For this [is] acceptable, if one, for conscience sake towards God, endure griefs, suffering unjustly.
A hard master. An unjust punishment. A Christian who has done nothing wrong. That is the situation Peter puts before us. Peter says that something in that moment is precious to God. Older translations call it "thankworthy". The ESV calls it "a gracious thing".
Peter is writing to household servants. The point turns on the master a believer may have to serve.
Household servants are told to obey their masters with fear on every side. They were Christians, and had to serve many a master where the danger of being provoked was extreme. So they needed to walk in complete respect. For according to Christ, their godly obedience was owed not only to the good and gentle masters, but also to the crooked or bad-tempered ones — and that last kind was common.
Nothing in the master's behaviour cancels the instruction.
But, as this scripture shows, the duty to obey has nothing to do with the master's character. To forget this is to forget that you serve the Lord Christ. It also means falling into the sin of working only when watched, as people-pleasers, instead of as "the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; serving willingly, as to the Lord, and not to men."
The ESV says "mindful of God". Other translations read "for conscience toward God". Either way, the phrase gives the reason for the suffering. It also marks the one limit on obeying a master.
I may suffer for conscience' sake. A master may order something that goes against God. Then, of course, we must obey God rather than man. Obedience to God is the first thing — the great ruling principle of the Christian's life.
So the servant obeys and refuses in the same spirit.
The servant, while subject, is to keep a good conscience before God by refusing to do evil. This may lead to suffering unjustly. If it does, let the believer remember that to "do well", "suffer for it", and "take it patiently" is acceptable to God.
Kelly translates the word as grace. His rendering reads: "For this is grace if for conscience toward God one endures griefs, suffering unjustly… but if when you do well and suffer you shall endure, this is grace with God" (1 Peter 2:19-20, William Kelly). Another writer keeps the older word "thankworthy" and shows the warmth in it.
after_note: DELETE_NOT_APPLICABLE
If you do right, get harsh words for it, and take it patiently, you put God in your debt, so to speak. He says "Thank you" to you. How beautiful! Suppose you do good, suffer for it, and take it patiently, and your master never thanks you. Never mind. A surprise is coming later. God has a "Thank you" for you, for this beautiful display of patience in the hardest circumstances.
Peter's next verse removes a false comfort. Pain we brought on ourselves is a different thing.
Look at this child of God. He has to be disciplined for his faults and beaten; his Father has to strike him. He is not suffering for doing well, but for sin. No wonder if he takes it patiently. He has no business to suffer for sin. "Christ has once suffered for sin, the just for the unjust that He might bring us to God." Our God loves us too much to spare us the suffering if we need it for our faults. But let us make sure our suffering is for righteousness.
Even right suffering comes in degrees. One writer says suffering for conscience' sake "has the character of righteousness". Suffering insults for Christ's own sake he calls "a higher thing" (W. T. P. Wolston).
Such endurance is not natural strength. Kelly names what makes it possible.
They were to serve the Lord Christ in the spirit of grace, not merely in self-denial. No matter how worthless their masters might be, grace lifts the soul above the most bad-tempered master. It enables the servant to obey and to suffer, even in the face of shameless wrong.
That also explains why God allows the situation at all.
In a life of patient suffering for doing good, God sees the life of Christ put on display. This explains many of the hard circumstances a Christian may find himself in. God allows them so that we have the chance to show the excellencies of Christ, for His pleasure and our final glory.
- Grace given. Kelly translates "thankworthy" as grace. The power to endure comes from that same grace. It lifts the soul above the hardest master.
- Grace guarded. "Conscience toward God" gives both the motive and the limit. Obey the master, but obey God first when the two clash.
- Grace tested. Suffering for your own faults earns no credit; the verse covers only the one who does well and suffers for it.
- Grace displayed. God permits these hard places so the life of Christ can be seen in a believer's patience.
- Grace rewarded. The master may never say thank you; God does, and the thanks He gives is worth waiting for.
For what glory [is it], if sinning and being buffeted ye shall bear [it]? but if, doing good and suffering, ye shall bear [it], this is acceptable with God.
Commentary for this verse has not been generated yet.