Study of First
Peter Chapter 2 Lesson 28
Review:
Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles,
The focus here is your behavior avnastrofh,
- In
- In
What's Peter's emphasis in these contexts? That Christian conduct should be consistent
with Christian character. Your life
should reflect the new nature in Christ!
Noted
this word for behavior avnastrofh in
James
The Christian life is most effectively demonstrated
through our dealing with the routine issues of life. As we do so living out the truth that we
know.
Peter's appeal has a
important purpose
2:12b
so
that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers,
They were accused of
being evildoers
[kakopoio,j] speaks
of being criminal, committing something liable for punishment before a
magistrate.
- The most common attacks against believers of the
day resulted from their separation from paganism. Why is that?
Some
historical background:
1. In
#1 State religion:
emperor worship; not optional
#2 Religio-licita: state approved, licensed (legitimate,
recognized)
In this category was Judaism; So was
Christianity in early days because it was identified with Judaism.
#3 Collegia: secret societies, not legal.
2. Those in the Church,
believers, began to clash with the
influential classes of society!
Reason is that there were no social events or activities that
were not involved with idolatry and no idolatry that was not involved with
immorality.
3.
Another reason they were persecuted was their rejection of the idols of
4.
2 examples of the most common situations that brought charges against believers
at this time:
#1. anti-establishment - that they were disloyal to the state,
by their faith lived out
#2. Upsetting
business or trade that is your costing us
Acts 16:16f; Acts
Consequence of your
excellent conduct:
they
may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.
-
What is being described here is the impact of your application of truth in your
daily life having the desired impact by those who observe you.
- Word for observe is evpopteu,w (pres ptc) which
emphasizes that they view carefully, to watch over a period of time.
Observations on good works!
1. We need to remember that as believers we are
created in Christ Jesus for the purpose of good works. Eph 2:10
2. We are to be careful to engage in good deeds in
our life. Titus 3:8
3. We are to be examples to others through our
DGP. Titus 2:7
4. We are to actively desire to produce divine
good. Titus 2:14
5. We demonstrate our faith, that
is the content of our f/o/r by DGP. Jas
2:18
6. We must be taught the Word, learn these things so that we are prepared to produce divine
good. 2 Tim 3:14
glorify God in the day of visitation.
- this glorifying stands
in antithesis to the accusations made against the believer
Must ask???
How is possible for the heathen the pagan to glorify God?
Only way is for them to do that is by positive volition to the
Gospel and thereby making the salvation adjustment to the justice of God. That is believing the gospel message.
in
the day of visitation inspection, oversight, visitation; is used in
the sense of a demonstration of the power of God to bless or to judge.
- the aorist tense of glorifying emphasizes the
point of believing in Christ, a positive response to the gospel so that at the
point that the believer's works are made manifest, that is at the JSC, they
also may be able to glorify God having produced in their life divine good.
Summary
1. The excellent
conduct here refers to consistent observable application of the truth, the
doctrine, known as you field the CHP's of life daily.
2. This is really
the function of bonifide witnessing to the truth of Christianity.
3. Sequence of events here in vs:12:
a. strong
exhortation to DGP, good works that has meaning and purpose
b. they
were maligned and slandered by the
pagans - undeserved suffering
c. they
were observed living their lives on the basis of DVPT
d. this
prompted many who previously maligned them to believe in Christ
e. the bottom
line is that ultimately God is glorified
4. This is an example
in action of what James mentioned in
5. The wise and
understanding believer is the one who has the implanted word which provides the
insight to apply truth in the practical issues of life.
6. The result is the
wisdom of God overflowing in their life demonstrating the transforming power of
God.
7. The ultimate
proof, the demonstration of your declared position is how you conduct
yourselves in your daily affairs.
8. Your social
behavior is to be recognized as good, noble and excellent. (from God's vpt)
9. The believers'
works then become the acid test of his/her spiritual progress.
10. Peter has challenged us to evaluate where
we're at in our relationship with Christ and just how that relationship is
being reflected in our life.