What does the Bible mean when it describes Christians as a “peculiar people”?
It doesn’t mean we eat weird food, wear strange clothes, and participate in outlandish rituals.
People mistake the appearance of peculiarity for the thing that caused the peculiarity.
Religious people frequently get into the habit of mistaking how something looks for how something actually is.
They mistake the appearance of Kingly stature for someone’s fitness to be King like Samuel did [1 Samuel 16:6].
Or they mistake the size of enemy forces like Elijah’s servant did [2 Kings 6:14-18].
In the modern day, we mistake the appearance of religiousness or purity for the actual thing.
We should try to get in the habit of not believing everything we see – because our personal perception can cloud reality. Just because people look religious does not mean they truly are.
This happens frequently with a discussion of peculiar people. What does this mean?
The mistake most religious people make is mistaking the peculiarity itself for religion.
They think the weirdness itself is the goal. That if they stand out from the rest of the crowd, they are “doing religion right”.
This is the farthest thing from reality. And it is why so many of us are confused by what we see.
Many people make these mistakes in judgment.
- Some mistake a college degree for education or value – but the value is in the skill and knowledge that degree allegedly represents.
- Some mistake knowing for understanding.
Peculiarity should be a byproduct of the Christian lifestyle, not a direct goal.
The goal is not to go out in the world purposefully acting weird. The purpose is to simply obey God and we will automatically look strange for that. Remember that the text says they will think that it is strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation [1 Peter 4:4].
We are not running out, making it our goal to be weird people. We are simply doing what is right, and by virtue, of obeying the commandments of God, we look strange compared to the rest of the world.
When the Bible describes Christians as a peculiar people it means that by the way we act, we will stand out from the world.
People mistake this all the time and think that we just need to purposefully act weird or purposefully act religious. They think we need to use weird language and try to stand out.
Standing out from the crowd is not the primary goal – there are many non-biblical ways to stand out from the crowd. It is simply a byproduct of living a Christian lifestyle when we live the way the Bible outlines.
The main point is easy to understand. If you obey the Bible you will be weird enough, There’s no need to make yourself weirder by fabricating religious rituals, behaviors, or language to use out in the world.
If you practice sexual discipline, avoid using profanity, don’t drink, don’t use illicit drugs repay evil with good, and act with kindness towards people around you, then you will be one of the strangest people in this world. No one behaves that way. It is odd.
The people those the world look to maximize their personal pleasure, drink, enjoy drugs, use profanity, repay evil with evil, and cheat and steal at everything they do. That is not the Christian path. Though the Christian stumbles and falls, he still works to live within the confines of the word of God. That is what makes him a peculiar person.
