28. There are two ways to the goal of peace. One is that chosen by
the world. The world seeks to obtain peace by preserving its own with
violence. It desires the death of all who oppose it and will suffer
injury or evil in word or deed from no one. This method, it is true,
is appointed to governmental authority. It is the duty of civil
rulers to faithfully employ it to arrest and hinder evil as far as
possible. But they can never wholly restrain evil nor punish every
offense. Much wickedness will remain, particularly secret evil, which
must punish itself, either by repentance here or in hell hereafter.
By this procedure Christians will not accomplish for themselves any
personal advantage; the world is too wicked and it will not give them
support.
29. Therefore, if you desire peace for yourself personally,
particularly as a Christian, you must choose another way. The Psalm
shows it to you when it says: "Refrain thy tongue from evil, and thy
lips that they speak no guile." This injunction really applies to
doctrine, meaning that we are to abide by the true Word of God and
not to allow ourselves to be seduced by false teaching. But Peter
here extends the application to the outward life and conduct of
Christians in the work, the circumstances being such as to call for
this admonition in the matter of refraining the tongue. On account of
the faith and confession for which men are called Christians, they
must suffer much; they are endangered, hated, persecuted, oppressed
and harassed by the whole world. Christ foretold (Mt 10, 22): "Ye
shall be hated of all men for my name's sake." Easily, then,
Christians, might believe they have cause to return evil, and being
still flesh and blood mortals, they are inevitably moved to be angry
and to curse, or to forsake their confession and doctrine and with
unbelievers to join the false church with its idolatrous teaching.
Here the Psalm admonishes: Dear Christian, let not all this move you
to rave, curse, blaspheme and revile again, but abide in the blessing
prepared for you to inherit; for you will not by violence remedy
matters or obtain any help. The world will remain as it is, and will
continue to hate and persecute the godly and believing. Of what use
is it for you to hate, chafe and curse against its attitude? You only
disturb your own heart with bitterness, and deprive yourself thereby
of the priceless blessing bestowed upon you.
30. We have the same teaching in the fourth verse of Psalm 4, which
comforts saints and strengthens them against the temptation and
provocation to anger and impatience which they must experience in the
world. "Be ye angry," David says, "and sin not: commune with your own
heart upon your bed, and be still." That is, although according to
the nature of flesh and blood you fret because you are compelled to
witness the prosperity of the world in its ungodly life and
wickedness, and how it spites, despises and persecutes you with pride
and insolence, nevertheless let not yourselves be easily provoked;
let wrong, displeasure, vexation and worry remain outside the inner
life; let them affect only the outward life, body and possessions. By
no means let them become rooted in your heart. Still your hearts and
content yourselves, and regard all this vexation as not worth losing
sleep over. If you desire to serve God truly and to render acceptable
sacrifice to him, then with faith in his Word place your hope in him
as your dear Father who cares for you, hears you and will wondrously
support you.