David Anguish
But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled, but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence (1 Peter 3:14-15, NASB).
Here is a text which should make every Christian stop and think. Peter commands us to defend the faith, to be ready always to defend it, to be prepared to defend it before all comers, and to carry out said defense in the spirit of Christ. What kind of situation provoked such a charge? What can we learn about Peter's original readers and their circumstances which helps us fully grasp the significance of these words as they apply to us?
Verse 14 tells us much in this regard. If they were expected to defend their faith, they were to do so because of the hostile environment in which they lived. "Suffer" is a key word in 1 Peter, used more than in any other New Testament writing. Peter's readers had suffered, were suffering, and would continue to suffer. They suffered, not because they had done wrong and so deserved what they got, but because they followed Jesus (cf. 1 Peter 3:13-18; 4:12-19). Their suffering was not to be used as an excuse for giving in, retaliating against their persecutors, or ignoring them as if they were impossible candidates for salvation. No, what Peter expected was that they would know what they believed, know why they believed it, and then that they would make their case as the opportunity arose.
It's easy to dismiss this text's demands on us by focusing too much on the differences between their situation and ours. Since we do not face the "fiery ordeal" they did (4:12), it may be harder to feel the urgency of Peter's words. Our heritage of freedom may blind us to the reality that the faith we hold dear is just as threatened now as it has ever been. If we are serious about telling the world about Jesus, even if by that we mean to refer only to the world which has moved into our subdivisions and apartment complexes, we must know that we will be called upon to explain why the message we preach is superior to the teaching others proclaim. What is more, we must realize that an additional challenge is raised by those who discount any religious view, and that the precious freedom we think makes things easier for us is by no means guaranteed.
If our challenge is not significantly different from theirs, neither is the way we came to faith in the first place. It is tempting to excuse ourselves for being neither so zealous in defending our beliefe nor so confident in holding them by reasoning that their proximity to the events gave them an advantage which we do not have. But the truth is that, like us, Peter's readers had come to faith only because of the preaching of others, as Peter reminds them early in the writing: "...though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and thought you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls." (1:8-9). Thus, if they could be expected to always be ready to defend the faith, so can we.
Peter's words are an unwelcome challenge in a world where truth is held to be relative and where feeling matters more than substance. They are hard words for Christians who have come to believe that time spent in the diligent study and proclamation of doctrine is time spent in an effort which is an unnecessary diversion from the real work of ministry. But they are also words which resonate just as clearly as the various calls to service. We must be ready. Are we?