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Lesson 9 -- Written by Marcia McCance
What it says:
9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.
11 Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul,
12 having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.
13 ¶ Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme,
14 or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good.
15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men––
16 as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God.
17 Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.
2 What it means:
9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people,
Turn these into “I am…” statements. (i.e. “I am part of a royal priesthood.”)
that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
What purpose do you see here?
What did He do for us?
Notice it says “that you may proclaim the praises of Him” and also “called you” – this would be your own personal testimony.
In one or two short sentences – what darkness were you called out of?
How is your life different now because of “His marvelous light?”
10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.
Based on verse 10, write two “I was/but now I am” statements:
Hosea 2:19-20 "I will betroth you to Me forever; Yes, I will betroth you to Me In righteousness and justice, In lovingkindness and mercy; I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness, And you shall know the LORD.
Isaiah 54:5 For your Maker is your husband, The LORD of hosts is His name; And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel; He is called the God of the whole earth.
Isaiah 54:9-10 "For this is like the waters of Noah to Me; For as I have sworn That the waters of Noah would no longer cover the earth, So have I sworn That I would not be angry with you, nor rebuke you. For the mountains shall depart And the hills be removed, But My kindness shall not depart from you, Nor shall My covenant of peace be removed," Says the LORD, who has mercy on you.
I am completely blessed when I read the above verses. These are such wonderful promises from our Maker and Redeemer!! Praise the Lord who loves so much. Who loves US so much. Rest yourselves in His love.
11 Beloved,
Who is Peter calling “Beloved?”
What does this “term of endearment” mean?
Who is doing the loving here?
I beg you
Now Peter is begging us. He is pleading with us. What Peter is about to say must be very important!
as sojourners and pilgrims,
What are sojourners and pilgrims?
Where are we traveling to, and through
Psalm 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me;….
abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul,
What does “abstain” mean?
Which fleshly lusts plague you?
What do fleshly lusts do?
How does a “war against the soul” affect us?
12 having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles,
Describe “honorable conduct.”
The addressees of Peter’s letter were living among the “Gentiles.” Even though they were now Christians, they were nearly all born as Jews, so they still referred to “everyone else” as “Gentiles.” What might we call the “everyone else” that we Christians live amongst?
that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.
This is another verse that is, at first glance, “hard” to interpret. It says there are people who will speak “against” you and call you an “evildoer” and then it immediately and in the same sentence says “they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.” The only sense I can make of it is in the context of “rumors” and then “actual experience.” What makes me think this is the word “observe” – which is a personal-opinion-changing experience. So their new neighbors are hearing and speaking rumors that the Christians are doing evil things, but as they come to know them and can actually observe their behavior they will see the rumors were unfounded and that God will be glorified by their good conduct.
Albert Barnes Commentary: It is to be remembered that the heathen were very little acquainted with the nature of Christianity; and it is known that in the early ages they charged on Christians the most abominable vices, and even accused them of practices at which human nature revolts. The meaning of Peter is, that while they charged these things on Christians, whether from ignorance or malice, they ought so to live as that a more full acquaintance with them, and a closer inspection of their conduct, would disarm their prejudices, and show that their charges were entirely unfounded.
We have a similar thing happening to us today. We are spoken evil of, yet the only way to change their bad opinion of a person or a group is by honorable Christian conduct that they can observe or witness for themselves which can be reported by them to others. (Think of Billy Graham.) We are lights and must remember that we represent God to non-believers. It is imperative that we have honorable conduct. Now Peter goes on to describe what kind of “honorable conduct” he wants them, and us, to have:
13 ¶ Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man
What is an “ordinance?”
What is Peter telling us to do?
for the Lord’s sake,
What does the word “sake” mean?
For whose purpose and on whose behalf , do we submit ourselves to the laws of man?
What does “behalf” mean?
We are to submit to every ordinance of man because we represent Jesus and we must represent Him with honor and respect!
whether to the king as supreme,
14 or to governors,
Peter is writing to Christian Jews who are living away from their own culture – they are living among the Gentiles. He is instructing them to live in harmony with those they are among by obeying the laws of their king and the king’s governors or representatives just as the people born there do.
as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good.
It is God who puts men in authority over us – we need to be obedient to them for the sake of the Lord.
15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men––
It is the will of God that ignorant and foolish men be what?
How does He tell us to silence the ignorant and foolish?
It does not say the ignorant and foolish are to be scorned. It does not say we are to punish them. It simply says to silence their rumors and misconceptions by doing good – by our own good and honorable conduct!!
16 as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God.
We have been set free by the Son. We are free, indeed. What is a cloak?
What is vice?
What is a bondservant?
Interesting concept. We have been set free in order to be slaves! What have we been set free from?
What does it mean to be a bondservant or slave of God?
Php 2:3-11 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
What do you see in this verse about what we are to do?
17 Honor all people.
Which of the people are we to honor?
Love the brotherhood.
Who is the brotherhood?
What are we to do to the brotherhood?
Fear God.
What does this mean?
Honor the king.
To whom are we to give honor?
Did you notice that to people we are to give honor and love and to God we give fear? We are not to fear men – because fear makes us compliant and obedient – we are to fear God who can affect our eternity. Let us be obedient and compliant to Him!
Mt 10:28 "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
3. What it means to me:
(Believe, Trust, Conform)
Read again: 1 Peter 2:9-17, at the top of this study – and in another translation.
Definitions and Synonyms:
1. Abstain – desist, refrain, withdraw, withhold, go without, give up
2. Behalf – support, interest, side, (I speak in his behalf), in or on behalf of the interest of, for/on behalf of, speaking for, representing
3. Beloved – much-loved, dearly loved, adored, favorite, darling
4. Bondservant – a person bound to service without pay, a slave
5. Fear (of God) – reverence, respect, awe, obedience
6. Honorable – admirable, worthy, praiseworthy, moral, principled, good, upright, proper
7. Cloak – cape, coat, mantle, cover, hide, conceal, veil, facade, pretense
8. Ordinance – decree, order, rule, regulation, law, edict
9. Pilgrim – foreigner, stranger, believing traveler, a person who travels about, wanderer
10. Sake – purpose, reason, motive, cause, advantage, behalf, benefit
11. Sojourn – to live somewhere temporarily as on a visit, stay for a while, break, stopover, stay
12. Vice – fault, wicked conduct or behavior, depravity, corruption, prostitution, self-indulgence
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