1 Peter

Monday, 28 October 2019

For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men— 1 Peter 2:15

The previous two verses have spoken of submitting to every ordinance of man which extends from the king as supreme, or from governors who are sent by the king. He then said that these governors are sent by the king for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of those who do good. Understanding this context, Peter now says, “For this is the will of God.”

If God wills it, then who are we to work against it? It is the epitome of arrogance to not subject oneself to the ruling authority and yet to claim that you are following Christ as a faithful and obedient servant. Rather than being one “of those who do good,” you have made yourself liable to punishment because you are, in fact, an evildoer. The supposed “ultra-piety” of Christians who reject this precept is shown to simply be a nauseous vapor.

Rather than emulating such an attitude, Peter says that being subject to the ruling authority “is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men.” The “doing good” is referring to being subject to the ruling authority which is contrasted to being an evildoer in the previous verse.

Christians who fail to honor the ruling authorities are not showing allegiance to the Lord, but to themselves by supposedly elevating themselves above others around them. This is by claiming a super-spiritual state of holiness. Isaiah, prophesying the word of the Lord, speaks of those in Israel who acted in such a manner, elevating themselves above others in outward shows of supposed piety –

“Who say, ‘Keep to yourself,
Do not come near me,
For I am holier than you!’
These are smoke in My nostrils,
A fire that burns all the day.” Isaiah 65:5

Peter shows that this is a problem among believers in the church as well. The word he uses for “put to silence” signifies “to muzzle.” It is what Jesus did when He countered the failed logic of the Sadducees in Matthew 22:34, and what He did as He faced off against demons, and even what He did when He silenced the wind. He muzzled these things, silencing them. Peter says that believers are to so silence these evildoers.

As far as the word translated as “ignorance,” it is a word used only in 1 Corinthians 15:34 and here. It signifies “willful ignorance.” It is a refusal to learn by experience. One can think of any Christian who claims to know a certain doctrine, but who has never taken the time to read and study the Bible. Such a person spouts out what he thinks he knows, but he actually has no idea what he is talking about. These people are, as Peter says it, “foolish men.”

There is actually an article in front of this, and thus it says, “the foolish men.” It is those who he has just referred to. His choice of word for “foolish” is also used by Jesus in Luke 11:40 and Luke 12:20. Paul also uses it quite a few times. This is its last use in Scripture. It signifies “mindless” or “stupid.” Such a person is short-sighted because he is lacking all of the information needed to make a decision, and thus he cannot act prudently. The church is overflowing with such people because they fail to read, assimilate, and put into use the precepts of God’s word.

Life application: We are to obey the duly established authorities because:

These people have been ordained by God to rule.
By disobeying them, punishment will result (which brings discredit).
By obeying them praise will result (which brings credit).
And, through obeying them, the arguments of foolish and ignorant men will be silenced.

If you can see the logic here, then you can understand why Christians are to be law-abiding citizens. It also makes sense that the nuttier the laws of the rulers, the more important it is to obey them.

As unbelieving, ungodly people grow in number in the government, their laws will naturally reflect this. It would be normal to expect then that we would fight against the government because of their unwise, and even perverse, rules. But by doing this, we would give the enemies of God even more chance to revile us and Him. As long as the laws don’t cause us to violate God’s law, we actually bring credit to Him by obeying them and acting as proper citizens. It shuts the mouths of the ignorant and takes away their ability to revile God.

Make sure you consider this when you speak out against your leaders, when you think about violating their laws, or when you attempt to conspire with others in bringing harm to those appointed above you. You bear the name of Jesus Christ. Therefore, you are obligated to act responsibly and bring credit to Him.

O Lord, we often really have a tough time with some of the crazy laws and arrogant, slanderous leaders appointed over us. But Your word shows us the importance of praying for them, obeying them, and working within the established laws they have passed. Though it is difficult, it is all to bring credit to You. So, Lord, please give us the ability to do so. Amen.

Sunday, 27 October 2019

…or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. 1 Peter 2:14

Peter now completes the sentence which began with verse 13. He informed believers to submit themselves “to every ordinance of man.” This included the king as supreme. Now he says, “or to governors.”

The word is hégemón. One can see an early source of the word hegemony. It signifies a commander, governor, leader, and so on. It can even speak of a province. Thus, it can signify the officer placed in charge of such a province. It is these officials who are “those who are sent by him.” This is speaking of these individuals as representatives of the king.

In other words, these people are under the authority of the king, who is to be submitted to, and thus, these officials are likewise to be submitted to. Further, the word translated as “are sent” is a present participle. The king continuously sends these officials, as needed, to oversee the region which his jurisdiction covers. It isn’t that these officials are to be obeyed once, but always. When they govern, their authority speaks for the king.

Peter then describes what this authority reaches to by saying, “for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good.” This lower level of authority has the power of the king to first punish those who do evil. The word translated as “punish” actually signifies something stronger. It extends to avenging wrong and executing vengeance. It is full and complete punishment. In other words, Christians are to be subject to such authorities. They cannot claim themselves “out of the world” and thus out of the vengeance of the king. His authority lies over them.

And so, when the believer abides by the rules of the land, he is also to be without fear. Instead, he would fall under the king’s “praise of those who do good.” Here, the word translated as “who do good” is unique in Scripture. It signifies “well-doers.” It reflects a person who does that which is inherently good.

When the king’s laws merge with the inherently good living of the believer, that individual can hope for praise because of his conduct. The king, as the one appointed by God, is in the position to hand out favor or discipline according to his will. This does not mean that Christians are exempt from his unjust wrath, but that whatever they receive from him is according to the position in which he sits, and according to his will.

Life application: Here, Peter is implying that each level of government has been established to bring about order in our society and when a particular level of authority passes a law, we are obligated to obey it. If we don’t, those authorities have been given additional powers – such as sending along people designated to enforce the laws which have been passed.

We have local police, sheriffs, state enforcement agencies, and also federal enforcement units – such as the FBI, DEA, TSA, IRS, etc. We may not always like how these people conduct their affairs, but they are the designated authorities, and we are accountable for our actions before them.

If we didn’t have law enforcement, there would be chaos. If we didn’t have tax collectors, the government wouldn’t be properly funded, etc. Evildoers would be in charge, and life would be far more miserable than it is when laws are enforced.

Likewise, when we obey the law and give respect to the authorities, we can (hopefully!) expect praise and compliments from them. Obviously, this isn’t always the case, but when law enforcement gets out of hand or when government becomes over-burdensome, the people generally handle the problem by replacing the offenders. In history, this has often been a bloody replacement, but if society works properly, these things can be handled at the voting booth.

Lord God, give us patience when dealing with the authorities. Too often they seem to step into our lives in a way which is beyond the authority they have been granted. If this is the case, may peace prevail, and may we be given the proper words and conduct to handle the situation. We pray this that You will be glorified through our actions under those You have appointed over us. Amen.

Saturday, 26 October 2019

Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, 1 Peter 2:13

Peter now states “Therefore” based on his words of verses 11 & 12. He noted that believers are as sojourners and pilgrims, and thus are to abstain from the fleshly lusts of this world which war against us. We are to have honorable conduct among the Gentiles in order to bring them to a state where they glorify God, because of our good works which they observe. Out of this, comes Peter’s “Therefore.”

It is because we are living in this world, but are not a part of it, that we are to “submit … to every ordinance of man.” One might say, “I am not of this world, and therefore I do not need to submit to the ordinances of man.” And, unfortunately, this is the position many believers hold to. “I don’t have to serve in the military because…” “I will not vote because…” On and on, Christians pick and choose what they will do in this world in an attempt to appear more holy than those around them, or simply because they don’t want to do a certain thing, and so they fall back on the premise that they are not obligated to do this or that because they are not of this world.

It is faulty logic, refuted by both Peter and Paul. When Peter says, “every ordinance of man,” he is referring to the duly established laws of whatever land believers live in. The word he uses, ktisis, signifies “creation.” It speaks of either the act of creation or the product of it. Thus, from a human aspect, it speaks of institutions. They did not exist, but man created them. They form the basis for human conduct and living within a given sphere of existence.

When a believer lives in a city, for example, he falls under the institutions of that city, of the county in which the city exists, of the state in which the county exists, and of the federal government in which the state exists. The believer is to submit to all of these institutions because they comprise the sphere in which he exists. This is not optional, but rather it is God-inspired through the writers of the epistles. Paul says the same thing in Romans 13 –

“Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. ² Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.” Romans 13:1, 2

The words from both Peter and Paul are clear and explicit. Therefore, if we are to submit to the ruling authorities, it is an all-inclusive deal. One cannot logically say, “I will pay taxes because I have been instructed to, but I will not vote because I am ‘not of this world.’” That is illogical and is simply an attempt to appear more holy or pious than the next person. A person may willingly choose to not vote, but to then ascribe that choice to the fact that he is a Christian is contradictory to what is stated by the apostles.

Peter next says that this submission is “for the Lord’s sake.” This means “because the Lord has mandated that it is to be this way.” It is not that the Lord needs it this way to fill a lack that only we can fill, but that we need to be this way because He has stated that “it is so.” He has delegated the powers of this world to certain individuals who then form their governmental institutions. They are the authority in this sphere, and we live within this sphere. Therefore, we are to submit to them.

Peter then begins to designate exactly what he means by saying, “whether to the king as supreme.” Peter uses the designation of “king” when speaking of the Roman emperor. The emperor is known by other titles, such as autokrator, Kaisar, and etc. However, he is also, at times, called “king,” such as in John 19:15 and in Acts 17:7. He was the highest earthly official in the land, and he was to be submitted to.

In the United States, the highest single official is the President, but the laws issue from Congress, and the Supreme Court’s decisions determine the legality of the laws. It is this three-fold federal head that is to be equated to Caesar here.

When Peter says that the king is “supreme,” he is speaking of his earthly state. It is not an acknowledgment of him as a god, nor does it mean that we are to do something mandated by this supreme king which would be against the rule of God. The highest allegiance of the believer is to God, as He has revealed Himself to us in His word for our life instruction.

Life application: As believers, we are living in the land that God determined for any given one of us – be it Korea, America, Germany, etc. We are told by Peter here to submit to every ordinance of man. If the king (or president, prime minister, etc.) signs a law, then we are to obey it. We are to do this even if it seems unjust. Everyone in the country is bound under the same law. If others obey it and Christians don’t, then they leave a bad testimony and an unfavorable image of our greater and true King.

However! If at any time an earthly government passes a law that is contrary to the law of God, it must be disobeyed. This is because we have a higher law in God’s word. As an example, America has legalized abortion. We therefore are to allow abortion to continue (such as not murdering the doctors involved in conducting them), while still working within the framework of the government to abolish the practice.

However, if America passed a “mandatory abortion after one child” law, we would be obligated to disobey this law when directed at us individually. We must follow the higher law of God and protect the life He has created. Sometimes it is hard to determine where disobeying should and shouldn’t be practiced. This is why it is so very important to know and meditate on God’s law which is contained in the Bible.

Heavenly Father, you have called us to live at peace with our governments and our leaders. You have shown us that we are to be subject to them, even when we disagree with their laws. Help us to be discerning in the proper conduct of our lives and the following of your mandates. This is right because it ultimately glorifies you. So be with us as we conduct our affairs under the governments in which we live. Amen.

Friday, 25 October 2019

…having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation. 1 Peter 2:12

Peter had just instructed his reader to “abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul.” He now gives a reason why this should be. It is not only for their own holiness, health, and betterment, but because they are representatives of Christ to the world. Understanding this, he says, “having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles.”

Peter is writing to Jewish believers, as is noted in the opening of his epistle. However, he is not making a divide between Jews and Gentiles, by saying what he now says, as if there are two gospels. The phrase “among the Gentiles” is a common expression of Paul, used in the exact same manner when he writes to his Gentile audience. The idea is not one of separation between Jew and Gentile, but one of reflecting the Lord’s holiness – by Jew or Gentile – among the nations.

With that explained, Peter now says, “that when they speak against you as evildoers.” The word “evildoers” speaks of a criminal, or someone bent on doing what is wrong. It is only found in 1 Peter where he will use it three times. The same thought is expressed, using the two roots of the word Peter uses here, concerning Jesus in John 18:30. As Christ was spoken of as doing evil, so His people are expected to be accused of being evildoers.

However, one of the main points found in the book of Acts is that Christianity fell under the auspices of a sect of Judaism. This was important at that point in history, because Judaism was considered an acceptable and allowable form of religious expression within the Roman Empire. If Christianity were considered a new religion, it could have been forbidden immediately.

However, because it is the fulfillment of the Jewish oracles to believe in the Messiah, Christianity was considered as a part of this already-accepted religion. However, Jews spoke against it throughout the nations, and in front of the Gentiles. An example of this is found in this passage from Acts –

“Now it happened in Iconium that they went together to the synagogue of the Jews, and so spoke that a great multitude both of the Jews and of the Greeks believed. ² But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brethren. ³ Therefore they stayed there a long time, speaking boldly in the Lord, who was bearing witness to the word of His grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands.” Acts 14:1-3

This is exactly the type of thing that Peter is speaking about. Eventually, the Roman Empire under Nero brought its weight down upon Christians, and the persecution became great. Christians were spoken of as evil by Jews and by Gentiles. But Peter exhorted them because he knew that being spoken against as evildoers was, and would continue to be, the norm.

As Peter speaks equally to the Jewish believers in the end times, the words to them are no less relevant today. The messianic believers are persecuted by the Jews. And yet, their testimony in Israel is bringing together more believers from the non-Jews who live in Israel and elsewhere, and they are also bringing in new Jewish believers to the faith all the time as well.

Therefore, believer’s conduct is to be exemplary in front of these Gentiles, so that “they may, by your good works which they observe,” have a positive effect on them. Peter will explain what that effect is with his final words of the verse. For now, the word translated as “which they observe” is a present participle in the active voice. The people around believers are observing them and making constant determinations about them.

The word signifies an attentive viewing, not just a casual look. The word is unique to Peter and is used only here and in 1 Peter 3:2. It is this general thought, of being carefully evaluated while living holy lives, that the Gentiles would then see the proper conduct of believers and then “glorify God in the day of visitation.”

This phrase is debated over. Is it speaking of the time of Christ’s coming? Is it referring to another particular event? The word translated as “visitation” is a general word where a visit occurs by anyone for any reason. What is probably on Peter’s mind is a simple visitation of the blessing of the Lord upon people who actively witness the conduct of the Christian believers, and realize that Christians are not who they have been portrayed as. Instead, they are seen to be valid messengers of the truth of God. At that time, they believe and their visitation, by the Holy Spirit for salvation, comes to pass.

Life application: This verse should make believers stop and really reflect on the consequences of what Peter is implying. When Peter speaks of the “Gentiles,” he is speaking of the people of the world among whom believers in Christ live their lives. This is similar to what Paul said when speaking of his Jewish brethren who didn’t believe –

“For I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, ¹⁴ if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh and save some of them.” Romans 11:13, 14

The conduct of believers should be right at all times in order to lead people to Jesus. If we don’t act appropriately, we not only keep them from desiring a relationship with Jesus, but we also bring discredit upon His name. Our actions and conduct before unbelievers should be as holy as our actions and conduct while in church on Sunday morning. Consider that as you conduct your daily life.

Heavenly Father, it is sure that our conduct has not always been a source of inspiration to the non-believers around us. We also know that there will be those who will have accusations against us on the great Day of Judgment. For this, we feel remorse. Give us the heart’s desire to always reflect Your glory from this day on. Amen.

Thursday, 24 October 2019

Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, 1 Peter 2:11

Peter now uses a word of close personal affection which is used by every author of an epistle – Paul (in all but three of his epistles), the author of Hebrews, James, Peter, John, and Jude. It is most commonly used by Paul, but Peter uses it eight times in his two small epistles. It is translated as “beloved.” In its highest sense, it signifies divinely-loved. In his second epistle, Peter will use the term of Paul.

Here, he uses it to begin an exhortation unto holy living, starting with, “I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims.” The word translated as sojourners signifies an alien. It is seen only four times in Acts, Ephesians, and now here for the last time. It signifies a temporary dweller, especially a foreigner.

The word translated as pilgrims is similar. It was used by Peter in his opening words, and now he uses it here as its last use in Scripture. It signifies someone who resides in a strange country. It is someone who is simply passing through.

As this is the state of believers, Peter notes that they should not get caught up in the ways of those who are a part of this system, and so he says for believers to “abstain from fleshly lusts.”

The idea is that a person who is a foreigner in a strange land will not take part in the customs of those around him because he has no affiliation with them. The true home of the believer is with Christ. We have been redeemed out of this world, and therefore our conduct here is to be reflective not of what we have been redeemed out of, but that of the place where we are redeemed to. The Lord is holy, and we are to be holy. To follow after the lusts of the flesh is to not pursue holiness.

Peter then finishes with, “which war against the soul.” Vincent’s Word Studies notes, “The compound pronoun denotes a class, of that kind which, classifying all fleshly desires in one category.” Peter’s words are all-inclusive. Anything which is fleshly and which wars against the soul of the believer is to be abstained from.

The idea of the “soul” of the believer is one that is renewed by the Spirit, and it is no longer to be aligned with the fallen things of the world. As we have been renewed by the Spirit, our lives should reflect that higher spiritual attitude. But Paul, writing about this, notes how hard that is. In Romans 7, he said –

“I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. ²² For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. ²³ But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. ²⁴ O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? ²⁵ I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!” Romans 7:21-25

After saying this, he closes out Romans 7:25 with –

“So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.”

Through reliance on Christ, believers are delivered from the “body of death” which wars against us. Peter now admonishes believers to abstain from anything which would cause this war of the soul to rise up in us.

Life application: If both Peter and Paul acknowledged that these things exist around us, then it is obvious that they had the same war in their own souls. Such is true with all people. In other words, being an apostle, preacher, minister, or missionary does not make one immune. We all have a responsibility to not get entangled in these things, and it is something we all struggle with. When you slip and fail, confess and turn back. Jesus is merciful and forgiving.

Lord God, we must acknowledge that we have the very war in our own souls that the writers of the New Testament speak of. The world pulls one way, even as our hearts tell us to resist such things. Certainly, we fail You often, and we simply cannot walk this path alone. Instead, we need You with us each step of the way. Strengthen us, and give us the ability to win this war – to Your glory! Amen.