Now, what does that mean?
I am not much of an art aficionado. (I just looked it up:
aficionado = someone who is knowledgeable and enthusiastic. Definitely, I am
NOT an art aficionado). Anyways, I do not have a great sense of art or much
knowledge of the art world. Of course, I have on occasion gone to museums, art
museums, and looked around. Sometimes I simply do not have any good idea of
what I am looking at, and I haven’t spent enough time to know what I like and
what I don’t like. I suspect a lot of folks are like that—not always sure why
they like something or another, but they just do.
One experience I have had a number of times, however, is
when I look at a painting, I get distracted from the main subject by all the
surrounding material. Imagine the main focus of the painting, usually in the
center foreground of the canvas. That is the point, what the artist wants you
to see. However, there is more to the canvas than just the foreground. There is
also the background, whether a landscape or solid color or shapes or whatever.
I suspect that the artist’s purpose of the background, however, is not to
distract from the main subject but somehow to illuminate or emphasize it.
When we come to the Scripture—almost any scriptural
passage—it would be easy to get distracted from the main message by the
“supporting, background” material. Of course, we all have experienced the
deeper insights and power of a text when we understand it in its fullness and
depth. Learning more about the “background” of a text can often give a richer
picture of the whole. Pastors and scholars spend a lot of time studying the
background so we can shine the spotlight more clearly on the main point.
However, sometimes that background study can distract us just as easily.
Imagine how satisfied our enemy might be if we focus so much on all the ethical
aspects of the Gospel that we miss the Crucified One? Or, if we were to dig
deeply into the cultural history of a passage so that we ignore its current
relevance? We could lose Christ amidst lesser insights.
For our text in 1 Peter this week, the final paragraphs in
chapter 3, it would be easy to get distracted from the main point by all the
neat, intricate, and challenging theology. Yes, the very theology in this
passage is so engaging and interesting that one could easily miss Peter’s
point. Consider, for example, some of the theology Peter uses “in the
background” here:
- The role and goal of apologetics (vs. 15)
- The question of Christ’s descent into Hell (vs. 19)
- Life after death, and the possibility of salvation (vs. 19)
- The nature of the resurrection (vs. 21)
- The purpose and practice of baptism (vs. 21)
- The ascension of Jesus to glory and power and dominion (vs. 22)
Not just a single sermon, but we could easily spend hours
exploring each and every one of these topics.
Yet, to do so, might that distract us from Peter’s main
point? Peter intends all this theology to support his point, yes. But, might it
cause us to focus on the wrong thing? If we study baptism or apologetics or the
resurrection—all incredibly important issues—but, if we study them only, could
we end up missing what Peter wants to say to his readers? Oh, yes!
Peter is talking about suffering—particularly suffering as a
Christian—and doing so in a way that honors Christ. While the supporting,
background theology is interesting and engaging, it is there to help us follow,
honor, and worship Jesus Christ, the One who has suffered for us.
As you prepare for worship this week, please read 1 Peter
3:13-22.
1. What is the tone of Peter’s question in verse 13? Is he
asking for information? Is this a rhetorical question?
2. In verse 13, who is Peter “afraid” of? Who might someone
think would be out to harm you?
3. What does it mean to suffer for righteousness’ sake (vs.
14)?
4. Who is the “them” you are not to have “fear of” in verse
14?
5. At the end of verse 15, Peter calls us to respond to
people with “gentleness and respect”. Why does he feel the need to state this?
6. Peter uses the illustration of Noah’s Ark here. What is
his point in this illustration? What other illustrations could you use? Why is
this one particularly appropriate for this situation?
7. When Peter speaks of “baptism”, what does he mean? How
was Noah’s experience a “baptism”? What about Christ’s experience? What about
ours? In what ways does “baptism” help us to understand our standing with
Christ, and thus, the call to suffer for righteousness sake?
