Suffering For The Sake Of Christ - Part 2
1 Peter 2:21-25 · Roy Smith · May 24, 2020
1 & 2 Peter (2020-21), No. 18
Holly Hills Bible Church
https://hollyhillsbiblechurch.org/teaching/messages/4926191853287

Transcribed from the recording by SermonAudio, so expect the occasional misheard word.

Anyway, here we go, Epistle to First Peter, Lesson 18, and it's titled, Suffering for Christ's Sake, Part 2. It covers the verses, chapter 2, verse 21 through 25. What I've done here on slide number 1 is show the emphasis of First Peter, the Christian's view of now in light of eternity. And from the content outline that Chet McCulley has shared on his website, he has given us three main points. Salvation, chapter 1.1 through 2.12. Submission, chapter 2.13. And that goes to 3.12. And so we're right in the middle of that. And suffering, chapter 3, verses 13 through 5.14.

What I've tried to do is help us with sort of an overview of where the two lessons that Bob taught last week and I'm presenting this week actually fit in Chet McCulley's outline. Notice that under that submission heading, he's got five divisions. The third is submission to our Savior. And suffering for Christ's sake, part one and two fits right in here. Sort of cool. These are the verses, chapter 2, verse 21.

For even here unto were you called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that we should follow his steps, who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth. who when he was reviled, reviled not again. When he suffered, he threatened not, but committed himself to him that judges righteously. Who his own self bear our sins in his own body on the tree, that we being dead to sins should live unto righteousness. by whose stripes ye were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray, but are now returned unto the shepherd and bishop of your souls.

Here's the part one that Bob covered last week, and you'll notice that in verse 22 there's these reflexive programs, who and who. This is the example, the exemplary showing of Christ, because these are pronouns that refer back to Christ. And who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth. Who, when he was reviled, et cetera, actually tie that together to who the verses are talking about. The reason that I'm bringing this out is when we get to the two verses that we're covering today in part two, there are also two reflexive pronouns, but they're based on a substitutionary identification that we have. Notice in verse 24, who his own self bear our sins and then also whose stripes ye were healed. Both of those refer back to Christ. And the basis of that reference is substitutionary. Christ took our place, whereas the basis of the first two are exemplary.

He is an Interesting, isn't it? The more I study the scriptures, both with you folks and on my own, the more I'm amazed at how the Holy Spirit takes the details of the verses and ties them all together in very unique ways that makes a lot of sense. I'm amazed at this. When I was going through Genesis, just as a side note here, Chuck Meisler pointed out in the five books of the Pentateuch, how each one of them refers, the first two to the right, the last two to the left, and the middle one is the center, if you just count the words. Isn't that neat? I won't go into it in all the details, but it's interesting.

He wasn't the only one that discovered that. Looking at verse 24, it reads, who his own self bear. That word is carried up. It has the idea, because it's aorist active indicative, that he did this as a fact. He carried our sins in his own body on the tree. It literally can be translated who he himself carried up our sins in his own body on the wood, because that's the word for tree here. In Isaiah 53, we have this in the King James.

Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows. Yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God and afflicted, but he was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon him. With his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray. We've turned everyone to his own way. The Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. Notice there's two places here. laid on him the iniquity, the sins, and the chastisement of our peace is upon him. Again, the Holy Spirit reveals what this means in this verse. He himself bear our sins in his own body on the tree.

How clear that is, isn't it? By the way, anybody have a question on any point, just interrupt. We're on number six. I only got 11, so. So, yeah, Roy, I've always loved this, that bear carried up, you know, just such a beautiful picture of what our Savior, how the intimacy we have with him, how he, you know, I just kind of visualize carrying up our sins on the, you know, on the tree or on the cross and just a beautiful picture of his care for us and his concern individually for us. Yeah, one of the things that is in the commentaries about the word bear, it's actually the word that is used in the Old Testament about the priests taking the animal on their shoulders and going up the steps of the altar, which is about four and a half. I'm not sure if it's meters or feet, I don't remember, but It's quite high. And laying the sacrifice on the altar. And that's what the word picture is here of being carried up.

The second part of this verse I've highlighted in red here, that we being dead to sins should live unto righteousness. That is a so that. It's an adverbial purpose from Hinnah. It introduces the purpose of his burying our sins to death. To these sins is a dative plural. Notice I'm giving you the details here because I just wanted to be thorough. But I'm going to just quickly go through them.

We being dead, we being separate from, that's a middle participle. It is in the plural. So that's why it's plural is the we. And being dead is the factual aspect of Erist coming out. And the middle voice brings out, we are now being dead to sin. It's one of the results of him bearing our sins on his body on the tree. This so that introduces this purpose. This is one of the results. We being dead, we are now being dead. We're separated from the sins. Then secondly, it's unto the righteousness, literally, and this is singular. You could translate it unto the righteous. But righteousness being an adjectival type form is sometimes the translation in the versions that we have. It's really a noun. It's not an adjective. Then we have should live. We may live because this is not just a verb, but it's a subjective verb. It means there's a potential that we may live.

And that is in the Aorist tense which brings out the factual nature that now exists as a result of him burying our sins in his own body on a tree. I gave a literal rendering of this verse 24 so that the sins we having died to the righteousness we may live.

You notice it's sort of choppy, but that's what the literal rendering of the original would be if you did this. Anyone want to comment about that? Okay, I'm going to go on then. I can hear Bob saying, how are you doing with that? Yeah. who his own self doth bear our sins in his thigh on the tree, ends with, by whose stripes ye were healed. The whose there is the second reflexive pronoun, it's a relative pronoun in the genitive case, so it has a genitive of means, by whose, and it's singular, so it refers also to Christ back in verse 21. Stripes is literally the wound. You notice it's the womb here. It's a dative masculine singular.

Now this womb is first mentioned to Satan in Genesis 3.15 where it says, and I will put enmity between thee and the woman, between thy seed and her seed. It shall bruise thy head. Thou shalt bruise his heel. It being the seed of the woman. And I wonder if you've noticed here, sometimes we overlook this. There is the seed of the woman and thy seed. Satan has a seed also. Interesting thought, huh?

Ye were healed, it says, and then I just gave the literal on it because it's nothing more than the indicative eras, another fact. And that fact is in the second person plural, so it's you. Isaiah 53, 5 states, by his scourging, we are healed. The healing work here in this passage is in regard to spiritual salvation. not to physical healing. If we were to look back on what this verse is in, notice that the area that we're dealing with here is referring by whose stripes ye are healed, is referring back to that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness. That's our healing.

I got a question. Sure. I thought the woman didn't have a seed but an egg. According to the scriptures, the seed was planted by the Holy Spirit. Right. Not by her husband, Joseph. It says the woman's seed. Right. Does a woman have a seed? No. So how did she get the seed? Yeah, but it's not saying that. No. Between thy seed and her seed, the seed that she took from the Holy Spirit brought forth our Savior.

That's what that means. I don't know how to say it any clearer than that. Anyone want to join in? Well, this is the first prophecy of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's clear. Right. You know, the Lord said he would put enmity between thee and the woman. And also between thy seed and her seed. Right. Right. Yeah. Looking at that.

So thy seed would be Satan's seed, right? Right. And her seed would be, if you will, her soul, her spirit, et cetera. So, I mean, that's her seed. Yeah. I mean, basically, I mean, so it seems like it's almost a collective term. And if I get down to, you know, to the biology of it or whatever, there might not be the emphasis is on that the Holy Spirit came upon her and she has God's seed. So I think that's the intent. But the other thing is it could relate to the reproductive progeny that would follow her too.

Right. The first Adam and the second Adam, right? And the second Adam is that we're all born in sin, right? Right. Well, I'm going to go on here. Did that answer the question enough, I hope? Yeah, I just think it needs to be clarified. Because a lot of people read that scripture and, you know, incorrectly. In verse 25, we read, For ye were as sheep going astray.

And then the but is there. I put the for as the first word here as because it's a coordinating injunction of reason. And it's in the contrast position with the following coordinating conjunction, but. So the for and but here are in contrast with one another.

Ye were, you were being. This is an imperfect continuous action in the past. is the indication of the imperfect tense here. And it's active, which means you were actually being. That's what your state was. It's the IME verb. It's a status quo verb in the imperfect form. And then there's as.

This conjunction is subordinate. It's like sheep. It's a subordinate one to sheep. And sheep is a noun. It's a In Freeberg, it has a metaphorical or metaphorically presentation here of followers of any master, of mankind in need of a savior. This is what we were being in the past. Sheep in need of a savior, mankind in need of a savior.

And we also were going astray, being led astray. It's actually a passive participle. It doesn't mean that we were leading others astray, although that may be included. It's passive. We were being led astray. Interesting that it's reality. It's an ongoing thing in the past. because you were being like sheep being led astray and then but and then the contrast is given to us in the next part of the verse but now but are now returned unto the shepherd and bishop of your souls this is the but conjunction here in contrast to the preceding conjunction because and are returned That is, you were turned back. It's the aorist form in the passive. You didn't return, you were turned back. There's an action here upon you. I've got more to say about that in a minute.

The word unto is a preposition in the accusative. Got a little bit more about that as well. and the shepherd it's unto the shepherd specifically and this is a chi word just a coordinating conjunction guardian this is in the accusative which adds it in the same form these two are shepherd and guardian souls is the genitive case so it's the souls of you because these two match in genitive form, literally, but you were turned back onto the shepherd and guardian of your souls.

One of the interesting things there Roy is that we're being led astray, if you let go back one slide if you could, can you go back? Sure. being led astray here? Uh-huh. Yeah, I mean, the verse says in the King James, going astray, as if we're actively participating. We are. But a better translation, which you've provided, I think is very, very helpful.

Why are we led astray by? Well, all the three things that are an antithesis to the cross and our new creation in Christ Jesus. There's the world system, there's Satan, and there's our own sinful nature, right? We're being led by all those things all the time, right?

Good summary, very good. Yeah, appreciate that Bob. Thank you for translating that more appropriately. It is passive, that's good I think. In the second part here we've got, but you were turned back unto the shepherd and guardian of their souls. This word shepherd and this word guardian, those are very precious words, especially to Peter. One of the things that Peter, in his experience with our Savior, he had the Savior tell him that you are to feed my sheep. That's what a shepherd does.

The other thing is, this turned back has the idea in John 12, 32, that he said, Jesus said this, when he was lifted up, that he would draw all men unto himself. So if you wonder how you have been turned back, that's how, by God himself turning you back unto the shepherd who feeds us.

And then lastly, who guards us. I'm not sure if... It has a wording of either overseer, protector, or guardian in the Thesauruses. He feeds and protects our soul. And he does this regularly. Isn't that wonderful? I don't know how The Holy Spirit can put this together any plainer as far as the working of God in our lives in that he has turned us back unto our shepherd and our guardian.

I take that very personally. Here's a King James at the top and a literal at the bottom rendering of these two verses. It helps me to put them to comparison like this. I actually have about 16 different versions that I look at. And I didn't find anything that really put this together the way I wanted. So here it goes.

Literally, he who he himself carried our sins in his own body on the wood, so that to the sins we having died, to the righteousness we may live. For by his wound, you were healed. Because you were being like sheep being led astray, but you were turned back. unto the shepherd and guardian of your souls. I sort of ended it here and I'll tell you a secret. I've got the scriptures from the Old Testament for Isaiah 53, if I can find them here. Yeah, Isaiah 53 in the Old Testament actually is what Peter was using in his exposition of our relationship here in these two verses. Let me read it. I know, Bob, you read it, but it doesn't hurt, I don't think.

Who hath believed our report, and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? for he shall grow up before him as a tender plant and as a root out of a dry ground. He hath no form nor comeliness that we shall see him. There is no beauty that we should desire him.

He is despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. We hid, as it were, our faces from him. He was despised and we esteemed him not. Surely he had borne our griefs and carried our sorrows, yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God and afflicted. He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed. Oh, we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way. The Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

I'm sorry, but that's just my own emotions here. He was oppressed. He was afflicted. Yet he opened not his mouth. What an example. He was brought as a lamb to the slaughter as a sheep before her shears is dumb. He opened not his mouth before one of the Roman rulers. He didn't say a word. He was taken from prison and from judgment. And who shall declare his generation? For he was cut off out of the land of the living, for the transgression of my people was he stricken. He made his grave with the wicked and with the rich in his death.

Because he has done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth, yet it pleased our Lord to bruise him. He hath put him to grief. When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper at his hand. He shall see the travail of his soul and shall be satisfied. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, He shall divide the spoiled with the strong because he has poured out his soul unto death. He was numbered with the transgressions and he bore the sins of many, made intercession for the transgressors.

Interesting that when you think of us in our former state and our current state, having a position in the heavenlies with Christ, looking down, here the Holy Spirit is telling us that he has borne our sins and that he has made intercession for us, the sinners. So I thought I'd just read that as a concluding thing. I think I said this last week, but it's amazing how the serious Orthodox Jew can read this part of scripture and not have their eyes opened, isn't it? Yeah, I've read several commentaries that they can't stomach it because they know it focuses to one individual in the history that they know about, and that's Jesus. Only God can open eyes. That's right. That's great, Mike. Yep, for sure. You bet, Mike.

I don't have any more here, ladies and gentlemen. I'm sort of done at this point because most of you guys work with PowerPoint a lot. I don't. So I sat down and actually wrote down the steps I had to use to do this. And that took quite a while. Good job, Roy. Good job. Is there any comments or questions or anything, Mike? In relation to the seed, that's an issue that might take some explanation by going to the commentators on Genesis 315. Yeah, that might help you a little. OK, let's let's close in prayer, I guess, huh?

Our Heavenly Father, we thank you for your word and your love and your care of us. The manifest love that you've shown in these verses has taken us more into the dimension includes us as part of your treasure, part of your goodness, part of your future. How can we say anything but thank you Lord for taking us into that position with you. Thank you for carrying our sins to the cross and setting us free in the process from them and uniting us to you in such a way that we can say Father, Abba Daddy, how precious that is. Thank you, in Jesus' name, amen.