Pastors Jim and Marie Watt
(From: 1 PETER #3 - 2:11-3:12)
II. 1 PETER 2:11-4:11 - MOTIVATION TO CHRISTIAN CONDUCT
A. 2:11-12 OUR EXAMPLE TO HEATHEN: MOTIVATION TO GODLINESS
A-ga-peTOI, pa-ra-kaLO [3870] hos paROIkous kai pa-re-piDEmous [3925],
Beloved, I beseech you as sojourners and pilgrims,
aPEches-thai [567]ton sar-kiKONe-pi-thu-miON [1939], HAIti-nes straTEUon-tai [4754]kaTA tes psuCHES;
to abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;
ten a-na-stroPHEN [391]huMON en tois ETHne-sin [1484]Echon-tes kaLEN;
12 having your behavior good among the nations;
HIna, en hoka-ta-laLOUsin [2635]huMON hos ka-ko-poiON [2555],
that, wherein they speak against you as evil-doers,
ek ton kaLON ERgon, e-popTEUon-tes [2029], doXAso-si [1392]ton TheON en heMEra e-pi-skoPES [1984].
they may by the good works, which they behold, glorify :God on visitation day.
B. 2:13-3:12 THE CHRISTIAN CONDUCT SET FORTH
1. 2:13-17 OUR CONDUCT FOR SAKE OF WITNESS
a. 2:13-14 SUBJECTION TO MAN'S AUTHORITY SERVES AS WITNESS
Hu-poTAge-te [5293]PAsean-throPIneKTIsei diA ton KUri-on: EIte ba-siLEI, hos hu-peREchon-ti [5242];
Be subject to man's every creation for the Lord's sake: whether to king, as supreme;
EIte he-geMOsin [2232], hos di' auTOU pem-poMEnois [3992]
14 or to govenors, as sent through him
eis ekDIke-sin [1557]ka-ko-poiON [2555]Epai-non [1868]de a-ga-tho-poiON [17].
for vengeance on evil-doers and for praise on well-doers.
b. 2:15-16 WELL-DOING IS GOD'S WILL TO SILENCE OPPOSERS
HOti HOUtos esTIN to THEle-ma [2307] tou TheOU,
For this is the will of :God,
a-ga-tho-poiOUNtas [15] phiMOIN [5392] ten ton aphROnon [878] anTHROpon ag-noSIan [56]:
that by well-doing you silence the ignorance of foolish :men:
hos eLEUthe-roi, kai me hos e-piKAlum-ma Echon-tes tes kaKIas ten e-leu-theRIan, all' hos TheOU DOUloi.
16 as free, and not using the freedom for a cloak of :wickedness, but as bondmen of God.
c. 2:17a. Honor all men. PANtas tiMEsa-te [5091].
d. 2:17b. Love the brotherhood. ten a-delPHOte-ta [81]a-gaPAte.
e. 2:17c. Fear :God. ton TheON phoBEISthe [5399].
f. 2:17d. Hold the king inhonor. ton ba-siLEa tiMAte [5091].
2. 2:18-25 CHRIST'S SUFFERINGS: A CONDUCT-EXAMPLE FOR SERVANTS
a. 2:18 SERVANTS: OBEY MASTERS - BOTH GOOD AND BAD
Hoi oiKEtai [3610], hu-po-tasSOme-noi [5293] en panTI PHObo tois desPOtais [1203];
You, the servants, bein subjection to the masters with all fear;
ou MOnon tois a-gaTHOIS kai e-pi-eiKEsin [1933], alLA kai tois sko-liOIS [4646],
not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.
b. 2:19 For this is grace, if for conscience toward God one endureth griefs, suffering wrongfully.
TOUto gar CHAris, ei diA suNEIde-sin TheOU hu-poTHErei tis LUpas, PASchon aDIkos.
c. 2:20 GOD'S GRACE: ONLY FOR THOSE WHO SUFFER WRONGFULLY
POIon gar KLEos [2811], ei, ha-marTAnon-tes [264], kai ko-la-phiZOme-noi [2852], hu-po-meNEIte [5278]?
For what glory is it, if, when you sin, and are buffeted, you are patient?
all' ei, a-ga-tho-poiOUNtes [15], kai PASchon-tes [3958], hu-po-meNEIte, TOUto CHAris paRA TheO.
but if, when you do well, and suffer for it, you shall take it patiently, this is grace before God.
d. 2:21-24 CHRIST SET AN EXAMPLE OF SUFFERING WRONGFULLY
eis TOUto gar eKLEthete [2563]: HOti kai ChrisTOS Epa-then [3958] huPER huMON,
For hereunto were you called: because Christ also suffered for you,
huMIN hu-po-limPAnon [5277] hu-po-gramMON [5251],
leaving you an example,
HIna e-pa-ko-louTHEse-te [1872] tois ICHne-sin [2487] auTOU: hos ha-marTIan ouk ePOIe-sen,
that you should follow his :steps: 22 who did no sin,
ouDE heuREthe DOlos [1388] en to STOma-ti auTOU: hos, loi-doROUme-nos [3058], ouk an-te-loiDOrei [486];
neither was guile found in his :mouth: 23 who, when reviled, reviled not again;
PASchon [3958], ouk ePEIlei [546]: pa-reDIdou [3860]de toKRInon-ti diKAIos:
when suffering, threatened not: but committed itto him that judges righteously:
hos tas ha-marTIas heMON auTOS aNEneg-ken [399] en toSOma-ti auTOU ePI to XUlon [3586],
24 who himself carried our :sins in his :body up to the tree,
HIna tais, ha-marTIais a-po-geNOme-noi [581], tedi-kai-oSUneZEso-men; hou toMOlo-pi [3468] iAthe-te.
that we, having died to sins, might live unto righteousness; by whose bruise you were healed.
e. 2:25 CHRIST'S SUFFERINGS HAVE RESTORED US TO GOD
Ete gar hos PROba-ta plaNOme-noi [4105]; alLA e-peSTRAphe-te [1994] nun
For you were wandering like sheep; but are now returned
ePI poiMEna [4166]kai ePISko-pon [1985]ton psuCHON huMON.
unto the Shepherd and overseer of your :souls.
3. 3:1-6 CONDUCT OF WIVES
a. 3:1-2 CONDUCT OF WIVES TO HUSBANDS
HoMOIos, guNAIkes [1135], hu-po-tasSOme-nai [5293]tois iDIois anDRAsin [435];
Likewise, wives, besubject to your own :husbands;
HIna, ei ti-nes a-peiTHOUsin [544]to LOgo, diA tes
that, even if any obey not the word, they be gained
ton gu-naiKON a-na-stroPHES [391]Aneu LOgou ker-deTHEson-tai [2770];
without theword by the behavior of theirwives;
e-popTEUsan-tes [2029]ten en PHObohagNEN a-na-stroPHEN [391]huMON.
2 beholding your chaste :behavior coupledwith fear.
b. 3:3-4 PERFECTION OF SOUL SET ABOVE BEAUTY OF BODY
hon ESto ouch ho Exo-then
Whose adorning let it not be the outward one
em-ploKES [1708]triCHON[2359], kai pe-riTHEse-os [4025]chruSIon [5553],
of braiding the hair, and of wearing jewels of gold,
eenDUse-os [1745]hi-maTIon [2440]KOSmos [2889]; all' ho krupTOS [2927]tes karDIas ANthro-pos,
or of putting on apparel; 4 but the hidden man of the heart,
en toaphTHARto[862]tou he-suCHIou [2272]kai praEos [4239]PNEUma-tos,
in the incorruptible apparelof a quiet and gentle spirit,
HO es-tin eNOpi-on tou TheOU po-lu-teLES [4185].
which is in God's sight of great price.
c. 3:5-6 EXAMPLE OF SARAH AND HOLY WOMEN
HOUtos GAR po-te kai hai HAgi-ai guNAIkes, hai elPIzou-sai [1679] eis TheON, eKOSmoun [2885] he-auTAS,
For thus aforetime the holy women also, who were hoping in God, adorned themselves,
hu-po-tasSOme-nai [5293] tois iDIois anDRAsin:
being subject to their own husbands:
hos SARra huPEkou-en to AbraAM, KUri-on [2962] auTON kaLOUsa [2563]:
6 as Sarah obeyed :Abraham, calling him Lord:
hes e-geNEthe-te TEKna a-ga-tho-poiOUsai, kai mephoBOUme-nai me-deMIan PTOe-sin [4423].
whose children you are become if you do well, and are not put in fear by any terror.
4. 3:7 CONDUCT OF HUSBANDS
hoi ANdres, hoMOIos su-noiKOUNtes [4924] kaTA GNOsin [1108],
You, the husbands, mete out honor to the female vessel
hos as-the-nesTEro[772]SKEUei [4632]togu-naiKEIo[1134]a-poNEmon-tes [632]tiMEN,
as weaker and dwelling with heraccording to knowledge,
hos kai sun-kle-roNOmoi [4789]CHAri-tos zo-ES; eis to meegKOPtes-thai [1581]tas pro-seuCHAS huMON.
as being also joint-heirs of the grace of life; that your :prayers be not hindered.
5. 3:8-12 CONDUCT OF THE SPIRIT: OUR HIGHEST GOAL
a. 3:8-9 THE WEIGHTIEST COMMANDMENT: A SPIRIT LIKE CHRIST'S!
To de TElos, PANtes hoMOphro-nes [3675], sum-paTHEIS [4835],
:Finally, beall likeminded, compassionate,
phiLAdel-phoi [5361], EUsplagch-noi [2155], ta-peiNOphro-nes [5012]:
loving as brethren, tenderhearted, humbleminded:
mea-po-diDONtes [591]kaKON anTI kaKOU, eloi-doRIan [3059]anTI loi-doRIas;
9 not rendering evil for evil, or reviling for reviling;
tou'-nanTIon [5121] de eu-loGOUNtes [2127];
but contrariwise blessing;
HOti eis TOUto e-KLEthe-te [2563], HIna eu-loGIan kle-ro-noMEse-te [2816].
for hereunto were you called, that you should inherit a blessing.
b. 3:10-11 DAVID IS APPEALED TO - WHO SAYS THE SAME
Ho, gar, THElon zo-En a-gaPAN, kai iDEIN heMEras a-gaTHAS,
For, Who would love life, And see good days,
pauSAto[3973]ten GLOSsan [1100]aPO kaKOU, kai CHEIle[5491]tou melaLEsai DOlon [1388]:
Let him refrain his:tongue from evil, And hislips that they speak no guile:
ek-kliNAto[1578]de aPO kaKOU, kai poi-eSAto[4160]a-gaTHON;
11 And let him turn away from evil, and do good;
ze-teSAto[2212]eiREnen, kai di-oXAto[1377]auTEN.
Let him seek peace, and pursue it.
c. 3:12 REASON: GOD REWARDS THE RIGHTEOUS AND REGARDS THE EVIL
HOti oph-thalMOI KuRIou ePI diKAIous,
Because the Lord's eyes are upon the righteous,
kai Ota auTOU eis DEe-sin [1162]auTON: PROso-pon [4383]de KuRIou ePI poiOUNtas [4160]kaKA.
And his ears unto their supplication: But theLord's face is upon those doing evil.
NOTE: For Peter, conductis all important. It is not our profession that God looks to, but our walk. Oswald Chambers is like Peter - they both hew the same tree, and walk the same walk.
Make no mistake - God's Word is absolutely clear on this point. What we hope, think, profess, - is all beside the point. If after a while we are not following our profession of conversion to allow Christ through the Holy Spirit to start transforming us into His image, then we are living in a fool's paradise. There is a rude awakening for such people when they leave this life and face the reality of the next. Live with Eternity's valuesin view - and don't risk your eternity on a loose understanding of God and His Word.
There is another reason in this passage why God desires every professing believer to continue progressing in the attainment of the image of Christ: It is that our lives in the process of this transformation can have a profound effect upon our fellow man. I saw countless numbers of sailors come to the Lord in World War II days, because they could see the dramatic change that took place in my life immediately following conversion. One fellow sailor bought me a milk shake, just to quiz me and get my testimony. Imagine being paid to testify! 20 sailors came to the Lord one night because of an increased witness a number of us dedicated ourselves to give in the light of the soon-ending of the war.
And - what an example for us to endure suffering and persecution when we consider Christ! “The Passion of the Christ” produced by Mel Gibson helps us in part to see this.
Chapter 3:1-12 gives us God's goal for 3 different groups. That for wives has troubled some in our present time frame. But in the Argentine, one pastor challenged the wives of his large church in Buenos Aires to claim God's help to live this way. Five of them saw their husbands come to the Lord within 6 months! It works!
And husbands - could it be that unanswered prayers on our account points back in our failure to love our wives as Christ loved the church? God has set forth human marriage as an analogy of Himself and the church. Husbands and wives are called to illustrate this high union. Here Peter and Paul in Ephesians 5 are tracking together!
Then chapter 3:8-12 is the very heart of God setting forth conductfor us on the highest level. The Spirit through Peter appeals to David in this, a man God testified to be after His own heart. Thisis what God desires of each one of us. O may we hear the Spirit of our Redeeming Lord in this - beseeching us to come up higher like David, and give our utmost for His Highest, with personal, passionate devotionto Him! - J.A.W.