ethiopia. A few days after I left Ethiopia there was a riot that resulted in the deaths of over 75 individuals, additionally Christians have been murdered by Boko Haram in the northern part of Ethiopia in the past few days. In one of these countries the rise of Islamic fundamentalists has resulted in believers being more and more cautious to attend underground churches.
In all of these countries and many other in which I have either engaged or spoken with those who have firsthand knowledge, a brand of “Christianity” is widely taught that promises that if one comes to the Lord, one will have a life of prosperity, will be healed of all disease, and essentially be protected from suffering.
A cursory reading of 1 Peter (here @ Bible Gateway) would suggest that those who promotes that brand of “Christianity” have not read Peter’s work. Consider 1 Peter 1:1 - 9 (here @ Bible Gateway).
Verse 2 (here @ Bible Gateway) begins, in most of the translations some form of “according to the foreknowledge of God.” The phrase “according to” is the translation of the Greek word κατὰ (kata). In his work, Prepositions and Theology in the Greek New Testament, Murry Harris tells us that “κατά specifies the criterion, standard, or norm in the light of which a statement is made, an action is performed, or a judgment is passed.” In other word it is the domain under which action is taken or something happens.
In the immediate context consider what Peter says happens “according to the foreknowledge of God,”
We will start there. Spend some time working through the text and observe what else Peter says. Look for the other use of kata in this passage and consider how it works with the usage in verse 2 (here @ Bible Gateway).
I will continue this in tomorrows post.
In all of these countries and many other in which I have either engaged or spoken with those who have firsthand knowledge, a brand of “Christianity” is widely taught that promises that if one comes to the Lord, one will have a life of prosperity, will be healed of all disease, and essentially be protected from suffering.
A cursory reading of 1 Peter (here @ Bible Gateway) would suggest that those who promotes that brand of “Christianity” have not read Peter’s work. Consider 1 Peter 1:1 - 9 (here @ Bible Gateway).
Verse 2 (here @ Bible Gateway) begins, in most of the translations some form of “according to the foreknowledge of God.” The phrase “according to” is the translation of the Greek word κατὰ (kata). In his work, Prepositions and Theology in the Greek New Testament, Murry Harris tells us that “κατά specifies the criterion, standard, or norm in the light of which a statement is made, an action is performed, or a judgment is passed.” In other word it is the domain under which action is taken or something happens.
In the immediate context consider what Peter says happens “according to the foreknowledge of God,”
- Chosen (this is at the beginning of verse 1 in the Greek)
- Scattered
- Residing as Aliens
We will start there. Spend some time working through the text and observe what else Peter says. Look for the other use of kata in this passage and consider how it works with the usage in verse 2 (here @ Bible Gateway).
I will continue this in tomorrows post.
Thank you, Mike, for taking on this topic. It is my conviction (speaking for myself) that we believers in America need to seriously soak in these passages on suffering that has be the lot of God's people since Acts 2, and of course of our Master before us. Signs are certainly emerging here, in so called "Christian America."
ReplyDeleteIn his intro to his book "The Misery of Job and The Mercy of God" John Piper makes the following observation:
"It is a great sadness when suffers seek relief by sparing
God his sovereignty over pain. The sadness us that this
undercuts the very hope it aims to create."
He goes on to explain the last sentence.
I have not suffered anything that comes close to suffering. It's just that a lot of times it "feels like it." And I have children that are experiencing much more than I. I need to be able to help them when the opportunity arises.
Even more painful for me is the future for my grandchildren,...
Couldn't help myself. What I have seen taught about it both here and overseas greatly disturbs me.
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