1 Peter - Part 15 - 2:13-17 - 5-14-2017

Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

PRAYER

Over the last few months we’ve been looking at what Peter has to say to the early church. He is writing to a group of people who are hard pressed on every side. They are hated by their Jewish neighbors because they think Christians are heretics, they are hated pagans who think they’re really weird for worshiping only one God, and they are hated by the Roman government for stirring the pot and disturbing the status quo. Peter is writing to brothers and sisters who are beginning to feel the hatred in very tangible ways including being forced from their homes and places of business in some instances and in others being outright tortured and killed. And Peter says the following to this people.

1 Peter 2:13–17 ESV

Wow what a difficult passage. Peter says that we are to be subject to every human institution, that we are to submit to governments, rulers, authorities, and leadership structures for the Lord’s sake. On first reading that the impression one might get is that we’re just supposed to passively accept every leadership structure and do what we’re told, and while some preachers have preached this text that way I must humbly disagree. I think Peter is not only giving instructions about who and how we are to obey but also telling us who we should not obey. Peter as any good preacher does speaks to the situation in his own day. The ruling authorities, the human institutions were distinctly Roman in the regions that Peter is writing to. The culture, the people, the language, the locales were certainly all Greek, but the ones in charge were the Romans. The Roman Empire at this period of history stretched from Greece to Britain to Spain and even down into Africa in parts of Morocco and Egypt. So Peter writes about of course the Roman emperor who would have either been Claudius or Nero at the time of Peter’s writing most likely. Peter says submit to the emperor as supreme and to the governors he sends. But here’s where I think Peter lets us know some details about obeying authority.

Peter gives us the pattern of proper behavior for legitimate governments - to punish those who do evil and praise those who do good. A legitimate government isn’t just an individual or group of individuals that decides they’re in charge - a legitimate government has laws, creates order, and protects its people, most notably by punishing those who do evil and praising those who do good. And Peter says this is good - obey and submit to these authorities. He says it’s God’s will that you do so. And even though that should be enough of a reason for anything in and of itself Peter gives us the reason. He says that in submitting to every human institution and doing good we are showing those who claim we’re evildoers to be fools. All the ignorant people who speak against the truth and rail against Christ and his followers, by doing good we put them to shame and bear witness to the goodness of the one whom we serve. Our obedience to authorities can be an evangelistic action.

But what about when the human institution, the ruling authorities are corrupt? What about when they are evil? What about when they not only condone and command sin? Is Peter suggesting that we go along to get along with such human institutions and authorities? Absolutely not! And do you know how I know? Peter says that the reason we obey, the reason we submit is for the Lord’s sake. Our obedience is an act of worship to God, if obeying an earthly authority means rebelling against God than we have negated the very reason for why we are to obey. Now Peter doesn’t go into any detail about how this plays out and I think that is deliberate. Each situation is distinct and different and we have to work out what it means to as Peter says, honor everyone, love the brotherhood, fear God, and honor the emperor. We have to pray for discernment and wisdom in how we interact with one another and our human institutions or governments to the glory of God and in the fear of God. Peter is not calling us to passivity, but neither is he calling us to anarchic lawlessness. Peter is calling for deliberate and thoughtful obedience to, righteous and rightful governance. Now that sounds well and good in theory, but what does it look like in practice?

Let’s look at a couple of case studies;

Sweet Cakes by Melissa - Beginning back in January of 2013 a small locally owned bakery in Gresham, Oregon came under assault from Homosexual activists and advocates because the owners refused to make a wedding cake for a pair of lesbians. The owners Aaron and Melissa Klein upon refusing to use their artistic talents to glorify and celebrate what God clearly condemns and forbids came under immediate legal attack. Since that time the Kleins were forced not only to close their business, the place from which they earned their livelihood, but also were forced by the labor commissioner Brad Avakian, to pay the lesbians $135,000 for mental and emotional damages stemming from “discrimination.”

Abortion - Each day in the united states about 3,000 babies are murdered under the protection and by permission of the Federal government. Due to an incomprehensible act of government overreach abortion was deemed not only legal but a woman’s right and as a result over 1 million babies are murdered each year in the United States. Since that wicked decision by the Supreme Court around 60 million children have been assassinated in the womb. That’s the entire current population of Italy folks - murdered. That’s more babies murdered by abortionists than total number of casualties of World War 2 folks. Think about that for a minute.

In each of these cases the government we live under is in the wrong. It is guilty of great sin and injustice. So how do we respond? Do we fold our hands neatly and bow in deference to sinful leaders? Do we disobey in a civilized manner? Do we rebel, revolt, and fight back? What is right Christian behavior in these circumstances?

Let’s look at a few more case studies, this time from the Bible, specifically in instances where human institutions stood in direct violation of God’s commands and God’s laws.

The Midwives in Egypt - In we’re told that Pharaoh who is attempting to cull the population of slaves gave the Hebrew midwives orders to kill every male child born during a specific time period. The midwives we’re told feared Pharaoh, but they feared God more. They did not do as they were directly ordered by Pharaoh to do, but rather disobeyed him and let the children live. Furthermore they then lied to protect not only themselves but the baby boys they saved as well. Rather than this being sin and rebellion we’re told in Exodus that this was an act of faithfulness and that God blessed the midwives and gave them families of their own.

Rahab the prostitute - In we’re told that a prostitute named Rahab, who was living in Jericho, gave safe harbor to and aided in the escape of two Israelite spies despite commands from government officials to produce any such agents in their midst. Not only is Rahab spared from the coming destruction of the city, but she is listed in Hebrews as a person of faithfulness because of her civil disobedience.

Obadiah - In we’re told about a man named Obadiah who refuses to obey Queen Jezebel’s wishes as she goes about searching out and murdering God’s prophets. Obadiah takes 100 prophets of God and hides them from her murderous grasp. Obadiah’s act of defiance saved their lives and produced much good.

The list of people who on occasion defy and disobey the human institutions of their day continues with names like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Daniel. Jehoiada. And others. Even Peter himself when arrested and brought before the high priest for preaching and teaching in Jesus name says,

Acts 5:29 ESV

But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.

So is Peter contradicting himself? No absolutely not. I don’t believe for one second that there is incompatibility with obeying and disobeying when one understands the proper function of government and when one understand that disobedience is not lawlessness. Let me give you a rather extreme example.

I hate abortion. With a fiery passion. It is murder plain and simple and those who not only have abortions, but fund, support, advocate for, and affiliate with those who have and provide abortions are guilty of murder and they will be held accountable and judged accordingly by God one day. The government sanctions this type of infanticide but I will not fold my hands neatly and remain silent on the issue. When injustice is committed I must respond with a plea for justice. I have the responsibility to seek justice. But how do I do that? Do I disobey my government in every form? Do I run red lights and stop paying taxes? Do I burn buildings and assault abortion doctors? Do I bomb the abortion clinics and destroy property? NO! Those things are lawlessness and as a Christian I am bound by conscience and the word of God to obey the law in as far as I am able and to submit to authority in so far as it does not violate God’s law. Furthermore my life, my obedience, my demeanor even in how I choose to rebel against injustice and fight my enemies should be glorifying to God. Clinic bombings, arson, assault, murder - these things are lawlessness and anarchy and they do not bring our God glory.

But you better believe that proclaiming the gospel to these folks is required. Calling the murders they commit murder and sin is required. Pleading with them to love their babies and even offering to adopt them to save their lives is required. We are constrained by the law and word of God to obey those who punish evil and praise good and we are required to civilly disobey any who call us to sin and rebellion against God - always remembering to do so in such a way that the ignorant talk of the foolish and godless is silenced because we honor everyone, love the brotherhood, fear God, and honor the emperor.

How often we fall short of that though. How often we fail to do even one of those things. We sin. We hurt people, we do our brothers and sisters in Christ harm, we disobey God, and we choose to totally disregard human authorities. We fail. But the good news is that there is one who doesn’t. He never fails, His love never fails. His name is Jesus and if you’re hearing me today it’s because He is calling and drawing you unto himself. Today I challenge you submit to his authority, because it is supreme and righteous always and forever. And if you will confess your sins to him, if you will repent and trust in him then the promise of scripture is this - that you will be forgiven your sins and purified from all unrighteousness. Today if you need to do that don’t wait. Won’t you come as we stand and sing together.

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