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Category: 1 Peter 2

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,

1 Peter 2:10 – Humbling Realization

Posted on November 28, 2016 by Will

who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.

Truth to Learn

God shows us mercy because He wants to, not because we want Him to.

Behind the Words

The Greek word translated “once” is pote, which means “at some time,” “previously,” or “in the past.” It does not mean “one time,” as might be inferred from some translations.

“A people” is translated from laos, which refers to “a group of people joined together by a common trait.” This common trait can be ancestry, locality, experience, or beliefs.

Meaning Explained

Prior to the time of Christ, the only people who were considered the people of God were the Israelites. In fact, there is a bit of a play on words in the previous verse. The word translated as “nation” in the previous verse (holy nation) is the generic term for a race or a tribe and is the term that Israelites used for all gentiles (those who are not Israelites). The Israelites believed that any gentile was outside the choosing and blessing of God.

Here Peter is saying that we who had been considered outside the blessing of God, we who were not the people of God, now are the people of God. We, who had not received mercy because we were outside of God’s chosen few, have now received mercy because we are His chosen few.

The prophet Hosea predicted this millennia ago:

and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them who were not my people, You are my people; and they shall say, You are my God. (Hosea 2:23)

And, the Apostle Paul said it this way:

Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called "Uncircumcision" by the so-called "Circumcision," which is performed in the flesh by human hands– that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. (Ephesians 2:11-14)

Some people believe that the doctrine of election produces lazy Christians. After all, if God chose me to be saved, doing all the work Himself, and He has promised never to lose me, all I have to do is sit back and enjoy it, right? But if we see it through Peter’s eyes, we see how priceless the gift is, and we realize how unworthy we are. This should drive us to our knees in humble thanksgiving and cause us to lift our hands in praise to Him. It should also motivate us to serve Him in whatever capacity He has called us to, with determination and humility.

Application

Give praise to God who has broken down the wall and has drawn us to Himself out of the darkness into His marvelous light and has declared us righteous through faith. Through His grace, we have the greatest gift of all, and we don’t deserve it!

Now, what are you going to do about it?

In God's service, for His glory,

1 Peter 2:9 – Praising Chosen Ones

Posted on November 25, 2016 by Will

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people acquired by God, so that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

Truth to Learn

We were chosen to give praise to God.

Behind the Words

The expression “chosen generation” is from the Greek, genos elekton, which literally means “selected descendents” or “chosen off-spring.”

“Royal priesthood” comes from the Greek basileion hierateuma, which literally means “kingly priesthood.”

The expression “holy nation” comes from the Greek ethnos hagion, which means “holy race” or “sanctified nation."

“A people acquired”’ comes from the Greek laos eis peripoiēsin which means “acquired people” or “purchased people.”

Meaning Explained

In contrast to the previous verse where Peter talked about the unsaved being appointed to stumbling, here he refers to the saved as being chosen children. Peter, like the Apostle Paul writing in Ephesians and elsewhere, is not shy about teaching that we are chosen by God. The Bible does not tell us what God’s criteria were for choosing us, simply that God has chosen us and has purchased us (see study on 1 Peter 1:18).

Peter says a couple of other very interesting things about us in this verse as well. We are a royal priesthood and a holy nation. Since we were adopted (Romans 8:15, Galatians 4:5, Ephesians 1:5) by the King of Kings when we were saved, we are now part of the Kingly family, and Peter already told us that as part of the church we are part of the priesthood, which makes us a kingly, or royal, priesthood. And, since we were baptized, or placed, into Christ (Galatians 3:27) when we were saved, we have been set-apart from the unsaved. The whole notion of holiness or sanctification carries with it the idea of being set-apart.

The purpose, according to Peter, of our being chosen, purchased, set-apart, and made priests, is so that we might declare the praises of God who called us out of the darkness into His marvelous light. According to the Apostle Paul:

There is none that is understanding, there is none who is seeking after God (Romans 3:11)

Therefore, if He had not called us out of the darkness, we would never have wandered out of it on our own accord. For this reason, and this reason alone, we should be proclaiming His praises. But beyond having chosen and called us, He has made us His own children and promised us a great inheritance! All this, as Paul says:

while we were yet sinners … (Romans 5:8a)

Application

If you are a born-again Christian, then God has chosen you to be His child and has set you apart from the rest of mankind so that you might proclaim His praises. Therefore, praise God for His great love with which He loved us, and chose us, and sanctified us! Praise Him now!

In God's service, for His glory,

1 Peter 2:8 – Stumbling Disobedience

Posted on November 24, 2016 by Will

and a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense to the ones who are stumbling at the word, being unbelieving, — to which also they were appointed.

Truth to Learn

Those who reject God’s call are condemned because they don’t believe.

Behind the Words

The word translated “stone” is lithos, which is a primary word that refers to any stone independent of size, whereas the word translated “rock” is from the Greek word petra, meaning “a mass of rock” or “a massive rock.”

“Stumbling” is translated from proskommatos, which is made up of pros, meaning “to, toward, or against” and a form of koptō, meaning “to cut” or “to strike.” So, literally this word means “to strike against,” that is, “to stub” or “to stumble.”

The word translated “offense” is the Greek word scandalon. It literally means “a trap stick”, that is, a stick which is bated and used to trap or snare an animal. This word has come to mean “an occasion to fall” or “an offense.”

The word “unbelieving” is translated from apeitheō, which we looked at in the previous verse. It means “disbelieving” or “being disobedient.”

Finally, the word “appointed” is from a form of tithēmi which means “to place”, “to put”, or “to appoint.”

Meaning Explained

Not only has Christ become the most important foundation stone upon which Christians and the church as a whole are built, but He has become a different kind of stone for those who reject Him.

Peter is saying that Christ has become a firm cornerstone to believers but to those who stub themselves on the Word (that is, they don’t believe the simple message contained in the Bible), He is a stubbing stone and a massive rock that traps. The reason they stub themselves is because they do not believe, to which condition they were appointed (because they are not among the chosen ones). This interpretation has been hotly debated for centuries but those who interpret the Bible literally understand it to be consistent with the doctrine of election.

Now, lest we get the wrong idea from what Peter is saying, these who do not believe are condemned because they are disobedient. They are not disobedient because they are condemned. That is, God does not “cause” them to be disobedient; He simply judges them for their disobedience.

And … God does not hide the truth from these disobedient ones, but Satan does:

whose minds the god of this age [Satan] has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. (2Corinthians 4:4)

Application

Those who do not believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that He died on the cross to pay for their sins, are condemned for their disobedience. They are disobedient by their very nature (sin nature), not because God caused them to be disobedient. They are personally responsible for their sins, just as we are. The difference is that we have accepted Jesus’ payment for our sins and they haven’t

In God's service, for His glory,

1 Peter 2:7 – Foundational Judge

Posted on November 23, 2016 by Will

Therefore, to you who believe, is the preciousness; but to the unbelieving ones, "the stone which the builders rejected became the head of the corner,"

Truth to Learn

What you believe about Jesus determines the role He plays in your life, both now and eternally.

Behind the Words

The word translated “believe,” is pisteuō, meaning “to believe” or “to have faith.” It is expressed here as a present participle and could be expressed as “the believing ones.”

“Unbelieving” is translated from apeitheō, which literally means “someone who is not persuaded” or “someone who does not believe.” Through common usage, however, it has come to mean “one who is disobedient.” This, too, is expressed in the current verse as a present participle and could be expressed as “disobeying ones.”

The word “rejected” is translated from apodokimadzō, which is a compound word made up of apo, meaning “from” or “away from” and dokimadzō, meaning “to test” or “to approve.” Hence, it means “to disapprove” or “to reject.”

In the previous verse we saw that “chief cornerstone” was the translation of the Greek words lithon akrogōniaios. In the current verse it is translated from kephalēn gōnias, which literally means “head of the corner.”

Meaning Explained

In verses 2 and 4 of this chapter, Peter refers to Christ, the cornerstone, as precious, having great value. In this verse he makes a distinction between what this cornerstone is to true believers and what this stone (stumbling stone) is to unbelievers. To those of us who believe, He is truly precious, but to the disobedient ones, those who reject Christ, He is a stumbling stone, as Peter will say in the next verse. In the current verse, Peter is pulling together the contents of three different Old Testament passages:

And He shall be a sanctuary for you, but for a stone of stumbling, and for a rock of falling to both the houses of Israel, for a trap and for a snare to the people of Jerusalem (Isaiah 8:14)

therefore so says the Lord Jehovah, Behold, I place in Zion a Stone for a foundation, a tried Stone, a precious Cornerstone, a sure Foundation; he who believes shall not hurry (Isaiah 28:16)

The Stone which the builders refused has become the Head of the corner (Psalms 118:22)

The Jews, you see, took delight in the verses which portrayed their Messiah as a bearer of blessing, while they overlooked those references to His retribution and offense. Peter is making it clear to his readers that Christ is one and the same with the Messiah and, depending on what you believe about Him, is either a Savior or a Judge.

Application

I sometimes make assumptions about the people who read these daily devotional studies. I assume that you already believe Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God, and that you have accepted Him as your Lord and Savior. If that’s true, then Jesus is your sure foundation. Otherwise, He is your Judge and you will be found eternally guilty!

In God's service, for His glory,

1 Peter 2:6 – Chief Cornerstone

Posted on November 22, 2016 by Will

Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, "Behold, I lay in Zion a chosen, precious chief cornerstone, and he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame."

Truth to Learn

Jesus Christ is the main foundation stone of the church.

Behind the Words

“Chief cornerstone” is translated from the Greek words, lithon akrogōniaios. Lithon refers to “a building block” and akrogoniaios is a compound word made up of akro, meaning “highest, extreme, or most important” and gōnia, meaning “corner.” Hence, it means “most important cornerstone.”

The expression “by no means” is translated from the two Greek words ou mē. Both of these Greek words imply negation. Me expresses a conditional negation, implying that one believes or supposes a thing not to exist. Ou, on the other hand, expresses the direct and full negation independently and in an absolute sense. When the two words are used together, as in this verse, it expresses the emphatic, absolute, unconditional negation.

Meaning Explained

Peter has just talked about us being living stones built up as a spiritual house. He now refers to the foundation that this house is built upon. He also takes this occasion to demonstrate that this is none other than the Messiah referred to in the Old Testament. He does so by quoting Isaiah 28:16.

The cornerstone was the most important part of a foundation in those times. It was the stone which determined the location, direction, and elevation which the entire building was to occupy. If it was incorrectly placed, it would affect the entire building. If it was not strong and sturdy enough, it could jeopardize the entire structure. Jesus is the cornerstone of our faith and of the church. Everything we do as Christians must be founded on who He is and what He did.

The expression “chief corner” is used in only one other place in the Bible, Ephesians 2:20. Reading that passage sheds a little more light on the cornerstone of our faith:

So, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. (Ephesians 2:19-22)

The final phrase of today’s verse, “and he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.” is taken from the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament). A direct translation of the original Hebrew version actually reads, “and he who believes on him shall not make haste.” The notion is that one who is disgraced or confounded often runs away, which is why the translators of the Septuagint, believing this to be the intended meaning, rendered it as “disgraced.”

Application

We are to be an integral, active part of the church. We, all saved believers, are the body of Christ as we are told in Romans 12:5 and 1 Corinthians 12:27. And, we are to be building up the body. You can’t do this if you are isolated from the rest of the body. So, are you building the church based on your own works or the finished work of Jesus Christ?

In God's service, for His glory,