But sanctify the Lord Christ in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;
Truth to Learn
Standing firm in your faith is more important than giving in to the fear of what might be done to you by someone else.
Behind the Words
The word translated “sanctify” is the Greek word hagiadzō which means “to make holy or pure” or “to set apart.” But, the root of the word is hagos, which means “an awful thing” or “a fearful thing.” As Peter uses the word here, he appears to be saying, “set apart in your heart the Lord Christ as fearful.”
“Christ” is transliterated from the Greek word christos. Some Greek texts use the word theos (God), although the best texts use the word christos. Christos means “the anointed one,” which we transliterate to the word Christ. It is equivalent to the Hebrew word mashiach, which we transliterate to Messiah.
The word “defense” is translated from apologia, from which our English word “apology” was originally derived. However, it doesn’t mean to ask forgiveness for a wrong done, rather it means “to give an answer or speech in defense of oneself.” In this verse it means to give an explanation for the hope that we have because of our faith in Jesus Christ.
Meaning Explained
Peter has just told us that we are blessed if we suffer for doing good and that we should not be afraid of their terror (those who would threaten us because of our faith). In today’s verse, Peter is making a play on words with regard to the notion of fear. He says, “don’t fear or be troubled by them [those who would threaten you], but put the fear of Christ the Lord in your hearts.” Part of the reason I think this is Peter’s meaning is because the opening phrase of this verse is a quote from Isaiah.
The LORD Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread. (Isaiah 8:13) [NIV]
The remainder of today’s verse tells us that we need to always be ready to give a reason for our hope to anyone who asks us, and to do so with meekness and fear. We know that our God is both holy and just. That means that He is pure and fearsome Himself and that He will judge evil. We also know that we have been saved and set-apart from that judgment through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ and, as a result, we have a hope that others in this world don’t have. That hope, and the fear of God which goes along with it, should be so evident in our lives, especially when we are suffering for doing what is right, that others will want to know how we can keep such an attitude in the midst of our suffering.
Peter may have even been thinking of a specific martyr of the early church, perhaps Polycarp, one of the early church fathers and a disciple of the Apostle John. As he was about to be killed for his refusal to deny Christ and offer obeisance to the Roman emperor, Polycarp said:
"Fourscore and six years have I served Him [Christ], and he has done me no harm. How then can I curse my King that saved me? Bring forth what you will."
Application
If you were being threatened with death for refusing to deny Christ as your Savior, would you be able to stand forth confidently and make a profession like Polycarp?
In God's service, for His glory,
Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved