Recently, a pastor in Louisiana was arrested for violence against a neighbor.1 The reports I read said that the neighbor had often gestured and shouted obscene language toward the pastor and his family. Also, the neighbor had shouted that he would rape and kill the pastor’s family just before the fight started. When the pastor crossed the street, the neighbor swung at the pastor before being taken to the ground and beaten repeatedly. The pastor was eventually arrested and taken to jail.
Since then, some have applauded or berated the pastor for his part in the fight. One person likened the pastor to Nehemiah who cursed, struck, and pulled out the hair of people who disobeyed God’s law (Neh. 13:25). But others could rightly point to the requirement for a pastor to not be violent (1 Tim. 3:3). What should the pastor have done in this situation? And how should Christians prepare themselves to face provocative people? The Bible gives the answers in 1 Peter 3:14-16.
- What does it say? (1 Pet. 3:14-16)
But even if you should be afflicted you are blessed; do not be afraid or agitated by their intimidation. Instead, you should consecrate the Lord Christ in your hearts, always being prepared for a verbal defense for anyone requesting a statement from you concerning the hope that is in you, but with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience so that in what you are being spoken against those who are insulting your good behavior in Christ might be ashamed. - What does it mean?
Before the fight, don’t be afraid.
Over the years, there have always been people who hated Christians. They can’t understand the Christian’s desire to be holy, to speak about Jesus, and to warn about the coming judgment. This has led some to curse, hurt, and imprison Christians for their beliefs. This kind of treatment was commonplace for Christians when Peter wrote this epistle. People had been whipped, imprisoned, and killed for being a Christian. So, Peter told them all to consider this a blessing not something to be afraid of. “To be ‘blessed’ in this context does not mean to ‘feel delighted’ but to be ‘highly privileged.”2 This was something they were meant to endure for Jesus considering all He had done for them. It was to be accepted and endured as opposed to being afraid or troubled by it. But how do you get to that point?
Before the fight, be consecrated to the Lord.
The first way to prepare for persecution involves the heart. Peter told all believers to consecrate the Lord Christ in their hearts. This is another way of saying focused on the Lord. Just as Jewish parents were to keep their children focused on God’s law (Deut. 6) and Christians were to focus on prayer instead of anxiety (Phil. 4:6-7), so they should make Jesus the constant focus of their lives. Consecration involves dedication. If you are dedicated to something, it becomes the main focus of your life. This is what Peter was saying. Always be focus on the Lord and how you can use your life to please Him.
Before the fight, be prepared to defend the truth.
The second way to prepare for persecution involves study. When a Christian is disparaged, he needs to be ready with an answer about what he believes and how he lives. It is common for people to shout false accusations about what Christians believe. These statements should be met with the truth. “That does not mean that they had to be able to answer all the subtle questions critics might raise, or solve all the problems that might be advanced against Christianity, but they were to be willing to defend it against malicious attacks for the sake of the truth as well as the questioner.”3 It is also common for people to misunderstand how a Christian lives his life. These misunderstandings should be addressed carefully when possible. But how can a Christian answer these accusations and misunderstandings? He must study the Bible for the answers. What does a Christian believe about Jesus? Where in the Bible does it provide hope for the future? Why does a Christian want to live a pure life? Answers to these questions are found in the Bible.
Before the fight, be gentle and respectful.
The third way to prepare for persecution involves attitude. When a Christian faces an angry person, it is not always easy to keep calm. But this is what Peter says is necessary. Defending accusations and misunderstandings can become an unnecessary battle. When defending the truth of the Bible, the Christian should be careful to be gentle and respectful when possible. This attitude could keep the conversation from becoming a fight. And when the consecrated Christian carefully explains the truth and does so with a good attitude, it is possible that the accuser may be ashamed of what he had previously claimed. - How does it apply?
Do you have the right focus?
Peter told his readers to not be afraid of those who persecuted them. He also called their suffering for doing right a blessing. How can you get to that point in your life as a Christian? It involves having a proper focus on Jesus. When Jesus is the Lord of your life, you will focus on what He wants you to do and be. When you focus on Him, you will remember what He willingly went through so that we could be forgiven by God. Having a right focus changes everything. Where is your focus? Don’t let fear get the best of you. Focus on the Lord and allow even the difficult conversations with angry people become another opportunity to represent the Lord well.
Do you know the Bible well?
Peter told his readers to always be prepared to defend their Christian beliefs and lifestyle. Defending these things requires you knowing what they are. And it also requires that your beliefs be based on what the Bible says not just what you are accustomed to. To be ready for conversations about your beliefs, you will need to study the Bible and think through what God has said. As you read the Bible and meditate on it, think of how God’s truths affect the different situations you face in life. What does God say about violence? What does God say about the way people live today? What does God say about current events? Prepare yourself to answer these questions by searching the Bible and thinking through how it applies.
Do you have the right attitude?
Peter told his readers to defend their Christian lifestyle with gentleness and respect. This isn’t always easy. When someone shouts at you and calls you obscene names, it is easier to react than be respectful. In one sense, they don’t deserve gentleness and respect. But this is what God wants us to do. So, how do we do it? We must have the right attitude toward our enemies. Instead of treating them like enemies on the battlefield, treat them as lost people who need to find the hope in Jesus that you already have. This will change your attitude toward them and will cause you to care about them as you talk with them. Your attitude may be what the Holy Spirit uses to win them over to the truth.
Conclusion
If you were looking for a defense of the fighting pastor, you didn’t find it here. My limited knowledge of what happened in the video and his supposed remarks afterward don’t seem to line up with what we have learned tonight. There is no doubt that his neighbor’s statements were vile and provocative. But did his actions toward the man match up with what the Bible says? Did the pastor respectfully address the issue with gentleness and the hope that the man would turn from his sins to Jesus? It doesn’t appear that he did. Our time will come soon. We will be faced with provocative people who want to disparage our Christian beliefs and lifestyle. Prepare yourself ahead of time by focusing on what we have learned tonight.
Bibliography
Hiebert, D. Edmond, 1 Peter, Chicago: Moody Press, 1992, orig. 1984.
Raymer, Roger M., “1 Peter” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary New Testament, USA: SP Publications, 1983.
Footnotes