You could be right about suffering being evil. I was only considering God being long-suffering. A few verses that come to mind that seem to say there is different “suffering”…suffering for evil doing and suffering for doing good? As in 1 Peter 3:17-18 For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing. [18] For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
Of course you're right in your last sentence of 1 Peter 3:17-18
How I understand this entire passage is that we are to do good and bring good into the world.
IOW, it's not enough to NOT do evil....
It's necessary to do good...
And if we have to suffer to do this good, then so be it.
Better to suffer to do good...
than to suffer doing evil.
We sometimes say that no good deed goes unpunished...this is how it is sometimes.
You do something good for someone, and they repay you with unkindness.
No problem...we do it for God.
Colossians 3-17
And 1 Peter 4:14-16 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye ; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. [15] But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters. [16] Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.
Amen!
God is long-suffering in doing good, always patient. So maybe you are right that suffering is evil. What is the difference in suffering for evil going and suffering for doing well?
Philippians 4:13-14 i can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. [14] Notwithstanding you have well done, that you did communicate with my affliction.
In fact, we do what Philippians 4:13-14 states.
IF we do our good deeds and all our work FOR GOD, and not for man (although man does benefit!)
For instance, we might invite someone over for dinner because we see that they need the rest - but then they don't invite us for dinner, ever.
So what? We did it for the glory to God and should be happy to have done our good deed.
How do we suffer for evil going?
It's Karma...what goes out comes back to you.
First you suffer because evil is bad for the body and mind...
and, in the end, you suffer because you lose friends, or you end up in prison, or who knows what else.
Philippians 4:14 is Paul thanking the Philippians for having helped him get food while he was in prison.