I Peter 2:20-25: "For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye 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 judgeth righteously: Who His Own self bare 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 not returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls." I Peter has the theme of Christian suffering, giving Christ as the supreme example of suffering wrongfully, yet committing Himself to the Father, instead of reviling those who caused His suffering. There is no glory when we suffer for wrongdoing, but when we suffer unjustly and take it patiently, God will reward this kind of suffering. We have been called to suffer with Christ, although we do not necessarily desire to suffer. If we present the message of salvation as being only in Christ, we will at least suffer ridicule from the liberals of this world! We are called upon to follow the steps of Jesus regarding suffering injustices. Jesus died for us, so that we might live righteous lives for Him after we have been saved. The healing by His stripes is not physical healing here, for the straying that is "healed" in verse 25 is spiritual, not physical. Moreover, the word "stripes" in our verses is singular in the Greek and refers to His death on the cross, not the beating before the cross. We have now returned to the Shepherd and Bishop of our souls, Jesus our Lord!
Posted on: Sat, 21 Sep 2013 22:07:24 +0000