Bible In Poetry: Gospel Of St. Peter 1 (Chapter 3) Poem by Dr John Celes

‘Be submissive to husbands, ’ Wives;
In case, they don’t believe the Word,
Seeing purity of your lives,
Their souls can be brought to the Lord.’

‘Your beauty shouldn’t be external,
From hair and clothes and jewelry,
But must be wholly internal,
From gentle and quiet spirit,
Which is of worth more in God’s sight.’

‘For, this is how holy women
Of past revealed their beauty great,
By putting hope in Heaven’s ways,
And submitting to their one mate,
Like Sarah calling Abraham, ‘Master’! .
You are her daughters when you do
Things rightly without any fear.’

‘And husbands, live in the same way
With consideration as your base;
Respect your weaker partner well,
As heirs to gift of life that’s swell;
Give them that tender, loving touch
So that nothing hinders your prayers much.

Suffering for Doing Good:

In harmony, live with brethren,
Be humble, kind to men, women;
Repay not evil by evil;
Return not insult by insult;
Bless those who are unfair to you;
Heaven expects you, this to do.

‘For, whoev’r loves his earthly life
And sees good days,
Must keep his tongue from evil rife,
And lips from deceit’s ways! ’

‘From evil, he must turn, do good;
He must seek peace ad pursue it;
The Lord’s eyes track His righteous ones;
His ears hear their fervent prayers;
The Lord’s face abhors evil ones.’

‘If eager to do good, can you be harmed?
But if you suffer still, you are blessed;
Do not fear what the wicked fear;
Put Christ our Lord, inside your heart.’

‘Prepare to answer all who ask
You reasons for the hope you have;
And do this gently, with respect,
And keep your conscience always clear.’

‘The speakers with malice in hearts,
Against your good rapport with Christ,
Will be ashamed for their slander! ’

‘Suff’r for goodness sake, if God’s will;
’Tis better than doing evil;
For, Christ had died for sins of all,
And bring souls to His Father, God.’

‘Though dead by body, Jesus was
Kept alive by Holy Spirit,
And preached to spirits in prison,
Who disobeyed the patient God,
While ark was built in Noah’s days.
When Deluge watered in torrents,
None were saved except eight good.’

‘In baptism, the same water,
Saves souls from rod of God instead,
Removing not the body’s dirt,
But by renewed pledge to His word.
It saves you through the risen Christ,
Who’s in heaven, to God’s hand right,
With angels, saints, in divine pow’r! ’

Copyright by Dr John Celes 6-21-2007