The following is reprinted with permission
of The Timely Messenger
AN INFORMAL SURVEY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT
A Dispensational Approach
I PETER
By: R B. Shiflet
I. THE REALITY OF SALVATION 1:2-21
II. THE REQUIREMENT OF BROTHERLY LOVE 1:22-25
III. THE READINESS FOR WORSHIP 2:1-3
IV. THE "ROYAL PRIESTHOOD" AND THE BODY OF CHRIST 2:4-10
V. THE REMINDER TO LIVE HOLY LIVES 2:11-12
VI. THE RESPONSIBILITY TO AUTHORITIES 2:13-17
VII. THE RESPONSIBILITY OF WIVES AND HUSBANDS 3:1-7
VIII. THE REPRESENTATIVE TRAITS OF CHRISTIAN LIVING 3:8-12
IX. RECOGNIZING THE LORDSHIP OF CHRIST 3:13-15
X. REFLECTIONS ON SUFFERING-OURS AND CHRIST'S
A. Our Suffering
B. Christ's Suffering 3:18-19
Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities
and powers being made subject unto him. Forasmuch then as Christ hath
suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind:
for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; That he no
longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men,
but to the will of God. For the time past of our life may suffice us to
have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness,
lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries:
Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess
of riot, speaking evil of you." (I Pet. 3:22-4:4)
What does Peter mean when he says, "He that hath suffered in the
flesh hath ceased from sin"? There have been many attempts to explain
this. Admittedly, it is a difficult passage. One popular interpretation
is based on the belief that suffering purges one from sin. There is
some merit to this view. For example, Psalm 94:12-14: "Blessed
is the man whom thou chastenest, OLORD, and teachest him out of thy
law; That thou mayest give him rest from the days of adversity, until
the pit be digged for the wicked. For the LORD will not cast off his
people, neither will he forsake his inheritance." The same thought
is echoed by Eliphaz in Job 5:17: "Behold, happy is the man whom
God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty:
For he maketh sore, and bindeth up: he woundeth, and his hands make
whole." The writer of the Book of Hebrews tells us: "For whom
the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth."
The writer of II Macabees (an apocryphal book written between the Old
and New Testaments) expresses this same view and encourages the people
of Judah not to be discouraged because of their suffering because it
will bring purification.
But this view does not seem to be consistent with the context. If we
disregard the chapter break, we will notice immediately that this reference
to suffering follows our Lord's sufferings on the cross, and the statement
regarding the baptism that saves. In our last study, we gave evidence
that Peter had in mind our Lord's suffering at Calvary as the baptism
by which we are saved. He heard Christ describe Calvary as His baptism--"I
have a baptism to be baptized with ..."(Luke 12:50).
In the early chapters of Acts, Peter preached to the nation Israel
regarding Calvary, and each time, he accused them of the crime of crucifying
their Messiah. He saw Calvary as a disgrace to the nation. Not once
in those early sermons does he preach salvation through the shed blood
of Christ. It was "Repent (of the crime of crucifying Messiah)
and be baptized for the remission of sins." "Repent and be
converted."
To Paul was revealed great truth concerning the place of the cross
in God's plan of redemption. He gloried in the cross. Undoubtedly, through
progressive revelation, Peter had come to see this, because in his epistles,
he preaches it I Peer 1:18,19; 2:24). Peter also mentioned that 'Brother
Paul" wrote some things that were hard to understand" but
classified them as Scripture and told his readers to grow in grace.
So it seems that in the verses we are considering that Peter is saying
that through our identification with Christ in His death, we are delivered
from sin. Note again: " Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered
for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for
he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; That he no
longer should live the rest of [his] time in the flesh to the lusts
of men, but to the will of God." (I Peter 4:1,2)
Next time, we shall consider some of the results of our identification
with Him in His suffering.
To Be Continued
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