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1 Peter 3:8
“Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.”
The gospel renews souls and reconciles God and sinners, but it does not destroy lawful human authorities or eliminate the believer’s duty to submit to these authorities even when it is difficult to do so. Peter has made this plain in 1 Peter 2:13–3:7 while addressing how these principles should be applied with respect to the state, servants and masters, and husbands and wives. In today’s verse, he begins to close out his writing on these matters by addressing relationships within the broader church.
Peter uses the word “finally” in 1 Peter 3:8 not to indicate that he is concluding the entire letter but to tell us that he is ending his discussion of the Christian’s duty of submission. With that in mind, Peter’s guidance here explains the principle that Paul gives in Ephesians 5:21 that believers have a duty to submit to one another out of reverence to Christ. This broader duty of submission that Christians owe to one another does not erase differences in authority between people in the church and society. Church elders, for example, retain authority over church members as it is defined in Scripture. Instead, this broader submission of Christians to each other encompasses the duties that all Christians owe to one another regardless of their position in the church, state, or home.
The Apostle states that believers are to aim for “unity of mind” (1 Peter 3:8). Without oneness on the meaning and mission of the Christian faith and the church, believers will accomplish nothing of lasting value. Christians need not be on the same page about everything, but they must be united on the fundamentals of the faith. Dr. R.C. Sproul comments: “We should be single-minded in our understanding of the person and work of Christ. We can—and must—be united in our confession of the essentials of the Christian faith, but there is plenty of room for differences in lesser matters.”
From unity of mind flow other essential aspects of Christian character and practice—sympathy, brotherly love, tenderness, and humility (1 Peter 3:8). When we share the same view of Christ, we will agree on what Christian discipleship and living mean, fostering mutual love and support in the church. Matthew Henry comments, “Christians should endeavor to be all of one mind in the great points of faith, in real affection, and in Christian practice; they should be like-minded one to another, according to Christ Jesus (Rom. 15:5), not according to man’s pleasure, but God’s Word.”
Coram Deo Living before the face of God
Many problems in the church could be avoided if we were to have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, tender hearts, and humble minds. As much as we can, we should seek to sympathize with each other and to understand others’ circumstances so that we can have healthy dialogue. In all this, we should be willing to learn from one another in all humility and to have tender, brotherly love for one another.
For further study
- Psalm 133
- Proverbs 28:26
- Romans 14:1–15:7
- Philippians 2:1–2
The bible in a year
- 2 Kings 12–14
- John 6:1–21