But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. 1 Peter 3:15-17

Devotion

I don’t know if you have noticed over the last few years, but it would appear that the hottest trend in our contemporary discourse is to disprove, disparage, and dismiss those we disagree with, in as rapid a rate as possible, regardless of what is truthful or not, and with little to no care given for the person we disagree with. This next statement may or may not be comforting; however, given the many discourses throughout Scripture, it could be argued that what we are experiencing today is not, as Ecclesiastes 1:9 states, anything new under the sun. This shouldn’t invite us to be dismissive of the current culture we are a part of. Instead, it invites us to draw from the deep wells of instruction Scripture offers followers of Christ on how and why we should continue to engage the dominant culture of our world.

This summer, I spent time working through first and second Peter in the New Testament, and one passage that captured my attention was 1 Peter 3:15-17. In this letter, Christians are instructed to always be ready to share with others the reason for the hope they have in Christ, but with one caveat: they are to do so with gentleness and respect. While reading this passage, those two words implanted in my thoughts in somewhat of a cyclical rhythm. 

Gentleness and Respect. 

Gentleness and Respect. 

When I speak, do so with gentleness and respect. 

It has actually worked for me as a pretty good filter before I speak. We could all use a brief moment of pause at times to reflect on the words preparing to launch from our mouths to be sure they fit the criteria of being both…gentle and respectful. This is also a reminder for the followers of Christ that while our current cultural discourses seem to be laden with yelling and name-calling, dismissiveness and attacking, the expectation for Christians is different. 

Initially, the modern reader may be tempted to interpret gentleness and respect as being non-confrontive or even avoidant of addressing challenging truths. However, as we read in verse 16, the point of speaking with gentleness and respect has a clause attached to it. This is the “so that” phrase that links an outcome with the proposed action. Essentially the instruction is to speak clearly about the truth of the hope we have in Christ and in a manner that allows the one who is attacking or disagreeing to have to stand on the merits of their own argument. Peter is saying, let the truth of the Gospel stand for itself, no need to use the Gospel as a weapon or position oneself in an aggressive/argumentative manner that attempts to counterattack opposing arguments. Doing so would be a distraction from the strength the truth of Christ holds. 

Now this is where this passage really challenges me. The context of the original recipients of the letter is one of suffering at the hands of their opposition. The Christian audience was not winning any popularity contest in their community. They were not receiving awards for philanthropic or civic improvement medals. They were the outcasts. They were the riff-raff. They were seen as the troublemakers that are bringing down the neighborhood. It is one thing to be respectful and gentle toward those who favor you or are in good standing with you. It is entirely another thing to be respectful and gentle to those who hold disdain for you and are acting in disrespectful and dismissive ways towards you. Yet, that is the call given to Christians. My prayer today is that we as the church would rise to this challenge given by the Apostle Peter and, in humility, continue to engage the current culture with both gentleness and respect—regardless of the treatment we may be experiencing. 

Take time this week to reflect on the following:

• Am I ready to share the hope I have in Christ with anyone who asks?
• Would those around me describe my speech as gentle and respectful? If not, what step can I take this week to practice a new approach. 
• For other readings on gentleness, check out: 1 Peter, Proverbs 15:1, James 3:17, Titus 3:1-2, Galatians 5:22-23, Matthew 11:29

Todd Poe

Pastor, Digital Discipleship Ministries

Resources: 

• Radical Sermon Series
• Sermon: “Think Peace”
• Crossings Venue Worship: “You’re Still Moving”