It’s All in Your Mind

~ 15 (j)tin'L One-Jllindnhuu "(Ji.Mi1/.q_, IH_ IJP, nJL tJ/ 8iU. m.uu/_, ~~ NU ;,/ mwllu,-, ~ tu. ~ bL pili(,,1, /n,_ ,muhoru.: (Jlol rouiuuuJ w.il to, wiL, o,- niil.in.g, IN ntil.in.g,: 1ml ~ hh.uin,g,; knominfJ dud rµ llll ilununln- enll,d, l.hol ,µ ihould mholta~." 1 Peter 3:8,9 Paul spoke many times of one-mindedness. And in his first epistle Peter speaks four times of the mind. Peter's subject of one-mindedness takes on a different light than Paul's subject of one mind. This does not mean contradiction but enlargement. It is interesting that commentators on 1 Peter 3:8,9 tell us that every phrase or word except one never occurs in the original language in the same form before or after this epistle. I always think of Peter as a rather sloppy. bull-headed, hard nosed fisherman. I would remind you that by the time he was writing this epistle by the Holy Spirit's inspiration, he had become a scholar in the language. Certainly when he met Christ. he talked in slang language. Peter is an excellent example of what God can do with someone yielded to the Holy Spirit. What does it mean to be like-minded as exhorted by Peter? Peter uses a fonn of the word mind that occurs in no other place in the New Testament. This is the word to think, be intelfi9ent, observe, jud9e, and discern. Within the original word is a four-letter word that refers to the diaphragm. What is the purpose of the diaphragm in the body? Well, to breathe, of course. Peter not only exhorted believers to think alike, but he wanted them to be so alike that they breathed together. This really takes the thought a great deal further than Paut•s one-mindedness. Peter was interested in breathing. He was an outdoorsman. He knew how to breathe; and he wanted Christians to know how to breathe together spiritually. What is he saying? Ifyou breathe together, you have to mutually agree that you are going to do it. You have to have common interest. Peter does not give us a formula for one- mindedness as Paul did in 2 Corinthians 13, but he does show us the outcome of people who breathe together. Someone wrote years ago about this verse, "To avoid division, beware of two extremes. First of being captive to custom; and second, not having affectation for novelty." Two things will divide believers: being in a rut and trying to be unique or novel all the time. Breathe together; don't go from one extreme to another. Don't be a slave to custom and at the same time don't pick up every novelty that comes around. Peter says, "Be well balanced." That which will be produced by believers breathing together certainly does not sound like Peter. This can't be the Peter who was such a stumblebum in the Gospels! This can't be 67