1 Peter 2:13-25

Good evening! It is good to be back teaching you guys! James has done a phenomenal job as always. We are going to continue on in 1 Peter 2, picking up in verse 13 tonight. We’ll read to the end of the chapter, but we might not get all the way through it tonight. Let’s just see how far we can go.

1 Peter 2:13–25 ESV

13 Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, 14 or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. 16 Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. 17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor. 18 Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. 19 For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. 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. 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.

OK, so this is a pretty famous passage, and there is a lot to unpack. Let’s get to it.

So, question for the group at large: Was it sinful for the Sons of Liberty to dump the tea in Boston Harbor in December of 1773?

—WAIT FOR ANSWERS/DISCUSSION—

Remember, this is the act that kick-started the American Revolution.

Was that act sinful?

See, in this passage, the first thing that we have to deal with here is Peter telling the churches there in Asia minor - those “elect exiles” to subject themselves to the institutions that are set up by mankind.

And honestly, this is where some of us, especially the more libertarian minded among us, this is where we start to bristle. Because for some of us, we see either evil or good in many of these institutions, and we want to fight! We want to break free, like our forefathers 250 years ago.

And this is a very American mindset. We don’t see the same levels of frustration with this passage in other parts of the world, normally.

But I do think that we must be cautious regarding rebellion against governments, because while I think there is some room for rebellion in the face of tyranny in Scripture, the scripture does have a pretty clear picture here to these churches of how they are supposed to act.

Now, before you hang me for being a loyalist or a tory, let’s dive into the passage to see what Peter is saying, and how it can and does apply to us today.

1 Peter 2:13–14 ESV

13 Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, 14 or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good.

Now, right out of the gate, we have to look at this passage and ask, what is the context Peter is writing into? Because that informs how we apply this scripture.

This is 1st century Rome. In particular, in these areas where the churches are, the emperor was to be worshiped as a deity. Now, in Rome itself, emperor worship was less widespread, but the further you got from Rome, the more likely that the emperor was going to be worshiped. In part because of the pantheistic nature of the Roman culture did not always extend to the edges of the empire, and in part because the actual power of the emperor was less easily seen outside of Rome. This can be hard to digest in an era when we can see in real time what someone is eating for dinner on the other side of the planet.

If you were a day’s journey or more from Rome, things the emperor did were not all that impactful. So, in order to make sure his power was seen as “supreme” (see verse 13), the further you got from Rome, the more likely the culture would demand you worship the emperor as a god. These outlying areas might not have been as likely to worship Jupiter or Mars, but the emperor, well, his picture was on the money. They knew he was a person. They knew he commanded the Legion. And they feared for their wellbeing many times, so, yeah, they would be apt to worship him if they thought it would keep them safe.

We have churches that are birthed in this environment. And yes, we do see similar “cults of personality” in some of our leaders contemporarily, but in the main, none of our modern governmental leaders are advertising themselves as gods.

We also have to understand the idea of government in the passage versus government in our way of life.

Peter did not have in mind the administrative state that we see today.

Even the Patriots of the 1770’s did not envision a government so widespread and powerful. If you look back on American history, you will see the struggle between the idea of powerful centralized government and dispersed power through the states.

Have any of you guys seen Hamilton? So, Hamilton is a broadway musical about Alexander Hamilton. He was a war hero, an aide-de-camp to George Washington, the first secretary of the treasury, a political mover and shaker, and ultimately a casualty of his own ego and need for recognition.

But arguably more than the acting or the music, the reason Hamilton sticks with you is because of the political fireworks between Hamilton (who is Washington’s right hand man) and Jefferson.

The Federalists were looking for power in the executive (Presidential) branch of government, with a more powerful central (or federal) government.

Jefferson, a slave holding southerner, wanted more power in the legislative, with the states having the power to govern independently.

What we have now is a mish-mash, post Civil War, of states and federal governments arguing, Presidents and Congress arguing, and it is a MESS. And it has been for many years.

But what we have to understand as we think about Scripture here is not the large leviathan of government that we have, but the governments that made up the world of Peter in the first century.

Scripture is clear that God is the one who sets up governments. We see it in verse 15 here.

1 Peter 2:15 ESV

15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.

We see it in Romans 13:1-4

Romans 13:1–4 ESV

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.

Daniel 2:19–22 ESV

19 Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. 20 Daniel answered and said: “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might. 21 He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding; 22 he reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him.

Proverbs 21:1–3 ESV

1 The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will. 2 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the heart. 3 To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.

God sets up these human institutions. It is His will to put them in place. Whether we like it or not, it was God’s will that Donald Trump is our President.

It was also God’s will that Joe Biden was our President.

It was also God’s will that Joseph Stalin was the leader of the Soviet Union.

And that Winston Churchill was the Prime Minister of Great Britain.

And that Hitler was the chancellor of Germany.

God was not surprised in any of these figures coming to power.

He is not surprised by the issues our governments face today.

God’s will is that these leaders are in power when He decides.

We have to reckon with that in ourselves.

We don’t like that it was God’s will that Hitler would kill millions of Jews or that Pol Pot would massacre thousands of Cambodians.

Or that American politicians would fight for the honor of killing millions of unborn babies through abortion.

Now, we get to the heart of the matter, though.

Peter says that the church should be subject to the human institutions God has willed to be over them. The goal is for them to punish evil and praise good.

1 Peter 2:15–17 ESV

15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. 16 Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. 17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

We are to live as people who are free. That freedom should not be used to cover up or make way for doing evil. That freedom should be employed in the service of our God and true King.

We are to honor everyone, including the emperor. We are to love one another. And we are to fear God.

I want to come back to the understanding of governmental differences between now and 1776.

Because right now, we do have some fights on our hands. Because God clearly tells us to use our freedom to serve Him. Yes, we are to honor the governments that God has placed over us.

But government does not have the right to impinge on our conscience.

This is something the founding fathers understood.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government.”

Returning to our initial question, I think Jefferson gets it right that it is no small matter to rebel, and that doing so walks a fine line. But there are reasons to walk it, and I think those reasons are justified.

Now, Peter takes the same ideas and applies them to general, daily life.

1 Peter 2:18–20 ESV

18 Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. 19 For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God.

Another question for you:

Who remembers Jim Bakker? You may remember him better when coupled with his wife, Tammy Faye Bakker.

Jim Bakker was convicted of felony fraud and served time in prison. He was a televangelist and a charlatan.

Was he, in serving his prison sentence for embezzlement and fraud, was he suffering for Christ?

What about …(Canadian Pastor during covid)