1 Peter 2:16 - As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.
But do it as free men. There's another paradox. Do it as free. That's the opposite of slave. And not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness, and that's the word RAH in Hebrew, KAKOS in Greek. You see, I'm free. Christ has set me free. I'm no longer a slave to sin, but I am a slave to Christ. It's one or the other.
So, I've been set free to serve Christ, but I'm not to use that freedom for a cloak to function in a way that I was not created to function, but rather as slaves of God. Many don't understand what true freedom is. A person is either a slave to sin, or a slave of Christ. That's it! We have been set free from being a slave to sin in order to serve Christ and be a slave to Him.
Some might say that's not freedom. Oh yes, it is. It's not freedom for me to do my own thing. In fact, in 1 Corinthians Chapter 6, Paul laid out the principles of freedom. Paul basically was saying freedom to do whatever you want to do is not freedom. You know you are free when you are free not to do things.
So, if nothing in this earthly world, this material world that we live in, if nothing means that much to you, it's not a problem. But I can get addicted, obsessed with anything, video games, sports, gambling, anything, and it will bring me under its power. You see, I can say I'm free to do that if I wanted to. Well, then I'm not free. I'm not free unless I can stop doing anything for the sake of other people, and their walk with Christ. To me, that's freedom!
1 Peter 3:10 - For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:
For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and there's the word RAH in Hebrew, and his lips that they speak no deceit:
In other words, what was your tongue created by God to do? It was created to praise God, and to proclaim Him and His love to people. But we use it to slander other people. We use it to deceive. And that is evil!
1 Peter 3:11 - Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.
Let him eschew evil, and the word eschew means to turn aside from evil, again RAH. And do the good, AGATHOS in the Greek, TOV in Hebrew;
So, turn away when you're in situations that are tempting you and pulling you to function in a way that God did not create you to function, and function as it is in line with God. Let him seek peace, and ensue it.
Now if you think that's pretty harsh, Verses 21 through 25 is the submission example. Guess who that might be?
1 Peter 3:8 - Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:
Finally, or in summary, be ye all of one mind, and that's the word PHRONEO. It's a word that has to do with the frame of mind. All of you have the same attitude and approach to these issues of life. Having compassion one of another, and that's the word sympathy (SUMPATHEIS).
Love as brethren, and that's the word PHILADELPHIA, brotherly love. Love as a family. Be pitiful, and I would fit right in there, but that's not what it means! This is the word EUSPLAGCHNOI, and it means to be tenderhearted. Have a soft heart for people. Be courteous: And the term courteous means friendly. Have a friendly frame of mind.
1 Peter 3:9 - Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.
Not rendering evil for evil, or insult for insult: but contrariwise a blessing; that's the word EULOGEO for eulogy, and it means to have a favorable response to them, even though they're speaking abusively to you.
Knowing that you are thereunto called, that you should inherit a blessing, and that God should deal with me and have a favorable response to me because I did not return the favor, and I stayed in His order, functioning in the way He created me to be.
1 Peter 2:19 - For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.
For this is thankworthy, and the word thankworthy is kind of interesting, it's the word CHARIS for grace. For this is grace, if a man for conscience toward God endures grief, suffering wrongfully, or unjustly.
1 Peter 2:20 - For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.
For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted, literally beaten with fists, for your faults, and the word faults is the word sin. And you take it patiently? That is, you endure a beating because you have sinned. But if, when ye do well, and here we get into the TOV and the RAH again. If you function in a way in God's administration, the way He has created you to function, and you suffer for it, and you take it patiently, that is, you endure under it, this is acceptable with God.
The word acceptable is the word grace. God identifies Himself and His grace with the lowly, with those who need His grace, which is why we're told three times in the New Testament that God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. So, this is grace, that because of your conscience towards God, and notice that.
Again, as we get into understanding about submission, my master is abusive, but because of my conscience toward God, because of my personal relationship with Christ, I'm not going to fight for my rights. I'm not going to protest the injustice. But I'm going to submit myself to God. And what does God do? His grace ministers to, and is sufficient.
1 Peter 2:17 - Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.
Honor all men. The word honor means put a value on them. Value all people. If you have to look at all people as being ones for whom Christ died, they have value!
Then we have three commands that are Present Imperatives, showing continuous action. Continually love the brotherhood (the family of God), continually love the family of God. Continually fear God. That's what it says. Is it right to fear God? Yes, it is right. In fact, just by studying the social habits of man, do you know that we make decisions based on who we fear the most, and who we love the most? And we sometimes compromise with our walk with the Lord because we fear how other people are going to react to us if we obey the Lord. We fear them. We fear rejection. We fear their response.
1 Peter 2:18 - Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.
But here we have Peter saying, servants be subject, or in submission to your masters with all fear. Now the word servants, you would think it would be DULOS, which is a slave, but it isn't. This word means household servant. These are servants that lived in the household, and they were like part of the family. They lived in the household, and they served among the family members.
The word for masters is not the word Lord like it usually is in the text. This one is DESPOT, the owner. So, we have household servants. They are to be in submission to their owners in all fear. Not only to the good and gentle, but also to the forward (SKOLIOIS). This is where we get our word scoliosis from, the crooked. Fear them too! Some translations use the word harsh or abusive.
So, whether it's to a master who is good and gentle, or someone who is harsh and abusive, they are to be in an orderly relationship to their masters in all fear.
1 Peter 2:16 - As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.
But do it as free men. There's another paradox. Do it as free. That's the opposite of slave. And not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness, and that's the word RAH in Hebrew, KAKOS in Greek. You see, I'm free. Christ has set me free. I'm no longer a slave to sin, but I am a slave to Christ. It's one or the other.
So, I've been set free to serve Christ, but I'm not to use that freedom for a cloak to function in a way that I was not created to function, but rather as slaves of God. Many don't understand what true freedom is. A person is either a slave to sin, or a slave of Christ. That's it! We have been set free from being a slave to sin in order to serve Christ and be a slave to Him.
Some might say that's not freedom. Oh yes, it is. It's not freedom for me to do my own thing. In fact, in 1 Corinthians Chapter 6, Paul laid out the principles of freedom. Paul basically was saying freedom to do whatever you want to do is not freedom. You know you are free when you are free not to do things.
So, if nothing in this earthly world, this material world that we live in, if nothing means that much to you, it's not a problem. But I can get addicted, obsessed with anything, video games, sports, gambling, anything, and it will bring me under its power. You see, I can say I'm free to do that if I wanted to. Well, then I'm not free. I'm not free unless I can stop doing anything for the sake of other people, and their walk with Christ. To me, that's freedom!
1 Peter 3:10 - For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:
For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and there's the word RAH in Hebrew, and his lips that they speak no deceit:
In other words, what was your tongue created by God to do? It was created to praise God, and to proclaim Him and His love to people. But we use it to slander other people. We use it to deceive. And that is evil!
1 Peter 3:11 - Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.
Let him eschew evil, and the word eschew means to turn aside from evil, again RAH. And do the good, AGATHOS in the Greek, TOV in Hebrew;
So, turn away when you're in situations that are tempting you and pulling you to function in a way that God did not create you to function, and function as it is in line with God. Let him seek peace, and ensue it.
Now if you think that's pretty harsh, Verses 21 through 25 is the submission example. Guess who that might be?
1 Peter 3:8 - Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:
Finally, or in summary, be ye all of one mind, and that's the word PHRONEO. It's a word that has to do with the frame of mind. All of you have the same attitude and approach to these issues of life. Having compassion one of another, and that's the word sympathy (SUMPATHEIS).
Love as brethren, and that's the word PHILADELPHIA, brotherly love. Love as a family. Be pitiful, and I would fit right in there, but that's not what it means! This is the word EUSPLAGCHNOI, and it means to be tenderhearted. Have a soft heart for people. Be courteous: And the term courteous means friendly. Have a friendly frame of mind.
1 Peter 3:9 - Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.
Not rendering evil for evil, or insult for insult: but contrariwise a blessing; that's the word EULOGEO for eulogy, and it means to have a favorable response to them, even though they're speaking abusively to you.
Knowing that you are thereunto called, that you should inherit a blessing, and that God should deal with me and have a favorable response to me because I did not return the favor, and I stayed in His order, functioning in the way He created me to be.
1 Peter 2:19 - For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.
For this is thankworthy, and the word thankworthy is kind of interesting, it's the word CHARIS for grace. For this is grace, if a man for conscience toward God endures grief, suffering wrongfully, or unjustly.
1 Peter 2:20 - For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.
For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted, literally beaten with fists, for your faults, and the word faults is the word sin. And you take it patiently? That is, you endure a beating because you have sinned. But if, when ye do well, and here we get into the TOV and the RAH again. If you function in a way in God's administration, the way He has created you to function, and you suffer for it, and you take it patiently, that is, you endure under it, this is acceptable with God.
The word acceptable is the word grace. God identifies Himself and His grace with the lowly, with those who need His grace, which is why we're told three times in the New Testament that God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. So, this is grace, that because of your conscience towards God, and notice that.
Again, as we get into understanding about submission, my master is abusive, but because of my conscience toward God, because of my personal relationship with Christ, I'm not going to fight for my rights. I'm not going to protest the injustice. But I'm going to submit myself to God. And what does God do? His grace ministers to, and is sufficient.
1 Peter 2:17 - Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.
Honor all men. The word honor means put a value on them. Value all people. If you have to look at all people as being ones for whom Christ died, they have value!
Then we have three commands that are Present Imperatives, showing continuous action. Continually love the brotherhood (the family of God), continually love the family of God. Continually fear God. That's what it says. Is it right to fear God? Yes, it is right. In fact, just by studying the social habits of man, do you know that we make decisions based on who we fear the most, and who we love the most? And we sometimes compromise with our walk with the Lord because we fear how other people are going to react to us if we obey the Lord. We fear them. We fear rejection. We fear their response.
1 Peter 2:18 - Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.
But here we have Peter saying, servants be subject, or in submission to your masters with all fear. Now the word servants, you would think it would be DULOS, which is a slave, but it isn't. This word means household servant. These are servants that lived in the household, and they were like part of the family. They lived in the household, and they served among the family members.
The word for masters is not the word Lord like it usually is in the text. This one is DESPOT, the owner. So, we have household servants. They are to be in submission to their owners in all fear. Not only to the good and gentle, but also to the forward (SKOLIOIS). This is where we get our word scoliosis from, the crooked. Fear them too! Some translations use the word harsh or abusive.
So, whether it's to a master who is good and gentle, or someone who is harsh and abusive, they are to be in an orderly relationship to their masters in all fear.
This comment thread is locked. Please enter a new comment below to start a new comment thread.
Note: Comment threads older than 2 months are automatically locked.
Do you have a Bible comment or question?
Posting comments is currently unavailable due to high demand on the server.
Please check back in an hour or more. Thank you for your patience!
Report Comment
Which best represents the problem with the comment?