Purpose Driven Lives

In 2002, Rick Warren’s 40-day devotional, The Purpose Driven Life, surprised the Christian world with a simple message (and a large sale). That small book was divided into six categories. The first section was, “What on earth am I here for?” The subsequent chapters explained God’s plan for a Christian in worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry, and mission.

Centuries earlier, Peter gave a single purpose to his audience and the ways to achieve it. After instructing slaves, wives, and husbands, he addressed the whole congregation, saying, “Finally, all of you” (1 Pet 3:8). Then he gave a purpose and ways to achieve that purpose. To fully comprehend Peter’s grammar, we need to flip these verses — start with the purpose and move on to the ways to achieve that purpose.

“You were called to inherit a blessing.” (1 Pet 3:9b) – the purpose

“Be like-minded, sympathetic, with familial love, compassionate, humble, not repaying evil for evil or insult for insult, but saying good words about one another.” (1 Pet 3:8–9a) – the ways

Peter wanted his audiences to imagine that they were waiting by invitation to inherit a blessing. The inheritance of that blessing was based on abiding by the ways he proposed.

We are tempted to think this “blessing” was something like salvation, entrance to heaven, eternal life with Christ, rewards, or a crown on our heads. But this blessing was the expected outcome of keeping the ways. Imagine for a moment what it would be like if everyone in our church were like-minded, sympathetic, loved one another, compassionate, humble, never repaid evil or insult, but said good things about one another. What more blessings would we want? This was what David said:

How good and pleasant for families to dwell together in unity?

More precious than the oil on Aaron’s head that flows down through his beard to his robe.

More precious than the dews falling from Hermon (in the north) to Mt. Zion (in the south).

Then, the blessings of the LORD rest on lives forevermore. (Ps 133)

The abundance of precious oil on Aaron’s head and the dews from the northern to the southern mountains were signs of God’s blessings resting on the Israelites. Much more was the unity of God’s people. Their accord showed that God rested with them.

Peter wanted his redeemed Israel to have a blessing far richer than Aaron’s oil or dews on mountains – a perfect unity. To achieve that, they must be like-minded, sympathetic, with familial love, compassionate, humble, not repay evil for evil and insult for insult, and say good words about one another.

The first of these expressions referred to one’s mind: omos “like” frin “mind,” meaning agreeing with one another in their minds and arguments. The second talked about one’s feelings: syn “with” pascho “suffering,” meaning suffering together with one another or being sympathetic and empathizing with those who suffer. The third was about love for one another in both individual and Christian families (the churches), fila “love” for adelfos “brothers or family.” The fourth was a stomach-turning pain/affection for someone facing injustice (eu = good; splanknon “entrails”; Jesus often exercised this emotion toward people who suffered because others didn’t care to help them). The fifth was not being arrogant even if they had reasons; this was Jesus’s character – “I am humble” (Matt 11:29). Evil was a generic word that can mean anything bad done against another. Similarly, insults included verbal and thought and anything from scolding to bearing false witness. Saying good words included thinking good of the other.