This week’s section is central to our understanding of the entire letter and for understanding how we are to live honorable lives in dishonorable times. Peter focuses our attention on living honorably before unbelievers and before other believers.
1 Peter 2:11-12 [show]1 Peter 2:11-12
[11]Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. [12]Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. (ESV)
is the pivotal passage in 1 Peter so it might be helpful to see it in several different English translations.
(ESV) Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.
(GNB) I appeal to you, my friends, as strangers and refugees in this world! Do not give in to bodily passions, which are always at war against the soul. Your conduct among the heathen should be so good that when they accuse you of being evildoers, they will have to recognize your good deeds and so praise God on the Day of his coming.
(HCSB) Dear friends, I urge you as aliens and temporary residents to abstain from fleshly desires that war against you. Conduct yourselves honorably among the Gentiles, so that in a case where they speak against you as those who do evil, they may, by observing your good works, glorify God in a day of visitation.
(TNIV) Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
1. When you are wronged, are you more likely to let it go, fight for your rights or get even?
2. Check out how the phrase “day of visitation” is used in the Old Testament: Isaiah 10:3 [show]Isaiah 10:3
[3]What will you do on the day of punishment,
in the ruin that will come from afar?
To whom will you flee for help,
and where will you leave your wealth?
; Jeremiah 27:22 [show]Jeremiah 27:22
[22]They shall be carried to Babylon and remain there until the day when I visit them, declares the LORD. Then I will bring them back and restore them to this place." (ESV)
. Check out how this phrase is used in the New Testament: Luke 1:68 [show]Luke 1:68
[68]"Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
for he has visited and redeemed his people
; Luke 7:16 [show]Luke 7:16
[16]Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, saying, "A great prophet has arisen among us!" and "God has visited his people!" (ESV)
; Luke 19:44 [show]Luke 19:44
[44]and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation." (ESV)
. How does the visitation/return/judgment of God effect your perspective on the evil done by others? Does is give you comfort? How does it make you think and feel about your own destiny? How does it make you think and feel about what will happen to oppressors?
3. The word Submit (1 Peter 2:13 [show]1 Peter 2:13
[13]Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution,(1) whether it be to the emperor(2) as supreme, (ESV)
Footnotes
1. [2:13] Or 'every institution ordained for people'
2. [2:13] Or 'king'; also verse 17
) is a military term meaning “to arrange in military fashion under the commander,” “to put oneself in an attitude of submission.” See how this theme of humble submission is found in Proverbs 24:21 [show]Proverbs 24:21
[21]My son, fear the LORD and the king,
and do not join with those who do otherwise,
; Jeremiah 29:4-14 [show]Jeremiah 29:4-14
[4]"Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: [5]Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. [6]Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. [7]But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. [8]For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are among you deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams that they dream,(1) [9]for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you in my name; I did not send them, declares the LORD.
[10]"For thus says the LORD: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. [11]For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare(2) and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. [12]Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. [13]You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. [14]I will be found by you, declares the LORD, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the LORD, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile. (ESV)
Footnotes
1. [29:8] Hebrew 'your dreams, which you cause to dream'
2. [29:11] Or 'peace'
; Matthew 22:21 [show]Matthew 22:21
[21]They said, "Caesar's." Then he said to them, "Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." (ESV)
; 1 Timothy 2:1 [show]1 Timothy 2:1
[2:1]First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, (ESV)
; Hebrews 10:32-34 [show]Hebrews 10:32-34
[32]But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, [33]sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. [34]For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one. (ESV)
. Compare Peter’s exhortation to the Apostle Paul’s message to the Christians living in Rome found in Romans 12 [show]Romans 12
[12:1]I appeal to you therefore, brothers,(1) by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.(2) [2]Do not be conformed to this world,(3) but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.(4)
[3]For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. [4]For as in one body we have many members,(5) and the members do not all have the same function, [5]so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. [6]Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; [7]if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; [8]the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads,(6) with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.
[9]Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. [10]Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. [11]Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit,(7) serve the Lord. [12]Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. [13]Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.
[14]Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. [15]Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. [16]Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly.(8) Never be wise in your own sight. [17]Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. [18]If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. [19]Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it(9) to the wrath of God, for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord." [20]To the contrary, "if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head." [21]Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (ESV)
Footnotes
1. [12:1] Or 'brothers and sisters'
2. [12:1] Or 'your rational service'
3. [12:2] Greek 'age'
4. [12:2] Or 'what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God'
5. [12:4] Greek 'parts'; also verse 5
6. [12:8] Or 'gives aid'
7. [12:11] Or 'fervent in the Spirit'
8. [12:16] Or 'give yourselves to humble tasks'
9. [12:19] Greek 'give place'
, Romans 13:1-10 [show]Romans 13:1-10
[13:1]Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. [2]Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. [3]For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, [4]for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. [5]Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience. [6]For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. [7]Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.
[8]Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. [9]For the commandments, "You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet," and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." [10]Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. (ESV)
. How do you generally react to commands to obey? What factors contribute to your response when others exercise authority over you?
4. In relation to suffering, 1 Peter 2:21 [show]1 Peter 2:21
[21]For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. (ESV)
says, “To this you were called.” What is your reaction to this?
5. How can Christ’s example (1 Peter 2:21-23 [show]1 Peter 2:21-23
[21]For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. [22]He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. [23]When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. (ESV)
) help you when you are mistreated? Beyond his example, what benefits has Christ’s suffering produced (1 Peter 2:24-25 [show]1 Peter 2:24-25
[24]He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. [25]For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. (ESV)
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