1.  Allow me to express my sincere appreciation to the God of our existence for safe passage to Daytona Beach and the MLK Church of Christ in particular. I am both honored as well as humbled by the invitation to come and share with one and all from God’s word! To Brothers Thornton Brown, Minister, Albert McQueen and Woodrow Jones, Co-Chairs in this effort must I say thank you! To those great expositors of God’s word do I seek to continually encourage you to maintain your presence in the fight for the souls of mankind! God is counting on us! After all, His word states that “The harvest truly is plenteous but the laborers are few” (Matthew 9:37). Therefore we continue to pray for you and others that will be sent for His harvest! To every man that saw the value of being here today do I commend you for your focused concern for the welfare of brothers in the churches of Christ, as well as, men in general! Finally of necessity do I thank the men that accompanied me from the Fiske Boulevard Church of Christ that we share this opportunity together!  We bring you greetings from the Fiske Boulevard Church of Christ in Rockledge, Florida where we love you like nobody loves you but God loves you best! www.RandyColeSimsSr.com

2. 8 Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: 9 Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.

3. 1 Peter 3:8-9

4. 1 Peter 3 finds admonition to various segments of Saints regarding relationships with one another. Addressed are slaves, Christian wives, and husbands. Then is there focus of the epistle in conclusive fashion with an exhortation to Christians as a whole regarding how we ought to treat one another. In an effort to encourage proper interaction of our brothers and sisters in Christ, Peter notes the behaviors that we should avoid, as well as, the behaviors we should exemplify.

5.  Foremost - first in a series or progression.  Secondary - of second rank, importance, or value (or immediately behind the first).second  Didactic - designed or intended to teach.  Dynamic - the way that two or more people behave with each other because of a particular situation.  Deciphering - to interpret the meaning of.  Duplicity - the quality or state of being double or twofold.

6.  I. Foremost of Duplicity Didactic Dynamics (Desirable!) 1 Peter 3:8  A. Be likeminded, compassionate, loving as brethren, tenderhearted, humbleminded  1. "Likeminded" is unity of mind and purpose, agreement in all the major details of Christian life and activity.  2. "Compassionate" derived from the Greek sumpatheis, from which we get our word sympathy, is that attitude of mind which leads one to rejoice when others rejoice, and to weep when others weep.  3. "Loving as brethren" (literally, brother lovers) is the special feeling which brothers of a common parentage have for each other (See Galatians 3:26-28).  4. "Tenderhearted" (literally, goodhearted) is an attitude which manifests itself in pity and affection.  5. "Humbleminded" is the opposite of arrogance and pride.

7.  II. Secondary of Duplicity Didactic Dynamics (Deprive of!) 1 Peter 3:9 * Note that Peter, Paul, and Jesus agreed on this dynamic. (see Romans 12:9-21 emphasis v. 17-19, 1 Thessalonians 5:15, Matthew 5:39 & 43-48)  A. “Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing…”  1. "Not rendering" is, literally not giving back; and the preposition "for" as here used denotes something given in exchange.  2. Christians are, under no circumstances, to give back evil in exchange for evil done them, or to engage in reviling though reviled themselves. This verse was designed to forbid all  retaliation, whether in word or in deed.  B. “But contrariwise blessings” (Be continually blessing)  C. “Knowing that ye are thereunto called”  D. “That ye should inherit a blessing”

8.  III. Deciphering Differences Denoting Duplicity  A. We are complex in that we are both flesh and spirit (See Romans 7:14-25)  B. The need for matured faith in our duplicity (See 1 Corinthians 2:6-16)

9.  1. Peter helps us to understand the foremost desirable traits that are to be exemplified by us!  2. Peter of close second place value suggest behavior that we are to avoid!  3. Finally must we be mindful of the fact that there exist in us to polar opposites that we should identify in an effort to mature one while restraining the other!