Suffering is a universal experience. While the church in the post-Enlightenment period has often tried to describe why suffering occurs, God's Word more often describes how believers are supposed to suffer. In 1 Pet 2:18--25, Peter calls his audience to suffer like Christ: patiently enduring unjust treatment, walking by faith in the midst of their suffering, and entrusting themselves to God throughout their journey. Thus, pastors and caregivers should call those who are suffering to following Christ's example of righteousness, even in the face of difficulty and trial.

In chapter 2, I present the pertinent background information to Peter's call to suffer like Christ in 1 Pet 2:18--25. Petrine authorship and the situation of Peter's suffering audience provides the context for Peter's call in 1 Pet 2:18--25. While Peter is speaking to informally persecuted slaves in Asia Minor, his call to suffer like Christ extends to believers from all locations and generations. In addition, Peter's call to suffer like Christ is one way in which his audience should keep their conduct pure before the Gentiles, and thus, point these unbelievers to Christ (1 Pet 2:11--12).

In chapter 3, I examine Peter's call to suffer like Christ in 1 Pet 2:18--25. Peter says that patient endurance while suffering unjustly is approved by God. Thus, Peter encourages his readers to suffer like Christ, who did not sin, but secured redemption for all who believe. Peter parallels Christ and the suffering servant of Isa 53 in order to emphasize the totality of his righteous obedience and the restoration that resulted from Christ's obedient suffering.

In chapter 4, I explore other passages that describe Christ's righteous suffering. While Peter encapsulates all of Christ's suffering in 1 Pet 2:18--25, it is helpful to point sufferers to specific narratives and vignettes of Christ's righteous response. The call to suffer like Christ is modeled and described as Christ is sinless before his accusers at his trial before the Sanhedrin and as he calls out to God in Gethsemane. In addition, believers can be encouraged and take hope that Christ is a high priest who identifies with his suffering people.

In chapter 5, I survey Kelly M. Kapic's theology of suffering as communicated in his work, Embodied Hope. Kapic points to Christ as the one who gives meaning to suffering and sufferers. Kapic's theology particularly intersects with Peter's call to suffer like Christ as both authors point believers to Christ to give meaning to difficulty and trials. Kapic calls the reader to a holistic approach to suffering, not simply appealing to rationalistic, philosophical approaches to the problem of evil.

Finally, in chapter 6, I highlight the application of Peter's call in 1 Pet 2:18--25 for caregivers and those who are suffering. Caregivers should be careful not to approach suffering as a purely cognitive exercise or appeal to platitudes. Instead, brothers and sisters in Christ move towards those who are suffering, encourage sufferers to call out to God, and point them to hope in the Christ who suffered, but was raised from the dead. Those who are suffering should interact with God in the midst of their suffering as they act in love towards others by participating in the community of the body of Christ and by not retaliating against those who harm them.