Study of First Peter Chapter 2                           Lesson 32

Review:

 

 

Back to summary! 1 Peter 2:16; Gal 5:13

3. Paul begins with what is ours as a result of faith in Christ and flowing from our position in Christ, freedom, liberty.

4. There is a sense that this freedom is a trust to be guarded and enjoyed and not abused.

 

5. Ultimately this freedom is not an end in itself but a means to an end that is, the benefit of the body of Christ, the good of the believers in your periphery, mainly the local assembly.

 

6. This freedom is always linked to the ministry of the Spirit. 2 Cor 3:17

 

7.  Paul warns the Galatians against the distortion and false application of this freedom in Christ that they have.

 

8. His point is that this freedom is not a license to pursue the sin natures' desires.

 

9.  For some when they come to understand that law performance living is an invalid way of life for the Believer,  overreact and swing the pendulum to the other extreme, that of antinomianism.

 

10.  This freedom is not to become in our life an opportunity, a base of operation, a pretext to pursue the lusts of our sin nature .

 

11. This freedom is designed for us to love God and to serve one another.

 

12. Therefore this freedom in Christ is a license to serve not to sin.

 

13. Freedom always demands responsibility and authority orientation (to the word of God) or it will quickly degenerate into anarchy (doing our own thing).

 

14. God has established and laid out in the Word of God His righteous requirement  (Rom. 8:4) which is the acceptable means to live out this freedom by His standard and therefore to love God and to serve others.  

 

15. True freedom for the believer is God's enablement to live out His will in your life!

 

16. The body of Christ is not designed to function where the tyranny of legalism or the anarchy of antinomianism exists.

 

17. Both of them, legalism and antinomianism, pervert freedom and enslave the Believer and therefore negates any spiritual growth an nullifies the experience of freedom.

 

2:17  Is a Summary exhortation of this paragraph on authority orientation to N.E.

Peter gives us 4 imperatives that lay out for us 4 more increments of RFHC for Church age believers.  

#1. Honor all people,

 

- we must deal with them on the basis of honor, integrity and that is regardless of how they deal with you;  that is the hard part some times.

 

#2. love the brotherhood,  - avdelfo,thj  figuratively, as a group of fellow believers brotherhood, community of believers

 

 

- this is the second time we have been exhorted by Peter to love the brethren, the first was in 1:22 which points out to us God's priority related to this command.

 

 

#3. fear God, [pres. mid imp. fobe,w]  this is not referring to MAS type of fear but to have awe and respect for God, to be occupied with Christ all of which will be reflected by each of us as live day by day dealing with the various pressures and tests we all face by applying the principles of the Word to them.

 

- How can we have an attitude of awe or respect for God if we have no knowledge of Him or desire for an ongoing relationship with Christ??

 

- So for this kind of an intimate relationship which the CWOL is to be it takes both parties being on the same page, operating from the same viewpoint.

 

- the resulting discernment gives us the ability to view life and the circumstances faced seeing God's provision at every step.

 

#4. honor the king 

 

- king  basileu,j  one with authority, would include his bonifide representatives, remembering that all authority is ultimately from God.  Rom 13:1

 

2:17  Honor everyone, (deal with everyone with honor and integrity), keep on loving the brotherhood (fellow members of the royal family) keep on fearing the God, keep on honoring the king. 

 

 

Summary

1. Peter concludes this paragraph of strong exhortation to authority orientation in the sphere of civil authority of the national entity (NE) with 4 commands that should flow out of this that summarize our responsibilities related to citizenship.

 

2. Honoring everyone includes your dealings with those you would consider your enemies.  Mat. 5:44; Rom 12:17-21

 

3. The command to love the brethren includes:

a. an absence of MAS  - hatred, bitterness, jealousy (messes with your thinking)

b. an absence of S/T - slander, verbal attacks

c. absence of any overt sin - stealing

d. bearing one another's burdens, that is providing comfort and encouragement as you have the opportunity (must have the ability or where withal) Gal 5:13

e. a willingness to forgive as Christ forgave - Eph 4:32

 

4. Fearing God or the Lord speaks of having respect for the authority of who He is but must also include authority of His Word, His message to us.

 

5. This fear then becomes the basis or foundation of true wisdom and wise behavior.

 

Rabbit Trail

- Look at Prov 1:2-3  

What is the knowledge of the Word, an understanding of Doctrine to provide us?   Why is it so Important for us?

 

1. To develop the Believer's moral skill 

1:2a "To know wisdom and instruction"; 

 

 

 

 

 

 

* The wisdom, chokmah, as seen in the OT is quite distinct from all other cultures of the ancient world.  (stands in contrast)

* There at least 4 things that make OT intelligence distinctly different from everybody else.

1. First of all chakam is based on revealed truth in language.

2. It revolved around a personal God who is holy and just.

 

3. The followers were to reflect that holiness; be like their God; to reflect His character.

4. Wisdom of the OT was not theoretical, or speculative.  It was practical, based on revealed principles of right and wrong that is to be lived out in the daily life.

 

 

Where do we get this wisdom?  From our own innate ability?  No!

Thru His commandments - Ps 119:98    hw"c.mi  which refers to the authoritative declarations of God

 

 

 

2. Second Purpose: To help the believer develop mental skill.

"To discern the sayings of understanding."