By Rev. Dr. Brent Russett – Asbury Free Methodist
June 16, 2024 – 1 Peter 2:11-3:7
I know that most of us in this room are Canadians, but we have been strongly influenced by the belief systems of the United States. One of the most profound and helpful thoughts comes from their Declaration of Independence. It starts out by stating,
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights…“
As Canadians, we believe that too. We believe that people have equal value. So, when we see a rich person avoiding justice, where we know a poor person couldn’t, we say – that’s not fair. We have taken this further in our country. We believe that everyone should have equal access to health care. Why? Because people are created equal.
Our sense of what is right and wrong, as well as our sense of justice, is built on this idea. It is a good idea. I would even say it is a Christian idea. I don’t think we always follow through on this idea. Racism, sexism, and many poverty issues fly in the face of this idea. But it is something that we aspire to. All people are of equal value.
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But that idea is what makes today’s scripture passage hard for us to get our heads around. We have been doing a summer tour through First Peter. As we have noted before, the book was written by Jesus’ disciple Peter for non-Jewish people who were fully immersed in the Roman Empire.
Here is one of the things that you need to understand about Rome. They did not believe that all men were created equal. In fact, they would have scoffed at the idea that people were created with equal value.
The emperor certainly didn’t see himself as equal to those around him. Many of the emperors proclaimed themselves gods. About 40% of the Roman empire was populated by slaves. Slaves were treated as property. A master could kill a slave with no consequences because – they were not equal under the law. Their value came from what they could do or what they could be sold for.
Women were only slightly better off than slaves. Their fathers and then their husbands had complete authority over their lives. What they said was law, as far as women were concerned. A man could treat his wife any way he wanted and there was no recourse under the law.
It was a world where might made right. If you were strong enough, either politically or physically, to do what you wanted to do, then you probably do it and get away with it.
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Peter understood all this. This is the world that the people to whom Peter was writing lived in. The question was, “How do you live as a follower of Jesus in this world?”
Here is what Peter tells them, 1 Peter 2:11 (NIV)
11 Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul.
Peter says, friends, you are foreigners and exiles in this world. Your citizenship is in a place where people are seen by God as being equal. You live in a place where might makes right, but you are a citizen of a place where you are equal at the foot of the cross. Not only that, but you have also been set free. You live in a place where the law says, at least about some of you, that you have no value. You are citizens of a place where God says you are of amazing worth. So, the Kingdom you come from and the land you are in have a very different value system.
So, live as if your soul has value. Abstain from sinful desires because they harm your soul, and while others around you might not believe it, your soul has value. Then he goes on to say,
1 Peter 2:12 (NIV)
12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
Everything that follows in the passage we are looking at today refers back to this verse. This is the theme verse. This is a mission statement for people’s lives. This is the overriding instruction for how to live in a world that is harsh, unfair, and unjust.
1 Peter 2:12 (NIV)
12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
I don’t love how the NIV has translated the word “pagan.” The Greek word is “ethnos.” It could be translated as “nations,” or “peoples.” When Jesus says, “Go into all the world and make disciples of every nation.” The world he uses for nations is “ethnos.”
Peter is trying to get the point across they are to live good lives amongst the people who do not follow Jesus – even when it is hard – even when they accuse you falsely of doing wrong – so when they have to look at you objectively when they see Jesus, they will have to say – yes they were right, God you were right. Your ways are right and good and just.
We live in a world where our value system is very different than the people around us. We are surrounded by people who do not follow Jesus. It seems to me that many Christians’ strategy for living in this world is to let the world know how bad they are. That is not God’s way.
This verse is saying, live such good lives that even though it might annoy those around you, when all is said and done, they will have to praise God because of you.
One of the big ways that Christianity spread throughout the Roman empire was that Christians did good that others wouldn’t do. When a plague came, others would flee the cities while Christians helped the sick. When Romans would take their baby girls out to the forest and leave them there – because they didn’t want a girl baby – Christians would find and adopt those babies. That is partly how the Christian faith spread.
So, what does living a good life look like in in Peter’s context?
1 Peter 2:13–14 (NIV)
13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, 14 or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.
Did you catch what a good life looks like? Submit yourself, for the Lord’s sake, to every human authority. The “why” is really important here. We are going to be talking a lot about submission. But notice who it is for. You are doing it for the Lord.
I will come back to verse 15, but look at verse 16
1 Peter 2:16 (NIV)
16 Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves.
1 Peter 2:16 (NLT)
16 For you are free, yet you are God’s slaves, so don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil.
Followers of Jesus, you are free people. You foreigners and exiles, and this emperor really isn’t your emperor – but submit to him for the Lord’s sake. Don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil. Or don’t use your freedom to do that which is harmful or damaging.
Let me try to put this in 21st-century language. As a Christian, you have certain rights. Christ has made you free – you have a right to live that way. You have a lot of other rights as well that I don’t have time to go into.
But living a good life means that you give up the right to be free and live the way you want – living a good life means submitting to human authorities, which sometimes conflicts with freedom.
We have seen Christians exercising their rights in a way that was harmful. We use our right to freedom of speech to say things that aren’t helpful.
Here is what Peter says in verse 15
1 Peter 2:15 (NLT)
It is God’s will that your honorable lives should silence those ignorant people who make foolish accusations against you.
In Peter’s day, Christians were accused of being cannibals. They got together in secret meetings, and they ate the body and blood of someone called Christ. Peter says, let your honorable lives silence ignorant people.
What are Christians accused of today? We are accused of being judgemental, homophobic bigots. But Paul says, “Let your honourable lives silence ignorant people.” Focus on how you live, not on how other people live.
Peter sums it up,
1 Peter 2:17 (NIV)
17 Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.
That is part of what it means to fulfil verse 12 – live good lives.
Now, Peter goes on to talk to slaves.
1 Peter 2:18 (NIV)
18 Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh.
Peter is not condoning slavery. He is dealing with the reality of slavery to those who are already slaves. He says, submit yourself to your master. Now, in some ways, this is obvious. It is not like they had a choice of whether to submit or not. They were slaves. They had to submit.
But Peter says, submit – not only because you have to – but do so in reverent fear of God. Peter is reframing submission. No, it is not fair that you are slaves. It is not right that some of your masters treat you harshly. Your choice is not how you will be treated – but who you live for.
1 Peter 2:19–21 (NIV)
19 For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God. 20 But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. 21 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.
1 Peter 2:19 (NIV)
19 For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God.
1 Peter 2:19 (NLT)
19 For God is pleased when, conscious of his will, you patiently endure unjust treatment.
Peter recognizes the fact that they are being treated unjustly. Peter does not promise them justice in this world. He doesn’t say that everything is going to turn out ok.
What he does say is that you are commendable if you choose to bear up under unjust pain. The idea is that you have God’s favour. God is pleased with you. Not only that, but you are also following Christ’s example. He was treated unjustly. He suffered even when he didn’t deserve it. You are living like he lived.
1 Peter 2:23–25 (NIV)
23 When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. 24 “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” 25 For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
He is saying to the slaves – be like Jesus. Entrust yourself to the one who judges justly. This world is not all that there is. You have a great shepherd of your soul. Entrust yourself to him.
If I could sum up this message, it would say, “Deal with your reality, be like Jesus, and entrust yourself to God.”
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I wish ancient Rome was the only place that was unfair. But there are a lot of you who are experiencing the unfairness of life. Some of you are grieving the loss of a loved one. Death sometimes cuts life too short. “Deal with your reality, be like Jesus, entrust yourself to God.”
I wish ancient Rome was the only place where we had to deal with pain, but it is not. Some of you are dealing with health issues. Is it fair that you got cancer and your neighbour didn’t? Is it fair that you have to struggle through pain and your friend is healthy? No, it’s not. But, hear God’s word to you. “Deal with your reality, be like Jesus, entrust yourself to God.”
Some of you are dealing with problematic relationships. Your spouse, your child, your friend, your boss is/are treating you in a way that is unfair. Peter would say to you, “Deal with your reality, be like Jesus, entrust yourself to God.”
Wherever you are, “Deal with your reality, be like Jesus, entrust yourself to God.”
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Now, Peter goes on to talk to wives who are married to unbelieving husbands. Husbands had total authority over their wives in ancient Rome. Not only that, but often, the husband that a wife had was chosen for them by their father. They often were not matches made for love but made for the biggest dowery that a father could obtain.
So, how are wives supposed to live?
1 Peter 3:1–2 (NIV)
Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, 2 when they see the purity and reverence of your lives.
Wives, in the same way – in the same way as the slaves – because that is what your status is. Peter is saying, I know some of you are trapped in a marriage that isn’t good, and because of your status as a woman, there is nothing you can do about it. If that is you, live a winsome life. Peter says I have hope that your husbands will be won over to Jesus because of your behaviour.
This is Peter reiterating his theme
1 Peter 2:12 (NIV)
12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
Live such good lives before your husbands that they will glorify God. Live in such a way that they see the difference Christ makes in your life and hopefully come to find Jesus for themselves.
Here is what he means by that,
1 Peter 3:3–5 (NIV)
3 Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. 4 Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. 5 For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to adorn themselves.
Now, Peter is not saying don’t wear gold jewelry or fine clothes. He is saying that that is not where your beauty is to be found. If you want to dress up, dress up. But God values internal beauty much more than he does physical beauty. Physical beauty fades; Inner beauty does not. Inner beauty is what you are hoping to develop.
Peter then goes on to address believing husbands.
1 Peter 3:7 (NIV)
7 Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.
In a world where might made right and physical strength was the measure of most strength – Peter calls women the weaker partner. But he also calls them “heirs with you in the gracious gift of life.” He reminds believing husbands that in God’s sight, women are equal partners. They are going to inherit the Kingdom of God in the same way men will.
So, while the world is a place where might make right and, therefore, women are lesser than, the Kingdom of God is a place of equality. Peter has two instructions for believing husbands: Be considerate of your wives and treat them with respect. The word respect could be translated as “treat them with honour.”
Remember when Peter was talking about the emperor.
1 Peter 2:17 (NIV)
17 Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.
That respect, that honour is to be given by believing husbands to their wives. He is saying that a Christian household is to be different than the ones you see around you.
He even goes further. He says.
1 Peter 3:7 (NIV)
7 Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.
Believing husband, if you don’t treat your wife with consideration and respect, your prayers will be hindered.
In a world of inequality, Peter says, that is not us. Your wife is a child of God, and if you don’t treat her with respect, it will hinder your prayers. At the foot of the cross, we are equal.
1 Peter 2:11–12 (NIV)
11 Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires which wage war against your soul. 12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
We live in a world that has different ideas of what is valuable than we do. We live in a world where many things that God would call good are not seen that way. It is OK. You are to live as foreigners and exiles. You live in this world – but it is not your true home.
We live in a world that is not fair, and often, it is not just. But hear God’s word to you. 12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.