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The Gospel Observer

"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations...teaching them to observe all that I commanded you, and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matt. 28:19,20).
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January 2, 2011
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Contents:

1) 1 Peter 2:11-17 (Tom Edwards) 
2) News & Notes
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1 Peter 2:11-17
by Tom Edwards

In 1 Peter 2:11-17, Peter writes: "Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul.  Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation. Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right.  For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men.  Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God.  Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king."

Peter addresses these brethren as "aliens and strangers" in view of -- and contrast to -- their glorious citizenship in heaven, as Philippians 3:20 teaches; and they are, therefore, to live in such a way as to not violate that citizenship, such as by being led by fleshly lusts into a behavior that would be unfitting for the child of God.  Thayer defines this Greek word for "fleshly" as "Under the control of the animal appetites; governed by mere human nature and not by the Spirit of God."   One example of this can be seen in 1 Corinthians 3:1-3 in pertaining to that divisive spirit among many of the Corinthians that was the cause of their disunity and a manifestation of their carnality and spiritual immaturity.  As a result, Paul could not speak to them "as to spiritual men," for they were "still fleshly," as he goes on to say: "For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men?"

Peter speaks of these fleshly lusts as that which "wage war against the soul."  This is also what we have seen Paul to teach in Romans 8:5-9, where he points out that "the mind  set on the flesh is hostile toward God" and "does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so."  But he also shows that men do not have to be driven by fleshly impulses.  For men can choose to be led by the Spirit by submitting to God's word and "putting to death the deeds of the body" (vv. 12-14).  

Peter then goes on to say in 1 Peter 2:12, "Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them glorify God in the day of visitation."  Here, the King James Version uses the term "conversation."  But this meant much more in 1611 than merely pertaining to one's speech.  Rather, as Thayer shows, it meant one's "manner of life, conduct, behavior, deportment."  So one's speech, would be but a part of that.  The KJV, however, also uses the term "honest" to modify that in the phrase "Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles...," which might tend to cause the reader to think that the "conversation" is simply one's speech -- instead of his entire way of life. But this word "honest" comes from the Greek word "kalos," which is translated in the New American Standard Bible as "beautiful," "commendable manner," "excellent," "honorable," and several other ways; but the most common translation is simply as "good."   So we can see that one's behavior is to be in connection with "good deeds."  That's what should be manifest in our manner of life.  

As we think about the importance of behavior, going beyond merely one's speech, consider what Peter also writes in 1 Peter 3:1,2: "In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives, as they observe your chaste and respectful behavior."  The KJV translates this last part as "they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives."  The focus here is on the wife's behavior.  When she is living according to the Scriptures, she will then have a positive impact upon her husband.   Her very conduct can be influential for good.  This also reminds us of the cliche, "Actions speak louder than words."  Much can be demonstrated through one's manner of life -- even without speech.  Going along with this is James 2:18: "...show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works."

In 1 Peter 2:12, Peter also shows that living a godly life can have a good influence on the lost.  He says, that "...they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation."  Jesus also taught a similar thing in Matthew 5:14-16: "You are the light of the world.  A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do men light a lamp, and put it under the peck-measure, but on the lampstand; and it gives light to all who are in the house.   Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven."   Christians are to maintain that light by proving themselves "blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world," which is done by "holding fast the word of life" (Phil. 2:14-16).  

Setting forth the right example by living a holy life is often stressed in the Bible.  To Titus, for example, Paul writes, "Likewise urge the young men to be sensible; in all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, with purity in doctrine, dignified, sound in speech which is beyond reproach, in order that the opponent may be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us" (Titus 2:6-8).  Though this particular exhortation was directed to the young men, everything said is just as needful for each Christian to take heed to as well.  

Peter than exhorts the Christians to be obedient to the civil government in 1 Peter 2:13-l4.  Paul also gave God's commandment on this in Roman 13:1-7. Therefore, to disobey the civil government is to disobey God, which will lead to condemnation (v. 2 ) -- unless the civil government would want us to violate God's word.  If that would be the case, we would then need to be as the apostles who state in Acts 5:29, "...'We must obey God rather than men.'"  Paul shows that the Lord has even given the civil government the right to carry out capital punishment: "...But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil" (Rom. 13:4).  Paul declares in Acts 25:11, "If, then, I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die; but if none of those things is true of which these men accuse me, no one can hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar."   Of all people, the Christians should make the best citizens.  For they know that they are not merely obeying man, but they are obeying the Lord by obeying the civil authorities.  It is, therefore, a way we show love to God.  

After exhorting the  brethren in 1 Peter 2:12 to keep their behavior excellent among the Gentiles, and to submit to the civil  authorities in verses 13,14, Peter than goes on to say in verse 15, "For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men."  Though we might think of "doing right" as being a general application, it can certainly be seen with specific regard to what Peter had just instructed about their behavior and submission to the civil government.  Christ and His followers were sometimes falsely accused of being rebels toward the civil authorities, rather than being law-abiding citizens (cf. Luke 23:2; Jn. 19:12; Acts 17:5-7).  Had all of these accusers understood the nature of Christ and His followers, it would have been obvious that they were not rebellious, law-breakers; but, rather, they sought to uphold the law, providing it did not clash with the laws of God.  Jesus, for example, paid the two-drachma tax (Matt. 17:24-27) and taught the need to "render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's; and to God the things that are God's" (Matt. 22:21).  As we have seen from Peter (1 Peter 2:13,14) and from Paul (Rom. 13:1-7), we are not to revolt against the secular authorities; but rather obey them.  

Peter says in 1 Peter 2:16, "Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God."  As we think of those whom Peter is addressing as being "free men," it evokes from us the realization that they were formerly not free; but, rather, enslaved to sin.  For all who have reached an age of accountability -- with the exception of Jesus Christ -- "...have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:23).  And it is sin that brings a person into bondage:  For instance, after some Jews had claimed that they had never been enslaved to anyone, Jesus states in John 8:34, "...'Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin."  We can also point out that it takes only one sin in order for this to be so.  For example, Peter could see that by Simon's transgression -- soon after his conversion -- he had gone back into "the bondage of iniquity" (Acts 8:23).  So these whom Peter is addressing are "free men" in the sense of having been liberated from their sins.  In John 8:31,32, Jesus shows that this type of freedom is obtained by abiding in His word.  It is by living according to the gospel.  So there is a reversal in the life of the Christian.  Formerly, as a non-Christian, he was a servant of sin, with no commitment toward God.  But now he is a servant of the Lord, and striving to serve sin no more.  Paul also speaks of this in Romans 6:22, by saying, "But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life."

Peter warns the brethren to not use their freedom as a covering for evil (in 1 Peter 2:16).  Some, in Peter's day, actually did have a major misconception as to how freedom in Christ was to be maintained.  The antinomians, for instance, were a branch of the Gnostics who focused on their souls being free in Christ, without any necessity of faithfulness toward the laws of  the Lord.  We notice right away in the very term "antinomian" of the prefix "anti" ("against or "opposed to") and the suffix "ian" ("of, pertaining to, having qualities of").  The root  is from the Greek "nomos," which means "law."  So an "antinomian" is one who is "against the law." He actually sees no need for submission to it, for he mistakenly believes that freedom in Christ (since that is of the Spirit) cannot be hindered by any sin committed in the flesh.  These, therefore, are the ones whom Jude has in mind when he states in Jude 1:4, "For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ."  According to the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, "The entire Epistle of Jude is directed against this antinomian and licentious development of Gnosticism, and against its terrible permission of an unholy life."  This was because they saw a separation between spirit and matter, and believed that whatever they did in the flesh could not harm their spirit or soul.  

Peter's statement in 1 Peter 2:16 is very similar to what Paul admonished the Galatians in Galatians 5:13, "For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another."

In 1 Peter 2:17,  Peter instructs, "Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king."  Paul teaches a similar thing with regard to honoring all people in Romans 13:7, but there he qualifies it with the phrase, "Render to all what is due them"; and then goes on to say, "tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor."   Should not the Christian have the highest regard for his fellow man than any other person would?  For the Christian recognizes that all men have been created in the image of God.  This is one of the Bible's explanations for capital punishment in Genesis 9:6, "Whoever sheds man's blood, by man his blood shall be shed, for in the image of God He made man."  Man must have the proper respect for human life.  God shows that when that was violated through murder, the murderer would then forego his life.  There is certainly no honor that the murderer has for those whom he murders.  We can often find various other reasons for honoring people, too.  Sometimes it is because of the position of authority they have.  Maybe he is a police officer, or a judge in a court of law, who isn't living the righteous kind of life the Bible sets forth; but still he is to be respected in that position of power he has.  We need to remind ourselves that 1 Peter was written about A.D. 64 or 65; and about 10 years prior, Nero began his reign in A.D. 54 (at just 17).  But by July of A.D. 64, after the fire in Rome (which he blamed on the Christians) his treatment toward God's people had radically changed.  By that time, Nero was bringing persecution upon the church -- though not as extensive as later on during Domitian's reign.  Yet, here we find Peter exhorting the brethren to "honor the king"; and as he had stated earlier in 1 Peter 2:13,14 to obey the civil authorities.  We can liken this to David's attitude toward King Saul.  Though Saul had personally made attempts on taking David's life, David would never lay a hand on Saul to harm him; for David recognized Saul as having been "the Lord's anointed" (1 Sam. 24:6,10).  David, therefore, respected the position of authority that the Lord had given to Saul -- regardless of how wicked Saul had become to David.  

Peter also teaches in 1 Peter 2:17 to "...love the brotherhood...."  Earlier, in 1 Peter 1:22, he had instructed the brethren to "fervently love one another from the heart" with "a sincere love of the brethren."  We saw examples, too, of this type of love being demonstrated in the early church -- especially in the matters of benevolence to the needy saints.  Something else we can include about the attitude that we should have for each other is that which Paul sets forth in Philippians 2:3,4: "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others."  Paul goes on to show that this was the same attitude that Jesus had when He was willing to leave the glories of heaven in order to come to the rescue of lost sinners.  It can also be said that Christ's attitude toward others was without partiality; and this, too, should be true of us in our regard for one another, which James teaches in James 2:1-9, where he shows how wrong it is for brethren to give special attention to the wealthy man who comes to their assembly, while they dishonor the poor man in dirty clothes who also comes.  James speaks of this as their having "made distinctions" among themselves and becoming "judges with evil motives" (v. 4).

Grouped within these instructions to "honor all men, love the brotherhood...and honor the king," is the command to "fear God."  By far, fearing God is the motivational bases for obeying these other commands.  For when we think of the "whole duty of man," is it to "honor all men"?  Is it to "love the brotherhood"?  Is it to "honor the king"?  Solomon answers that for us in Ecclesiastes 12:13, "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man."  If one truly fears God and keeps His commandments, then one will honor all men, love the brotherhood, and honor the king, along with any other command, as well, that the Lord has given.  For all of our obedience becomes centered around this main commitment to love God above any other person or any thing.  Pleasing Him becomes the top priority in our lives.  Going along with this is a principle we can see in a command Paul gave to slaves in Colossians 3:22-24, but which can be applied to every person: "Slaves, in all things obey those who are your masters on earth, not with external service, as those who merely please men, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men; knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve."  So no matter what our occupation in life, our chief priority is simply to live for God, keeping Him first in our lives, and striving to maintain a faithful relationship with Him.  For that will  not only result in our own benefit, but also for the good of others. 
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News & Notes

We can be thankful unto the Lord for this New Year He has allowed us to have.  May it truly be a good one for you! 

For those of us who are Christians, let us be remembering in our prayers Sue Stutzman of the Southside church of Christ in Gonzales.  While she and her family were visiting in Texas, she had to be taken to the hospital last Tuesday, due to the blockages of two arteries (100% and 75%).  She underwent a stint procedure that went well.

Let us also continue in our prayers for Agnes Shuff who has been on hospice care.
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The Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation

1) Hear the gospel, for that is how faith comes (Rom. 10:17;  John 20:30,31).
2) Believe in the deity of Christ (John 8:24; John 3:18).
3) Repent of sins (Luke 13:5; Acts 17:30).
4) Confess faith in Christ (Rom. 10:9,10; Acts 8:36-38).
5) Be baptized in water for the remission of sins (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; Rom. 6:3,4; Gal. 3:26,27; 1 Pet. 3:21).
6) Continue in the faith; for, if not, salvation can be lost (Heb. 10:36-39; Rev. 2:10; 2 Pet. 2:20-22).
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CHURCH OF CHRIST
201 Rushing Road (at the Hampton Inn), Denham Springs, Louisiana 70726
Sunday services: 9:15 AM (Bible class); 10 AM & 4 PM (worship)
evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (225) 667-4520
tedwards@onemain.com
tedwards1109@gmail.com
http://home.onemain.com/~tedwards/go (Gospel Observer website)
http://home.onemain.com/~tedwards/audioser.html (audio sermons)

Directions:

Take the Denham Springs exit (exit 10) off of I-12.  At the end of the exit ramp, turn north.  Go about a stone's throw to Rushing Road.  (You'll see a Starbucks, Circle K, and two other gas stations; with each on each corner.)  Turn left on Rushing Road, and go a little less than 0.3 of a mile.  Hampton Inn will be on the right.  We assemble in its "Meeting Room," which is very close to the reception counter.  Just walk pass the check-in counter; turn right at the hall.  The first and second doors on the left lead to where we meet.