1 Peter Study #7

“Is Peter Picking on the Women?”

1 Peter 3:1-6

Study #7 in 1 Peter Series

INTRODUCTION:

We have all heard the criticisms from woke feminists, and even some who self-identify as Christian women, who say that the Bible is misogynistic. They point to the treatment of women in the Old Testament and find fault with the patriarchal system of the Israelites. In the New Testament they especially dislike the Apostle Paul who they say was outspokenly anti-woman, seeking to keep women out of leadership roles in the church and demanding that they take a backseat to men in general, but especially in the home. For this reason, many modern women, and some men, have rejected certain passages in the Scriptures, claiming them to be anachronistic and obsolete. They say that those parts were just Paul’s opinion and are no longer binding on us in the modern Church because our culture has evolved beyond those primitive ideas. Therefore, they promote an egalitarian theology that says that men and women are equals in every way, and that there are no longer any gender-specific roles in the church.   

TRANSITION:

But are they correct? Has everything changed? Our text for today’s study is one of those passages that the feminists hate and berate. Although not written by Paul, the guy they claim to be the Bible’s #1 Woman-Hater, it was written by his pal, the Apostle Peter. In these six (6) verses Peter singles out the women of the churches and lays some heavy teaching on them about how they should think, dress, act, adorn themselves, and submit to their husbands. However, what many of these critics fail to understand is that these teachings are couched in a broader context about Christian submission incumbent on all believers: men, women, servants, leaders, everyone. Peter is not picking on the women!    

NOTES on the Text:

Verses 1-2: In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the Word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives, ² as they observe your chaste and respectful behavior.  

• “In the same way…” – This phrase is important for our understanding of how to interpret these verses in context. Chapter 2 begins by reminding us of who we have become in Christ. We have been changed by God. We are living stones in God’s Temple. We are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and a people for God’s own possession. Because of this the world scrutinizes us with curiosity, criticism, and consternation. They are always watching to see if we screw up and fail to live up to our claims of being God’s kids. So, in verse 13 Peter begins talking about how important it is for us to submit ourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution—to kings, governors, police officers, etc. Then in verse 18 Peter turns his attention to Christian slaves, exhorting them likewise to submit themselves for the Lord’s sake to their masters, whether they were good men or not. As Christians in that society, they needed to live exemplary lives, even though they were slaves. Then Peter shifts his focus and brings up Jesus Christ who is our example in every facet of life. He explains that Christ submitted Himself to the will of the Father and came to earth to die for sinners. He established the pattern, the template for Christians in all places and in all times to live in submission to God and to the people that God loves. We are called to submit ourselves for the Lord’s sake, no matter what our station in life might be. That brings us to 3:1 where Peter says, “In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands…” Notice that Peter says that wives are called to submit to their own husbands but not to all men in a general sense. Male headship is God’s commanded principle for the home and the church, albeit not for society in general. And just a few verses later, in verse 7, he turns the spotlight on their husbands saying, “You husbands in the same way…”
• The principle of submission is applied to many different groups in the New Testament:

o   Jesus submitted to His parents (Luke 2:51).

o   Citizens must submit to government authorities (Rom. 13:1-5, Titus 3:1, 1 Pet. 2:13).

o   The universe submits to Jesus (1 Cor. 15:27, Eph. 1:22).

o   Christians must submit to their church leaders (1 Cor. 16:15-16, 1 Peter 5:5).

o   Wives must submit to their husbands (Col. 3:18, Titus 2:5, 1 Pet. 3:5, Eph. 5:22-24).

o   Children must submit to their parents (Eph. 6:1-3, Col. 3:20)

o   The church must submit to the Lord Jesus (Eph. 5:24).

o   Servants must submit to their masters (Titus 2:9, 1 Peter 2:18).

o   Christians must submit to God (Hebrews 12:9, James 4:7).

·       But notice that none of these relations are ever reversed. For example, masters are never told to submit to servants, Jesus is never told to submit to the Church, and so forth. So, while there must be a servant-like love and attitude on the part of those in positions of authority, that does not eliminate the concept of God’s order of authority and the corresponding submission.

• So, you see, everybody gets their turn. Peter is not just picking on the ladies. So now let’s go back and unpack what Peter is actually saying to the women. “…you wives, be submissive to your own husbands” – The verb here translated as “be submissive” is the Greek word ὑποτάσσω (hupotasso), a compound verb made up of the preposition ὑπό (hupo or hypo) meaning “under, beneath, below” and the verb τάσσω (tasso) meaning “to arrange, to put in order, to station.” When we parse this verb in the sentence, we see that it is a present passive participle, which means that wives are to do this themselves on a continuing basis. It is not something imposed on them but rather it is an attitude they choose to take toward their husbands. With all that in mind the literal translation of the sentence goes like this: “You wives, put yourself under, submit yourself to, line yourself up behind your own husbands.”
• A note in the Blue Letter Bible says: This word, hupotasso, was a Greek military term meaning “to arrange [troop divisions] in a military fashion under the command of a leader.” In non-military use, it was “a voluntary attitude of obeying, giving in, cooperating, assuming responsibility, and carrying a burden.”
• “…so that even if any of them are disobedient to the Word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives, ² as they observe your chaste and respectful behavior.” – Here Peter explains why it is important that wives submit themselves to their own husbands; namely, to win them to Christ. For reasons that I do not fully understand it seems that more women respond to the Gospel than men. Since the days of the Early Church until now it seems that women are more open to believe in Christ and to turn to Him than are the men. That was true in Peter’s time, just as it is in ours. Looking back on my 50+ years of ministry I have counselled many Christian wives married to unsaved husbands, but very few believing husbands married to unbelieving wives. It’s strange but true.
• “…so that even if any of them are disobedient to the Word” – Notice that Peter does not differentiate here between a non-Christian husband and one who may be a believer but is not walking in obedience with Christ. The same principle applies in either case: the wife’s godly character and godly life are a powerful duo that God can use to bring her husband into alignment with the Word. And Peter makes the claim that her consistent godly life and her submissive attitude toward her husband, despite his apparent disinterest in the Gospel or the Christian faith, is a Christian wife’s most powerful tool to win her husband to the Lord. But notice the phrase, “…that they may be won without a word.” Wives are not to try and talk their husbands into Heaven by constantly nagging, harping, and arguing with him. That is like kryptonite; it will drive him away. Rather, it is by him observing her “chaste and respectful behavior” that he will be drawn to Christ, finally desiring to have what she has.
• Just a quick sidenote…The King James Version translation of this verse says, “Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the Word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives.” This verse has caused much confusion for many years because of the word, “conversation.” The phrase preceding it is great, “…[that] they also may without the word be won…” But then comes that next phrase. What people need to understand is that in King James’ era the word “conversation” did not mean speaking but rather your entire manner of life, what we today call your lifestyle. From then until now the word has totally changed its meaning. Peter is not telling the wives they should try to talk their husbands into the Kingdom of God. That pretty much always backfires.   

Verse 3: Your adornment must not be merely external – braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses;

• “Your adornment must not be merely external” – Peter is not against external adornment. The key word to notice here is “merely.” Every woman looks better when she is clean, with her hair washed and well groomed, perhaps with some jewelry and a little makeup. Peter mentions braiding the hair, which was in fashion in his day. He also speaks of wearing gold jewelry and pretty dresses. There is nothing wrong with any of these things. They are simply ways to enhance the woman’s natural beauty and attractiveness.
• Peter’s concern is that Christian women, and men too, understand that true beauty, nobility, and godliness come from the inside, and are not merely painted on the outside. A woman can be drop-dead beautiful on the outside but be filthy and immoral on the inside. A man can be handsome, well-groomed and well-dressed and still be a dirty, rotten scoundrel and a murderer. For Christians, men and women alike, we should be more concerned with what is on the inside and make sure that is good, and godly and truly commendable. 1 Samuel 16:7 is a good example: But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his [Saul’s] appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”   

Verse 4: …but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God. 

• “…but let it be the hidden person of the heart” – Only God can fully know what we are on the inside, but when we are around a person for a while we can pick up clues about what they are really like. Oh yes, sometimes we can be fooled for a while, but sooner or later the rottenness will become evident. But in the same way, genuine godliness shines out of a Christian’s life, becoming evident through their loving words, kind actions, and righteous attitudes.
• “…with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God.” – In context Peter is talking about godly wives who demonstrate “a gentle and quiet spirit” especially in their homes. He claims that this “imperishable quality” will be instrumental in bringing their unbelieving and disobedient husbands to faith in Christ. “Imperishable” means that it does not decay or worsen with age. Instead, imperishable beauty only gets better with age and is therefore of much greater value than the beauty that comes from beautiful hairdos, expensive jewelry, or fancy clothes.
• But I must give you a caution here. Do not take these verses as a promise. Rather, Peter is giving us a principle, a truth that has been proven reliable time and time again. But it is like the OT proverb that says, “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Some parents glom onto that verse like a lifeline and claim it as a promise, then get mad at God when their kid turns out to be a drug-dealing sex-crazed criminal in prison on a 45-year sentence. That verse is a proverb, not a promise. It is a truism, meaning that it is more often true than not, but still subject to the human will of the people involved. The same is true of this passage in 1 Peter. I have known godly Christian wives who have hoped and prayed for decades that their husbands would get saved but they never did, but their individual experience still does not diminish the truth of this passage.
• “…which is precious in the sight of God.” – Even if the husband never comes around to repent of his sins and turn to Christ Peter’s argument is still valid. A godly woman living to please her Heavenly Father despite getting no spiritual support from her husband is still precious in God’s sight, and she will one day be rewarded for her faithfulness. 

Verse 5: For in this way in former times the holy women also, who hoped in God, used to adorn themselves, being submissive to their own husbands;

• “For in this way in former times the holy women also…” – Peter here reminds Christian women that he is not calling them to some new standard but to the same obedience that was practiced by holy women of former times, referring I think to godly women in the Old Testament. He is just reminding them that when Christian women submit to their husbands and do not rely on their outward adornment to give their lives meaning and value, they are like the holy women of the past who trusted in God and demonstrated their faith through their inward beauty rather than through physical adornments. 

Verse 6: …just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him “lord,” and you have become her children if you do what is right without being frightened by any fear.  

• “…just as Sarah obeyed Abraham” – Peter had many Old Testament examples of godly wives that he could have chosen: Rebeckah and Isaac, Rachel and Jacob, Ruth and Boaz, Hannah and Elkanah, Abigail and David, Esther and King Xerxes, etc. But he chose to focus on Sarah, the wife of Abraham. Although she was not a perfect woman nor a perfect wife, Sarah demonstrated her submission to her husband in at least two important ways: First, she obeyed Abraham even when it was difficult and even when he was wrong, as was the case in Genesis 12:10-20. Second, Peter says that she honored Abraham by calling him “lord.” Of course, it is possible to obey someone without showing them the honor that is part of submission. However, true submission includes both obedience and honor. Sarah embodied this truth in her relationship with Abraham.

·       “…and you have become her children if you do what is right without being frightened by any fear.” – In other words, you have become like her, almost like her daughters, if you treat your husbands in the same way that she treated Abraham. True submission, motivated by faith in God, has no room for fear or terror. It does what is right and leaves the result to God, knowing that God rewards those who walk in obedience to Him. The words “if you do what is right” remind us that true biblical submission is not a grumbling surrender to authority but is an active embrace of God’s will, demonstrating confidence in Him.

CONCLUSION:

I hope you will see that this paragraph about the importance of Christian wives choosing to submit to their husbands for the Lord’s sake is just one piece of a much larger argument that all believers are to live in submission to Christ and to other people. The principles in these verses apply to men as well as to women. Peter is not picking on the ladies. 

I also hope that you will understand that in our own strength none of us can subdue our flesh and live a life of biblical submission. We can only do this through the power of the Holy Spirit and by keeping our eyes focused on Jesus who is our example. He modeled a life of submission, submitting His will to the Father, and laying down His life for us. He left us an example, that we should walk in His steps.

1 Peter Study #6

“Walking in God’s Favor”

1 Peter 2:18-25

Study #6 in 1 Peter Series

INTRODUCTION:

Every child wants to please his/her parents. That is just how God made us. Of course, there are exceptions but that is the norm. Children long for the favor of their parents. That is true of the children of God as well. We want to please our Heavenly Father and experience His favor.

TRANSITION:

In this study of 1 Peter 2:18-25 Peter tells us twice about something that triggers God’s favor toward us. Let’s see what that might be.  

NOTES on the Text:

Verse 18: Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable.  

• “Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect” – We have already explored the subject of slavery in the 1^st Century. Our problem is that looking at it through our 21^st Century eyes we tend to rise up in righteous indignation at the mere mention of this hot-button issue. Many modern Christians find it totally unacceptable that Jesus and Peter and Paul and the other NT writers never condemned slavery, not even once! “How could they be so blind?” they say. Now I am quite certain that none of those early Christians would have defended slavery as an institution, but they accepted it as a fact of life. Jesus and the biblical writers focused on encouraging Christians from all walks of life to live godly lives and strive to honor the Lord regardless of their circumstances. Peter’s argument here is really a continuation of what he said in the preceding verses, in 13-17, “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution [including slavery], whether to a king as the one in authority, ¹⁴ or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right. ¹⁵ For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men. ¹⁶ Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God. ¹⁷ Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.”
• “…be submissive…with all respect” – The Greek word Peter uses here does not mean “respect.” If that had been his thought he would have used the word ἐντρέπω (entrepo), meaning “to respect, regard, or have reverence toward.” Instead, he used the Greek word φόβος (phobos), which in the Gospels is consistently rendered as “fear, dread, or terror.” It is the word that gives us the English word “phobia” meaning a strong fear of something. That is its normal, usual meaning. Peter is telling the Christian slaves in the church that they need to maintain a healthy fear of their master, because he holds the slave’s life in his hands. In a few places, such as in 1 Peter 1:17 and Philippians 2:12 the word phobos (φόβος) has the meaning of “reverential fear” but I do not believe that is the case here in 1 Peter 2:18.
• “…not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable.” – This goes right along with Peter’s admonition to submit to kings, governors, and other leaders, even if they are scoundrels. He would put unjust slave-masters in the same category. Our tendency is to say, “Well, if he’s nice to me I’ll be nice to him.” But is that what Jesus would tell us? Remember His words in Matthew 5:11-12, “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. ¹² Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in Heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”   

Verse 19: For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly.

• “For this finds favor…” – Notice that this phrase appears at the beginning of verse 19 and again at the end of verse 20. And this is important because every child of God wants to know that he is dwelling in the favor of our Heavenly Father. But what is it according to Peter that brings that divine favor?
• “…if for the sake of conscience toward God a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly.”  – There it is! God is pleased when His children follow Christ’s example and choose to do right and to obey God despite being punished for it. When our “conscience toward God” outweighs our fear of torture and mistreatment we are exhibiting the character of Christ because that is exactly what He did on the cross for us. He suffered unjustly for a just cause. The Holy One of Israel died to save us, the Just for the unjust, to bring us to God. Now, as stated in verse 21, we are called to learn from His example and “follow in His steps.”

Verse 20: For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God. 

• “For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience?” – Notice that in this verse Peter lays out two scenarios. In the first scenario you have sinned and are now reaping the consequences of your bad behavior. In other words, you are just getting what you have coming to you, reaping what you have sown. You screwed up and now you pay the price. You brought it on yourself. Enduring your punishment with patience is great, but don’t try to talk yourself into thinking that you are being righteous and noble and suffering for righteousness’ sake. Just take your punishment and shut up about it. Don’t whine and moan and try to convince yourself and others that you are being treated unjustly.
• “But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God.” – In the second scenario the Christian has done the right thing, the godly thing, but is being punished unjustly for it. He is patiently enduring harsh and unjust treatment despite having done nothing wrong. In other words, he is suffering for righteousness’ sake. Peter assures us that this brings God’s favor and blessing. And remember, God keeps accurate records. He does not forget those who mistreated His children. He said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay.”   

Verse 21: For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps,

• “For you have been called for this purpose…” – These words should immediately bring us to attention. Peter here is telling us the reason why God has tracked us down, taken custody of us, adopted us as His children, called us, cleansed us, saved us, and commissioned us as His ambassadors. It’s for this purpose that Christ suffered for us: THAT WE SHOULD FOLLOW CHRIST’S EXAMPLE AND WALK IN HIS STEPS. Indeed, Jesus is our example as someone who endured punishment unjustly.

Verses 22-23: …[He] who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; ²³ and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously;  

• “…[He] who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth;” – What does this mean? Jesus never sinned, not in thought, nor in deed, nor in word. Deceit starts in the mind and in the heart, but Jesus had no deceit in Him. He never entertained a sinful thought, never committed a sinful act, and never spoke a sinful word. He was perfect in every way while still being 100% human as well as 100% God.
• “…and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats,” – He was reviled many times, not just at the trials before His crucifixion and while He hung on the cross. John tells us, “He came unto His own and His own received Him not.” The religious leaders accused Him of being a heretic, a liar, a demon-possessed prophet of Satan, etc. He was reviled all throughout His earthly ministry. And yet, He bided His time, stuck to His mission, and continued to love even the worst of His enemies.
• “…but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously;” – Jesus came to do the will of the Father. He came to live a perfect life and point us to the Father. He came to die as the Perfect Sacrifice for our sins. He came to rise from the dead for our justification. And through all that Peter reminds us that He kept entrusting Himself to God the Father, the Righteous Judge. Even at the end while hanging on the cross, just like the old hymn says, “He could have called ten thousand angels to destroy the world and set Him free. He could have called ten thousand angels, but He died alone for you and me.” Instead of reviling and cursing and blaming God, He entrusted Himself to His Father knowing that He was in good hands. His last words were, “Father, into Thy hands I commit my spirit.” We need to learn that lesson for when we go through hard times of temptation, testing, or persecution.  

Verse 24: …and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds, you were healed.

• This verse is one of the most misunderstood, misquoted, and misapplied passages in the Bible. In fact, it’s right up there with Matthew 18:18-20, which says, “Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in Heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in Heaven. ¹⁹ Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in Heaven. ²⁰ For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.”
• All the Pentecostals and Charismatics, along with all the New Apostolic Reformation wingnuts and Word of Faith moonbats, claim that 1 Peter 2:24 proves that God wants all of us to be in perfect health and that physical healing is guaranteed in the Atonement. They say that if we are still sickly and weak it is because we are lacking the faith to believe that God has already pronounced our healing. In other words, they blame the victim.
• This is where accurate biblical hermeneutics must kick in. Look at the context. Is physical healing mentioned anywhere in this text? NO! That’s not the subject. It’s not even close to what Peter has been talking about up until now. Look at it again.
• “…and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness;” – The subject leading up to the phrase in question is SIN, not physical healing.
• “…for by His wounds, you were healed.” – Notice, you cannot separate and isolate this phrase from the rest of the sentence.  Peter is talking about Jesus’ physical death on the cross. He was scourged until the flesh was hanging off Him in tatters. He was nailed through His hands and feet to that wooden cross. He was stabbed through with a Roman sword. His wounds were the proof of His death. And He did that not for His own sins, because He was sinless, but because of our sins. “He bore our sins in His body” to save us. The issue is our salvation and the price paid to redeem us. Christ’s Atonement was for our salvation from sin, “so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.” It had nothing to do with healing us from physical infirmities. That was never promised. The healing Peter is referring to is obviously the spiritual healing of our souls. We “were healed” past tense, by Christ’s death on the cross in our place.  
• What you might not know is that Peter pulls these words directly from Isaiah 53:5 which says, “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.” Again, in the context of Isaiah 53 there is not a scintilla of evidence that Isaiah was thinking about physical healing when he penned these words. He was writing about the Messiah who would one day come to die for His people to save them from their sins. Notice the words “transgressions” and “iniquities.” SIN is the subject at hand, not physical healing.

Verse 25: For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls. 

• “For you were continually straying like sheep” – Peter here is reminding his readers of their lives B.C., “before Christ.” When we were still unsaved, unbelieving, and unconverted we were like rebellious, recalcitrant wild sheep, constantly running away from the Good Shepherd, hating Him, fearing Him, and mistrusting Him. That’s just how unbelievers act. That was normal for us in the past
• “…but now you have returned…” – The NASB is a little bit misleading here. Peter is not saying that his readers used to walk with God but then backslid and walked away from Him, eventually seeing the error of their way and returning to Him. That is not the scenario he is describing. He uses the Greek word, ἐπιστρέφω (epistrepho), which means “to turn to, or to turn toward.” Peter’s point is that the day came when God stopped us in our tracks, we heard His voice, we turned toward Him and really saw Him for the first time. The word “repent” means to stop, do a 180^o degree about-face, and start going in the opposite direction. That’s what we did. We quit running away from Him and instead ran toward Him.
• “…but now you have [turned to] the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.” – In this verse Peter uses two words with which we are already familiar from our study of Paul’s letters to Timothy and Titus. He uses these words to describe Christ’s ministry toward us. He is our Shepherd (Gr. ποιμήν, poimen), our Pastor. This is the usual word in the New Testament for the pastor of a church. Christ is our Perfect Pastor. He feeds us, comforts us, watches over us, and stays with us. He is also our Guardian (Gr. ἐπίσκοπος, episkopos), our Overseer. He leads us, directs us, teaches us, and corrects us. Christ is our Merciful Master.

CONCLUSION:

Peter’s words in verse 25 remind me of a classic Christian poem first published in 1890 by Francis Thompson, a man who spent years trying to run away from God. It is entitled, “The Hound of Heaven.” In this 182-line poem the author describes his experience of fleeing from God in terror, only to finally stop, turn to face his pursuer, and realize that he had been foolishly running from the One who was the lover of his soul. I think you will be able to see yourself in the story. I certainly can. Here are just the beginning of the poem and the ending to give you a taste.

The Hound of Heaven

By Francis Thompson, 1890

I fled Him down the nights and down the days

I fled Him down the arches of the years

I fled Him down the labyrinthine ways

Of my own mind, and in the mist of tears

I hid from Him, and under running laughter.

Up vistaed hopes I sped and shot precipitated

Adown titanic glooms of chasm-ed fears

From those strong Feet that followed, followed after.

 

But with unhurrying chase and unperturb-ed pace,

Deliberate speed, majestic instancy,

They beat — and a Voice beat,

More instant than the feet:

 

“All things betray thee who betrayest Me.”

 

(Skipping ahead, the poem ends like this, but I would urge you to look it up

and read the whole poem.)

 

Now of that long pursuit,

Comes on at hand the bruit.

That Voice is round me like a bursting sea:

“And is thy earth so marred,

Shattered in shard on shard?

Lo, all things fly thee, for thou fliest Me!

Strange, piteous, futile thing;

Wherefore should any set thee love apart?

Seeing none but I makes much of naught” (He said),

 

“And human love needs human meriting —

How hast thou merited,

Of all Man’s clotted clay, the dingiest clot?

Alack, thou knowest not

How little worthy of any love thou art!

Whom wilt thou find to love ignoble thee,

Save Me, save only Me?

All which I took from thee, I did’st but take,

Not for thy harms,

But just that thou might’st seek it in My arms.

All which thy child’s mistake

Fancies as lost, I have stored for thee at home:

Rise, clasp My hand, and come.”

 

Halts by me that footfall;

Is my gloom, after all,

Shade of His hand, outstretched caressingly?

 

“Ah, fondest, blindest, weakest,

I am He whom thou seekest!

Thou dravest love from thee who dravest Me.”

1 Peter Study #5

“God’s Own Possession”

1 Peter 2:9-17

Study #5 in 1 Peter Series

INTRODUCTION:

My wife, Ramel, and I were both Preacher’s Kids (PKs). Our dads were both Baptist pastors and we were both raised in the parsonage. That fact influenced many things in our lives. Don’t get me wrong, we would not trade our experience for anything. There were a lot of perks for preacher’s kids. We had some advantages and blessings that other kids didn’t have.

On the other hand, PKs were expected to live up to a higher standard than normal kids. That’s because everyone had the opinion that the pastor’s kids were a direct reflection on the pastor himself, not to mention the local church. The implications of that bias were that there were things we were always expected to do (e.g., never miss any services or meetings at church, know all the verses in Sunday School, attend Christian summer camp, volunteer for every VBS, etc.), and things we were expected never to do (e.g., drink alcohol, smoke, play cards, dance, use marijuana, cuss, skip school, embarrass our parents and the congregation, etc.).

TRANSITION:

We were expected to bring honor to our father, to his ministry, and to our family. Our name was known in the community in connection with his name; therefore, in a sense, we were his representatives.

In our text for today’s study, Peter explains the privileged position we have as the King’s Kids, children of God, adopted into His family and made joint heirs with Christ. He says that with that honor and privilege comes the great responsibility to represent our Father well, to bring Him glory, to elevate His reputation by living such exemplary lives that people will want to know Him and be drawn to Him.

NOTES on the Text:

Verses 9-10: But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR GOD’S OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; ¹⁰ for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.  

• Looking at these two verses, we notice right away that many of the words are in all caps. These are quotations. This is because Peter is pulling phrases out of several Old Testament passages that describe the unique relationship between the Lord and His people, Israel. Because of their covenant relationship with Yahweh, the people of Israel enjoyed special blessings reserved only for them. However, because of their unbelief and rebellion against God, He punished them and scattered them like dust. He didn’t abandon them or forget them, and indeed He will deal with them later, but for now He has set them aside. Peter is arguing that God has expanded His plan to include the Church. The New Testament describes His action as pruning them, lopping branches off the tree that is Israel so that they will one day regain their health and spiritual vitality. But in the meantime, the Lord has grafted new branches into that old tree trunk. So now Peter is using these passages to describe the Church as well as the people of Israel.  
• “But you [plural] are A CHOSEN RACE” = Isaiah 43:20-21; Deut. 10:15 – We always immediately think first of Israel being God’s chosen people, and that’s still true, but Peter is telling us that God has expanded His family and has adopted a whole bunch of foreign kids and brought them under His love and care. That’s us, the Church, the Body, the Bride of Christ. We too have been chosen sovereignly and specifically. We are a Chosen Race.
• “But you are A ROYAL [i.e., kingly] PRIESTHOOD” = Isaiah 61:6 – Royalty and the priesthood were normally kept separate in Israel. For example, King David was forbidden by God from constructing the Temple. But Jesus, who is our King and Priest, has brought them together for His people. The Apostle John, in Rev. 1:4-6 (NKJV) says this, “Grace to you and peace from…Jesus Christ, the Faithful Witness, the Firstborn from the dead, and the Ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, ⁶ and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”
• “But you are A HOLY NATION” = Exodus 19:6, Deut. 7:6 – Where does that holiness come from? The Hebrew word for “holy” found in Exod. 19:6 and in many other texts is קָדוֹשׁ (kaw-dōsh), meaning “sacred, holy, set apart.” It corresponds perfectly with the Greek word that Peter uses here in verse 9, which is ἅγιος (hágios) and means, “a saint, a most holy thing, or a holy thing set apart for God’s service.”  
• “But you are A PEOPLE FOR GOD’S OWN POSSESSION” = Exodus 19:5; Deut. 4:20, 14:2 – This is important to grasp. Whether you describe us as “kadosh” or “hagios” we are only made holy by God’s election and by the Spirit’s cleansing. But that is not a passive process. Holiness is something that requires us working with the Spirit and allowing Him to repeatedly wash us. God has declared us holy, and we have been cleansed and made holy by the Holy Spirit, but we live in a filthy world, and we often allow sin to get in and pollute us and dirty us up. When that happens, we lose our effectiveness for God. To be set apart for Him and His service we must be clean. God does not use filthy instruments. That is why the cleansing work of the Word of God and the Spirit of God are so important in the day-to-day work of sanctification.
• “…so that you may proclaim the excellences of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” – Couched here in the middle of this long run-on sentence Peter tells us the reason WHY God has done all this. He does this with a Causal Statement introduced by the Greek particle ὅπως (hop'-oce), which means “in order that, or so that”. Without this causal phrase we have no answer to the question, “Why would God choose to do all these wonderful things for us?” But here Peter tells us the reason—i.e., So that we will be eye-witnesses, and firsthand testimonies to the world of the grace, mercy, and lovingkindness of our great God, who despite our sins and shortcomings called us out of spiritual darkness and into His marvelous light and has made a way for us to be reconciled to Him through the shed blood of His dear Son. We have been saved so that we might herald, preach, proclaim, share, and shout from the rooftops the excellences of the One who saved us.
• “For you once were NOT A PEOPLE but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.” = Hosea 1:10; 2:23 – Hosea describes how God sovereignly chose Israel to be His people. One day they were not, and the next day they were, not because of any good in them or anything they had done, but just because God chose them as the people through whom He would reveal His awesome glory and abundant mercy. Peter says that’s how it is with us too. As His New Covenant people, we have received mercy through no merit of our own but because of His wonderful amazing grace and overflowing love. The story leaves no room for boasting or crowing on our part, but only to stand amazed in the presence of Jesus, the One who loved us and gave His life for us, so that we might be reconciled to God.  

Verse 11: Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul.

• “Beloved” – This term of endearment reminds me of Dr. J. Vernon McGee. If you have listened to his radio ministry you know that this is how he often referred to his listeners, “my beloved.” Peter uses this same expression of love and endearment for his readers. The Greek word is ἀγαπητός (agapetós), meaning “beloved, esteemed, dear, favorite, worthy of love,” and Peter uses it twice (2) in his first letter and four (4) times in his second letter.
• “I urge you as aliens and strangers…” – What does he mean by this? Christians are in this world but not of it. Our citizenship is in Heaven. We are just here as travelers and sojourners. We try our best to fit in and obey the rules here, but we are always cognizant of the fact that our passport says we are just guests here and will be going home soon.
• “…to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul.” – When we sin and give in to our carnal desires, we dishonor our Heavenly Father, bring shame to our fellow believers, and do damage to our own souls. Peter is just reminding us of the fact that sin in the believer’s life is serious business and not to be ignored. It is of eternal importance, both to us and to the unbelievers around us.   

Verse 12: Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation. 

• “Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles…” – While undoubtedly many of Peter’s readers were Jewish by birth and by culture, probably at least that many and maybe more were Gentile believers. Now, together, they were followers of Jesus. They were Christians. That was their new identity. But in this verse Peter is using the word “Gentile” as a synonym for “unbeliever.”   
• “…so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.” – This verse is reminiscent of Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:16, “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”
• “…so that they may glorify God in the day of visitation.” – What does this mean? I believe that Peter is referring here to the unbeliever’s ultimate meeting with God, either when they go to meet Him or when He comes to meet them. The idea is that unbelievers might be persuaded to believe in Christ as they observe the lives of transformed, committed, godly Christians, and that they would glorify God and rejoice when they meet Him, instead of cowering before Him at the Great White Throne judgment. 

Verses 13-14: Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, ¹⁴ or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right.

• Peter’s words here sound amazingly like Paul’s in Romans 13:1-7. They are in perfect sync with one another. “Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. ² Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves.”
• Again, what’s the point Peter is making? Our submission to civil leaders is a reflection upon Christ. Notice then that we obey the police, the government, and the military “…for the Lord’s sake.” It’s not for our sake or for the leaders’ sake. It’s for the Lord’s sake!

Verse 15: For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men.

• “For such is the will of God that…” – Right off we can see that this is important. If this is the will of God, then we had better take it seriously.
• Peter tells his readers that it is the will of God “that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men.” – Who is he talking about? He does not name them or describe them specifically, but we know from Scripture that only fools deny the existence of God, or try to run from Him, or refuse to give Him the glory and honor He deserves. Only fools refuse to believe in Christ and reject Him as their Savior and Lord. Fools are both ignorant and wicked and they rail against things they do not understand, including Jesus’ followers. The only way to shut their mouths and silence their baseless accusations is to prove them wrong with holy lives, wholesome words, spotless characters, and actions that are exemplary and beyond reproach.

Verse 16: Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil but use it as bondslaves of God. 

• “Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil” – What does Peter mean by “act as free men”? A slave has no freedom to do anything. Any decision he makes can be modified or overruled by his master. Whereas a freeman has much more latitude to choose for himself, to control his own destiny, to chart his own course, and to exercise his own will. Peter is here acknowledging the fact that we can choose to go against God’s will. We have the freedom to be stupid, hardheaded, disobedient, and recalcitrant. But he is hoping that we won’t go in that direction. He is urging us to use our freedom, not to do evil and bring dishonor to our Father and His Kingdom, but to do what is wise, and righteous, and what is honoring to Him so that He will be glorified.    

Verse 17: Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.

• Peter closes this passage by reminding us that as servants and children of the Most High God, our lives are being watched, all the time. How we live, speak, act and react reflect back on the One whose name we bear.  

CONCLUSION:

In conclusion, take a few minutes to reflect on the practical implications of this passage, especially of verses 13-17. How then are we to live in light of this challenge and admonition?

·       How should we react to laws that get passed that we find to be wrong-headed and unbiblical?

·       How should we speak about our leaders? President, governor, mayor, city council?

·       What does it really look like to “love the brotherhood”?

·       Do I really “fear God” or have I grown so used to Him that He doesn’t impress me much anymore?

·       Since we don’t have a king, who should I honor in his place? And what does honor look like if I really hate the guy’s guts?