Beloved, do not be surprised at thee fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's suffering that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed,...

Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live for the rest of the time int he flew no longer for human passions but for the will of God. For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, fries, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. With respect to this thy are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you; but...

We, who are African Americans, naturally bristle at texts like this. The suffering of our forebearers during America’s history of chattel slavery makes us uncomfortable with the subject of servants and masters. The matter is worsened by “slave theology,” in which slaveholders used passages like this to keep slaves in bondage. But we must not allow the difficulty of the subject or the misuse of the text to cause us to ignore, minimize, or reject what the Spirit says to the church. 2 Timothy 3:16 says, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction,...

Divine Assurance For Christian Suffering (1 Peter 5:10-11)

The Believer’s View of the Unseen Christ (1 Peter 1:8-9)

The Truth About Your Trials (1 Peter 1:6-7)

Praise God for Salvation (1 Peter 1:3-5)

Calling Faithful Elders (1 Peter 5: 1-4)

It’s Time to Grow Up (1 Peter 2: 1-3)