What does First B Jackson teach about harmony in church?
Drawn from the messages where it was actually addressed: the words said from the front, the passages taught, and where to hear the whole thing.
At First B Jackson, the teaching on harmony in the church starts with the plain meaning of the word itself. Pastor Mark, Pastor Carl, and Pastor Blake have all worked through 1 Peter 3:8-12 and each of them made the same point: harmony is not simply the absence of conflict, and it is not the same as one voice carrying a tune alone. It is what happens when multiple voices join together and make something richer than any one of them could produce on its own. The command is addressed to every single person in the body, not to the difficult ones or the wrong ones somewhere else in the room.
The qualities Peter lists alongside harmony, being sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit, are treated here as a cluster of commands aimed at the whole congregation. The teaching on "kindhearted" has come up in multiple messages, with the Greek word behind it pointing to something closer to gut-level compassion than polite acknowledgment. Humility, in this teaching, is not produced by comparing yourself to the people around you but by comparing yourself to the Lord. That comparison is what keeps self-exalting from taking root.
The center of the passage is the command not to return evil for evil or insult for insult, and the preaching here holds up Jesus himself as the only one who has fully lived it out. He did not revile in return while he was dying, and Peter presents that as the pattern believers are called to follow. The call to submit to governing authority, which frames the whole section, has been taught here without softening it, with the reminder that Peter wrote these words when Nero was emperor. The purpose, as the text says, is that doing right will eventually silence those who speak foolishly against the church.
Taught from 1 Peter 3:8-12 · 1 Peter 2:13-3:12 · Matthew 5:38-48 · Psalm 34:12-16 · Isaiah 53
The passage taught · 1 Peter 2:18-25
18 Servants, be in subjection to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the wicked.
19 For it is commendable if someone endures pain, suffering unjustly, because of conscience toward God.
20 For what glory is it if, when you sin, you patiently endure beating? But if, when you do well, you patiently endure suffering, this is commendable with God.
21 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving you an example, that you should follow his steps,
World English Bible
Messages that go deeper
- January 28, 2024 To Sum Up, All of Y'all Peter calls all believers to be harmonious, sympathetic, and humble, not repaying evil for evil, but blessing others as Christ did, even under unjust authority.
- January 28, 2024 To Sum Up, All of Y'all Pastor Carl walks through 1 Peter 2-3, calling believers to harmony, humility, and blessing others rather than returning evil for evil, following Christ's example.
- September 23, 2018 To Sum Up: All of Y'all Be Harmonious A Wyoming pastor walks through 1 Peter 2, 3, calling believers to harmony, sympathy, humility, and blessing others rather than returning evil for evil.