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NASB | 1 Peter 2:19 For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | 1 Peter 2:19 For this finds favor, if a person endures the sorrow of suffering unjustly because of an awareness of [the will of] God. |
Subject: What's the proper response to injustice? |
Bible Note: Understand that the matter is important. It is not a theoretical issue, even as the Bible is not a theoretical book. God’s word is given to guide our lives. In it there is direction as to the way to confront injustice and to promote justice. But most of us ignore the problem even as our brothers and sisters, and sometimes we ourselves are suffering from it. The least we can do is to talk about it, but my fear is that we won’t, and that some will seek as in the past to actively suppress the discussion. I know it sounds paranoid, but that is what happens. That is why the issue is not discussed. That is why injustice proceeds unchallenged, and justice fails, to the detriment and suffering of many. That is my fear, that the issue will be not only ignored but actively suppressed. I hope you understand. The meeting that I spoke of went quite well, in many ways. The Gospel was preached and some came to faith in Christ. The young man in question took part and said that he was glad for it. But the leaders of the church were not there to see what he was willing to do and able to do. That is what I had planned for them to see and I had hoped it would encourage them to allow him to use his gift in church. As it was, they did not get to know him that way and they still have not called him as they had promised about the task he had volunteered for. He told me he will look to other churches now for opportunities, and indeed he visited another church with me the next day and spoke to the elders there. It is good that there are other churches, and I trust that he will have a chance to use his gifts and further develop them. I understand and agree with all that you have said. We all should use our gifts to meet needs. The scriptures teaching that are well known, I hope. Titus 3:14 is a key passage concerning this. Thank you for pointing it out. But we must keep in mind it was Paul writing to his delegate and specifically instructing him to monitor and facilitate this. “I left you in Crete for this reason, that you would set in order the things that were lacking” (Titus 1:5). There are things that are lacking, and some would volunteer to make up the lack and use their gifts to meet the needs. But there are those who guard the gates and choose the players, and injustice occurs when some are denied opportunity. I hope you agree that everyone has both needs and gifts. That is what I get from passages such as Ephesians 4:16. The question has been how we should react when we see injustice, when gifts are not used and needs are not met. I had hoped that this discussion would have revealed some scriptural ideas for us to use, each in our area, as we see the need. Contrary to the idea of promoting some and consigning others to the role of spectator, which often takes hold, we ought to provoke one another to love and to good works. |