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Okay we left off last week in Chapter 4 at verse 17 where Peter said:
1st Peter 5.7
November 22nd 2015
Meat
17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
And then he says something rather remarkable
18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?
19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.
The context is obviously the wrapping up of that age and the fulfillment of all that Jesus described to the apostles in Matthew 24 and 25.
This context has caused Peter to say that
. . . the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
Contextually, Peter is speaking of them and to them. “For the time is come that judgement must begin at the house of God (what I believe is a combination of any and all things that sought Him) and if it first begin with us,” Peter says, “what shall be the end of them that (the King James says)
“obey not the Gospel” but other translations say what shall be the end of them
“reject the Good News” and
“are not under the rule of God.”
All through the Old and New Testament there are predictions and descriptions of judgment coming upon the House of Israel.
In very apocalyptic language the Lord says in
Jeremiah 25:29 “For behold, I begin to bring calamity on the city which is called by My name, and should you be utterly unpunished? You shall not be unpunished, for I will call for a sword on all the inhabitants of the earth,” says the LORD of hosts.’
30 “Therefore prophesy against them all these words, and say to them: ‘The LORD will roar from on high, And utter His voice from His holy habitation; He will roar mightily against His fold. He will give a shout, as those who tread the grapes, Against all the inhabitants of the earth.
31 A noise will come to the ends of the earth-For the LORD has a controversy with the nations; He will plead His case with all flesh. He will give those who are wicked to the sword,’ says the LORD.”
Jeremiah 49:12 adds “For thus says the LORD: “Behold, those whose judgment was not to drink of the cup have assuredly drunk. And are you the one who will altogether go unpunished? You shall not go unpunished, but you shall surely drink of it.”
We read the prophetic words of such destruction in Ezekiel 9:4-7 where the Lord says to him:
“Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it.”
To the others He said in my hearing, “Go after him through the city and kill; do not let your eye spare, nor have any pity.
“Utterly slay old and young men, maidens and little children and women; but do not come near anyone on whom is the mark; and begin at My sanctuary.” So they began with the elders who were before the temple.
Then He said to them, “Defile the temple, and fill the courts with the slain. Go out!” And they went out and killed in the city.”
Looking out and forward Malachi 3:5 has the Lord say:
“And I will come near you for judgment; I will be a swift witness Against sorcerers, Against adulterers, Against perjurers, Against those who exploit wage earners and widows and orphans, And against those who turn away an alien-Because they do not fear Me,” Says the LORD of hosts.”
We then have a four hundred year period of silence which, when broken, opens with John the Baptist crying:
Matthew 3:10 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
Jesus Himself said to the actual City of Capernaum (Luke 10:14)
“But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you.”
Judgement was coming. So eminent and pressing that Peter said:
. . . the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
It is interesting that in Luke’s account the Lord, in describing the end times, said something similar. He said
“Then they will begin ‘to say to the mountains, “Fall on us!” and to the hills, “Cover us! For if they do these things when the tree is green, what will be done when the tree is dry?”
To me He is saying if those who are part of the living (the Green Tree) are saying this what will the judgment be like for those who are dead (the Dry tree)?
Peter is saying the same thing in my opinion. But he poses a question that needs to be answered:
“What shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
The word of end here is “telos” – and it can mean the end at the end of the goal, the result, the point aimed at as a limit. It could mean the ultimate end or it could mean the end of a period.
I am convinced that Peter is talking about the physical end of the material House of Israel and those Children of Israel that have rejected the Good News of God.
What will be their end?
What was it? Death. It was physical death. Judgment fell and all the warnings were about dying an insufferable physical death.
Even Jesus, when he said to the Pharisees,
in Matthew 23:33, “Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?”
The Greek is, “How will you escape the judgement of Gehenna?” which was a physical trash heap, unclean to the max, where the dead Jews would be cast.
Most of the words of encouragement given by Paul and Peter and James include something about the believers in that day ESCAPING this final wipe-out of utter physical death and destruction.
Then Peter adds another amazing line at verse 18, saying:
18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?
We have some decisions to make. If Peter is referring to the righteous scarcely being saved physically that opens up one discussion. If Peter is talking about the righteous scarcely being saved spiritually that is a whole different conversation, isn’t it?
So we have to ask, is there biblical support that all of us, believers made righteous by Christ, are scarcely saved spiritually?
In light of all the passages that suggest that Christ has more than abundantly secured our salvation I would say that to think Peter is talking about spiritual salvation would be a mistake.
Admittedly the Greek word SODZO is used here for saved but that word is used in a number of different ways to describe any sort of saving – physical or spiritual.
Therefore, looking at the context, I think that Peter is speaking of the righteous scarcely escaping physical death in that day and age.
But the question remains, why would the righteous scarcely escape physical death with God being on their side?
The Greek for scarcely is Molis and it means with or through a lot of work, in other words,
“And if the righteous are only saved through a lot of effort . . .”
And the word implies that there is some difficulty present so that the righteous being saved came very close to not happening or there was a lot of risk associated with it happening.
We tend to read a lot into the provision and protection God gives believers in the area of physical protection.
I wonder about it for a few reasons.
First, there are examples in the Bible where it appears that the heavens are limited in how they can interfere with the things of this Kingdom.
When speaking of the final judgment Jesus speaks in terms of urgent action on behalf of believers in order to escape death.
Matthew 24:16 Jesus says in His description of the last days of the age:
16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:
17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:
18 Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.
When angels use the term quickly in their messages to Man – like “Go quickly”
I get the impression that heavenly beings are working stealthily and/or in an around time and space to out maneuver enemies of darkness.
For instance in Acts 12:7 we read of an angel helping Peter escape from prison and we read
“And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands.”
Again, Paul says that while he was visiting Jerusalem he was in a trance and
Acts 22:18 says
“And saw him saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.”
This all intimates the idea that in biblical times believers were constantly at risk and had to act quickly in order to be saved from troubles.
Paul says in 1st Thessalonians 2:18
“Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us.”
It is interesting that Daniel was told by an Angel in 10:12-13
“Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words.
But the prince of the kingdom of Persia (could have been a literal Prince or an evil angel) withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.”
Whomever it was that hindered the angel – man or another angel – the heavenly angel was hindered and there was a delay on his part to reach Daniel’s side.
I say all of this to show that it does not seem to be the case, at least in biblical times, that God could operate freely to protect and save us.
There seems to have been a need for human beings to respond appropriately or things could go seriously wrong, other wise why the instructions to go quickly etc?
However, I’m not so sure that God’s hand is restricted or that angels must dodge around interferences since Christ overcame sin, death and put all things (including Satan) under his feet.
To me, contextually speaking, it appears that He is in TOTAL control, having had total victory, and therefore there is no chess-playing between the heavens, earth and dark forces.
So while Satan may be permitted to continue to tempt God decides it all, and every individual must choose to react and respond . . . or not.
Anyways, that’s how I see the first line of the verse that Peter presents: “And if the righteous scarcely be saved,” . . . but what about the remainder of the verse where the King James says, “And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?”
That’s a fumbling line to me. Other versions don’t make it much clearer though.
1Pe 4:18 (TCNT what will become of the godless and the sinful?’
1Pe 4:18 (WEB) what will happen to the ungodly and the sinner?”
1Pe 4:18 (YLT) the ungodly and sinner–where shall he appear?
1Pe 4:18 (BBE) what chance has the man without religion or the sinner?
The thought about “where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear” seems to be in relation to the righteous scarcely being saved (and since they are nonetheless “saved” that means they will exist or appear or “be seen” somewhere) and if this happens scarcely, where will the ungodly be seen (or appear) or be seen.
The answer is they won’t. Because I believe this passage is speaking of those people then who would or would not be saved from physical destruction I think Peter is saying that the Godless will not appear or be seen as protected. In other words they will not be saved so therefore they will not appear or be seen by anyone. They will be unprotected, unsaved, and therefore dead.
What is interesting to me is the way some commentators explain this line.
One says
“No one can be saved without effort, and in fact the righteous are saved only by constant and strenuous effort on their part. But the wicked make no effort for their own salvation. They make use of no means for it; they put forth no exertions to obtain it; they do not make it a part of their plan of life.”
I think we need to spend just a second to try and understand this once again because it appears even the most scholarly mess it up.
I would agree that those who are saved put forth effort toward their ultimate redemption.
Just as the believers of the New Testament were told by Jesus that when threats to their survival fell on them there were certain things they should and should not do, remember?
16 Then let them (which be in Judaea) flee into the mountains:
17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:
18 Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.
Again, for them to be materially saved from physical destruction as believers they were under orders from Christ on what to do and what not to do.
I think we can assume that if those who were in Judea refused to flee into the mountains they could expect to die and therefore NOT be saved.
So, the question is, for us today, believers who are not facing an eminent physical demise, are we, as the commentator said,
“saved only by constant and strenuous effort on our part?”
Again, if they were, we are too. I don’t think we can get around it. “Once saved always saved” did NOT exist for the early believers in Jerusalem (in other words if they did not do as they were told they would have been destroyed by the Romans even though they knew the truth) so “once saved always saved” could not reasonably carry forward to us today.
There are expectations for believers following regenerations. To ignore them would be akin to a Christian in the first church ignoring the expectations and directives of the Jesus and the Apostles on how to remain until His coming.
But here is the key – LISTEN – this is key.
Believers today must realize that they meet the expectations placed on all believers “by dying and not doing.”
We surrender our will and fleshly ways to the will of God by the Spirit and in this way are equipped to do the things expected of us as followers of the King.
In Philippians 2:12 Paul wrote:
“Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”
A passage like this seems to support the bible commentators stance that believers are
“saved only by constant and strenuous effort on their part.”
But in the very next verse Paul adds (LISTEN)
(verse 13) “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.”
Isn’t that radical? On the one hand the first verse reminds us that there are expectations placed upon those who have been spirit-filled through Christ Jesus.
But on the other hand the second verse makes it very clear that the only way for those expectation to be meet is through God – which means every one of us have to learn to “die daily” to our will, and get the heck out of the way so He can operate.
Peter’s last verse in this chapter underscores this principle bringing it all together by saying:
19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.
Let’s break it down:
“Wherefore,” In light of all I have said . . .
“let them that suffer according to the will of God . . .”
Let those who have submitted to Him and His will which is often synonymous with suffering of the will and flesh for Him and his causes . . .
“let them that suffer according to the will of God . . .”
THEN
“Commit the keeping of their souls to him.”
Here is our part – here is where we commit and choose to keep our minds, wills and emotions in His will and care.
What’s another way of describing this? I think we could call this, “working out our own salvation with fear and trembling.”
We have purposely committed the keeping of our soul in Him.
(AGAIN) “Wherefore . . . let them that suffer according to the will of God . . . . commit the keeping of their souls to him . . . in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.
How or by what means do we keep the commitment of the keeping of our souls to Him?
“In well doing.”
Are we working to keep our salvation? No.
Are we earning God’s love? No.
Are we well doing to keep FROM losing our salvation. No.
LISTEN . . .
Those who are suffering in the flesh are ceasing from sin.
We are ceasing from sin because we are putting Him and His will ahead of our own.
We put Him and His will ahead of our own because we have committed our souls to Him and His care.
And as a result we do good which is a by product of totally allowing Him to work in and through us.
So WE are not keeping our goodness alive by well doing as a means to insure our salvation.
We are taking up our cross, following Him to Golgotha, being crucified, dying daily, and then rising to new life, realizing that it is a New Spirit (of God) that has raised us to New Life and instead of taking the reigns and struggling to make our salvation sure, we let go of the reigns of flesh and let the Holy Spirit direct.
This will ALWAYS wind up with believers being involved in well doing.
Get it?
What makes it a cumbersome topic is that it is ALWAYS a matter of choice – dying to self and flesh or living to God and Spirit.
But its not a choice to strain and strive and work and labor – it’s a choice to die and get out of the way.
This caveat makes all the difference in understanding how to meet the NT expectations laid out for believers.
In my estimation we tend, as believers today, to gravitate either toward a place of either focusing on “faith alone” or “works based” salvation.
Unquestionably, the entire Christian soteriological description is:
We are saved
by grace
through faith
to love
by suffering
as Christ
according to the Spirit.
Of late I have been sorting through Matthew 24 – a chapter we are all familiar with as in chapter 23 Jesus rips the heck out of the Pharisees and Scribes, and pretty much tells them their whole future is over and then we open chapter 24 with Jesus telling his Apostles that the magnificent temple was going to be leveled.
A few verses later Peter, James, John and Andrew come to the Lord and ask Him three questions while on the Mount of Olives:
First, when shall these things be?
Second, what shall be the sign of thy coming, and
Third, what shall be the sign of the end of the age?
All of chapter 24 is dedicated to His response.
But then at chapter 25, in the same setting (the Mount of Olives) and continuing on the same subject Jesus describe “the Kingdom of Heaven” as it would be at his taking the throne.
Now, remember, in Matthew 13 Jesus took the time then to describe the Kingdom of Heaven. Remember?
The chapter begins with Jesus teaching the parable of the Sower, where the word (like a seed) falls on wayside soil, then stoney soil, then thorny soil, and then on good soil.
Then in the same teaching he describes the Kingdom of Heaven as
. . . a field with wheat and weeds, and He says let them grow up together until the harvest where they would be separated the good into barns and the bad into the fire.
Then He likens the Kingdom of Heaven to a mustard seed that is planted but grows into a giant tree where the birds of the air (a symbol of evil) reside in its branches.
Then He likes the Kingdom of Heaven to Leaven (not a good thing) that a woman plants in three bushels of meal and it corrupts the whole of it.
Then He likens it to a net cast into the sea which draws good and bad fish which are then also separated.
Okay, got all that. This teaching was way back in His earlier teachings.
So jump back a head with me to Matthew 24 where Jesus is being questioned about the end of all things and He gives His answer.
Now go to chapter 25. After describing the signs of His coming and the end of the age in chapter 24 Jesus, continuing the topic says:
Verse 1 Then . . .
Meaning after all that He described in chapter 24 He says . . .
THEN shall the kingdom of heaven . . .
And so He has returned to the descriptions of the Kingdom of Heaven which He started giving in Matthew 13.
But this time, instead of just saying the kingdom of heaven will be like a net or a field or a batch of bread, He seems to describe the elements that are present in the Good Fish and Wheat, and Good Meal VS the elements or characteristics that are in the Bad Fish, the Weed and the leaven.
Ready?
The first characteristic found in the Good and the Bad is described in a parable of Ten Virgins – five wise and five foolish.
Let’s read:
“THEN shall the Kingdom of Heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.
2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.
3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:
4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.
7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.
8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.
9 But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.
10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.
11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.
12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.
13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
Oil in scripture is synonymous with the Holy Spirit and in my opinion five believed and received and were illuminated by the Holy Spirit and were allowed into the marriage of the Lamb to His church and five were without – unregenerated – and were not allowed in.
Oil – having been regenerated by the Holy Spirit and given entrance into the Marriage of the Lamb to his Church.
He gives another difference between the Good and Bad, saying:
14 For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.
15 And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.
16 Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents.
17 And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two.
18 But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money.
19 After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.
20 And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.
21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
22 He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.
23 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
24 Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:
25 And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.
26 His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:
27 Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.
28 Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.
29 For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.
30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Here the item used to illustrate the difference between the God and Bad is talents of money – representing the gifts each servant (of God) was given by their master.
The implication seems to be that those given the talents WERE the masters servants – that is what Jesus calls them – so to me they were believers entrusted with gifts to serve the King – and some failed and some produced – obstensibly fruits of the Spirit.
The unprofitable servant – remember, he was a servant – was cast into what the King James says is outer darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.
NOT comforting in the least – but was certainly taught.
No Oil – no getting into the Kingdom of Heaven.
No profitability – not only no reward but being cast out to a place of misery.
And then finally Jesus says:
31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
(so we have a clear time frame set now in this – when the Son of Man comes with His angels – and then he gives us a final description of the difference between the wheat and tares, the good fish and bad fish, the meal and leaven) saying:
32 And before him shall be gathered all nations (Ethnicities): and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
This separation, which He speaks of happening NOW verses waiting for it to occur in the future as He instructed in Matthew 13 with the Wheat and Tares growing up together)
34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, (the Sheep) “Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35 For
(why were they invited to come and inherit the Kingdom prepared for them)
FOR . . . I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
46 And these shall go away into aoinian punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
In the last verse of 1st Peter 4 Peter says to his readers in those final months and years of that age:
“Wherefore . . . let them that suffer according to the will of God . . . . commit the keeping of their souls to him . . . in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.”
And I cannot help but believe what Jesus taught in Matthew 25 confirms this advice from Peter as vital and important.
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