1 Peter Part 13: Unjust Suffering as Union with Christ

·35 min·3 clips

An 86-year-old man named Polycarp faced execution for being a Christian, but refused to renounce his faith.

Gary begins the episode with personal anecdotes about his haircut and new tattoo, then leads a prayer. He introduces the theme by recounting the martyrdom of Polycarp, an 86-year-old disciple of John who was burned alive for his faith in 160 AD. Gary connects this to Tertullian's quote that 'the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.' He provides modern examples, stating the fastest-growing church is in Iran, with hundreds of thousands of converts despite bans on Bibles and threats of imprisonment. Similarly, he mentions church growth in Afghanistan under Taliban rule. Gary explains this study is part of a series on 1 Peter, written to exiled Christians facing trials. He outlines three aspects of unjust suffering: it marks identity with Christ, referencing 1 Peter 2:20-23 and the metaphor of walking in Jesus' steps. It marks freedom, discussing 1 Peter 4:1-2 and rejecting ascetic practices like self-flagellation, instead emphasizing choosing obedience. He shares the story of Samin, a woman in Iran who converted to Christianity, was arrested, and fled as a refugee. It marks hope, exploring the concept of being 'in Christ' from Ephesians and Romans, where believers share in Jesus' baptism, righteousness, death, and resurrection. Gary concludes with 1 Peter 4:12-13, urging rejoicing in suffering as sharing in Christ's sufferings, with glory to follow, and ends with a prayer for persecuted churches.

As heard by us

Gary's haircut-and-tattoo opener leads into Peter's call to endure unjust suffering like Christ.

Gary starts with a haircut joke and a new tattoo before settling into 1 Peter's harder point: unjust suffering can still mark a person's identity with Christ.

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Why you'd press play

You get a haircut-and-tattoo joke, Peter's counsel on unjust suffering, and a prayer for believers in danger for saying Jesus' name.

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