What is the connection between being “foreigners” and keeping away from “fleshly desires” ?
he is going to explain that in a moment—it is to do with the new creation
and maintain good conduct among the non-Christians,
so that though they now malign you as wrongdoers,
they may see your good deeds
and glorify God when he appears.
This might look like repetition of what is said later, until you realize that it is a kind of “summary” statement
What does this actually mean—when are they going to glorify God?
On the day of judgement
Are they believers when they do this?
The word translated “glorify” is never used for people being forced to do it against their will, so we assume they have been saved
3.2 Toward every human institution: be subject [2:13-17]
Be subject to every human institution for the Lord�s sake,
whether to a king as supreme
or to governors as those he commissions
to punish wrongdoers and praise those who do good.
Do we obey every human law?
assuming they don’t conflict with a higher law
Does God commission governors?
Yes—the idea of government is from God and we should pray for our leaders
For God wants you to silence the ignorance
of foolish people by doing good.
Response to the Tsunami aid by a Muslim Woman
Live as free people,
not using your freedom as a pretext for evil,
but as God�s slaves.
How does it follow that we are free, if we have to obey the rulers?
We have true freedom—we are members of another kingdom, and our submission to the rulers is voluntary, a free choice
Honour all people,
love the family of believers,
carefully obey God,
honour the king.
There is a progression: we have responsibilities:
to everyone
above that, to other believers,
above that, to God
only after obeying God do we obey the king
3.3 Slaves toward masters: be subject [2:18-25]
Slaves, be subject to your masters with careful obedience in everything,
not only to those who are good and gentle,
but also to those who are perverse.
Is this condoning slavery?
No, of course not, but it is recognizing that the situation exists
Even so, we have our ideas of slavery set by the degradation of slaves in 19th century America, but in ancient times it was generally very different.
It was a common type of employment and provided security for life.
If there were no children, a slave might inherit the wealth of the master
For this finds God�s favour,
if because of conscience toward God
someone endures hardships in suffering unjustly.
For what credit is it if you sin
and are mistreated and endure it?
But if you do good and suffer
and so endure,
this finds favour with God.
For to this you were called,
since Christ also suffered for you,
leaving an example for you to follow in his steps.
Do we have to follow this example of suffering?
we should not go out looking for it, but certainly should be willing to do it if called
example of personal suffering
He committed no sin
nor was deceit found in his mouth.
When he was maligned,
he did not answer back;
when he suffered,
he threatened no retaliation,
but committed himself to God who judges justly.
He himself bore our sins
in his body on the tree,
that we may cease from sinning
and live for righteousness.
By his wounds you were healed.
For you were going astray
like sheep but now you have turned back
to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.
This is all quoted from Isaiah 53
Chapter 3
3.4 Wives toward husbands: be subject [3:1-6]
In the same way, wives,
be subject to your own husbands.
Then, even if some are disobedient to the word,
they will be won over without a word by the way you live,
when they see your pure conduct in passionate allegiance.
“In the same way” can just be used (in the Greek) as a linking phrase, not in exactly the same way
but the motive is similar—to follow the example of Christ
Four possible meanings
A. The word does not mean “submit”, but something less strong
B. It is not describing Christian marriages, but unhealthy pagan ones
C. Wives do have to submit to husbands, but husbands also have to submit to their wives.
D. This is purely cultural and does not apply today
E. Some kind of submission is actually involved
Considerations
A. The word does not mean “submit”, but something less strong
there is some truth in this—hupotasso is a voluntary willing submission, but it is a very common Greek word and really does mean obey (used frequently for soldiers)
B. It is not describing Christian marriages, but unhealthy pagan ones
The verse is talking mainly to wives of Christian husbands. The construction “even if some are disobedient” assumes most are believers
C. Wives do have to submit to husbands, but husbands also have to submit to their wives.
This is derived from Ephesians 5:21 “submitting to one another in the fear of the Lord”
However, the problem is that husbands are never told to submit to their wives, or masters to servants etc.
We cannot honestly claim there is a symmetry in the passage and in other similar passages.
D. This is purely cultural and does not apply today
Clearly 5:14 is cultural, and so is the slave/master situation, so why not this verse?
Problems with the cultural argument:
Slavery was cultural, but marriage is instituted by God
Where do we stop with the “cultural” argument. This is the argument of so called “Christian homosexuals”—we are now much more enlightened than they were.
The Roman society was not characterized by repression of women. (Acts: Lydia, “powerful women”; Romans: Phoebe)
In Ephesians, the argument is based on the relationship between Christ and the church, which can hardly be cultural
E. Some kind of submission is actually involved
1 Cor 15:28 Jesus submitted to the Father
What does that mean?
Is Jesus equal to the Father? Does he have the same value?
So why did he submit?
because he had a role to play
My view is that the best way of understanding this passage is that we should use the model of Jesus submitting to the Father as the pattern for Christian marriage.
nothing negative about it
equality does not mean identity
Let your beauty not be external
—the braiding of hair
and wearing of gold jewellery or fine clothes—
but the inner person of the heart,
the lasting beauty of a gentle and tranquil spirit,
which is precious in God�s sight.
What do you think of this?
Is this purely cultural? (are women no-longer interested in clothes or hair)
how could it be applied?
For in the same way the holy women
who hoped in God
long ago adorned themselves
by being subject to their husbands,
like Sarah who obeyed Abraham,
calling him lord.
You become her children when you do what is good
and do not fear anything intimidating.
Anne has never ever called me “Lord” and of course I wouldn’t want her to.
What is the principle
Men need to be respected, they need their identity to be lifted up and honoured.
Wild at Heart has a lot of good things in it.
It is not about name calling, but a way of relating.
3.5 Husbands toward wives: honour [3:7]
Husbands, in the same way,
treat your wives with consideration
as the weaker partners
and show them honour
as fellow heirs of the grace of life,
so that your prayers may not be hindered.
What do you think this means?
What about the prayers?
3.6 Toward a hostile world: bless [3:8-17]
Finally, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, affectionate, compassionate, and humble.
Do not return evil for evil or insult for insult, but instead bless others because you were called to inherit a blessing.
For
�the one who wants to love life and see good days
must keep his tongue from evil
and his lips from uttering deceit.
And he must turn away from evil and do good;
he must seek peace and pursue it.
This is the basic principle, and then there are some arguments to back it up
First, God supports you, he is with you and on your side. He will deal with your enemies.
For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous
and his ears are open to their prayer.
But the Lord�s face is against those who do evil.�
For who is going to harm you if you are devoted to what is good?
but even if you suffer, it will become a blessing for you, so don’t be afraid
But in fact,
if you happen to suffer for doing what is right,
you are blessed.
But do not be terrified of them or be shaken.
Now he turns to the positive side
But set Christ apart as Lord in your hearts and always be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks about the hope you possess.
Yet do it with courtesy and carefulness, keeping a good conscience,
so that those who slander your good conduct in Christ may be put to shame when they accuse you.
What does this tell us about evangelism?
it is hard to witness if you are know for a sinful lifestyle!!
For it is better to suffer for doing good, if God wills it, than for doing evil.
He ends with a summary statement that leads us into a deeper look at the problem:
3.7 How to understand suffering—the flesh and the Spirit [3:18-4:11]
What happened to us in Christ [3:18-22]
Because Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, to bring you to God, by being put to death in the flesh but by being made alive in the spirit.
Contrast between the Old Creation, characterized by flesh, weakness and suffering; and the New Creation in the Spirit, inaugurated by Christ at his resurrection (cf. firstborn from the dead Col 1:18) characterized by the Spirit, spiritual bodies, strength and victory, and glory.
In it he went and preached to the spirits [now] in prison,
after they were disobedient long ago when God patiently waited in the days of Noah as an ark was being constructed. In the ark a few, that is eight souls, were delivered through water.
And this prefigured baptism, which now saves you—not the washing off of physical dirt but the pledge of a good conscience to God—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
Peter is clear that it is not the outward baptism that saves you, but the inner appeal to God for forgiveness of sins through Jesus’ victory.
It is interesting that the appeal is not to Jesus’ death, but to his resurrection.
who went into heaven and is at the right hand of God with angels and authorities and powers subject to him.
The right hand is the position of power and authority. This is about his authority over good and bad angels and also over the secular powers that demons control.
Jesus has gone ahead of us and made the way
Chapter 4
How this has changed our desires [4:1-6]
So, since Christ suffered in the flesh, you also arm yourselves with the same attitude, because the one who has suffered in the flesh has finished with sin,
This cannot be absolutely true, because there are people who suffer and sin just as much.
It is to be taken as a general truth, that if our response to suffering is to make us live more in the realm of the Spirit, (by faith, obedience, indwelling of the Spirit) then since there is no sin in the realm of the Spirit, we will cease from sin to the extent that we live in this realm. Peter goes on to explain this in v.2.
in that he spends the rest of his time on earth concerned about the will of God and not human desires.
For the time that has passed was sufficient for you to do what the non-Christians desire. You lived then in debauchery, evil desires, drunkenness, carousing, drinking bouts, and wanton idolatries.
So they are astonished when you do not rush with them into the same flood of wickedness, and they vilify you.
They will face a reckoning before Jesus Christ who stands ready to judge the living and the dead.
Now it was for this very purpose that the gospel was preached to those who are [now] dead, so that though they were judged in the flesh by human standards they may live spiritually by God�s standards.
3.8 Relationships with other believers: love fervently [4:7-11]
For the culmination of all things is near. So be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of prayer.
above all keep your love for one another fervent, because love covers a multitude of sins.
Show hospitality to one another
without complaining.
Just as each one has received a gift,
use it to serve one another
as good stewards of the varied grace of God.
Whoever speaks, let it be with God�s words.
Whoever serves, do so with the strength that God supplies,
so that in everything God will be glorified
through Jesus Christ.
To him belong the glory and the power
forever and ever. Amen.
What do we learn about the gifts?
Amen: end of this part (but the word really means something like “Truly!”, “Wow!” or “Right on!!”
