1 Peter 3:8-22 “Return With a Blessing”

This scripture strangely reminds me of a course in 17^th Century English Lit I took as an undergrad. I had a professor who would tease the students in his lecture by saying “finally” and then proceed to speak for another hour. In fact, during that hour he might say “finally” a few more times just to wake us up again! We would perk up in our seats and hope that this “finally” would “finally” be final.

The first word of our text today is “finally” despite the fact that it appears almost dead-center in the Peter’s letter and that there are two more chapters to go. It is like reading a novel, seeing “the end,” but then having to read the next few chapters to really finish.

I think that this is not well translated. The literal translation should read “at the end,” and seems more to be another reference by Peter to the end time itself. I would rather translate this as “in these final times.” That really changes the emphasis of what comes next.

To be sure, what comes next is the line “have unity of spirit.” The Greek here is “homophrones,” meaning more “be of a single mind.” The King James’ version of the Bible uses the term “single minded.” I like this translation better. So, at the end of days, be single minded. Jesus is coming again. The world as we know it will no longer be. The Kingdom of God will be established. Keep acutely focused on these things.

The Great Christian theologian and author CS Lewis wrote in his work Mere Christianity: “If you read history you will find that the Christians who did the most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next. . . .” In other words, if we were to truly focus right now on the notion that Jesus will be coming this morning, or at the latest this evening, in order to usher in the Kingdom of God in this place, then we have but one thing to say: FINALLY! Now we can read the rest of what Peter is trying to say to us!

This is how we are supposed to live: with sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Peter then goes on to quote a Psalm that lifts up these very ideals. This would be Psalm 34. It is amazing always to note that Peter is a simple fisherman from Galilee, but he seems so able to just pull Psalms and Prophets right off the top of his head. You see, we are not even sure that Peter could read and write, and if he could, Greek would be his second language, but here he is able to quote Hebrew Scripture perfectly in Greek.

If you look at the very end of this letter, chapter 5, verse 12, you will see that Peter has actually written this letter by the hand of Silvanus. John Mark also serves as a scribe to Peter, so that the Gospel of Mark is really Peter’s words transcribed by Mark.

Still, Peter is able to remember this Psalm and reproduce it perfectly for his letter. I want us to just quickly head back to that reference in our own bibles now so that we can see the super title that is at the head of that Psalm: “A Psalm of David, when he feigned madness before Abimelech, so that he drove him out, and he went away.”

The reference is when David fled from Saul, who was trying to kill him, and found refuge with the enemies of Saul, the Philistines in Gath. Soon the soldiers there became wary of having their sworn enemy living there in the royal house, and they confronted the Philistine King about this. In order to be perceived not as a threat, the future King of Israel (David) rolled around in the dirt like a crazy man and let drool drip in his beard. You can read all this in 1 Samuel 21.

The reference then becomes clear: If you can act this crazy as a Christian believer in Christ, then perhaps the world will actually leave you alone. Your would-be enemies will not see you as a threat! See Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 18, “. . .for the Word of the Cross is foolishness to those who are perishing. . . .”

Peter takes this idea one step further in verse 15. Okay, be a little bit crazy—for that is really super clever to confuse those who would speak against Jesus with you, but then also be ready to defend your faith: “Always be prepared to make a defense to those who call you to account for your hope that is in you. . . .”

I have another textual note that I have to add to this: the word for “defense” here in the Greek is “apologos,” from whence we get the word “apologetics.” We get the English word “apology” from this Greek word. Yet, we are not to apologize for being Christians. That is not what is being called for here. The word “apologos” means merely to “take from the Word of God.” “Apo” = “from.” “Logos” = “Word.”

Also, the word here “prepare” is “etoimoazo” in the Greek. This is the exact same word that is used to prepare a meal for instance. The other day I did not know what to eat for lunch. I opened up the cabinet and saw a can of ravioli. It had one of those pull tops on it. So, I popped the top and slammed it onto a plate and warmed it up. Likewise, when people challenge you on being a Christian, I want you to be able to open up your cabinet of responses, pop the top, and cook up a good answer for why you believe in Jesus. That is what Peter is suggesting here. Be ready to respond to doubters. Learn your apologetics. Have key scriptures and examples from your life ready to cook up when needed.

Let me give you an example from when Helen and I were missionaries in Thailand. I think the number one thing that non-Christians there would ask is “Is not your God just another name for the Buddhist understanding of karma?” For those of you who may not be familiar with the concept of karma, in its simplest form it is merely the notion that if you do good, you will get good. Likewise if you do bad, you will get bad.” “Tam di, dy di. Tam bap, dy bap” in Thai. That is really how most people live their daily lives in that country. If they do good, it is because there is an expectation of getting good in return.

So, as a Christian missionary there, I had a cooked-up response to that: What if someone has already done good to you? What should you do? Should you not return that goodness? But, what if the person who did good to you actually died for you? They sacrificed themselves that you might live. What would you owe someone who died for you? Now insert the name of “Jesus” here! This was a pre-cooked, prepared, apologetic.

Here on Kauai in our day, what is the apologetic that we might need most? What is the argument against Jesus here and now? If you have not heard this before, then praise God in heaven above for sure! “Christians are a bunch of judgmental, intolerant, elitists with overt political ambitions to run roughshod over our democracy! After all, all religions are the same, so why do Christians think they are so much better?” Tell me you have not heard some form of that in your discussions with others!

Then, we have pastors who will stand up in public and openly pray that Hawaii become the first fully Christian nation. I will just add my two cents here: If we truly believe that Jesus is coming this morning, then why would we waste our time and energy in what would surely turn into another Spanish Inquisition? I am looking forward to the Kingdom of God—not another pseudo-religious caliphate like they have in Iran!

But, an apologetic needs to be offered to unbelievers. This is how I answer: All religions are not alike. Unfortunately those differences have led to regrettable violence on our planet. Jesus in his ministry called for peace; he is in fact the “Prince of Peace.” In what is called today the Great Commandment, Jesus calls us to even “love our enemies.” That is from His Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5:44.

As an aside to this apologetic, this is also what Peter is saying in our scripture for today! Verse 11, “seek peace.”

As for perceived judgmentalism and intolerance, Christians truly hold that it is Jesus alone who can judge what is right and wrong. One day we will stand before his throne and the books will be opened about our lives (Rev. 20). I remember another pastor’s favorite phrase was “God will getya for that!” We believe that God really does see our lives as we are living them and that we are in a relationship with someone who will in the end, finally, bring justice to our lives. We believe in the goodness of God and that justice one day will reign down upon the earth. Hopefully that will cause us to look sincerely at our own lives and determine where we stand with God.

The last thing that Peter mentions in this chapter is his discussion of baptism. He relates it to Noah and the Ark! If you were baptized by immersion, can you imagine the pastor dunking you under, realizing that you are not ready to be saved in that moment, and letting you go under the water? In Noah’s time, therefore, only the eight people of Noah’s family had the faith to be brought back up after the baptism of the world by the flood. Peter is using a kind of crazy metaphor, no?

He notes that in the case of baptism, it is not the cleansing away of all of the dirt that we have in our lives. Read verse 21. It is rather an “appeal to God for a clear conscience—through the Resurrection of Jesus.” It is being brought through the flood that is at the end of time. Finally. Finally we are saved!

Just like you cannot baptize yourself, guess what? You cannot save yourself unto heaven. Only through another body can your eternal life be saved. Jesus is not just your judge, He is your savior as well. He looks at everything in your life and decides still in your favor. He still wants you to be in His Kingdom! So, Jesus brings you back up from baptism. All of our evil is covered by the blessing of Jesus! Finally in the end.

I am done finally for real

Amen.