Hope Beyond Extremism: Marching Orders for Soldiers of the Cross

1 Peter 4:7–11

Peter was a practical, realistic man. Being married helped. So did his background as a fisherman. Prior to his leaving the familiarity of his work on the lake, his life consisted of very real and very practical things: boats, nets, fish, making a living, hard work, competition, and a host of other tangible realities. We should not be surprised, therefore, to discover that both his personality and his writing style follow suit. Being neither scholarly nor sophisticated, Peter had little interest in theoretical discussions. Life was meant to be lived not talked about. If there was a cause worth fighting for, then fight . . . don’t philosophize! So when Peter took up his pen to write about suffering saints, he didn’t mess around; he got down to basics. And when he addressed the reality of the end times, he summed up a game plan in one-two-three-four fashion rather than dumping a pile of options and possible choices.

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