(I Peter 3:15-16)
(A Bible Study Led
by Dr. Larry Reynolds)
October 3, 2013
1. We
began looking in our last session at the paragraph beginning with 1 Peter
3:13. We previously looked at what this
paragraph has to say to us about dealing with suffering. We saw that
--viewing
suffering within the larger context of life...
--keeping
our attention fixed on Christ...
--allowing
God to use your suffering as a witness to Him...
Can
help us make sense out of the difficulties and challenges that will invariably
come our way in this world.
2. In
this session we are going to focus on what this paragraph has to say to us
about having a positive influence on our world.
Look at I Peter 3:15-16. It is
important to keep in mind that these words were directed toward people who were
on the verge of being dragged before government authorities to explain why they
refused to say “Caesar is Lord” and instead insisted on saying “Jesus
is Lord.” In I Peter 3:15-16 is an important word to them and to us about
sharing, explaining, and defending our faith in Christ to a hostile culture.
T.S.
- The key phrase in this passage is “...always be ready to make a
defense...”...from these two verses want point out three significant
things about the way we as Christians should defend our faith in Jesus...
I.
We
should defend our faith with reason
1. I
know a statement like that almost sounds unspiritual to some people...there are
some Christians who seem to think to really be a spiritual person, one must divorce
intellect and reason from the Christian life...there are some seem to think
that faith and reason are mutually exclusive...they would agree with Martin
Luther who is reported to have said, “Reason is the enemy of faith.”
[INFOSEARCH]...I suspect that some Christians think that way either because
they--
--are
too lazy to do the work necessary to make a reasoned case for Christianity...
--secretly
fear that Christianity cannot stand serious intellectual scrutiny...
--believe
taking a reasoned/intellectual approach to Christianity is a denial of the
basic faith upon which commitment to Christ rests...
2. However,
this statement in I Peter makes it clear that not only can reason and
intellect be used defend and explain our Christian commitment, it must
be used if we are to have the kind of impact on the world God wants us to
have...
3. The
middle part of v.15 says that we are to
be ready to “give an account for the hope that is in us...”...word
translated “account” in NASB or
reason or answer in other translations is “logos”...among
other things the word carries the idea of
“a reasonable explanation or an intelligent statement concerning a belief or position”...to the Greeks,
the mark of intelligent, civilized person was
ability to give and receive a logos (a reasoned explanation) concerning
one’s beliefs or actions...
1. I
want to ask you personal a question. If
called upon, would you be able defend your faith in Jesus Christ?...could you
give a "reasoned explanation" of the hope in you?...could you
explain not just what you believe but why you believe it?...and could you give
a reasoned explanation of your faith in a way that would intellectually challenge
a person who is skeptical toward Christianity?...that is precisely what this
portion of God’s Word instructs us to be prepared to do...
1.
On
July 20, 1969, over 40 years ago, Neil Armstrong became the first person to
walk on the surface of the moon...in the dust covering the moon’s surface,
Armstrong left footprints...scientists have calculated that it will take
approximately 500,000 years for the micrometeorites which constantly bombard
the moon’s surface to erase Armstrong’s footprints...thousands of years from
now, if someone wanted evidence that a Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, his
footprints will be there as indisputable evidence...
2. Over
2000 years ago, God came to our world...He became flesh and walked among
us...He, too, left footprints...I’m not talking about physical footprints along
the shore of the Sea of Galilee or on the dusty roads of the middle east...I’m
talking about footprints—
--across
the pages on the New Testament which gives us the record of His coming...
--in
the birth, growth, and rich history of the church which was created by Him...
--on
the millions of lives transformed by His presence and power...
The
evidence of His coming to our world, unlike the footprints of Neil Armstrong on
the moon, will never be erased...we need to know the evidence and use it to
give a reasoned defense of our faith in Christ...we should defend our faith
with reason...
II. We should defend our faith with a winsome
spirit
1. Realize
that “winsome” is not a word that is used much any more in the common
vocabularies of most people...but it’s a beautiful word...the dictionary
defines the word as “winning, engaging, or charming”...it’s a
word we need to recapture for if we want to win some people to Christ, we need
to be winsome in our personalities...
2. Point
want to make here is that while we should be prepared to defend our faith, we
should not—
--do
so in a way that is unnecessarily harsh and offensive to others...
--be
combative and confrontational...
--become
attack dogs or reactionaries to our culture...
As
one writer put it, “[Christians] are witnesses, not prosecuting
attorneys!” [Wiersbe, p.84]
3. It’s
very possible to say the right things, to make a good case intellectually, but
to do so in a way that is so offensive to others that they never really hear
what we say...
1.
I
watched a television news show Tuesday night with a panel of people, about half
of whom support the implementation of the law known as “Obama Care” and about
half of whom opposed the law. The emotions
were so high among both groups, the panelists ended up just yelling at each
other and accusing each other, and no-one was able to make a good case for
their position.
1. That’s
precisely the type of behavior against which the last part of v.15 warns
us...says we’re to defend the faith “with gentleness and reverence...”...gentleness
has to do with our attitude toward people and reverence has to do with our
attitude toward God...
·
GENTLENESS
means we're to present case with proper respect for other people. The word translated “gentleness”
is "prautes”...sometimes it is translated meekness but that is not a good translation
because in our culuture meekness is often associated with weakness…prautes had nothing to do with
weakness... was used describe strength that was controlled or channeled...two
examples of its use in secular Greek will cast some light on this...
‑‑used
describe Roman soldier in full battle gear but who was in complete control of
self...strong enough not be provoked into
senseless confrontation...
‑‑powerful
horse which had been broken...had bit in mouth and rider on back...power was
channeled to‑ ward useful purpose...
“Prautes”
carries the idea of strength under control...As followers of Christ we are to
defend our faith with gentle strength...that
means that we will--
‑‑be
considerate of others ‑ One person defined this quality as an "understanding
gentleness"...like that...kind of spirit which asks, "What
can I do to make life better for someone else? How lighten their load? How keep
from wounding them?" [Philippians 2:3-4]
‑‑not
be given to fits of temper ‑ Aristotle defined
"prautes" as the happy median between too much and too
little anger... never angry at wrong
things but always angry at right things...while some people may pride themselves
in being quick tempered, not a virtue in
Christian sense...
‑‑be
courageous enough to appear weak ‑ One person defined "prautes" as a “powerful
weakness”...it's picture of person who doesn't feel need to prove self
constantly...doesn't have make lot of noise or to posture to prove is he/she
strong...as matter of fact, person who is always trying demonstrate how strong
is, probably trying to cover insecurity about weakness...
we’re not to run roughshod over
others...we’re not to be brutishly insensitive toward others...we’re not to be
arrogant and belligerent...instead,
we're to present the case for Christ with a spirit of gentleness...
·
REVERENCE
– The Greek word is phobos from which
our word phobia comes. Some Bibles
translate the word as fear, but the main concept behind the word is
respect. We are to present case with
proper respect for God...any presentation of case for Christianity must be
made in way that honors God...we must never forget that we represent God and
our spirit should reflect an attitude of reverence toward Him...
2. We
are to defend our faith with a winsome spirit...
III. We are to defend our faith with from a
good example
1. I Peter 3:16 strikes recurring theme of
Bible...says, "...keep a good conscience so that in the thing in
which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be
put to shame."...other words, if we expect people believe what we
say, better live as if we believe it!...
2. In
final analysis, best argument for Christianity is well lived Christian life...one
person makes this interesting observation...
LET
A MAN SO ACT THAT HIS CONSCIENCE IS CLEAR. LET HIM MEET CRITICISM WITH A LIFE
WHICH IS BEYOND REPROACH. SUCH CONDUCT
WILL SILENCE SLANDER AND WILL DISDAIN CRITICISM. THE ONLY UNANSWERABLE
ARGUMENT FOR CHRISTIANITY IS A CHRISTIAN LIFE. "A SAINT," AS SOMEONE
HAS SAID, "IS SOMEONE WHOSE LIFE MAKES IT EASIER TO BELIEVE IN GOD."
1. All
of us who bears the name Christian should constantly ask ourselves—
--Does
my life make easier for others believe in Christ...or more difficult?...
--Can
people see my faith by the way I relate to them...use my time...use my material
possessions?...
--Is
my life a living demonstration of my faith?/..
We
should defend our faith from a good example...
CONCLUSION
1.
It’s
interesting that this statement was written by Simon Peter...if remember, there
was an occasion when Peter utterly failed do what he says we should do in these
verses...on the night of Jesus’ arrest, three times given opportunity defend
his faith, and three time chose remain silent...from that bitter experience, he
tells us to be prepared when our opportunity comes...
2. If
we consistently live out our faith in the world, we'll invariably be confronted
by those who don't understand our beliefs and actions...in response to them, it
is our duty‑‑
‑‑to
speak a reasonable word about or beliefs
‑‑to
speak it with a spirit of gentleness/reverence
‑‑to
live in way that supports what profess believe
3. If
each of us would defend our faith with our intellect, our personality, and our
example, we would have the kind of impact on our world God's people should
have....
