For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.
It is pleasing and acceptable to God when a person out of conscience toward Him patiently endures grief and suffering that is undeserved and wrongful. There is no credit in patiently bearing punishment for faults and wrongdoing, for only suffering endured while doing well and doing good is commended of Him. Christ is the pattern in this, who did no sin and spoke no deceit, who did not revile when reviled nor threaten when suffering, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously. Such endurance gives no place to retaliation, harsh speech, passion, defiance, or using liberty as a cloak for wrong, but calls for subjection, honoring all, prayer, and bringing every thought into captivity to His mind. It is better to suffer injustice than to do wrong, trusting God to guard His children, vindicate justice, and punish the oppressor while holding fast to integrity.
Meaning and Setting
For conscience toward God to endure grief and suffer wrongfully with patience is thankworthy, pleasing and commendable before God and accepted of Him. It is undeserved suffering borne for conscience toward God that carries this commendation, not suffering in general. To take buffeting patiently for faults brings no credit and no glory, and reproach brought on by one's own folly gives no ground to claim to be wronged. Only to suffer patiently while doing well and doing good is accepted of God, and to this Christians are called.
In its setting the call is addressed to servants to remain subject even to harsh masters, enduring undeserved suffering out of conscience toward God. The same faithful endurance governs work and business relations, where service is to be rendered sincerely as unto the Lord. Both employer and worker answer to Christ as their Master and God who judges their actions.
The verse also instructs the manner in which God's people should labor and lays down right principles for the relation between physicians and their brethren. Medical missionary work is bound up with the gospel ministry in that labor. That united soul-saving work is to stand separate from the world and its counsels, standing on the platform of truth.
Christ's Patient Example
Christ is the pattern held up in the verse for enduring wrongful grief from conscience toward God, and following his steps means doing no sin and letting no deceit or guile come from the mouth. When reviled he did not revile again or retaliate, and when suffering he did not threaten, but committed himself to him who judges righteously. His innocent, non-retaliating endurance is what makes patient suffering while doing well and doing good acceptable to God, in contrast to patiently taking punishment for faults, which earns no credit or glory. That example governs subjection even under harsh and unreasonable treatment, calling for wrongful rebuke and suffering to be taken patiently when doing well, without sharp retaliation, passion, defiance, or boasting of liberty.
He suffered injustice while himself blameless in order to bear the guilt of the guilty, so that through faith in his merits they might go free. He gives them his own righteousness and presents them to the Father as innocent.
Endurance in Practice
Unjust and unreasonable treatment, even from men in positions of trust, gives no excuse for retaliation, for to retaliate adds a greater sin. For conscience toward God the wrongfully suffering one must speak no harsh, selfish, deceitful, unbecoming, or retaliating word, fly into no passion, show no defiance, boast of no liberty, and use liberty for no cloak of maliciousness. Instead there is to be subjection with all fear, honoring all men, taking everything to God in prayer, bringing every thought and word into captivity with the mind of Christ, and doing justice and judgment. This is personal responsibility to obey the holy precepts of the law of God and do the works of Christ.
When obedience to God brings unjust restriction or hardship, it is to be borne patiently and without retaliation or defiance. This applies especially where respect for the Seventh-day Sabbath is involved and liberty to work on Sunday is taken away, for any requirement showing disrespect to the Sabbath must be refused because eternal interests are involved. The answer is to obey God rather than man, firm as a rock to principle, answering from Scripture with It is written. That instruction is of real value for all brought into straight places, and ministers are to echo it with pen and voice.
Not all painful reproach is wrongful suffering, for reproach brought on by one's own folly gives no ground to claim to be wronged. Character under such suffering is measured and judged by the fruit borne rather than by profession, as in the golden scales of the heavenly sanctuary. Injustice therefore does not excuse sinful speech, and the one judged is judged by the character shown in actions.
It is better to suffer injustice than to do wrong. Injustice is to be borne even from fellow believers without hastily asserting rights, trusting that God guards His children and will vindicate justice and punish the oppressor. When others fail to give Christian help or treat a believer unjustly, this must not lead to distrust of Christ, but to relying wholly on Him and holding fast to integrity. Such trials belong to the testing of life, in which character is formed either after God's likeness or after the rebellious one's.
In employment this same faithful endurance binds both sides to answer to Christ as Master and God who judges actions. Christian duty requires serving sincerely as serving the Lord, and requires employers to treat those who work for them with fairness, prompt payment, kindness, and respect. Employers must not oppress, overwork, or delay the wages of hired workers.
It is pleasing and acceptable to God when a person out of conscience toward Him patiently endures grief and suffering that is undeserved and wrongful. There is no credit in patiently bearing punishment for faults and wrongdoing, for only suffering endured while doing well and doing good is commended of Him. Christ is the pattern in this, who did no sin and spoke no deceit, who did not revile when reviled nor threaten when suffering, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously. Such endurance gives no place to retaliation, harsh speech, passion, defiance, or using liberty as a cloak for wrong, but calls for subjection, honoring all, prayer, and bringing every thought into captivity to His mind. It is better to suffer injustice than to do wrong, trusting God to guard His children, vindicate justice, and punish the oppressor while holding fast to integrity.
Meaning and Setting
For conscience toward God to endure grief and suffer wrongfully with patience is thankworthy, pleasing and commendable before God and accepted of Him. It is undeserved suffering borne for conscience toward God that carries this commendation, not suffering in general. To take buffeting patiently for faults brings no credit and no glory, and reproach brought on by one's own folly gives no ground to claim to be wronged. Only to suffer patiently while doing well and doing good is accepted of God, and to this Christians are called.
In its setting the call is addressed to servants to remain subject even to harsh masters, enduring undeserved suffering out of conscience toward God. The same faithful endurance governs work and business relations, where service is to be rendered sincerely as unto the Lord. Both employer and worker answer to Christ as their Master and God who judges their actions.
The verse also instructs the manner in which God's people should labor and lays down right principles for the relation between physicians and their brethren. Medical missionary work is bound up with the gospel ministry in that labor. That united soul-saving work is to stand separate from the world and its counsels, standing on the platform of truth.
Christ's Patient Example
Christ is the pattern held up in the verse for enduring wrongful grief from conscience toward God, and following his steps means doing no sin and letting no deceit or guile come from the mouth. When reviled he did not revile again or retaliate, and when suffering he did not threaten, but committed himself to him who judges righteously. His innocent, non-retaliating endurance is what makes patient suffering while doing well and doing good acceptable to God, in contrast to patiently taking punishment for faults, which earns no credit or glory. That example governs subjection even under harsh and unreasonable treatment, calling for wrongful rebuke and suffering to be taken patiently when doing well, without sharp retaliation, passion, defiance, or boasting of liberty.
He suffered injustice while himself blameless in order to bear the guilt of the guilty, so that through faith in his merits they might go free. He gives them his own righteousness and presents them to the Father as innocent.
Endurance in Practice
Unjust and unreasonable treatment, even from men in positions of trust, gives no excuse for retaliation, for to retaliate adds a greater sin. For conscience toward God the wrongfully suffering one must speak no harsh, selfish, deceitful, unbecoming, or retaliating word, fly into no passion, show no defiance, boast of no liberty, and use liberty for no cloak of maliciousness. Instead there is to be subjection with all fear, honoring all men, taking everything to God in prayer, bringing every thought and word into captivity with the mind of Christ, and doing justice and judgment. This is personal responsibility to obey the holy precepts of the law of God and do the works of Christ.
When obedience to God brings unjust restriction or hardship, it is to be borne patiently and without retaliation or defiance. This applies especially where respect for the Seventh-day Sabbath is involved and liberty to work on Sunday is taken away, for any requirement showing disrespect to the Sabbath must be refused because eternal interests are involved. The answer is to obey God rather than man, firm as a rock to principle, answering from Scripture with It is written. That instruction is of real value for all brought into straight places, and ministers are to echo it with pen and voice.
Not all painful reproach is wrongful suffering, for reproach brought on by one's own folly gives no ground to claim to be wronged. Character under such suffering is measured and judged by the fruit borne rather than by profession, as in the golden scales of the heavenly sanctuary. Injustice therefore does not excuse sinful speech, and the one judged is judged by the character shown in actions.
It is better to suffer injustice than to do wrong. Injustice is to be borne even from fellow believers without hastily asserting rights, trusting that God guards His children and will vindicate justice and punish the oppressor. When others fail to give Christian help or treat a believer unjustly, this must not lead to distrust of Christ, but to relying wholly on Him and holding fast to integrity. Such trials belong to the testing of life, in which character is formed either after God's likeness or after the rebellious one's.
In employment this same faithful endurance binds both sides to answer to Christ as Master and God who judges actions. Christian duty requires serving sincerely as serving the Lord, and requires employers to treat those who work for them with fairness, prompt payment, kindness, and respect. Employers must not oppress, overwork, or delay the wages of hired workers.