INTRODUCTION: THIS WEEK OUR STUDY IS 1 PETER 2: 11-20. LETS REVIEW AGAIN:
1. IN THE 1ST CHPT PETER TELLS US TO REJOICE BECAUSE JESUS HAS GIVEN US HOPE: THAT WE WILL NOT JUST DIE--HOPE IN THE RESURRECTION AND HEAVEN. 2. THAT HOPE ALLOWS US TO REJOICE DESPITE TRIALS 3. THAT HOPE CAUSES US TO GET OUR MINDS IN GEAR TO DECIDE TO LIVE HOLY LIVES 4. THAT HOPE CAUSES US TO HAVE THE RIGHT ATTITUDES TOWARDS OTHERS 5. AND A DESIRE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT JESUS-- 6. THAT MAKES US A CHOSEN PEOPLE, A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD AND A HOLY NATION. (2:9) SOUNDS GREAT, RIGHT? I. ALIENS A. READ 2:11. HOW DO YOU FIGURE? JUST AFTER TELLING US THAT WE ARE ROYAL PRIESTS AND A CHOSEN PEOPLE, PETER NOW SAYS THAT WE ARE ALIENS AND STRANGERS. 1. HOW CAN THAT BE? (WE ARE PART OF GOD'S CHOSEN PEOPLE AND ROYAL PRIESTHOOD, BUT WE ARE ALIENS TO THE WORLD.) B. WHY DOES PETER STRESS THIS ALIEN STUFF? (IN 1:1 HE WAS CALLING US "STRANGERS" TOO. POINT IS: KNOW WHO YOU ARE.)) C. OK. SO PETER SAYS TO US, "KNOW WHO YOU ARE. KNOW YOUR PLACE." D. KNOWING OUR PLACE, PETER SAYS, CAUSES US TO ABSTAIN FROM SINFUL DESIRES. 1. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? (LONGING FOR HUMAN WEAKNESS) 2. WHY DOES KNOWING OUR PLACE CAUSE US TO ABSTAIN? (IF YOU ARE A TEMPORARY STRANGER, YOU ARE UNLIKELY TO ADOPT THE CUSTOMS OF THE LOCALS.) 3. WHY DO SINFUL DESIRES "WAR AGAINST OUR SOULS?" 4. AND ARE WE IN A WAR? (THESE DESIRES COME FROM THE DEVIL. AND HIS WAR PLAN (HE DOES HAVE A PLAN) IS TO DO IN OUR SOULS. SO PETER SAYS, "FIGHT IT" "STAY AWAY!") II. GOOD LIVES A. READ v.12. B. NEXT PETER TELLS US ABOUT OUR ACTIONS: HE SAYS, "LIVE GOOD LIVES." WHY? (PAGANS SEE IT.) C. BY THE WAY, THE GREEK WORD TRANSLATED "GOOD," CAN ALSO MEAN "BEAUTIFUL" OR "ATTRACTIVE." 1. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT OUR CHURCH WANTS TO BE RESPECTABLE IN THE WORLD, ACCEPTED. AND SO DO I. a. DOES PETER SAY THAT THE PAGANS ARE GOING TO PRAISE US FOR OUR GOOD LIVES? (NO. HE SAYS THAT THEY ARE GOING TO ACCUSE US OF WRONGDOING.) 2. SO WHAT IS THE POINT IF THEY ARE GOING TO BAD MOUTH US ANYWAY? (PETER SAYS TWO THINGS: a. THE PAGANS WILL GLORIFY GOD FOR OUR GOOD WORKS; b. ON THE DAY GOD VISITS.) D. WHEN DO YOU THINK GOD WILL BE VISITING THE PAGANS? (VISITATION IN THE OT MOST OFTEN REFERRED TO JUDGMENT. EX. 20:5;34:7; LEV.18:25. BUT IT HAS ALSO BEEN USED TO MEAN COMING IN MERCY. ZACHARIAS PRAISES GOD FOR VISITING HIS PEOPLE IN THE BIRTH OF HIS SON JOHN THE BAPTIST. LK 1:78 av.) 1. WHY WILL THEY GLORIFY GOD THEN? (IF JT. THEN FINAL ADMISSION THAT JESUS IS JUST (WON'T THAT BE GREAT TO FEEL THAT WE HAVE BEEN A PART OF WINNING THE GREAT CONTROVERSY?) IF VISIT MEANS CONVICTION, THEN AN EVEN GREATER POSITIVE FEELING THAT WE HAVE HELPED LEAD SOMEONE TO CHRIST.) III. SUBMISSION TO OTHERS A. READ v. 13-17. B. SO FAR WE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT OBEYING GOD. PETER HERE TELLS US (v.16) TO "LIVE AS SERVANTS OF GOD." 1. BUT HE GOES A LOT FURTHER: HE SAYS THAT WE SHOULD SUBMIT TO THE AUTHORITY OF MAN. 2. WHAT DO YOU THINK HE MEANS BY THAT? (GOV'T AUTHORITY) 3. DOES THIS VARY BY COUNTRY? (YES, BECAUSE THE NATURE OF THE AUTHORITY VARIES BY COUNTRY. OUR COUNTRY IS MOST UNUSUAL IN TERMS OF AUTHORITY. HERE, A FOUNDATION OF OUR GOV'T AUTHORITY IS LIMITED. (THE 9TH AND 10TH AMENDS LIMIT THE FED GOV'T AND SAY ALL AUTHORITY NOT GIVEN TO THE FED GOV'T IS RETAINED BY THE STATES OR THE PEOPLE.) C. IF WE ARE ALIENS, WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF SUBMITTING TO AUTHORITY? (THIS IS STILL A PART OF PETER'S GOOD LIVES, GOOD WORKS THEME. WHAT WE DO REFLECTS ON GOD. HE DOES NOT WANT ANY BASIS FOR PEOPLE TO THINK THAT FOLLOWING GOD PROMOTES BAD LIVES.) D. IS IT JUST THAT? OR IS IT MORE? E. THE NIV MAKES THIS CLEARER THAN IT IS BY TRANSLATING (ONE AUTHORITY SAID "EXPANDING") v. 13 AS "EVERY AUTHORITY INSTITUTED." THE KJV SAYS "ORDINANCE" OF MAN. BUT A LITERAL TRANSLATION OF THE GREEK IS, "BE SUBJECT TO EVERY CREATION OF MAN." ("KTISIS" MEANS CREATION. OR TO CREATE. VINES SAYS THAT THIS WORD WAS NEVER USED IN THE GREEK OF THE DAY TO REFER TO GOD'S CREATION--ONLY WHAT MAN CREATED.) (THE IDEA OF SHOWING RESPECT TO EVERYONE, AS INDICATED IN v. 17 IS PART OF THIS EXPANDED IDEA.) IV. SUBMISSION OF SLAVES A. READ v. 18-20. IS PETER JUST REPEATING HIMSELF HERE? (NO. HE IS NOW ADDRESSING "OIKETES," "SERVANTS"-- "HOUSEHOLD SERVANTS." SO HE NOW ADDRESSES PEOPLE WHO ARE IN A DIFFERENT SITUATION.) B. WHY IS IT COMMENDABLE TO BE UNJUSTLY BEATEN? (BECAUSE IT REVEALS CHRIST'S ATTITUDE: HE WAS WILLING TO BE BEATEN FOR US. IF, AS PETER SAID IN v.12, GOOD WORKS GLORIFY GOD (AT LEAST ON THE DAY OF JT.), THEN SUBMITTING TO AUTHORITY THROUGH SUFFERING W/O STRIKING BACK GLORIFIES GOD.) C. IS THIS A POPULAR CONCEPT TODAY? D. DOES THIS ONLY APPLY TO HOUSEHOLD SERVANTS? (TWO POINTS: 1.THE IDEA OF SUBMITTING TO AUTHORITY IS UNIVERSAL. PERHAPS WE HAVE AN SMALLER CIRCLE OF AUTHORITY WHEN WE ARE DEALING WITH FREE MEN AND WOMEN. 2. A FUNDAMENTAL IDEA IS BREAKING THE CHAIN OF WRONGDOING. IF YOU "GET BACK" AT SOMEONE FOR DOING EVIL, YOU ARE STILL IN BONDAGE TO EVIL. BUT IF YOU ENDURE WITHOUT "HITTING BACK," YOU HAVE BROKEN THE CHAIN OF EVIL. YOU DO NOT NEED REVENGE, GOD WILL REPAY.) E. DOES THIS CONCEPT APPLY TO EMPLOYEES? (SINCE I SUE EMPLOYERS WHO DO NOT RESPECT THE RELIGIOUS BELIEFS OF EMPLOYEES, THIS IS A MATTER OF CONCERN. IT GOES BACK TO THE QUESTION OF AUTHORITY. EMPLOYERS ARE UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF THE STATE, AND THE STATE MANDATES ACCOMMODATION FOR RELIGIOUS BELIEFS.) F. WHAT IS PETER'S POINT ABOUT DESERVING WHAT YOU GET IN v.20? 1. DOES THIS APPLY TO MORE THAN A BEATING FOR SERVANTS? (THINK IT IS A WARNING TO US. MY BET IS MOST OF OUR SUFFERING ARISES FROM OUR OWN DECISIONS. PETER SAYS YOU DON'T DESERVE ANY CREDIT FOR SUFFERING FROM YOUR OWN WRONG DECISIONS.) V. NEXT WEEK: 2:20-25. PETER GETS INTO A DEEPER EXPLANATION ABOUT HOW AND WHY WE SHOULD BE WILLING TO SUFFER ABUSE.