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Author: Will

1 Peter 2:20 – Patient Suffering

Posted on December 13, 2016 by Will

For what fame is it if sinning and being harshly treated, you endure it? But if doing good and suffering for it, you endure it, this finds favor with God.

Truth to Learn

When we patiently endure unjust punishment for having done good deeds, God is pleased.

Behind the Words

The word translated “fame” is kleos, which is derived from a shortened form of kaleō, meaning “to call.” Kleos refers to “calling out the goodness” of someone. Hence, it is often translated as “renown,” “glory,” “favor,” or “credit.”

The word “sinning” is translated from hamartanō, meaning “to miss the mark.” It is often translated as “transgress” or “sin.” “Harshly treated” is translated from kolaphidzō, which means “to strike with the fist.” Both of these words are expressed as present participles indicating current ongoing activity.

The expression “you endure it” is translated from hupomenō, which is made up of hupo, meaning “under” and menō, meaning “to remain.” It literally means “to remain under.” It is a picture of a beast of burden remaining under a heavy load and is often translated as “persevere” or “endure.”

“Doing good” is from agathopoiōn, a word we looked at back in verse fourteen. It refers to doing good deeds.

The word “suffer” is from the Greek word paschō, which refers to an intense emotion, usually suffering.

Meaning Explained

Peter is making a very profound statement that should be taken to heart by all who call themselves Christian. If you do wrong, are punished for it, and take it with patience, there is no glory or recognition given to you except that you got what you deserved. If, on the other hand, you have done good deeds, are falsely punished for it, and you take it patiently, this is joyous, or well-pleasing, with God.

When we suffer wrongfully, our Heavenly Father is aware of it. If our attitude is right, He is pleased with us. Peter says nothing of God’s attitude toward our actions when we complain and raise a ruckus because we have been falsely accused or punished unjustly. But he says that God is pleased when we endure it patiently. Peter is clearly thinking back on the unjust beating and suffering endured by Jesus Christ when he paid for our sins. In the following verses Peter will refer to Christ’s wrongful suffering as a perfect example of how we should act. He was innocent and was supremely punished by men and accepted it patiently. We, on the other hand, are guilty before God and do not receive the just punishment for our offenses.

Application

All Christians have experienced situations where we did what was good and ended up suffering for it in one way or another. Can you remember such a time? How did you handle it? Did you endure it quietly and patiently, or did you fuss and complain to God about how unfair it was? How will you react the next time this happens to you? Quietly and patiently, I hope!

In God's service, for His glory,

1 Peter 2:19 – Joyful Suffering

Posted on December 12, 2016 by Will

For this is commendable, if because of consciousness of God one endures grief, suffering unjustly.

Truth to Learn

We should rejoice when we suffer for doing what is good.

Behind the Words

“Commendable” is translated from the Greek word charis, which is derived from the verb chairō, meaning “to rejoice” or “to be glad.” Hence, charis refers to the joy or gratification one feels for a kindness or a favor granted. It is often used to refer to that kindness or favor, especially when it is undeserved (as the grace which God showed to us in forgiving our sins). In the current verse, however, it refers to the joy that we should feel knowing that we are in a good relationship with God.

The word translated “consciousness” is suneidēsis, a form of suneido which is made up of sun, meaning “together” and eidō, meaning “to perceive” or “to know.” Hence, suneidēsis literally refers to joint knowledge or joint perception. In this verse it refers to the joint knowledge with God that He is doing what is the best thing to bring glory to Himself.

“Endures” is from hupopherō, which is made up of hupo, meaning “under” and pherō, meaning “to bear.” So it literally means “to bear under” or “to endure.”

The expression “if … one endures grief” is an expression of the first class condition, which in Greek means that it is assumed to be true. Hence, Peter is assuming that each one of us does occasionally endure grief, suffering wrongfully.

The word translated “unjustly” is adikōs, which is made up of the privative a, meaning “not” and a form of dikē, meaning “justice.” Hence, it means “unjustly” or “wrongfully.”

Meaning Explained

Peter is telling us in this verse that if we do what is right because it is what God has told us to do and we end up patiently suffering for it, then it is a joyful thing. James told us a similar thing in his letter:

My brothers, consider it all joy when you fall into various trials, (James 1:2)

The word James used for “joy” is chara, which is also from the verb chairō, meaning “to be glad.” God does not promise us that obeying Him will always result in blessing and happiness; quite the contrary, in fact. Christ told the disciples:

These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation … (John 16:33a)

We are not told that we may suffer for Christ, but that we will suffer for Him. But Peter is telling us that if we endure it, even though we may be suffering unjustly, we can be glad.

Application

The ruler of this world (Satan) is the enemy of God. If we are ambassadors of our Heavenly Father in this world, obeying Him and representing him by our conduct and actions, His enemy will not like it. Let us not be surprised, therefore, when we suffer for doing good.

Are you suffering for your testimony and obedience to Christ? Be glad! Rejoice! And give God the praise!

In God's service, for His glory,

1 Peter 2:18 – Submit to Bosses

Posted on December 9, 2016 by Will

Servants, be submissive to your masters in all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the crooked.

Truth to Learn

Submission to others is necessary, but not always easy.

Behind the Words

The word translated “servants” is the Greek word oiketēs, which means “one of the household” but not necessarily a member of the family. The Greek word for a member of the family is oikogenes. The Greek word that refers to a slave owned by his or her master is doulos. Hence, the word oiketēs is most commonly a reference to a household worker who does so by choice and gets paid for it. The fact that Peter uses this word indicates that this message is to all of us who have a boss. It means that we cannot conveniently side-step this command, claiming that it does not pertain to us.

“Be submissive to” is the translation of hupotassō, which is a compound of hupo or hypo, meaning “under” and tasso, meaning “to arrange in an orderly manner” or “to rank.” It is a military term meaning to place in rank under someone else’s authority. It is expressed in this verse in the passive voice indicating action done to the subject (servants).

The word translated “masters” is despotēs (from which we get our English word despot), meaning “one who possesses authority,” “a master,” or “a boss.”

The word “crooked” is translated from the Greek word skolios, which literally means “crooked.” In reference to a person, it means “unjust” or “wicked.”

Meaning Explained

The words “be submissive to” are also translated as “submit to” in the following verses:

Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. (Ephesians 5:22)

Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. (James 4:7)

In these verses wives are told to place themselves in rank under their husbands’ authority and we are all commanded to place ourselves in rank under God’s authority. Here in 1 Peter we are told to place ourselves in rank under the authority of our boss and, therefore, do as he or she directs us.

Our God has established order in the world for the purpose of peace:

For God is not the author of confusion but of peace … (1Corinthians 14:33a)

For the sake of peace, He has established that we should all voluntarily place ourselves under the authority of others. And, we are commanded to do so, not only to a good and gentle boss, but also to one who is unreasonable or unjust. This is a difficult task for anyone who has an unreasonable boss, but it is what Peter instructs us to do.

Application

Placing ourselves under the authority of someone who doesn’t deserve it is a difficult task at best. Anyone who has had a corrupt or incompetent boss knows how difficult it can be. Nonetheless, that’s exactly what God instructs us to do.

In God's service, for His glory,

1 Peter 2:17 – Christ-like Behavior

Posted on December 8, 2016 by Will

Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.

Truth to Learn

Treating others respectfully is not an option for Christians; we are commanded to do it! Jesus Christ is our example.

Behind the Words

The word translated “honor” is timaō, which means “to place a value on” or “to revere.” The first use of this verb in the current verse is in the aorist tense and imperative mood, implying the command, “in every case render the honor due.” The other three verbs in this verse (Love, Fear, and Honor) are all in the present tense, imperative mood, indicating continual and habitual action that we are commanded to do.

“Love,” from the Greek word agapaō, refers to the self-sacrificing, God-type love that is more focused on the good of the loved one than on self.

The word “brotherhood” is adelphotēs, a form of adelphos (brother) that refers to a collective of brothers, hence a fraternity or brotherhood. This word is rarely found in Greek writings other than religious texts. It is used as a specific reference to fellow Christians.

The word translated “fear” is phobeō (from which we get the English word “phobia”). It literally means “to frighten.” In the passive voice, as it is here, it means either “to be afraid of” or “to be in awe of.” Peter probably means both.

Meaning Explained

Peter here continues the discourse that he started in verse eleven. This is how we should conduct our lives while here on this earth. We are not to be contrarians, against everything everyone else stands for, rather we are to live as obedient servants representing well the One who has called us and to Whom we belong.

We are to honor each person with the specific honor due him or her. We are to continually demonstrate self-sacrificing love to other Christians, being more concerned for their welfare than we are for our own. This characteristic has distinguished Christians from all other people throughout the centuries since the death of Jesus Christ on the cross.

We are also to continually fear God (both in the sense of being in awe of Him and fearing His position and power). And we are to continually honor those in civil authority over us. The apostle Paul said a very similar thing in his letter to the Christians in Rome:

Let every soul be subject to higher authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the existing authorities are appointed by God. … Give therefore to all their due: tax to whom taxes are due, tribute to whom tribute is due, fear to whom fear is due, honor to whom honor is due. (Romans 13:1, 7)

Challenge

Let me challenge each of you to stop right now and take stock of how you behave toward others. Do you treat all people with respect, independent of their appearance? Do you demonstrate that special self-sacrificing love toward your brothers and sisters in Christ? Do you have a holy fear of our God? And do you show respect to civil authorities? Hmmmm!

In God's service, for His glory,

1 Peter 2:16 – Free to Submit

Posted on December 7, 2016 by Will

as free, yet not having freedom as a cloak of evil, but as bondservants of God.

Truth to Learn

We are free from the penalty of sin, but we are God’s servants.

Behind the Words

The word translated “free” is eleutheros, meaning “unrestrained” or “able to move about freely.” It is used primarily in reference to a person who is not a slave (not owned by anyone) but free to go where he pleases. It is expressed here in the nominative case, which ties it back to the word translated “submit” is verse 13.

“Having” is translated from a form of echō, meaning “to possess” or “to hold.”

The word “cloak” is translated from epikaluma, which is made up of epi, meaning “on” or “over” and a form of kaluptō, meaning “to cover.” Hence, it means “that which covers over.”

“Evil” is translated from kakia, which means “badness” or “that which is evil.”

The word “bondservants” is translated from doulos, which refers to “a slave, one who is in a permanent relation of servitude to another.”

Meaning Explained

Peter now touches briefly on a subject that was the root of one of the earliest heresies of the church and which is still misunderstood today. That heresy was called antinomianism, which literally means “no law-ism.” Some in the early church believed that since we have been set free from the penalty of sin, we can live however we want, since all of our sins have been forgiven. Because of the sacrifice of Christ, we are free from the law of commandments contained in ordinances and free from sin, this is true. Being free from sin does not mean that we are free from all laws (as Peter just pointed out) nor does it mean that we are free to sin.

To be a free man and not a slave (or servant) in the first century was a very privileged position. It meant, as the word eleotheros implies, that one was free to come and go as one pleased. Peter’s use of this word, however, is in reference to the bondage of the Law of Moses. Many of the early converts to Christianity were former Jews who were bound heavily by the Law and who have now been set free from that as well. Peter is warning that this freedom is not to be used as an excuse to do evil things.

According to Greek grammar, the word “free” (literally, free ones) is tied back to the word “submit” in verse thirteen. So, what Peter is telling his readers is that Christians are to voluntarily submit to the civil authorities even though we have freedom in Christ. We are not to use that freedom to resist authority or to do evil deeds. Instead, we are to do good deeds in submission to the authorities over us, because our freedom from the penalty of sin also means that we are permanent slaves of God.

Application

Our Christian lives are not to be characterized by “being free to live like the Devil,” rather they are to be characterized by voluntarily subjecting (submitting) ourselves and our will to the one who purchased this freedom for us.

In God's service, for His glory,

1 Peter 2:15 – Good Works = God’s Glory

Posted on December 6, 2016 by Will

For this is the will of God, doing good to silence the ignorance of foolish men;

Truth to Learn

God will use our good works to bring glory to Himself.

Behind the Words

The word translated “will” is thelēma, meaning “a desire or disposition toward something,” but it also implies action taken based on that desire. This is derived from the verb thelō, meaning “to wish, to will, implying volition and purpose with a determination or execution of that which is desired.” Hence, it is sometimes referred to as “determined will.” This is different from the Greek word boulomai, meaning “to desire something, not necessarily implying the execution of that desire,” which is sometimes referred to as “desirous will.”

The expression “doing good” comes from the Greek agathopoieō, which, as we learned from a similar word in the previous verse, means “to do good things.”

“To silence” comes from the Greek word phimoō, which means “to muzzle” or “to silence.”

“Ignorance” is translated from the Greek word agnōsia. This is compound word made up of a, meaning “not” or “without” and a form of gnōsis, meaning “knowledge.”

The word “foolish” is translated from aphropon, made up of a, meaning “not” or “without” and a form of phren, meaning “understanding.” Hence, it literally means “mindless” or “stupid.”

Meaning Explained

“For this is the will of God…” What is Peter referring to; the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do well. That’s what he said in the previous verse. The grammatical rule of immediate antecedence would seem to dictate that’s what he meant. However, it is not what was said before, but what is said after that defines what Peter means. He says that “putting to silence the ignorance of foolish men” is the will of God (what God has determined). And he does that through our good works. Now, let me remind you what he said in verse twelve:

having your behavior good 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 inspection. (1 Peter 2:12)

Do you see it? Do you see who Peter is talking about? As you will recall, in verse twelve we learned that the “Gentiles” are non-Christians. They are unsaved. They are unbelievers. They are the foolish ones who are “without understanding.” And since they don’t understand the truth of the gospel message, they speak out of ignorance. They speak out against Christians, calling us evil doers when they are the real doers of evil.

Not only will God silence (muzzle) their evil speaking about us, as Peter tells us in this verse, but they will glorify God on that fateful day when they stand before Him as their judge, as Peter told us in verse twelve.

Application

When all your efforts to do good make you feel like a salmon swimming upstream, remember that we are doing it for His glory! And though we may not see the fruit of our labors on this earth, someday we will see our Savior, and He is worthy!

In God's service, for His glory,

1 Peter 2:14 – All Authorities

Posted on December 2, 2016 by Will

or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who are doing good.

Truth to Learn

We are to submit to all authorities over us at all times, not just when it is convenient, or when we feel like it.

Behind the Words

The word translated “governors” is the Greek noun hēgamōn, which is derived from the verb hēgeomai, meaning “to lead” or “to rule.” The noun form refers to a person who leads or governs and can be translated as “governor, commander, or ruler.”

“Punishment” is from the Greek word ekdikēsis, which is made up of ek, meaning “out” and a form of dikē, meaning “justice.” Hence, it refers to handing out a judicial decision. Since it is used here in reference to “evildoers,” it can be interpreted as “punishment or retribution.”

The word “praise” is from epainos, which is made up of epi (shortened to ep), meaning “over” or “upon” and ainos, meaning “praise.” Hence, it means to “lay praise upon someone.”

The words translated as “evildoers” and “those who do good” are kakopoiōn and agathopoiōn. Kakos means “evil” and agathos means “good” or “benevolent.” The second half of both words is a form of poieō, which means “to make” or “to do.” So you can see that these two words literally mean “those who do evil things” and “those who do good things.”

Meaning Explained

Peter continues the thought from yesterday. We should submit to Kings, but we should also submit to other government officials. The point is that we need to submit ourselves to anyone who has been set up by the king as a sub-ruler. In the first century these would include such people as Pontius Pilate and Herod, whom Christ submitted himself to, and Felix and Festus, whom the Apostle Paul submitted himself to.

The purpose of human government, according to Peter, is to maintain law and order. It is their responsibility to punish those who do evil things and to lay praise upon those who do good things. We are not to take these matters into our own hands; we are to submit to government, whether we like it or not.

In the next verse Peter will tell us that this is God’s will, and as Christians, we should all strive to do God’s will.

Submission is something that is frowned upon by our society, and the message proclaimed by the media today is to do your own thing, to stand up for your rights (after all, I’m worth it). That, according to the world system, is the way to happiness and peace. The Bible, on the other hand, says that the way to happiness and peace is to submit, first to God, then to others. What is seen as weakness by the world is the way to peace and happiness with God. Christ, Himself, was the supreme example of this as Peter will point out later in this chapter.

Application

One of the problems with submitting to human government is the fact that it is made up largely of unsaved men and women. Some of them are even openly opposed to the ideals which we hold so dear. Nonetheless, we are to submit to them and give them the honor that is due as a result of their positions.

In God's service, for His glory,

1 Peter 2:13 – Submit to Authority

Posted on December 1, 2016 by Will

Submit yourselves to every institution of man for the Lord's sake, whether to the king as being supreme,

Truth to Learn

We are to submit to whatever government we might live under.

Behind the Words

The word translated “submit” is hupotassō, a compound word made up of hupo, meaning “under” or “beneath” and tassō, meaning “to place in order” or “to place in an orderly fashion.” Hence, it means to place something in an orderly manner under something else. This is a military term that implies being placed in rank under the authority of someone else. It is expressed here in the passive voice indicating action done to the subject, and it is expressed in the imperative mood indicating a command. Putting this all together we see that Peter is ordering us to be submitted.

“Institution” is translated from the Greek word ktisis, meaning “that which has been formed or created.” Given the context, it is clear that Peter is referring to laws and authorities created by man.

Meaning Explained

Throughout history the Israelites have refused submission to any monarch, whether called king, emperor, caesar, or any other name. Theirs was a theocracy ruled by God rather than a monarchy ruled my man. Peter, however, is telling the early believers (many of them new converts from Judaism), and those of us in the following millennia, that it is God’s will for us to submit to human government. Even Christ, Himself, declared this in the books of Matthew, Mark, and Luke when asked whether it is lawful to give tribute to Caesar:

Give therefore to Caesar the things which are Caesar's and unto God the things which are God's.

The thing that makes Peter’s message all the more important is the fact that Nero was ruling over the Roman world at the time he wrote this, and Nero hated Christians. Peter does not declare that we are to submit only to the laws that are fair to Christians, but to every institution of man.

The only exception to this type of submission is when human government orders us to do that which is contrary to the commands of God. For example, when Peter and John were commanded by the rulers of the Jews to cease preaching Jesus as the Messiah, they refused:

And having called them, they commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. But answering them, Peter and John said, “Whether it be right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. For we cannot but speak what we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:18-20)

This is a hard lesson for us to hear in a society where morality is declining and many (perhaps most) of our government officials have no fear of God. What we need to keep in mind is that God is in control and He will prevail.

Application

Jesus willingly submitted himself to the ruling authorities of His day and it resulted in His being crucified. Are you willing to submit yourself that completely?

In God's service, for His glory,

1 Peter 2:12 – For His Glory

Posted on November 30, 2016 by Will

having your behavior good 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 inspection.

Truth to Learn

Our good behavior will bring glory to God.

Behind the Words

“Behavior” is translated from anastrophē, which literally means “to turn again.” By implication it means “to move around.” It’s a reference to the way we behave as we move back and forth through this life on earth.

The word translated “good” is kalos, which literally means “beautiful” but by figure, as used here, it means “good in quality or character.”

The word translated “inspection” is episkopē, which is made up of epi, meaning “on” or “over” and a form of skopeō, meaning “to give attention to.” Hence, it primarily refers to an inspection. Some scholars believe this refers to the day that God visits a person to open his or her eyes to the truth of the gospel. That is, the day they are “saved.” Others, however, believe that this refers to the day when God will judge the unbelievers. Since the term primarily refers to an inspection, it is more likely that Peter is referring to the Day of Judgment.

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse we learned that Peter is telling us we need to exert our will to keep ourselves away from (or abstain from) fleshly lusts. Now he tells us that we should exhibit “good” behavior. Not only do we need to avoid letting our lusts control us, we need to behave in a manner that is generally regarded as good. And in whose presence are we to behave this way? The Gentiles.

“Wait a minute,” you say, “I thought Gentiles were non-Jews?” The word translated Gentiles in this verse is ethnos. Back in verse 9 we talked about the fact that God has made us a “holy nation” The word translated “nation” in that verse is this same Greek word, ethnos. It means “a race of people” or “a nation of people,” and Peter is using it here in the vernacular sense of those who are not of us or, more specifically, those who are not Christians. We are to live an exemplary life, a life without reproach, in front of the unsaved.

The reason, according to Peter, is that in living this way we may, by our good works, cause the unbelievers to glorify God in the day of inspection. These same people who deride us and treat us with disregard or contempt will give God glory one day.

Perhaps our current good behavior will be used as evidence against those who speak evil against us, showing that their attitude toward God was wrong. It does not appear that we will derive any personal satisfaction out of such judgment, and we are not to live godly lives for our own benefit. We are to live this way so that God will receive praise and glory.

Application

We are not here on this earth to do great things for ourselves; we are here to serve Him. Let us strive to live humble, godly lives and do good works, not for ourselves, but so that God will be glorified! After all, He is worthy!

In God's service, for His glory,

1 Peter 2:11 – Holy Pilgrims

Posted on November 29, 2016 by Will

Beloved, I encourage you as strangers and foreigners, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul,

Truth to Learn

We are to live like citizens of heaven, not like earth dwellers.

Behind the Words

The word “encourage” is an interesting one. It is the Greek word, parakaleō which is the verb form of a name given to the Holy Spirit, paraclete (translated “comforter”). It is a compound of para, meaning “alongside or near” and kaleō, which means “to call.” Hence, the Holy Spirit is the One who is “called alongside” with the idea of being the One who walks alongside us on a journey to keep us company and to counsel us. In the verb form, as used in today’s verse, it carries the idea of a coach calling an athlete to him in order to give words of encouragement and support.

Peter then uses two similar words for “strangers” and “foreigners.” These words are paroikos and parepidēmos. They are also compound words that start with the word for “near or alongside” (para, shortened to par). The first of these words, paroikos, means “one who has a home in a place nearby, but not here in this place.” The second word, parepidēmos, means a “foreigner” or an “alien (not of the local race of people) who has temporarily settled locally.”

The word translated “abstain” is apechomai, a compound word of apo (shortened to ap), meaning “from” or “away from” and echo, meaning “to have.” Hence, it means “to have away from” or “to keep away from.” It is expressed here in the middle voice, indicating action that is done by the subject to the subject. Therefore it means, “keep yourself away from.”

Meaning Explained

One of the metaphors used throughout the Bible is that of being on a journey, walking through life. Peter is picking up on that metaphor here as he coaches us as people who don’t live here (on this earth) and who are not local residents (we are heavenly residents who are temporarily wandering through this land). The coach’s message is to abstain from, that is to actively resist and keep oneself away from, the lusts of the flesh that make war against our soul.

You may remember from a previous verse that the world system is made up of the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (1 John 2:16). These things are not of God but of the world, and since we are not of this world (but strangers and foreigners here) we need to resist the local customs and keep ourselves pure like our Father.

There is a fine line between the desires that are a necessary part of us as human beings, and lusts, or overly strong desires, that control us if we do not control them. Peter is coaching us to resist these lusts even as we are daily bombarded by the customs (advertisements) and attitudes of the local residents.

Application

Let us stand fast and resist, keeping ourselves holy because our Heavenly Father is holy and we want to reflect the family image. Let us be lights in the midst of darkness. Let us be witnesses, not by using condemning words, but by showing our kindness to others and by demonstrating our abstinence from the lusts of the flesh.

In God's service, for His glory,