NOTES for Pe1 3:10-22

What does the apostle mean when he says that no evil can be done to the one who strives for the good? If we understand his words as referring exclusively to our still untransformed world, they may appear overly optimistic. But what should be considered good? And on what does it depend?

As early as five centuries before the Savior's birth, the Athenian philosopher Socrates asserted that evil cannot come to a person from outside, and that what people usually consider evil, meaning by it failures, sufferings, and even death, is not in fact evil. True evil, in the philosopher's opinion, a person can do to himself only by making a wrong choice and thereby harming his own soul. This is how a man who lived in the times of Zechariah and Malachi, but never heard them, resolved the question of good and evil.

It would seem that the apostle has the same thing in mind: if evil is understood as harm inflicted by a person on his own soul, then one who strives only for the good truly has nothing to fear. But the matter concerns a fallen person in a fallen world. Can one be confident in one's own unswerving movement on the path of the good?

As is evident, human wisdom alone is not enough here. But the apostle is not speaking only of it either. Now that the Messiah has come and brought the Kingdom into the world, a person no longer remains alone in his striving for the good, one on one with the world that lies in evil and with his own sin. And if earlier intention alone was not enough, if earlier one who chose the path of righteousness had to be a spiritual hero, now it is enough simply to remain firm in one's intention. In everything else, we will always be helped.

What does the apostle mean, by saying that it is impossible to harm the one who strives for good? If to understand his words, as referring exclusively to our world, not yet transformed, they can seem too optimistic. But what is considered good? And on what does it depend? V century before the birth of the Savior, the philosopher of Athens Socrates asserted that evil cannot come to man from the outside, and what people usually consider as evil, by understanding by this the failures, the sufferings and even death, indeed is not such. The real evil, according to the philosopher, can be caused to man only by himself, by making the bad choices and thereby bringing harm to his own soul. So the man living at the time of Zachariah and Malachi solved the problem of good and evil, but who never heard them. It would seem that the apostle wants to say the same thing: If evil is considered as damage caused by man to his own soul, then the one who seek only for good really has nothing to fear. But indeed, it is about the fallen man in the fallen world.

Can one be sure of his own steadily on the path of good? As seen, human wisdom is not sufficient here. But indeed, and the apostle speaks not only of it. Now, when the Messiah came and brought into the world the Kingdom, man already does not remain any more in his aspiration of good one-by-one with the world lying in evil and with his own sin. And if before only intention was not enough, if before the one who had chosen the path of righteousness inevitably had to be a spiritual hero, then now it is only enough to remain firm in his intention. And they shall always help us for the rest.

What does it mean to "sanctify God in the heart"? Perhaps it means holding within ourselves, with all our strength, faith in God's holiness, in His ultimate and absolute goodness. From this faith then flow the desire to glorify God, to thank Him, and to worship Him.

God's goodness is also the source of all our hope, all our trust. An account of our hope, then, is our witness to His goodness, His love, and therefore to Christ, His death, and His resurrection.

This witness was commanded to us by the Lord in His "Great Commission": to go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature, to go and make disciples of all nations. We know how to shield ourselves from this commission, for example, with Jesus' words: "Do not cast pearls before swine" (cf. Matt 7:6), silently implying that everyone we do not want to talk with is swine. The apostle Peter calls us to crawl out of that shelter and give an account to "everyone."

The words "with gentleness and reverence" are remarkable. Reverence is understandable, since we must speak about God's holiness. Foolish jokes and comparisons are plainly out of place here, although our speech should be convincing, "with salt," as the apostle Paul says. And gentleness means that we must not force our listeners to accept our testimony or lecture them from above. We can share our experience with them, the experience of the Church, but we have no right to encroach on their freedom to decide.

What means "sanctify the Lord God in your hearts"? Probably, to hold in oneself with all strengths faith in God's holiness, in His extreme, absolute graciousness. Results then from this faith the aspiration to glorify God, to thank Him and to worship Him.

God's graciousness is the source of all our expectancy, our hope. The account about our hope is then our witness of His kindness, His love, and thus, and of Christ, His death and resurrection.

Such witness is ordered to us by God in His "Great mission ": go all over the world and preach the Gospel to all creatures, make disciples of all the nations. We know how to protect ourselves from this mission, for example, with the words of Jesus: "do not throw your pearls before swine" (see. Matt.7:6), - by implying implicitly that all those with whom we do not want to speak are swine. The apostle Peter calls us to get out of the refuge and render an account to "everything".

Remarkable words “meekness and fear ". Fear is clear here, since we have to speak about God's holiness. Tomfooleries and comparisons are obviously irrelevant here, although our word ought to be convincing, "with some salt" according to the apostle Paul expression. And meekness means that we do not have to force our listeners to accept our witness, to give them a lesson from top to bottom. We can share with them our experience, the experience of the Church, but we have no right to attempt to their freedom of decision-making.

Baptism is according to these words of the apostle Peter an event, in which we become partakers of the resurrection of Christ. For us deprived of life, having not salvation, this salvific gift comes in particular thanks to faith expressed in the baptism. And that is why it is important to hear the words of the apostle concerning what is our baptism. The stereotypes of our consciousness force us to behave towards baptism, how to say this… differently. Sometimes it {baptism} is for us an initiation rite, or something like vaccination against diseases and misfortunes.

That is why it is so important to hear what Apostle Peter says: baptism, according to him, is not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, that is it does not concern the ritual purity. The apostle asserts that the main in baptism is an answer towards God of a good consciousness. The Greek word means here not simply answer, but an answer made solemnly, a vow. For various reasons, for most of us, this event - making a vow of baptism - passes unnoticed. That is why we don’t keep partially in the memory these vow – “answer towards God of a good consciousness". And Apostle Peter says that it is in particular such baptism, answer or oath to Christ that saves us by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

It is not less important that all the rest, except a good consciousness, remain "off". Salvation is given only by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and nothing more. It is necessary to answer towards God to have a good consciousness and fulfill this answer, in order to have this salvation. Firstly, such christocentric is in itself important, because everything that pretends to a central place in our life, except the Son of God, is an idol. Secondly, such view of the apostle contains in itself a whole uncountable variety of forms of the Christian vocation.

Therefore, it is as well important that the apostle speaks about our destiny. The apostle speaks about persecutions falling on Christians, with a wonderful peace, as of something which is completely clear to him. He justifies that by the fact that a good consciousness before God will entail any Christian to that way of the Cross, of which the Head of the Church also passed. But, in continuation of the Teacher and Lord, Apostle Peter says to us: be not afraid, it is the way of life.

When reading those parts of the epistles that look like precise and unambiguous instructions for conduct, it is very easy to notice a multitude of errors in other people's behavior. But the main task in reading today's passage is to carry out attentively and precisely what applies to you and perhaps to pass over entirely what applies to someone else. In speaking of how relationships within a family are built, the apostle Peter probably expects last of all to hear from us phrases such as: “Well, now everything is clear; nothing will work until she begins to obey me,” or, “Of course we cannot be together until he begins to treat me as a weaker vessel.” Nor will our relationships with people imitate Christ as long as we expect everyone to be merciful and friendly toward us and no one to repay us with evil for our own evil. When reading the epistles and acting in accordance with what we read, we will have to begin with ourselves in order to see truly good days.