We all need love

   During the middle of the summer of 2002, I drove to worship at a small church near the football stadium in Denver.  A man who had been an assistant minister at a church I had worshiped at in the fall of 2001 had become the minister at an urban church, and I thought it would be neat to visit his church one Sunday.  The service was not my style, but I was glad I attended.  As I drove home going west on 38th Avenue, it was terribly hot.  Normally, I am starving after a long morning at church.  It was so hot I was not even hungry.  Driving down the road, I thought of how I did not need food, and that I really did not need anything else that Sunday afternoon, except, love.

   Jesus has taught me I am a man who needs true love, and I am grateful beyond words to God that I have true love in my heart from Jesus ever since He entered my heart on April 15, 1990.  And throughout my 16 years in Colorado, I grew in the true love of Jesus.  I physically walked countless miles along neighborhood streets and on trails in the Denver metro area foothills during my years in Colorado; countless.  Yet I was first and foremost on a spiritual journey following Jesus.  On that journey I encountered valleys as well as mountain summits, making many good decisions, and a few bad decisions related to my anger problem.  Yet whatever my circumstance, Jesus was with me.  He worked in me to keep healing me of my anger problem.  He worked in me to keep teaching me more about the sacred Scriptures.  Jesus worked in me to enable me to do His will, even when it seemed crazy.  I thank Jesus for enabling me to live by His true love.

   Jesus died on a cross for the forgiveness of sins of anyone.  The wages of sin is spiritual death.  Jesus died as the substitute for that consequence of wrongdoings.  If you believe in Jesus, you will have eternal life.  Jesus loves you!

Hunter

1 Peter 5:12-14 - the conclusion

1 Peter 5:12-14    With the help of Silas, whom I regard as a faithful brother, I have written to you briefly, encouraging you and testifying that this is the true grace of God.  Stand fast in it.  She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you her greetings, and so does my son Mark.  Greet one another with a kiss of love.  Peace to all of you who are in Christ (NIV).

   We may be at the closing of this sacred epistle, yet it is a rich conclusion!  And after studying this intense letter for six and a half months, we finally get to the kissing part!

Regarding “my son Mark” and the “kiss of love,” both are subjects I have studied extensively, and you get the benefit of a concise synopsis.

   Regarding “my son Mark,” I once looked at a whole bunch of commentaries on this subject, and they all said Peter is referring to ‘John Mark,’ and that he is calling him a son in a spiritual sense.  I disagree.  I am convicted Peter had a son named Mark, based on historical evidence.  Not only did Clement of Alexandria say Peter had children (1), yet also Origen, as recorded by Eusebius, stated: “The second is according to Mark, who composed it, as Peter explained to him, whom he also acknowledges as his son in his general Epistle, saying, ‘The elect church in Babylon salutes you, as also Mark my son’” (2).  There is other evidence from Clement of Alexandria.

   Regarding “she who is in Babylon,” some say this is the church, and others say this is Peter’s wife.  The above quote of Origen by Eusebius took the translation as church.  On the flipside, we know that Peter had a wife (3).  Many say Peter is using Babylon as a metaphor for Rome.  I think this is likely, though doing so would not have made Romans very happy.  However note that though he was martyred in Rome, Peter was in many places in the years before, as we know from a priceless chapter opening of Eusebius: “Peter appears to have preached through Pontus, Galatia, Bithynia, Cappadocia, and Asia to the Jews who were scattered abroad; he finally came to Rome and was crucified with his head downward, having requested of himself to suffer in this way” (4).

   The term “holy kiss” used by Paul in some of his letters is the same as what Peter terms the kiss of love.  This kissing is quite misunderstood in our Western culture today.  At Colorado Christian University, I wrote a fourteen page paper on the “holy kiss.”  I came up with the subject as I worked to think of something original.  My thesis ended up being that the “holy kiss” is holy because it is rooted in the love of Christ.

   This kiss greeting sounds foreign to Western ears, but Jewish people during the time of Jesus did not shake hands, nor did others in the area we now call the Middle East.  When men greeted each other, or when woman greeted each other, they would first give a kiss on the right cheek, and then give a kiss on the left cheek.  Note that the cheek kissing greeting was not done between genders.  However, in the early church, the greeting was done as a part of the worship service, and it was even done between genders.  This was the radical part that distinguished the “holy kiss” from a market greeting.  The intent was not sexual, rather it was an expression of Christ’s love between brothers and sisters in Christ.  This practice phased out as time went on due to some people coming to church who were not sincere Christians, which we know because a few early Christian writers talked about this subject.  Yet I argue “the greeting” or “the Peace” that still takes place in some churches today is the stem of the “holy kiss.”

   It has been an honor to write this commentary on my blog.  I have poured myself into it.  I thank you for any reading you have done.  I close by saying this Epistle by Peter was written to fellow Christians, and all of us Christians can keep learning from it today.  And if you are not a Christian, know what Peter said in I Peter 3:18 – “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God…” (NIV).  May you know that Jesus loves you, and if you believe in Jesus, the One who died being the substitute for the punishment of sins, then you will have eternal life.  You can believe in Jesus as your Savior this very hour.

Love, Hunter

(1)  Eusebius, Eusebius’ Ecclesiastical History; Complete and Unabridged, trans. C.F. Cruse (Peabody, MA.: Hendrickson Publishers, 1998), 95.

(2)  Eusebius, Eusebius’ Ecclesiastical History; Complete and Unabridged, trans. C.F. Cruse (Peabody, MA.: Hendrickson Publishers, 1998), 215.

(3)  Eusebius, Eusebius’ Ecclesiastical History; Complete and Unabridged, trans. C.F. Cruse (Peabody, MA.: Hendrickson Publishers, 1998), 95-96.

(4)  Eusebius, Eusebius’ Ecclesiastical History; Complete and Unabridged, trans. C.F. Cruse (Peabody, MA.: Hendrickson Publishers, 1998), 67.

1 Peter 5:5-11

1 Peter 5:5-11    Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older.  All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”  Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.  Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.  Be self-controlled and alert.  Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.  Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.  And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.  To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen (NIV).

   Why is it God only gives grace to the humble?  Because grace is a gift, and there needs to be humility in accepting a gift.  I will give an example.  I drive a car that was a gift from my mom, which she had inherited.  At one point after mom offered me the car, I said no.  Yet then later I reconsidered and said yes.  Why did I reject the car at first?  There were a number of factors involved in my first decision, but two key points were that the car is old and it guzzles gas.  An old car is more susceptible to breaking down, and using much gas is never a good thing.  I miss my former car which got great gas mileage.  However, I was not concerned that the car is out of style!  Had I been arrogant, I may have rejected the gift for that reason.  I could have said, I do not think the car is cool, thus I will not take it.  Rather, I considered the car has low miles, and I accepted the gift later on.  That car has served me for months at a rough time in my life when I have been unemployed.

   The grace of God is a free gift offered to you.  Dwight L. Moody made this clear in his book God’s Abundant Grace.  He stated: “Paul calls it ‘the free gift of God’” (1).  I add that Moody made the acute observation that Paul closed all of his epistles with a “prayer for grace.”  I never noticed that and I wanted to see for myself if it was true, so I looked through all of Paul’s epistles.  Sure enough, his expression for the grace of God is in the close of all of his epistles, though not always stated in the last sentence.

   Scripture teaches God’s grace is what all people need for salvation.  Pride will block the realization of such a need.  Moody makes one statement that is humorous when discussing how works have no part in salvation.  Moody states, “If ever a man did succeed in working his way into heaven we should never hear the last of it!” (2).

   Moody also makes it clear that for the person who has received God’s grace, works will result.  Yet it is still God’s grace which needs to be relied on in order to be a light for Christ in this dark world.  If a Christian is humble in interacting with his or her fellow human beings, then those people are going to be more receptive to the grace being exhibited.  Why?  It goes back to the premise that Peter was an apostle, but at the start of chapter five he gives an appeal as a fellow elder.  We followers of Jesus are going to have eternal glory in Christ, yet it is not because we were any more saintly before receiving God’s grace than the clerk at the grocery store who does not know Jesus.  We are who we are because of the grace of God!  We need to let that clerk at the grocery store see that we are human like she or he is, yet that we are humans who desired the gift of Christ.  Then maybe she or he will be open to the love of Christ we exhibit.

   In pondering this passage, I thought to myself, “Who do I know who is a humble Christian?”  One person came immediately to mind: Phil Keaggy.  Phil Keaggy is a musician who I have seen in concert seven times, and he is a phenomenal guitarist.  For me, I am able to soak in his incredible guitar playing even more when I hear him live.  It is a long story I will not get into, but if there is any Christian musician who has a reason to forego being humble, it is Phil Keaggy.  Yet I had the opportunity to meet Phil once after a concert, and the main characteristic apparent to me was his humility.

   Since our passage mentions the devil, and states to resist him, I will close on a story about Phil Keaggy.  Once I saw him in concert at a church in Colorado.  Something happened at the beginning of the concert, but I will not get into the details, because it was one of those things where you have to know some personal things about Phil Keaggy.  But the bottom line is that I realized something took place that had the influence of the devil.  I think Phil Keaggy noticed it also, because for the first two songs he performed, he was a little off in his playing, the only time I have seen that happen.  But then he quickly got focused, and gave a great concert as always.  Near the end of his concerts, he usually gives one short and clear message.  That night, he simply gave a Bible verse, quoting Romans 12:21 - “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (NIV).  He stated that Scripture with utter sincerity.

   How do we humans overcome evil with good?  By relying on Jesus!  Daily go to Jesus in prayer.  Daily recognize your need for his help.  Jesus has overcome the devil, and in Jesus, there is goodness, and He is offering that goodness to anyone who will receive.  The result of living in obedience to Jesus is that you are changed, developed into a disciple of Christ who is steadfast in the love of Jesus.

Hunter Irvine

(1)  Dwight L. Moody, God’s Abundant Grace

(1891; repr., Chicago: Moody Press, 1998), 11.

(2)  Dwight L. Moody, God’s Abundant Grace

(1891; repr., Chicago: Moody Press, 1998), 26.

1 Peter 5:1-4

1 Peter 5:1-4 To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ’s sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed: Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away (NIV).

   I am fortunate to have some loving friends who are in the Roman Catholic denomination, and I cherish their friendship. We will always have certain doctrinal disagreements until we are in heaven however. Not only are there a number of serious doctrinal differences between the Roman Catholic denomination and most other Christian denominations, but there is a fundamental difference in theology concerning their church government. Roman Catholic doctrine throughout history has placed their Pope, though in varying degrees at various times, to be a Vicar of Christ. This belief is based on Matthew 16:18 where Jesus identified Simon as “rock,” and states that on this rock His church will be built. Yet what is being missed is the whole quotation. Matthew 16:17 records that Jesus starts off by saying that Peter’s identification of Jesus as the Christ was not revealed by man, but by the Father in heaven. The rock that Jesus was building His church on was not a man, rather a revelation from God. The revelation through Peter is that Jesus is the Messiah. The Church of Jesus Christ is built on the rock of the revelation of the Christ, the “Anointed One.”

   Proper church government is revealed here by Peter. Peter, who identified himself as an apostle at the beginning of this epistle, is now identifying himself as a “fellow elder.” He is in effect saying to church leaders, ‘At the core, I am simply one of you.’ Peter was no God. Peter was not vying for a position as the greatest apostle. Peter here addressed his “fellow elders.” Elders were those individuals with the gifts and maturity to have leadership roles in their local churches. And Peter was one of those leaders.

   Another nugget here; Peter states he was “a witness of Christ’s sufferings…” We are reading Scripture written by an apostle who was an eyewitness of the sufferings of Christ. The popular ‘modern’ academic practice has been to claim that books of the Bible were not written by the authors identified as the authors by ancient Christian writers. Many professors at a number of colleges, universities, and seminaries claim that books of Scripture were written by unknown individuals and then later attributed to an apostle, or were written by the Jewish people attributed as authors by the church for many centuries, but drastically edited by unknown folks at a later time. They are wrong because they neglect the study of ancient Christian writers. Those writers identify authors of Scripture. Those writers discussed the content of written Scripture. Thus we can count on Peter as the author of this inspired epistle. Thus Peter was a Jewish man who witnessed the Christ suffer.

   And the charge by a fellow elder? It is to shepherd God’s flock. Just as Jesus commanded Peter to feed His sheep (recorded in John 21:15-20), Peter is commanding his fellow elders to take care of the flock, which comprises of the children of God. If your calling is to be a leader in a church, then you have the responsibility of overseeing the flock. It is momentous calling.

   I have served as a youth pastor, and in doing so, I have learned that my gifts are on the teaching end. When I was a youth pastor, I had a rather small youth group, which was suitable for me. I was thankful to have a small youth group, because my gifts are not fitting to be overseeing a huge group. On the flip side, if I am speaking, I do not mind if there are hundreds of people, because I have a preaching gift. I spoke at a high school chapel service once to over three hundred students, and my thought at the beginning of the talk was: “This is fun.” Different people have different gifts, thus learn your gifts and pastor accordingly. But whether you are a in a small church or a mega church, whether working with a small group or a huge group, or whether part of a small team of leaders or a large team of leaders, you have a serious responsibility which you need to rely on God to carry out.

   I add that the word “overseer” is not used often in Christian churches. Bishop is the word that has replaced this word in some denominations. The problem with this term is that it has gained a connotation of ruler for many.  Ruler is a better word for a king than a pastor.

   Peter even states: “not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock” (NIV). Examples! That is what we need more of in our churches today! I was extremely active in Boys Scouts in my youth, a dedicated member, and eventually an Eagle Scout, in Troop 150 in Annandale, Virginia. Our leader was Mr. Holly Burns, a special Scoutmaster, and our Assistant Scoutmaster was Col. Milt Irons. Col. Irons later on became Scoutmaster after I was away at college at Virginia Tech. Col. Irons was a great leader. And a key reason why he was a great leader was because he led by example. One year our troop was on our annual “wilderness survival” campout at “Patrick’s Farm.” That place consisted of many acres of forest, and was owned by a farmer who allowed our troop to camp there every March. The nature of a “wilderness survival” campout for Troop 150 was that we could not bring tents, pots and pans, matches, or lighters, which we had on every other campout. Instead of having a tent, we had to make lean-tos out of wood. Instead of pots and pans, we had to cook in tinfoil. And to start a fire, we used flint and steel. I cannot remember, but we may not have even been allowed to have sleeping bags, because I remember one year being in a “space blanket.” But that may have just been one year.

   So, one morning I was the cook for the Leadership patrol for breakfast. Our menu was eggs, sausage, and grapefruit. How do you cook such without pots and pans? First, since utensils were available, we cut open the grapefruits. Then we sectioned out the grapefruit pieces. Then we removed the grapefruit pieces so that people could eat them. Then we totally gutted the grapefruit. Then we lined the grapefruit with the smushed sausage. Then we plopped an egg into the sausage lined grapefruit. Then we put the grapefruit, open side up, on coals. I think I even put tinfoil on top to trap heat. Then we cooked sausage and a fried egg in each grapefruit rein, one per person. Then each person got to chow down.

   Going back to the early stage of sectioning the grapefruit, after I cut the grapefruits open, I stared at them for a while. Col. Irons noticed I was stalled in the process, and he asked how I was doing. I told him I had never been good at sectioning grapefruits. Truth is I was never good at it because my mom usually did that for me. So what did my special leader do? Col. Irons asked, not demanded, if it would be fine with me if he sectioned the grapefruits. When I said yes, he then asked if I could line the grapefruits with the sausage. Then when he was sectioning the grapefruits, he gave a few gentle pointers on how to best do that. That was Col. Irons. He led by example. He was one of the great leaders I have ever known, because leading by example was his leadership gift.

   Col. Irons was a Christian who served as a Scoutmaster, and he was a great leader. There was no financial gain for him by being a Scoutmaster. Col. Irons gave up every Monday evening, one weekend a month, and much other time, simply because he had a calling to invest in Scouts. He was not a control freak, yet he was a leader. And he was willing to lead by example.

   What God is calling for among Christians is leaders who will lead by example. I have the sad experience as a youth pastor of working with students who have parents who have not led by example. Nothing confuses a child more than a parent who demands that they do not drink alcohol, but then who gets drunk. Nothing confuses a child more than a parent who says do not have sex outside of marriage, but then who has sex outside of marriage. The parents may qualify statements by saying they cannot do those things when they are young. If that is the case, when the student reaches a certain age, that student, who is likely eager to be an adult, will do those things as soon as they are in more of a position to do so.

   Likewise, pastors who are not a living example to the flock are confusing the flock, not helping the flock. Leading by example is the call of God. I add that we people are not perfect, and part of leading by example is being willing to admit your flaws and your mistakes. I find young people admire adults who are willing to admit the times when they messed up.

   Now you may live a godly life that most people never even physically see. But doing so is a spiritual way of life, and you will develop into a spiritual person that the willing will recognize sooner or later. You will become a mentor.

   One last encouragement for you pastors and those of you who will be pastors in the future, first and foremost, always remember that Jesus is the Chief Shepherd! Peter was not the Chief Shepherd, rather Jesus is. The first step to good pastoring is to go by the guidance of the Chief Shepherd, and the second step is to be yourself. Relying on the love of Jesus, you can do pastoring work. Glory will result.

Hunter Irvine

1 Peter 4:12-19

I Peter 4:12-19    Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you.  But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.  If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.  If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler.  However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.  For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God?  And, "If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?"  So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good (NIV).

   In my 23 years as a Christian, I have suffered as I have taken up my cross and followed Jesus.  Suffering has resulted from me doing His will.  And regarding suffering in general, a number of times I have told God I do not understand why He allows so much suffering in the world, yet that my hope is in Him.  We can be encouraged by Scripture that Jesus' sufferings had a good outcome.  Likewise, the suffering of a Christian has a good outcome.  And Scripture assures us that Christians will be saved from hell, where spiritual death takes place as punishment for doing wrong.  Doing wrong is a cause of suffering in the first place.  Whoever does wrong hurts himself or herself and often others who did not do such wrong.  Thus wrong doers deserve punishment, hell, and will be punished if they have not turned to the Redeemer, Jesus, the One who took punishment for sins in the place of people.
   And Scripture assures us that Christians will know God's glory, and in the present, Christians have the Spirit of Christ to rely on for comfort.  Our Creator is faithful.  My commentary here is short and concise for this clear passage, and I conclude by saying that in the midst of suffering, turn to our loving Father.  It is easy to say, yet hard to do when you are suffering so much that you just want relief from the suffering.  Yet pray when you are suffering.

+: I praise You Jesus that I bear the name Christian!

Hunter Irvine

1 Peter 4:8-11

1 Peter 4:8-11   Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen (NIV).

   May we always remember the reason that Jesus chose to die as the atoning sacrifice for the sins of people was because He loves people. Offering forgiveness is an aspect of love.

   Regarding gifts, each one of us should be using her or his spiritual gifts. As a new Christian, I became involved in a singles group called Salt and Light, which was a ministry of The Falls Church in northern Virginia.  (There are two churches with that name now; one is "Episcopal" and one is "Anglican," both of which are a part of the Church of England.  I have left that denomination for doctrinal reasons, which I explained earlier, but I still have friends in the Church of England.)  Though it dissolved in the summer of 1995, Salt and Light consisted of a special group of people, and a strength of the group was the willingness of the leaders to have individual members using his or her spiritual gifts to contribute within the group. The one year I was on the Leadership Team, every Sunday morning we would have one person from the group give a conversion testimony. Of all the active folks in the group, only one person chose not to give a testimony in front of the group. Everyone else did. Every person had an opportunity to share; to speak; to witness. Some were not big on public speaking, and many had never done anything of the sort, yet the sharing throughout that ten months was incredible. John, The Falls Church minister who led the group, wanted us singles in our twenties and thirties using our spiritual gifts. For one meeting, he even gave us a “spiritual gift test.” I do not think that test was strongly accurate in accessing spiritual gifts. However, it got me thinking about spiritual gifts.

   Seek a community or communities where you have the opportunity to have your spiritual gifts nurtured or utilized. Unfortunately, a weakness of some church communities is their practice of having a few people doing everything all of the time. The result is that the congregation gets in a passive mode, and the workers get in a burnout mode sooner or later. Often this is because the leaders are not as selfless as our leader was, rather they like being the ones at the top, and they do not want anyone else on their turf. This is not a Biblical model. All children of God need opportunities to use their gifts. A healthy church involves teamwork.

   Now individuals should not be carrying out work without being prepared. Take the most gifted athlete you know, and that person still needs to practice to get ready for game day. No athletes perform without practicing. Likewise, all Christians still need to be educated and nurtured. Discovering your spiritual gifts and passions are a necessary beginning, and then there is a need for training. For example, before a person gave a testimony in our singles group, they had some basic instruction on giving a testimony from the person on the Leadership Team who was facilitating the testimonies. A healthy church offers training to members of the congregation for even the most basic responsibilities. A healthy church should be consistently helping people to learn so that they can use their gifts in their workplace or in their home. A growing church gives financial support for Christian education. God wants you being prepared, or using your spiritual gifts. It is a long process. And make sure you do periodical evaluations to make sure your gifts are being used to serve Jesus. Before I was a Christian, I did all kinds of good deeds and service projects, but none of them were for Jesus. They were not works which led to the furthering of Christ’s Kingdom.

   On the flip side, be cautious about overdoing it. God never wants this, because the result is burnout or someone getting hurt. Once I was in a thrift store, and I saw an old paperback book entitled, I Was An Overcommitted Christian by Nyla Jane Witmore. I considered some struggles a friend of mine was having at the time, so I bought the book with the intention of giving it to her. When I got home, I gained a realization that God wanted me to read the book! I was the one who needed to learn not to overdo it, which is my natural tendency.

   This Scripture speaks of going on God’s strength, and not human strength. I need God’s strength to enable me to pace myself as well as to make it through the long haul. I look back on my four and a half years at CCU, and I think of a time when I was working on a presentation for a class. I overdid it. Thus it ended up losing some of its strength, and I had to rush to fit it in the time limit. Though I overdid it more than once at CCU, I would not have succeeded as I did had I not been consistently going by God’s guidance and encouragement. In retrospect, I am grateful for some hard times when I realized I could not make it on my own strength. I was willing to submit to God, and allow Him to strengthen me. He did.

   I will close this piece by doing what Peter said to do. I praise God, the One who enabled me to flourish at CCU as I relyed on Him.

   +: To You Holy God, I give the praise, and I say thank You!

Hunter Irvine

1 Peter 4:1-7

1 Peter 4:1-7   Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. They think it strange that you do not plunge with them into the same flood of dissipation, and they heap abuse on you. But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to men in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit. The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and pray (NIV).

   For four and a half years, starting in November of 1992, I lived in a basement one room “efficiency” near the Court House subway station in northern Virginia. White cinder blocks walls, exposed pipes on the ceiling, and a black tiled floor were reminders I was in a basement. The rest of the apartments were above ground, rising to three stories. They were normal, though it was an old place, surely the cream of the crop in the early 1900’s. The place has since been torn down. The size of my room was 13 feet by 22 feet; seriously. My bookshelf, desk, large dresser, and sofa were all scrunched up in the single room, where there was also a refrigerator, sink, and stove all there in the small space. There was a closet-like room that was the bathroom, and there was an indentation in the wall where there was a narrow shower. At the time I thought the room was cool. But years later I was praying about the fact that there were some health hazards in that basement, and that I should have worked to find a better place to live. I felt God indicate that the hazards would have been worse had I continued to engage in sin.

   As a young Christian, my years in that apartment were a period of serious sanctification. Justification means that you are forgiven, whereas sanctification means you are changed to be holy like God. Sanctification is a process that is only complete once a person is with Jesus in full, yet it is a process a child of God should seek all of her or his life. Repenting of sins is only supposed to be one aspect of the Christian life. Opening up to God to improve needs to be another. As a new Christian in that basement apartment, God worked to guide me to recognize how certain sins like lust and anger had become a norm in my life before I turned to Christ, and He also worked to get me to trust Him as He changed me. I am such a different person now compared to when I was a young Christian, and a huge step in that improvement process was the change God worked through in me during that early period when I was a rather new follower of Jesus.

   Peter gives a list of sins that the recipients of his epistle had done in the past, and which they needed to shun. Obviously the list of sins is general concerning the audience, with particular sins applying to particular recipients. Yet it indeed applies in particular manners to us. I was considered a goody-two-shoes before I was a Christian, but I assure you I was doing at least one thing on the list: I was lusting much. Yet that began to change. In fact, I remember one specific occasion when I was sitting on a stool in that room. Having recently come home from work, with my coat still on, I was thinking on that stool. I considered the will of God for what it is: good. I said a prayer to God asking that I would do His will, and not my own. That was a landmark day of victory in my walk with Jesus.

   Regarding verse four, I think of a short interview with Lou Gramm I watched.  I also watched an interesting long interview with him once. Lou was the lead singer of the rock group Foreigner for many years. I saw that group in concert at Constitutional Hall in Washington, D.C. in November of 1992, only a week or so after I moved into that basement apartment, and it was a rocking concert. Lou Gramm is a man who has been changed by Jesus. For example, when Foreigner would tour years ago, drugs were a standard activity in that environment.  Lou Gramm told of how one night after a concert at Madison Square Gardens, he realized he was out of control with drugs, and he checked himself into a rehabilitation facility. While staying there, he befriended a pastor. After talking with that pastor about Christ, Lou Gramm gave his heart to Jesus.  When Lou resumed touring, he had not told any of the other band members about his decision. This is normal by the way. Many times it takes a new Christian awhile to be ready to articulate his or her faith or even to come to a full realization of his or her decision. Once the tour bus was rolling down the road, cocaine and pot started getting passed around as usual. When they handed the cocaine to Lou, he said no, and that he would not being doing that anymore. The response of his band members: "What in the world's wrong with you?" Doing that which is apart from the will of God is often attractive to people who do not know God. All of these sins that Peter was talking about 2000 years ago are still done by folks today. Yet if God says not to do something, that means such is harmful, thus do not do it.

   I add that Lou Gramm has suffered much in his life due to a brain tumor, yet God has blessed Lou as he has submitted to the Lord. If you are interested, learn more about Lou on the Internet.  These days, I really like the song "Willing to Forgive" by the Lou Gramm Band!

   Verse six is a key verse, since it is verifying what Jesus did as was stated in I Peter 3:19. Jesus preached the gospel to people “who are now dead.” Those people were physically dead, but not yet spiritually dead. This is a key revelation of Scripture. If I see a dead squirrel, my thought is that its life is over, and I have remorse because I like squirrels. Why should it be different for a person? The revelation from God in Scripture is that people have a spiritual nature, and that physical death is not the end of life. However, just as physical death came to people because of their separation from God, spiritual death is an eventual result if the separation from God is permanent. There is only one way to be spiritually saved, and that is to be reunited with God. Jesus makes that possible, because Jesus died as the substitute for the sins of all people. Jesus died physically and spiritually, and spiritually he took on the sins of everyone. What Jesus did must be received. A person saved by Jesus will still physically die, yet spiritually that person will live eternally. If you believe in Jesus, your soul will live forever bonded with God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

   Once when living in that basement apartment, I was praying next to my bed. While trying to talk to God, I started having some sexual thoughts from a movie I had seen in college or such. Those thoughts ended right quick as I did one thing: I thought of Jesus dying on the cross. Jesus died as the substitute for all sins, thus all sins contributed to Him suffering. That is how bad sins are, and that is a reason alone to flee from sin. Plus sin always hurts the individual doing wrong and often other people. Hurt is always the result of sin. To know that Jesus, who was God incarnate, God in the flesh, suffered solely because of the wrongdoings of every single human being, will lead a person who wants to do God’s will to recognize the harm of wrongdoings. The desire to cease doing that which is wrong will result.
Hunter Irvine

1 Peter 3:18-22 follow-up

   I revised the previous piece, since I feel this passage is so critical.  In this follow-up, which I also revised, I now address "predestination."  Before addressing Calvin and Arminius, I examine a statement I advocate: predestination in Scripture concerns sanctification, not justification.  I figure there are others who are convicted of this fact, but I have only once read someone say this, and it was in a vague manner.  It was the incredible Dr. Howard Henricks, who wrote, “Romans 8 informs me that every believer is predestined to become confirmed to the image of Jesus Christ.  If that’s really true, then how much change should we rightfully expect?” (1)

   Ironically, I became convicted of Romans 8 not teaching predestination for justification after reading a piece by Dr. James Montgomery Boice, who was a strong advocate for “Calvinist” predestination.  Dr. Boice, who is in heaven now, was a minister, scholar, and author.  In 1998, I read his book Two Cities, Two Loves, which was insightful.  Going back to an even early day, I heard a sermon by him on the radio on one occasion around 1994 before I had gained a conviction concerning the doctrine of predestination.  Dr. Boice spent an entire sermon arguing for “double predestination.”  As a young Christian, I listened to his argument, taking his points into consideration.  I would later learn from Scripture this was a disastrous flaw in his theology.  Yet I admire his Christian conviction, and I was blessed by him once in listening to one of his sermons on a Sunday morning as I was getting ready for church.

   In the summer of 2010, I read a book where each chapter is written by a different person, most of whom are renowned “Calvinist” ministers and scholars.  Feed My Sheep: A Passionate Plea for Preaching contains a piece by Dr. Boice, who had passed away a few years earlier.  Since he was a prime preacher, I read his chapter intently.  In giving an explanation about Romans 10:14-15, Dr. Boice compared it to Romans 8:29-30, identifying both as “theological chains.”  Yet his claim was that Romans 8:29-30 moves in a forward direction, while claiming Romans 10:14-15 moves backwards.  “Here in Romans 10 we find the same thing.  Only now he does not trace the chain forward, as it were—that is, from where we are now (or from the past) to where we are going to be in the future—but rather backward.  He says, ‘Here are people who believe.  Let’s trace this back and see what the origins of that belief were’” (2).

   Rather than reading on at this point, I decided to prayerfully examine the Scripture passage for myself, a Reformation concept I might add, since something about the order of Romans 8:29-30 did not seem to completely click, though it had sounded fine on the surface.  Read the passage for yourself.  “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.  And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified” (Romans 8:29-30 NIV).

   The first sentence gives us our context.  Paul is not talking about salvation.  He does not in any way mention the sacrifice of Christ.  Paul is talking about being conformed to the likeness of God’s Son.  This does not happen quickly for people.  This is a life long process for a disciple of Christ.  This is the work of the Spirit of Christ, who is discussed in the previous passage, and this is called sanctification.  Then verse 30 goes backwards!  How do I know?  Because of what Dr. Boice stated regarding getting to the origin.  The origin of thought here is glorification, since God was the One who made glorification possible by what He did on the cross.

   The “glory that will be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18 NIV) is already present!  It has already been deemed by God to His children, because Christ obtained the glory.  To God be the glory that human beings share in His glory.  Glorification of people is not the end goal.  Making His children Christ-like is the end goal.  Thus predestination concerns sanctification, and not justification, which is why “ TULIP Calvinists” are incorrect regarding their doctrine of “predestination,” yet the reason that the doctrine of “eternal security” is still correct, in contrast to what Arminians teach.

   Speaking of Arminians, I spent a chunk of my Memorial Day (2013) weekend reading writings of both John Calvin and Jacobus Arminius.  That reading affirmed the fact that when it comes to soteriology, Calvin was beautifully correct and Arminius was tragically wrong about penal substitution, whereas Arminius was beautifully correct and Calvin was tragically wrong about unlimited atonement.  I learned in some theology classes at CCU that people usually get lumped into either an Arminian camp or a Calvinist camp, yet this passage shows that practice to be a mistake.  Peter states: “Christ died once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God” (I Peter 3:18 NIV).  In Book two, chapter 17, of John Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion, Calvin writes a classic piece supporting penal substitution.  He properly interpreted the plethora of Scripture which teach that Christ’s death served a specific purpose of being the expiation, which means to take away God’s wrath.  From a historical standpoint, Calvin was agreeing with Anselm, and Anselm had it right.

   However, Arminianism fails to realize the justice that is carried out with the forgiveness.  Jacobus Arminius advocated that Christ’s death and resurrection was more of a general victory over death, and serves as an example of the seriousness of sin which should influence a person to turn to Christ, which will result in that individual being pardoned for sins by God.  In a sense, Arminius was going with Abelard, but Abelard had it wrong.  The forgiveness of Christ is not a “pardon,” rather the forgiveness results from atonement!  Why?  Because God is just, and He determined that sin must be accounted for.  The atonement is the core doctrine of the Christian faith, and yet it is neglected by many and was missed by Arminius.

   On the flip side, John Calvin made one of the terrible theological mistakes in history, arguing for “double predestination,” which is defined as God having determined before creating man who will be saved and who will be condemned, knowing that all people would sin.  His argument gave cause for limited atonement.  Yet this verse and others in Scripture debunk limited atonement.  Calvin was in such horrible error because he missed the fact that predestination has to do with sanctification, not justification.  (This is the reason that “eternal security,” which means that salvation cannot be lost, is correct.)

   Yet theological stars are reversed as Arminius was on a roll refuting predestination, which can be read in The Works of James Arminius; Volume One.  (See “On Predestination; 3. I Reject Predestination for the Following Reasons.”)  I find it bizarre that both Arminius and Calvin each wrote what I deem to be a classic piece; Arminius on the fallacy of “predestination” and Calvin on penal substitution, whereas I deem Arminius to have totally messed up on the penal substitution and Calvin to have totally messed up on “predestination.”  You might not agree with that statement, but may we all agree that these issues need to be examined.  Many Christian schools are neglecting now to have students read the works of either of these men.

   If a person is saved, he or she is baptized by the Holy Spirit, and unlike in Old Testament times before the atonement by Jesus, the Spirit will always stay bonded with a child of God!  To God be the glory that He has given all people free will to receive His gift of salvation in Christ.  And if you chose to believe in Jesus, you are saved from spiritual death, and Jesus will never leave you.

Hunter Irvine

(Revised on 8/24/19)

(1) Howard Hendricks, Teaching to Change Lives

(New York: Multnoman Books, 1987), 55.

(2) Don Kistler, ed., Feed My Sheep: A Passionate Plea for Preaching

(Morgan, Pennsylvania: Soli Deo Gloria Publications, 2002), 39.

1 Peter 3:18-22 - The Pinnacle

1 Peter 3:18-22   For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.  He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, through whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built.  In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God.  It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him (NIV).

   We have reached a pinnacle in the book of I Peter.  How exciting!  “Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God” (I Peter 3:18 NIV).  Who is the “you” referring to?  If double predestination were correct, I could never read this Scripture verse to anyone, because I would not know who the blessed and chosen “you’s” are.  Fact is, Scripture is for anyone, because God loves everyone, and the “you” is any human being.  The choice is ours.  Christ died for you!  You have the choice to receive Him or reject Him.  Jesus Christ died for “all!”
   Speaking of salvation being offered to everyone, we move to Jesus preaching to “…the spirits in prison…”  I love this passage!  It is one many people avoid, and of which there are many different interpretations.  Yet I think it gives insight into a critical Biblical truth.
   George Cramer mentions three of the interpretations: First, some think the Spirit of Christ preached through Noah back when Noah was building the Ark.  (I read one commentary where the person thinks that since all but Noah’s family did not listen then, all but eight from that time were doomed forever.)Second, some think Christ was preaching to evil spirits, proclaiming victory.  Third, the author is convicted Christ did preach to the spirits of people who had not repented and who were in prison in Hades between His death on the cross and His resurrection.  I also take the view that Jesus preached to people in “Hades.”
   What is this prison?  George Cramer gives a quote regarding this issue.  “The Greek word ‘Hades’ translates the Hebrew word ‘Sheol,’ which was the place to which the spirits of all people were believed to pass at death; there they waited until the final judgment; ‘Hades’ must not be confused with ‘Gehenne,’ the place of the lost.” (1)  The last sentence truly distinguishes this prison from “hell.”  Thus the word hell is probably not appropriate for pre-Christ times, though that word is used in the "Apostle’s Creed."
   So before the death of Jesus Christ on the Cross, human beings were sent to a place which we do not know much about other than it had attributes of a waiting area which is probably best termed “Sheol” or“Hades.”  This may sound strange, yet the fact is when Jesus died as the substitutionary atonement on the Cross, He died for every single human being who had ever lived, for every single human being who was currently living, and for every single human being who would ever live.  The atonement of Jesus Christ was not restricted by time!
   When I was a youth pastor years ago, there was a star student in our youth group.  Quite the extraordinary young student, once she did a project for a class at her public school.  She did a plaster of Paris cast of her mom’s arm, and then she attached it to a painting of a sea.  The sea was the Red Sea, and the arm was that of an Egyptian who had been chasing the Hebrews, who was now drowning.  She entitled it something like ‘Reaching out to God.’  Her point was that this Egyptian had realized she had done wrong, and was seeking mercy at the last second.  In actuality, mercy was available to the Egyptians who had enslaved the Hebrews, and who died all those years ago, because Christ died even for them.
   Though details about this prison are few, one thing is for sure: being in that “prison,” there was only one way to be freed, and that was to believe in Jesus, the Messiah who made eternal life possible by his substitutionary death on the cross.
   I add the atonement of Jesus sealed the new covenant which became available for all humanity, even those in Sheol who died before the New Covenant was available.  Plus, the atonement ended the need for Sheol, thus negating the doctrine of purgatory which is a strong Roman Catholic doctrine.
   However, I am claiming Christ offered salvation to everyone in Sheol.  Then why does Peter specifically mention the people from the time of the flood?  In a commentary by J. Ramsey Michaels, he said, “…Christ went and preached ‘even’ to the spirits who were disobedient to God in Noah’s time – i.e., he went to the most remote and unlikely audience imaginable…” (2)  Though I disagree with his overall view on this passage, I think he captures a key concept here.  It is a metaphor that everyone was included.  I am convicted the preaching of Jesus offered salvation to all past humanity back to Adam and Eve.
   Now many Biblical scholars do not agree with this interpretation for a big reason.  They advocate that once a person dies, his or her fate is sealed.  As Louis Barbieri stated, “This interpretation causes further difficulty for it implies the doctrine of a second chance” (3)  I am in disagreement with this, because people did not have a first chance to be saved by Christ before the time of Christ!  Think of all of the peoples in various countries where false gods were the norm in their culture for the thousands of years preceding Christ.  Many of those people knew nothing about Christ, not even the fact of God’s prophecy to the Jewish people of a coming Messiah.
   After Christ was the atonement for sins on the cross, people in Sheol got to hear the Gospel for the first time.  And ever since the atonement of Jesus, heaven is available!  Peter goes on to state Jesus was resurrected!  Then Jesus ascended into heaven, and that is where He is now!
   This is such a debated subject, how appropriate I end with the love of a child.  Once I was a youth pastor at a summer camp for elementary students and junior high students at a place called “Singing River Ranch.”  There was this one sweet elementary student who often wore the camp bandanna on her head.  One evening, the speaker, a minister born, raised, and educated in India, was talking about the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden.  After his talk, that girl raised her hand and asked whether Adam and Eve were going to be saved.  The tone of voice of that precious child was so sincere.  Because of the loving concern of that young student for the two first human beings, I considered that even Adam and/or Eve could have been saved by Jesus, as this passage teaches.  Ladies and gentlemen, the atonement by Jesus on the Cross did not exclude a single human being, and when He preached to the souls in Sheol, it was the opportunity for them to receive Him or reject Him.  And now is the time for any people living in this day and age who have not received Jesus, the One who died in our place as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of us.
Hunter Irvine
(Revised on 8/24/19)

(1) George Cramer, First and Second Peter
(Chicago: Moody Press, 1967), 55.

(2) J. Ramsey Michaels, Word Biblical Commentary,
Volume 49: 1 Peter (Waco: Word Books, 1988), 206.

(3) Louis Barbieri, First and Second Peter
(Chicago: Mooday Press, 1975), 70.

1 Peter 3:13-17

1 Peter 3:13-17   Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened.” But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. It is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil (NIV).

   Peter was a Jewish man. I learned in my Interpreting the Bible class at CCU that Hebrew writers often wrote in certain patterns, and this passage has a loose concentric pattern, which is ABCCBA. Doing good; suffering; Christ; hope (which is because of Christ); suffering; doing good.

   Starting off with “A,” Peter is clearly saying to do good. Concerning “B,” Peter is clearly saying that suffering for doing good will have a good result. Now that does not mean that suffering alone is a good thing. Yet this world is fallen, which means there is a general separation from God, and suffering is inevitable for any person following Jesus, the One who suffered the ultimate suffering by taking the sins of all people upon Himself. So we must rely on God to bring us through suffering, and to bring goodness from our suffering.

   Regarding the last verse, we Christians must keep working to distinguish between the suffering we are undergoing which is due to our own sin, as opposed to suffering we are undergoing which is due to being hurt by other people who are in opposition to our Christian convictions and lifestyle. During a period of my life where God was carrying out much transformation in me, I was suffering much for both reasons. I had an anger problem which interfered with my judgment in some serious situations within some friendships. Fortunately God patiently worked on me until I was able to face up to the fact that I had this problem, which was the turning point for me to fully change. Also I was suffering because of my Christian convictions, which involved job trouble and social hardship being in a denomination where there was a big fight at the time concerning whether sex outside of marriage is permissible. I remained steadfast, praise be to God, that God intends for sex to be only for marriage, and that marriage between a man and a woman is sanctified by God as Jesus taught in Matthew 19.

   When I was suffering as a Christian, often such did not seem like a “blessing” on the surface. Yet suffering I experienced because of my Christian convictions was used by God to teach me more and more about Him. The result of knowing God more is that I am more prudent, and able to make better decisions as a Christian. More prudent discernment diminishes suffering, even when someone does something sinful like slander me. I still get hurt by things like slander, however, healing is quick and lessons are learned. Thus, I have suffered much being a disciple of Jesus, yet through that suffering, God has made me a much better person, and things have been getting better for me.

   Thus we get to the pinnacle of “C.” Here in the wake of the three big submission passages, we are presented the ultimate submission. We must submit to Jesus as the Lord. We need Jesus as our Lord to be enabled to do good! We need Jesus as our Lord to persevere when people are slandering us for doing good! We need Jesus as our Lord to maintain hope day by day in this world where there is utter suffering; hope that God is going to bring a good result for those of us under His Lordship.

   Before I was a Christian, my path was so different, void of the problems I have had for simply being a follower of Jesus. Yet I now know that the path I traversed being separated from God was leading to disaster. Following Jesus, being under His Lordship, there have been things that have happened to me, even in the past year, that have been hurtful. Yet God keeps bringing good from it. If you follow Jesus, you will encounter suffering that you would not have otherwise. Yet God will bring good from it.

   Earlier in this commentary I discussed the theology of some early Christians, however I think the greatest value of early Christian writings is their preservation of important Christian history! Clement of Alexandria, who was a Christian teacher between approximately 189 A.D. and 202 A.D., quoted this passage of Scripture in his voluminous writings (1), which is of historical significance since it shows the use of this Epistle by an early Christian. Also, thanks to Tertullian we can know we are receiving God’s messages from an apostle who not only wrote about suffering, but who suffered first hand, even to the point of murder. Both Peter (2) and his wife (3) were murdered in Rome because of their ministry work. They are both in heaven now.

   Just as the Apostles were willing to die for their Lord Jesus, among many others including Peter’s wife, may you and I be willing to live for Jesus.
Hunter Irvine

(1) Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson, eds., The Ante-Nicene Fathers; Translations of The Writings of the Fathers Down to A.D. 325 (1885; repr., Grand Rapids: WM. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1979), 2:417.
(2) Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson, eds., The Ante-Nicene Fathers; Translations of The Writings of the Fathers Down to A.D. 325 (1885; repr., Grand Rapids: WM. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1979), 3:350.
(3) Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson, eds., The Ante-Nicene Fathers; Translations of The Writings of the Fathers Down to A.D. 325 (1885; repr., Grand Rapids: WM. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1979), 2:541.

1 Peter 3:8-12

1 Peter 3:8-12    Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech. He must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil” (NIV).

   I mentioned in the last piece how I use to babysit the two greatest kids in the world, a boy and a girl. When they were about three and five, one sunny afternoon we were in the backyard playing t-ball. They had this plastic stand on which we put a plastic baseball, and they would hit it with a plastic baseball bat to myself in the “outfield.” Once when the girl was up to bat, she swung the bat and smacked the ball. Rather than going straight, it went flying at an odd angle and hit the boy in the leg who was simply walking along the grass. It was such a fluke shot that she started laughing, and I chuckled. The boy did not think it was funny. That lad, who is the sweetest boy in the world, got mad, thinking his sister had been aiming at him, and he probably was hurt that we had been laughing at the event. When he got up to bat, he turned his body away from the main “outfield,” and was aiming straight for his sister. As she moved, he kept rotating his body, trying to position himself to hit his sister.

   I went to him, and turned him around so that he was facing the “outfield,” and I told him with sincerity, “Don’t try and hit your sister. It was an accident. She was not trying to hit you.” If she had hit him on purpose, we would have needed a serious time out, and there would have been a call for an apology, and forgiveness.

   When someone does something hurtful to me, my natural reaction is to get revenge. God totally changes my natural reaction. Verse 9 here is explaining the teaching of Jesus in Matthew 5:39, where there is the controversial verse: “If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also”(NIV). I have come to be convicted that Jesus is not a masochist. Rather Jesus was teaching for us not to carry out our natural tendency to get revenge. And in addition, Jesus even teaches that we need to forgive people who do evil which results in us getting hurt. This does not mean that we have to stay in a line of abuse. And we are still permitted to carry out actions which will cease further evil action. Each situation is different and calls for individual discernment.

   Yet Scripture contains the radical message that Christians must live a life that goes against the norms of society. Christianity is not an institution, rather it is a way of life. And that way of life includes becoming more like Jesus, who is good, thus it is a way of life embracing goodness, not evil. Lying, swearing, stealing, malice, deceit; these are all actions that are rampant in our culture, and even backed up with excuses to justify the implantation. Yet they are evil. We followers of Jesus must rely one hundred percent on God to be enabled to be changed so that we do that which is good, which includes our mode of forgiving people; the call of a child of God.

   Also, as others continue to go about doing wrong, we can rest assured, as verse 12 teaches, that God is going to hold people accountable, sooner or later, for the wrong they have done, such as lying, swearing, stealing, malice, and deceit. God is the ultimate judge, and may we followers of Jesus trust His judgment, the same One who has given every person the opportunity to be saved and changed by the atonement Jesus made on the Cross.
Hunter Irvine

1 Peter 3:1-7

1 Peter 3:1-7 Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful. They were submissive to their own husbands, like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her master. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear. Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers (NIV).

   If you came to my room and dug through the boxes in my closet which contain dozens of journals which I have written in over the past fifteen years, you would find many commentaries like this one. In fact the Bible studies and journaling I have done over the past fifteen years have prepared me to do this commentary on 1 Peter. No one has ever read any of those commentaries, no one, yet God used that studying and writing to prepare me for this I Peter commentary which many people are reading. I am honored God has given me such an opportunity to share with others my writing!

   And if you started reading various journals from years past, besides finding Bible commentaries in them, you would also find my repeated prayer requests amidst the journal pages. One consistent prayer request, for long over a decade, has been the desire for a wife. Once when I was a youth pastor in Grand Junction, Colorado, I asked students to name a dream. Going around the room, each student had the opportunity to share a dream that he or she had. I went first, and I stated how my dream to be a youth pastor had come true, and that another dream which had yet to come true was that I wanted to one day be married. That was sixteen years ago. It is a dream which has not even come close to coming true in sixteen years. I learned long ago that being a writer entails being vulnerable, so I go all out and admit that even in my journal notebook of these past four months, there are prayer requests for a girlfriend with the hopes of being married. It is in God’s hands.

   So I have lived many years being “single,” but this passage is not some foreign territory for me, because I have been in a loving covenant relationship with Jesus. And being in such a loving relationship, there is a need to submit. And I have been in loving relationships with dear brothers and sisters in Christ. When you are in such a relationship, there is a need to submit. I have even babysat my friend’s two super duper children. In doing so, I am the adult whom they have to obey, yet in order to be a loving caretaker, there is the need to submit, even to young children. If you think you do not need to submit to children as a loving caretaker, you have never prepared a meal for a three and a five year old. “What’s taking you so long!!” That is a question I have heard more than once from hungry children. The reason for submission in loving relationships is that in a personal loving relationship, there is the desire to share, and sharing involves submitting.

   For example, yesterday I went shopping for a Mother’s Day present for my stepmom. I did not even gain a stepmom until I was an adult, and I live in a different state. Though I talk with my dad much, I hardly ever even talk with my stepmom. But she is my stepmom, and I love her. So yesterday, in a sense I submitted to her, and I spent a small portion of my day shopping for a Mother’s Day gift for her. It did not seem like “submission.” In fact I had a good feeling when I bought her what I thought was a cool gift. If I love someone, and I find a cool gift for them, I am happier purchasing that gift for them than I would be purchasing a cool gift for myself.

   Though many people get derailed by the language of this passage, the message of this passage is straight forward. If you are married, you need to love your spouse, even if he or she is not a follower of Jesus, and in order to love your spouse, you need to submit. Remember to apply the Biblical interpretation rules given by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones. If you did not read my blog entry on 1 Peter 2:13-17, please do. In looking at the spirit rather than the letter here, obviously submission does not mean going along with your spouse if he or she is doing something wrong.  And for a spouse being subject to abuse, there is a need to get outside help immediately!

   And for guys who are reading what Peter is saying to wives, know that the second principle of interpretation goes right alongside the first, with the second being that you need to put the passage in the proper Biblical context. Just as Abraham Lincoln had the correct interpretation by applying the Golden Rule to slavery, likewise the correct interpretation here is to apply the Golden rule to marriage. The Golden Rule: “…do to others what you would have them do to you…”(Matthew 7:12 NIV). Guys, if you think this passage is a divine license to boss around your wife, you are wrong. No sane person likes to be bossed around, so do not boss others around. Some guys would never boss around their business partner. They are a team; they negotiate; they compromise. But then they will boss around their wife. That is not being a loving partner! Yes, men are called to lead households. But neither men nor women are called to be bossy. If you want to know who is the best boss is for your marriage, the Bible exposes that answer. The best boss is God!

   I have a friend who is a great guy, and someone who is utterly devoted to Jesus. He said publically once how his marriage was rough for the first several years, because as a newlywed he committed to the model that he was supposed to be in charge, and that his wife was supposed to submit. Fortunately he learned the error of this model, he sees God as the boss of them both, he better understands his role as a leader, and his marriage now is great. If you want to have a happy marriage, whatever your gender, submit first and foremost to God, and then submit to your spouse. Being single for many years, and being the “Christian guy,” I have had the unique opportunity to see people who have marriage struggles, and they are often rooted in the same problem: selfishness. Do know that all of us need improvement on this. Love involves self-sacrifice. For the willing, God enables.
Hunter Irvine

1 Peter 2:18-25

1 Peter 2:18-25   Slaves, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God. But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls (NIV).

   I consider this to be one of the most important pieces I have ever written, because misinterpretation of this passage has resulted in some Christians supporting horrible human suffering, including in the United States before the victory of the Union in the Civil War.

   Note this epistle passage is addressed to slaves, and no one else. Obviously that means there is a certain context here to adhere to. If you did not read my last blog concerning the principles of interpretation by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, reading that piece will help clarify principles we must apply here. To summarize the first two principles, in my own wording, the first is that we must not get bogged down in semantics, but rather gain the message of the passage. Why? Because semantics are a starting point, not an end point.  They are the means to a goal, not the goal.  For example, if I only focused on the first two words here in this passage, "Slaves, submit," that would be enough to derail me from getting at what Peter is really saying here.  In fact, if I focused on only those two words, I would not learn anything from this letter.

   The second principle is that we must take this passage in the context of the chapter, book, and even the entire Bible. Why? The Bible contains messages inspired by God which were given in specific historical and literary contexts. God’s eternal messages are not bound by context, yet they were given in context, and discernment is needed. Just as Paul gives an analogy of the parts of a body working together for the whole, similarly, the sixty-six books of the Bible, all of which were inspired by God, are like parts of a body. They function as a part of a whole.  Granted there is such a scope of certain books that a person could gain a knowledge of Jesus by just reading that single book.  However, the entire inspired Scripture works as a whole, and that was God's intention.  Thirdly, we must interpret by the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

   So first, the institution of slavery is not endorsed. It may sound like it is off the top, considering that a comparison is made between slavery and the sacrifices made by Jesus. Yet at the same time, Peter is not endorsing “hurling insults.” And Peter is definitely not endorsing murder, though Jesus suffered abuse and was murdered. In fact, Peter states that Jesus entrusted Himself to the Father who “judges justly.” Peter is saying that wrongdoings will be judged.

   The second principle requires us to look at other Scripture. Guess who I think got this one right? Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln’s argument: “…he who would be no slave, must consent to have no slave. Those who deny freedom to others, deserve it not for themselves; and, under a just God, cannot long retain it”(1). The reasoning fits the teaching of Jesus, who said, “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 7:12 NIV). No sane person wants to be a slave, therefore no person should enslave another human being! To do so is going against the teaching of Jesus that used to be well known as “the Golden Rule.”

   In my country, the United States of America, before and during the Civil War, there were some Christians who misinterpreted this passage. Two examples are Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, and Leonidas Polk, an Episcopal Bishop. Both served as generals in the Confederate military.

   I recommend the classic movie The Robe. The movie shows how an evil cylinder in the machine of the Roman Empire was slavery. Peter was never supporting slavery. He was simply telling slaves to be witnesses for Christ even when in the horrible circumstance of being a slave. You can see that played out in The Robe.

   I close with a quote from Abraham Lincoln, who made this statement a few days after signing the “Emancipation Proclamation,” in response to a sick joke: “It is a momentous thing to be the instrument under Providence for the liberation of a race”(2). May we Christians be reminded from this passage that all people, the human race, have been made in the image of God, and that all people have sinned. All of us human beings need Jesus, the Savior and Good Shepherd, and we blessed children of God sometimes do need to suffer as we witness the love of Christ to those who are lost. Jesus commands us all to love our fellow human beings (Matthew 12:29-31), and that entails enslaving no one!

Hunter Irvine

(1) Ralph Newman, ed., Lincoln for the Ages (Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday and Company, Inc., 1960), 279-280.

(2) Ralph Newman, ed., Lincoln for the Ages (Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday and Company, Inc., 1960), 235.

1 Peter 2:13-17

1 Peter 2:13-17  Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.  For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men.  Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.  Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king (NIV).

          We have reached a new section in this text which contains a word which many deem to be controversial: “submit.”  There really is no controversy here, rather a need for careful interpretation.  I will take the three “submit” points one at a time, yet before I do, I introduce all three with two principles of interpretation given by the minister Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones in his classic book on the Sermon on the Mount.  Principle one of Biblical interpretation: “… no part of this Sermon can be understood truly except in the light of the whole”(1).  He is specifying the Sermon on the Mount, yet the principle applies to the entire Bible.  When studying a passage of the Bible, you need to take a verse in the context of the passage, a passage in the context of the chapter, and the chapter in the context of the book, and the book within the context of the entire Bible.

          Second principle of Biblical interpretation: “… never consider the letter apart from the spirit”(2).  Dr. Lloyd-Jones states earlier on, “I do feel constantly the need to warn myself and everybody else against becoming so immersed in the mechanics of Scripture that we miss its message”(3).  Now Dr. Lloyd-Jones had much more to saying about interpreting the Bible, and others have obviously given some important points of Biblical interpretation, but I think these are two key points. Scripture was not given in a vacuum, rather it was given in human history contexts, and in different literary styles.  This is a critical point.  Neglecting to apply what is called “exegesis,” which is “… the careful historical, literary, and theological analysis of a text”(4), will lead to misinterpretation.  And more than anything, not putting Scripture into the context of the book that it is in will cause misinterpretation.

       I think Dr. Lloyd-Jones makes a wonderful musical presentation analogy in that chapter.  There is a certain art in listening to the messages of God in Scripture.  And any Bible artist needs assistance from the Holy Spirit.  This is a third principle of Biblical interpretation!  Just as Jesus enlightened the two disciples who were on the road to Emmaus in Luke 24:27, we folks need the Spirit of Christ to enlighten us.  So as we began this section, I truly say, “Help me Holy Spirit.”

          What do we have here in this passage?  It is a general statement.  The point really is not that people are supposed to go around giving allegiance to horrible leaders as well as good leaders.  Let us interpret this passage in the context of the Bible.  In the Old Testament, God had originally determined for the Israelites to be ruled by judges.  It was only because the people cried out to Samuel to have a king like other nations that God permitted them to have a king.  And God warned them of the negative consequences, which took place as He said they would.  Kings of Israel and Judah were usually bad.  Most of the kings did evil, whereas only a few kings did good.

          And how about those Roman emperors who persecuted Christians.  It was horrible.  And there have been numerous evil leaders since.  Then in the century of my birth, there was one of the most evil leaders in human history.  And now here in this day and age, you have people like me who advocate republics like our great United States of America where there is democracy, and who renounce kingships and dictatorships altogether.

          Two thousand years ago, Peter was not denying that there had been bad rulers in the history of humanity, and he was not saying that Roman emperors were God’s gift to mankind.  He is saying that as a general principle, people need to submit to authority, authority which keeps sin in check.  My country is the U.S.  I have never been to a town in the U.S. that did not have police officers or a sheriff.  In our country where we are blessed to have so many freedoms, without the support of such authority, there would be horrible results.  Any country which has a civil government is a country where there is the potential for goodness to be bestowed to the citizens.

          Christians are to be first and foremost citizens of the kingdom of heaven.  However, we are still supposed to be concerned with what is going on in the world.  In the Lord’s Prayer, we say, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”  God’s intention is not for Christians to bail out of civil society, rather Christians should be model citizens, respecting authority rather than rebelling against authority in general.

          Back around 1995, my friend was working on a PhD at Cornell University.  He is a great Christian man, and he was in a wonderful fellowship with a small group of fellow Christian graduate students, men and women.  I visited him one weekend, and I attended his church that Sunday.  The minister preached on Romans 13:1-7, and I thought his sermon was exceptional.  He made the specific point that Christians are to obey rulers unless the rulers make laws that prohibit expressing the Gospel, which was a specific instruction of Jesus.  That is why Christians can smuggle Bibles into various countries.  I agree, but I would take it even further saying that any laws that go against any of the teachings of Jesus do not need to be obeyed.  The reason is that Paul in Romans, and Peter here in his epistle, were never advocating that anyone needs to submit to an evil ruler or laws that require sinful actions.  They are giving a general principle that Christians are not to make church laws their binding legal principles, and then scoff at secular laws.  Under the persecution that the early Church faced, there was a need to often go underground.  Look what ended up happening to the author of this epistle.  Peter was crucified by the Roman government!  Yet Peter is clearly teaching that Christians are not to bail out on the world!  In fact, Christians who are so passionate should even participate in civil government.

          Near the end of this verse, Peter mentions the importance of the brotherhood of believers.  Church communities are important!  Likewise, we Christians are called to be lights in the world.  There is a time for Christian conclaves, and there is a time to be out there in the thick of it.
Hunter Irvine

(1)            D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones Studies in the Sermon on the Mount: One Volume Edition (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1971), 22.
(2)            D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones Studies in the Sermon on the Mount: One Volume Edition (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1971), 29.
(3)            D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones Studies in the Sermon on the Mount: One Volume Edition (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1971), 21.
(4)            Michael Gorman Elements of Biblical Exegesis; A Basic Guide for Students and Ministers (Peabody, Massachusetts.: Hendrickson Publishers, 2001), 8.