1 Peter 2: Part 6 Honor Authority
1 Peter 2:13-17; I Timothy 2:1-2: It’s simple: Honor all humans, Love the Brotherhood, Fear God, Honor the Government
“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.”
1 Peter 2:13-17 NASB1995
Peter admonishes believers in this next passage of 1 Peter 2 to submit themselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king or governors sent by Him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right. He goes on to say that by doing right we may silence the ignorance of foolish men. We are to act as free men and do not use freedom to cover for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God.
I must confess to my readers - I struggled with writing this devotional and I put things in and took things out until it is probably a soggy mess, so please forgive me for the bumpy ride.
Peter wrote this at the time of the Roman Empire around AD 63, under Emperor Nero, who delighted in the persecution of Christians. Both Paul and Peter died not much later than this epistle under his tyranny. It’s interesting to note from historians that Nero initially reigned rather effectively, but in AD 64, that seemed to change, according to GotQuestions, with this summary of what happened in that time frame:
Nero’s legacy, however, is not a pleasant one. Although his regime began with mildness and idealism, it ended with cruelty and tyranny. He began murdering anyone who became an obstacle to him; his victims include his own wife and mother as well as his step-brother Britannicus—Emperor Claudius’s biological son. In July of 64, the Great Fire of Rome broke out and lasted for six days. Of Rome’s fourteen districts, only three escaped damage from the fire. Some historians believe Nero may have been responsible for the fire, although his involvement is not clear. What is clear is that Nero deflected the focus from himself by blaming the fire on the Christians, many of whom he tortured and killed. The historian Tacitus describes these atrocities: “Covered with the skins of beasts, [Christians] were torn by dogs and perished, or were nailed to crosses, or were doomed to the flames and burnt, to serve as nightly illumination when daylight had expired.” Nero’s use of Christians as human torches to light his evening garden parties is well documented. Ultimately, it is the brutality inflicted on the early Christians for which Nero is best remembered.
First, thanks be to God that we in this country are not suffering under a brutal or hostile government like many Christians in the world who are persecuted, tortured, or murdered for their faith. We are, however, entrenched in a time of rather serious political chaos in our country, as reflected in the controversies over the last two presidential elections and the men who were elected, not to mention various scandals and “woke” ideology and large amounts of government spending without apparent limitations and an entrenched bureaucratic state that seems to be running the show. What Peter tells us to do may not set easy with Christians who are also freedom-loving Americans.
Americans are divided (almost equally) into verbally warring camps between people that would describe themselves as political or social conservatives and left-wing “progressives” who advocate social and environmental justice and a “woke” mentality concerning our history and human traditions (our history is a racist failure and our human traditions, especially around gender, are wrong in their eyes). Some direct actions on both sides have occurred like the riots in many cities in 2020 and Capitol building incursion on January 6, 2021. So what does a Christian do in this environment? Does love of country take precedence (of course not) or do we follow the advice of Peter, which comes from God?
It might surprise some readers to know that if you identify as a political conservative, and believe the Bible to be the inerrant Word of God, you are a “proponent” of “Christian Nationalism”, according to more than a few “evangelical” thought leaders. Here’s a link to an article and book review on Founder’s Ministries that debunks this characterization of most evangelical Christians as being more of a threat to this nation than many current fads like Critical Race Theory and transgenderism.
I certainly don’t consider myself to be a Christian Nationalist, but only a mere Christian who believes in the Bible as the Word of God. Many of us don’t like the current trends in this country, but by living exemplary lives and “honoring all people, loving fellow Christians, fearing God and honoring our leaders” we can hopefully oversee positive changes under our Constitution and not be considered a threat to impose a “theocratic” state. An authoritarian Christian state could be easily displaced by something even worse and anarchy is also not a solution, as the most venal characteristics of humans would triumph without authority established by God.
Peter also tells us to act as free men and not use our freedom to cover for evil. We are not to assume that grace frees us to sin and sin again (what is known as cheap grace). We are free from the deadly effects of sin and our lives should show that we understand this principle by emulating Jesus.
Believers want to live their lives quietly in godliness and dignity as Paul notes in 1 Timothy:
“First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.”
1 Timothy 2:1-2 NASB1995
Note that Paul talks about entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings to be made on behalf of all men to those who are in authority. Our hoped-for quiet lives are interrupted by many things that are disturbing, compelling many of us to act against the cultural norms that are prevailing. I’m not sure there’s anything wrong with wanting to save unborn lives or protect children from rampant sexual immorality. Christians should, however, have the ultimate goal of bringing souls to Christ through their actions. I love this analogy of a train station from GotQuestions.org on whether or not Christians should be engaged in social battles:
The picture of the Christian in the world is well illustrated by the analogy of the train station. We (Christians) are waiting in the station to board the northbound (heavenly) train. We are surrounded by people who are preparing to board the southbound train, completely unaware of its tragic destination. Should we spend our time and energy pleading with them to switch trains? Or do we merely tidy up the train station instead? The answer is obvious, and those who would tidy up the culture for the culture’s sake are not only missing the point, they are misunderstanding the reason God leaves us in the world—to be His witness to the lost and condemned. Such a mission is far more “good and profitable to men” (Titus 3:8) than any amount of social or political activism.
Evil may well triumph in this fallen world (it has so many times in the past). Our worldly spiritual battles are fought with the full armor of God, wielding the Word of God in love for others. We must remember that we are pilgrims on the narrow road to a better life, but in the meantime, don’t underestimate the power of prayer and petition, entreaty and thanksgiving in winning lives to Christ! That will change the culture. And we obey God first, if men compel us to do something against His commands.
My next devotional examines 1 Peter 2:18-20 Submitting to our Masters (and Employers)
Heaven on Wheels Daily Prayer:
Dear Lord - Thank you for hearing our prayers and petitions, entreaties and thanksgivings. Help me to turn from worry and anxiety over temporary political conditions and do what You spoke through Peter: Honor all people, love other Christians, fear you and honor our government leaders. Amen.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
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