Study of First
Peter Chapter 2 Lesson 31
Review:
Summary
1.
We are commanded here to submit to the authority of the national entity, its
rulers, even though it may be administered by unbelievers.
2.
This command is to be complied with regardless of the form of the government.
3.
What's the Biblical Principle involved here?
All governing authority and power originates from God.
4.
It is God' responsibility to handle the abuse of power and authority wherever
it is found Heb
4. Peter here emphasizes a
two-fold responsibility of the government under DI #4&5
a. to punish the criminal which provides an internal
umbrella of protection of the individual.
b. to honor and commend those who are pro-establishment
and do what is right.
5. Some false applications:
a. Must draw the line when a
leader commands you to do something that is clearly in direct conflict or
opposition to expressed will of God and to comply would then interfere with
your relationship with God.
Good example is Daniel and
his 3 buddies -
Dan 3:15-18; 26-27
Prin: 1. WOG must be the supreme authority for the believer.
2. We are commanded to
submit to all legitimate authority except where it would cause us to violate
the WOG.
3. Legit authority cannot
command you to sin.
Acts
b. It seems to be trendy
today by some Christians in getting wrapped up in resisting laws that
anti-establishment or socialistic in
thrust but don't in anyway interfere with one's spiritual life and function of
our priesthood.
6. The
expression "because of the Lord" defines what is to be our motivation
as we approach the various issues of life. We are to do nothing or let nothing
interfere with our relationship with God.
7. This
ultimately is what provides the unseen dynamic of a nation.
For such is the will of God
that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men.
- that by doing right avgaqopoie,w this refers to
applying BD in the situation, with the result DGP is produced, while being slandered as in vs:12 instead of
reacting, and responding in kind with some verbal harangue, and whining why me!
Benefits of DGP - you may silence
the ignorance of foolish men.
- the
ignorance used 2x's of ignorance not from lack of ability or even
mere lack of knowledge but of culpable ignorance, they have no spiritual discernment
- of foolish men a;frwn being
without reason, logic even lack of sobriety and a perception of reality
Observations:
1. This is a specific example of a Believer producing DGP while submitting to the
authority of LDE #4 &5.
2. The mental attitude and stability of these believers
eventually became so obvious to any observer that further maligning or
slandering them as evildoers was useless and self defeating.
3. Remember the sequence of events in the context:
#1. exhortation to good works
#2. As the
opportunity arose they were submissive to the authority of rulers
#3. were maligned and slandered as evildoers
#4. over time those who slandered them observed their good
works, that is application of truth under pressure and it had an impact on
them.
Act as free men,
and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil,
As believers we have from the
point of salvation positional freedom, being in Christ, we are freed from the
curse of the law and from slavery to the sin nature.
Observations:
1. Peter is warning those believers
he is writing to as well as us today against a distortion of truth practiced by
many believers, that is a false application of
freedom.
2. The Warning
: Do not distort your freedom or liberty under Grace into a pretext for
hedonism, or operation sin nature. Gal
5:13
Rabbit trail
The choice is to enjoy your freedom in Christ, utilizing
the resources that are yours, or lapse back into slavery to the sin nature and
its desires.
For you were called to freedom,
What's all this telling us? That God called us through the Gospel and
that one of His motivations for that was for the purpose or on the basis of the freedom/liberty
that the believer would experience and enjoy in Christ.
The Warning!
First the negative!
only
(do) not
(turn) your freedom into an
opportunity for the flesh,
but through love serve one another.
What is Paul
saying, what's the exhortation here?
True liberty/freedom in Christ
expresses itself in loving service of other believers, the body of Christ, and
not in license.