13 Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, 14 or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men—" 1 Peter 2:13-15
As a quick review verse 11 and 12 spell out in general terms the way we should fulfill our calling. We are to abstain from fleshly lusts. We are to conduct ourselves in a godly fashion, so that while men may accuse us falsely for doing good in this life, they will give praise to God for these same deeds when they stand before Him at Christ’s return.
Verses 13-15 continue as examples to verses 11-12. Also remember the context of Peter's letter is all about suffering.
Step 1: Submit to government - even when they are persecuting you!
When Peter is writing the letter, the Romans are becoming more and more displeased with the Jews. And the Jews in return were actively opposing Roman control. In one word they were being rebellious. The Romans even started accusing the Jews of crimes against the state. And since the Christian church was so new - Romans tended to combine the Jews and Christians into one group. Peter’s words in our text are meant to avoid any unnecessary charges against the church and to arm the church with attitudes and actions which would show these charges to be false.
The purpose of government and those who govern is completely consistent with Peter’s call for excellent conduct and submission to civil authorities. While the form of government may differ, the task is the same. Even a corrupt government is better than none at all. As bad as communism may seem to us, the people of Yugoslavia were better off under communism than the people of Bosnia are today.
Today we are asked to do the same. Obey the government laws. There are the extreme examples - Don't bomb an abortion clinic. And the more subtle examples - wear your seat belt. And everything in between.
When we submit, the unbelieving world notices. And just in case it is still hard for to understand why we should submit to the government's authority...God says it is His will. (I know, pretty simple right. Aren't we always saying "I just want to do God's will for my life.)
Today I will start with obey the speed limit...
2 comments:
Hello! I found you through Kathleen at Vegetable Soup. Didn't know you had your own blog. I hope you don't mind I added your commentary to The Minor Prophet Library. It will be listed as one of my kudos. I'll be back to visit.
(sigh) my initial reaction to your "i'll start with obeying the speed limit" line - but that's just a suggested speed really. and then i heard myself. :)
how's the bathroom coming?
em
Post a Comment