1 Peter 2:20: For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God.
As children, if we’re raised in homes where there is discipline administered, when we do something we know is wrong, we understand consequences are likely for our wrongdoing. Tragically, the world today is moving away from this healthy perspective – expecting discipline for our sins. Either in the old days or nowadays, we always hoped for mercy. However, this desire for mercy has evolved – or degraded – into indignation if mercy is not granted, or even worse, a complete denial of the reality of our sinful actions. Personal accountability is on the endangered species list, and it is moving towards extinction unless a revival of God’s Word occurs.
Today’s verse – penned some 2,000 years ago by the Apostle Peter – has an underlying assumption that we should anticipate consequences for our faults. The Greek word that beaten is based on literally means to be struck or hit. As for faults, the word is hamartanõ, which means sins. In other words, in Peter’s time, people were physically beaten for their sins. Imagine the field day modern day lawyers would have with this cultural standard of corporal punishment?!
To have this verse come from Peter is interesting as the pre-Pentecost Peter is largely viewed as the one who denied the Lord. However, he did not get punished for his sin. No beatings, no stripes – nothing. He was the beneficiary of Jesus’ grace and forgiveness. As mentioned earlier, today’s world system has developed an entitlement attitude to receive this gift of mercy, and pre-Pentecost Peter may have ultimately developed a similar attitude.
But the author of this letter is post-Pentecost Peter – the man filled with the Holy Spirit. For the purpose of analyzing this verse, the Holy Spirit is doing two things with Peter. First, Peter is acknowledging the reality of consequences for sin. The Greek word for patiently can also be interpreted as “persevere”. In other words, Peter begins this verse by saying, ‘So you’re persevering through your rightful punishment for your sins – what’s the big deal about that?’
The second, and more important point the post-Pentecost Peter is making is when we are doing good (the opposite of sinning), but we suffer consequences for these good deeds, this makes God happy. Without the Holy Spirit’s presence in one’s life, understanding how God could be happy with people doing good suffering is virtually impossible. To be clear, God is not happy seeing His people suffer for their good deeds, but He acknowledges their dilemma with pride and appreciation because this oxymoron is proving a point to those who are paying attention to the unjustly afflicted.
If you observe a dark object, unless it is contrasted against a light or bright object, the depth of the darkness of the object is dulled. So it is in the spiritual world, without the presence of light, the darkness of a situation doesn’t seem so dark. This concept is the essence of what Peter is saying in this verse.
Many people will see the wrongness of the people who are suffering for doing good. More importantly, some people will see the attitude of those who are doing good and suffering and see something different. They’ll see the light persevering through darkness. Being punished unjustly is one of the toughest things to experience, but witnessing it and observing that person’s demeanor as he/she demonstrates his/her faithfulness to God, well that is a witness in itself and opens the door for the observer to see the Light. That is what is commendable before God – He wants people to see the darkness of this world, and He allows unjust suffering to be a clear example that the Light of the world has overcome the world. If you’re suffering unjustly, be patient – God is using you for someone else who needs to see the Light.