IF YOU ARE REVILED
FOR THE NAME OF CHRIST: ei oneidizesthe (2PPPI) en onomati Christou: (1Peter
2:19,20;
3:14,16) (4,5;
Ps 49:9;
89:51;
Isa 51:7;
Mt 5:11;
Lu 6:22;
Jn 7:47-52;
8:48;
Jn
9:28,34;
2Co 12:10) (for
the name:
Nu11:25,26;
2 Ki2:15;
Is11:2)
See discussion of persecution of believers in notes on
Matthew 5:10-12
If is the marker
of what is known as a first class conditional which simply means that
what follows is presumed to be true. It can be translated therefore as
"since this is true". Trials will come for His sake and we
need to remember that we are sharing suffering with Him, which is but
a prelude to the glory that we will share at His coming.
Reviled
(3679)
(oneidizo from óneidos = reproach) means to assail with
abusive words, slander, revile, falsely accuse or to speak
disparagingly of a person in manner not justified, to find fault in a
way that demeans the other, to mock, to heap insults upon as a way of
shaming.
Oneidizo “to cast into
the teeth,” as in “hurling an insult.” It means that Christians can
expect to be made the butt of public jokes and open ridicule.
Oneidizo refers to
especially strong verbal abuse which is interesting because the Jewish
culture at that time considered verbal abuse to be extremely vicious.
The Jewish rabbis even considered reviling to be as evil as idolatry,
fornication, and bloodshed all combined! Why so serious? Because by
the defamation of one's character the victim would lose his or her
place in the community and, according to the circumstance of that day,
almost the possibility of continuing their life. The insulting word
itself was believed to have a power of its own.
Oneidizo can be
translated “say evil about”, “say you are bad”. In West Africa there
is an idiom, “to spoil your name” which is very appropriate in this
context.
You can tell your unsaved friends that you are Baptist, a
Presbyterian, a Methodist, or even an agnostic, and there will be no
opposition; but tell them you love Jesus Christ, He is your Lord & He
alone is the Way, the Truth & the Life —bring Christ’s name &
exclusive claims into the conversation—and things will start to
happen. Our authority is in the name of Jesus, and Satan hates that
name. Every time we are reproached for the name of Christ, we have the
opportunity to bring glory to that name. The world may speak against
His name, but we will so speak and live that His name will be honored
and God will be pleased.
Spurgeon said:
''You
set your heart aflame with the Word of God and man shall come and
watch you burn.''
G. Campbell Morgan said:
''It
is a very remarkable thing that the church of Christ persecuted has
been the church of Christ pure. The church of Christ patronized has
always been the church of Christ impure.''
Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna, was martyred on Saturday, 23rd February,
A.D. 155. The proconsul gave him the choice of cursing the name of
Christ and making sacrifice to Caesar or death. "Eighty and six years
have I served him and he has done me no wrong. How can I blaspheme my
King who saved me?" The proconsul threatened him with burning, and
Polycarp replied: "You threaten me with the fire that burns for a
time, and is quickly quenched, for you do not know the fire which
awaits the wicked in the judgment to come and in everlasting
punishment. Why are you waiting? Come, do what you will." “I have
respect for your age,” said the Roman officer. “Simply say, ‘Away with
the atheists!’ and be set free.” By “the atheists” he meant the
Christians who would not acknowledge that Caesar was “lord.” The old
man pointed to the crowd of Roman pagans surrounding him, and cried,
“Away with the atheists!” He was burned at the stake and in his
martyrdom brought glory to the name of Jesus Christ.
First Century believers were falsely accused of such blasphemies as
being cannibals (body & blood of Christ), sexual orgies (love
feasts), destroyers of families (families often split over), atheists
(would not worship images), politically disloyal insurrectionists
(would not say "Caesar is lord"), incendiaries: people who would start
fires (to end of the world).
YOU ARE
BLESSED: makarioi: (1 Ki 10:8;
Ps 32:1,2;
146:5;
Js 1:12;
5:11)
The translators
added "you are" (there is no verb in the Greek) so it should read "if
you are reviled for the name of Christ, Blessed!"
which sounds even better!
Note the
qualifying statement - for the name of Christ.
Blessed
(3107)
(makarios) (Click for in depth word study of
makarios) means fully satisfied no matter
the circumstances. This means that in the hour of greatest trial there
is a great consolation. In great suffering on earth there is great
support from heaven. You may think now that you will not be able to
bear it. But if you are Christ's you will be able to bear it, because
he will come to you and rest upon you.
Jesus taught that suffering for
Him conferred a blessing on the one suffering...
Blessed are you when men
cast
insults at you, and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil
against you falsely, on account of Me. (see note
Matthew 5:11)
BECAUSE THE
SPIRIT OF GLORY AND OF GOD RESTS
UPON YOU: hoti to tes doxes kai to tou theou
pneuma eph humas anapauetai (3SPMI): (Acts 13:45;
18:6;
2Pe 2:2) (1Peter
2:12;
3:16;
Mt 5:16;
Gal 1:24;
2 Th 1:10-12)
Spirit of
glory God stands with his martyrs. The Holy Spirit ministers
special grace.
Compare this description with Stephen's countenance when confronted by the stares of the ruling
religious leaders
And fixing their gaze on him, all
who were sitting in the Council saw his face like the face of an
angel...54 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the quick, and
they began gnashing their teeth at him. 55 But being full of the Holy
Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and
Jesus standing at the right hand of God; 56 and he said, "Behold, I
see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right
hand of God." (Acts 6:15, 7:54, 55, 56)
While men gnash and blaspheme, the martyr Stephen's Spirit endued
serenity glorifies his Father in heaven. The wondrous work of God's
Spirit empowers us to move through persecution in a God honoring
manner, even as He did the martyr Stephen. The "spirit of glory and of
God" was resting upon Stephen so that he brought great glory to God on
his behalf. This likewise is God's desire for our lives when He allows
us the privilege of suffering for Him.
Rests
(373)
(anapauo) is found in a manuscript of 103 b.c. as a technical term in
agriculture. The writer speaks of a farmer resting his land by sowing
light crops upon it. He relieved the land of the necessity of
producing heavy crops, and thus gave it an opportunity to recuperate
its strength.
The word
anapauo is used in Mt 11:28 where our Lord says,
Come
unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you
rest,” (Literally “and I will rest you.”)
In Matthew 11:28 our Lord causes the
sinner who comes to Him to cease from his own efforts at carrying his
load of guilt and suffering, taking it upon Himself, allowing the
believer in his new life powers to function as a child of God.
In our
First Peter passage, the Holy Spirit rests and refreshes the believer
in the sense that He takes over the saint’s battle with sin and the
heretofore futile effort at living a life pleasing to God, by giving
him victory over the evil nature whose power was broken the moment God
saved him, and by producing in his life His own fruit.
The Spirit of
the Glory, even the Spirit of God, is resting with refreshing power
upon the child of God, causing him to live a life which pleases God
and toward which the world hurls its venom and hate.
The Holy Spirit rests upon the reviled Christian much as the Shekinah
(Shekinah
glory cloud)
rested on the Tabernacle in the wilderness and later on Solomon's
Temple.
The Holy Spirit will help you die if that is what you are called to do
He will stand by you when there is no one else. He will sustain your
faith. He will give you glimpses of glory as He did Stephen as he was
being stoned (see above). He will cause you to magnify Christ in your
death. Courage which you never thought was possible will be yours. The
Spirit of glory and of God will rest upon you and carry you home.
This grand truth of the Spirit's help in death is illustrated by the story of
Thomas Hauker (England, 1555) who was appointed by God to die for
His faith...
"Thomas", his friend lowered his voice so as not to be heard
by the guard. "I have to ask you a favor. I need to know if what the
others say about the grace of God is true. Tomorrow, when they burn
you at the stake, if the pain is tolerable and your mind is still at
peace, lift your hands above your head. Do it right before you die.
Thomas I HAVE to know."
Thomas Hauker whispered to his friend, "I
will."
The next morning, Hauker was bound to the stake and the fire
was lit. The fire burned a long time, but Hauker remained motionless.
His skin was burnt to a crisp and his fingers were gone. Everyone
watching supposed he was dead. Suddenly, miraculously, Hauker lifted
his hands, still on fire, over his head. He reached them up to the
living God and then, with great rejoicing, clapped them together three
times. The people there broke into shouts of praise and applause. Hauker's friend had his answer."
Peter is saying that suffering
Christians do not have to wait for heaven in order to experience His
glory. Through the Holy Spirit, they can have the glory now. This
explains how martyrs like Thomas Hauker could sing praises to God
while bound in the midst of blazing flames (a literal "fiery
ordeal"!). It also explains how persecuted Christians (and there are
many in today’s world - see
Voice of the Martyrs)
can go to prison and to death without complaining or resisting their
captors.
When the three
Hebrew children went into the fiery furnace, they had faith that God
could deliver them.
Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego
answered and said to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to
give you an answer concerning this matter. 17 "If it be so, our God
whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire;
and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. 18 "But even if
He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to
serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up." 19
Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with wrath, and his facial expression
was altered toward Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego. He answered by
giving orders to heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually
heated. ... 24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astounded and stood up
in haste; he responded and said to his high officials, "Was it not
three men we cast bound into the midst of the fire?" They answered and
said to the king, "Certainly, O king."25 He answered and said, "Look!
I see four men loosed and walking about in the midst of the fire
without harm, and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the
gods!" (Da 3:16-19,24-25 ).
Jehovah not only delivered them,
but He walked through the fire with them! And remember what
Hebrews 13:8 (see note)
says...
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday
and today and forever
Corrie ten Boom tells how she worried as a girl whether she would be
able to stand against the Germans if she was threatened. She felt so
weak when she thought about what might happen. Her father, I think it
was, gave her a great illustration. He said, "When you are going to
take a journey on the train, do I give you your ticket three weeks
early or just as you get on the train?" She answered, "As I get on the
train." "So God will give you the special strength you need to be
strong in the face of death just when you need it, not before."
Dying grace for dying days.
Multi-colored grace (see note
1 Peter 4:10) for
multi-colored trials (see notes
1 Peter 1:6)
John Piper's expresses his heart on this passage for his church:
I pray that you will remember the words of this message. The Spirit
will help you die. He will stand by you when there is no one else. He
will sustain your faith. He will give you glimpses of glory [Ed: as He
did Stephen as he was being stoned (Acts 7:56)]. He will cause you to
magnify Christ in your death. Courage which you never thought was
possible will be yours. The Spirit of glory and of God will rest upon
you and carry you home. (The
Holy Spirit Will Help You Die)
William
MacDonald has an interesting thought to ponder:
We know that the Spirit indwells every true child of God, but He rests
in a special way upon those who are completely committed to the cause
of Christ. They know the presence and power of the Spirit of God as
others do not." (MacDonald,
W. and Farstad,
A.
Believer's Bible Commentary : Old
and New Testaments. Nashville: Thomas Nelson)
