1 Peter: Odd Life, Good God Sýnishorn

When all is said and done, there will only be two cultures: Heaven, and Hell. Today, the choices we make every day either invite Heaven down into our lives, families, and churches, or pull Hell up into our lives, families, and churches. In this section, Peter compares and contrasts these two cultures, urging and welcoming Christians to experience the culture of God’s Kingdom right now so that life is marked by “unity...sympathy...love...a tender heart...a humble mind...a blessing...good...peace...gentleness...respect...good conscience...”.

In Peter’s day, the unpopularity of Christians was in large part due to the fact that their moral conduct had changed. A hypocrite Christian is a hero, but a holy Christian is a zero. The Christians were no longer willing to eat too much, drink too much, party sinfully, or engage in sex outside of marriage (1 Peter 4:1–4). Those who had previously known them and enjoyed sinning with them prior to their conversion considered their life change negatively. The drinking buddies who lost their wingmen  and the boyfriends who got dumped by their live-in girlfriends who walked away to walk with Jesus were not pleased with the influence Christianity was having on their friends. Jesus is a real buzzkill to weekend plans for dating, relating, drinking, and fornicating.  

The unpopularity of Christians was also due to the fact that their devotion to Jesus above everyone and everything else caused them to be viewed as subversives overturning long-held familial and cultural norms. Simply, once people became Christians, their lifestyle changed and they stopped worshiping the gods of their empire, city, trade guild, or family. This can feel like rejection to former friends and family, and repudiation of deeply held cultural expectations. Jesus freaks are always the oddballs and outcasts no matter where they live.  

When Christians refused to be involved in any city-wide events that included honoring gods and goddesses other than Jesus  Christ, they were seen as judgmental too-serious bad neighbors. Today, this would be the equivalent of not getting drunk on New Year’s Eve, not trading beads for britches on Mardi Gras, and not getting drunk and cursing out grandmothers from the other team while tailgating on game day when, up to this point, these things comprised every photo on your social media page.  

Various professions were also held together by trade guilds, akin to our unions, that included meetings with religious rites and ceremonies dedicated to various gods and goddesses. When Christians refused to participate in the religious aspects of their trade guild, they were considered unprofessional. They were even demoted or terminated from their jobs, suffering financial loss for their unyielding devotion to Jesus Christ. It may seem shocking to us that early Christians could lose their jobs for believing in Jesus, but I think we all know someone who has faced discrimination at work from co-workers, bosses, and systems that don’t love Jesus. The same spirit that targeted early Christians is alive today and often makes it hard for Christians to live out their faith at work.

Furthermore, families were held together in large part by religious traditions that included holiday parties and meals dedicated to various gods and goddesses who were honored by the family at both home and temple events. When Christians refused to participate in these kinds of holiday events, they were considered disrespectful to their families. Today, examples would include new Christians from Japanese homes who refuse to worship their ancestors, converts from Native American spirituality who refuse to join their family in worshipping demonic spirits in animals and nature, and anyone who comes from a family that worships alcohol, the family business, a political party, or a sports team with religious zeal and simply loses interest in those things because Jesus is enough for them.  

Reflection: 

1. Sometimes, Christians suffer for doing evil, and other times for doing good. How have you experienced both kinds of suffering in your life?  

2. How is the response to evil that Peter teaches completely countercultural? Why is it important to respond to God rather than react to people when we are hurt or offended?  

3. Are there any areas of your life where you are pulling the culture of hell up through such things as bitterness, vengeance, slander, etc.? What does it look like to forgive, heal up, move on, and not get stuck in that deathly cycle?