Yes! “Suffering” is a key word in the first epistle of Peter. However, the Scripture does not stop at the plight or the pain. It draws Christians’ attention to a few related “But’s.”

       Let’s first admit this: Yes, we are ordinary people who are afraid of toil, hardship and suffering. Who would like toil, hardship and suffering? But Peter tells us this as a command: “But rejoice” (4:13).

       Rejoice in suffering – this really is beyond most people’s understanding. When faced with a plight and faith is being tested, the impurities of a believer’s inner life would be revealed. But once the impurities are removed, his faith will become stronger. Hardship will be transformed into a gift of life by God.

       And we will discover that we are participating in the sufferings of Christ as well as His future glory (4:13). To be able to participate in the sufferings of Christ means we are following Christ in the right direction.

       Years ago, with a friend, I climbed “the most amazing mountain in the world” – Huangshan. According to travel information, if climbers manage to reach the top before daybreak, they will see a rolling Sea of Clouds. So, we started out at two o’clock in the morning in the hope that we could reach the top by daybreak and photograph the Sea of Clouds. As we were figuring out which path to take in the dark, we met at the turn of the corner a large group of people carrying large camera backpacks. They were also on their way uphill with tripods and photography equipment in their hands. We decided to follow them. Finally, we made it to the top and continued to wait.

        When the first rays appeared, the clouds also appeared from all directions. It was a real splendor. After the sunrise, we could see that the people we followed, who carried first-rate photography equipment, were no ordinary tourists. Each of them wore a badge which says, “World Famous Photographer.”

        Little did we realize that we were blessed to have followed these world-class photographers and made our way to the best viewing position. Later, in a TV documentary, we saw a high-definition episode by one of those great photographers. Our participation in their procession was indeed a right decision. I get excited every time I think about this experience.

        Yes, the path of life is marked by suffering. But this is the path that Christ our Lord has gone through. Yes, there are fiery ordeals in life, but we live in the greater reality of our relationship with the Lord from now till eternity.

       The Book of 2 Peter differs from 1 Peter in that “suffering” is no longer a key word but “knowledge” is. The emphasis of the book is this: The most important is to have accurate knowledge of Christ the Lord, and everyone needs to know and have relationship with the Lord (2 Peter 1:2). May we, in studying 1 and 2 Peter, grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord (3:18) and really experience and know Him in everyday life.

        Yes, there may be uncertainties ahead, but we should still closely follow Christ alone with a pure heart and live out the light of the Lord in our lives.

       (This is an excerpt from the foreword of NPAC’s 2024 Bible Study Guide on 1 & 2 Peter.)