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 h-ll, 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, h-ll, 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.