1 Peter 2 Study (Part Two - vv. 11-25)/ Reading from Revelation 1:6 - Our Ministries ...

1 PETER CHAPTER 2 STUDY (PART TWO – vv. 11-25)

Living Before the World

11 Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, 12 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.

Submission to Government

13 Therefore submit yourselves to every [a]ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, 14 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. 15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men— 16 as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for [b]vice, but as bondservants of God. 17 Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.

Submission to Masters

18 Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh. 19 For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. 20 For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. 21 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for [c]us, leaving [d]us an example, that you should follow His steps:

22 “Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth”.

23 who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; 24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose [e]stripes you were healed. 25 For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and [f]Overseer of your souls.

Notes 1 Peter 2 Study – (vv. 11-25)

2:11: Up to this point Peter (Simon) had been addressing the entire Church, describing benefits and challenges of salvation … Now he speaks to various groups of Christians – citizens, servants, wives, husbands, pastors- exhorting all to forsake sinful passions and to live as true sojourners and pilgrims in this world …

2:13-17: (See also Romans 13:1-7; and Matthew 22:21; and Titus 3:1) …

Romans 13:1-7:

Submit to Government

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 [a]bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. 4 For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. 5 Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience’ sake. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God’s ministers attending continually to this very thing. 7 Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.

Matthew 22:21:

They said to Him, “Caesar’s.”

And He said to them, “Render[a] therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

Titus 3:1:

Graces of the Heirs of Grace

3 Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work,

Peter is urging his readers to be obedient to civil governments … While Christians serve a higher authority, God Himself, it is God who calls us to submit to earthly leaders for the Lord’s sake – (v. 13) … This is not a call to “separate” Church from state, but rather call to cooperate with and enhance the state – realizing that at times Church and state have been a great odd … When ultimate loyalty and obedience to Christ and His gospel are at stake, Peter’s actions show that we are to obey God rather than man, even to the point of prison or death – (Acts 4:19-20) …

Acts 4:19-20:

19 But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. 20 For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.”

2:18-24: This advice to servants is applicable to all who are employed by another … Christ is our example for service and for our response to mistreatment … He is shown to be the Suffering Servant, offering Himself on our behalf, by whose stripes you were healed – (v. 24; see also Isaiah 53) …

2:22: No washing away of sins was necessary for Christ, who did NO SIN … His washing was done for us, who do sin … We should live, then, for Him who did not spare His own Son, that in His Body He might crucify our passions … For Christ for us that we might live in His renewed body …

2:25: Peter- according to tradition the first bishop of Antioch, the guiding church of the mission to the Eastern Mediterranean, and later Rome, the leading church of the mission to the Western Mediterranean – the one charged by Christ to tend to His sheep – (John 20:16), sees all of us as sheep under the care of Christ, our universal Shepherd and Overseer – ( means also ‘bishop”) … Peter calls himself – “a fellow elder” – (John 5:1, for bishops and priests are not two different orders in the NT) …

John 20:16:

Jesus said to her, “Mary!”

She turned and said to [a]Him, “Rabboni!” (Which is to say, Teacher).

John 5:1:

After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

Revelation 1:6

6 and has made us [a]kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

- All of us who are joined in the Body of Christ in baptism comprise the messianic royal priesthood promised back in the OT … Our ministry should be about offering the world back to God in sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving and seeking Him wholeheartedly!!!”