1Pe 2:13-14 | KingComments | STEP | . After the general admonitions to have a good conduct, Peter speaks about particular relationships in which that good conduct has to become visible. In the first place he draws your attention to your relationship toward the government. Peter says that you are to submit yourself to “every human institution”. He also adds a motive to that: it is “for the Lord’s sake”. That excludes other motives. Therefore it is not the intention that you only obey the governing authorities if, according to you, it may deliver you a personal benefit. . The authority is an ordinance that has been established by God ( ). Within this authority there are different levels. There is a king as supreme authority to which believers are to submit themselves. There are also lower levels of authority, such as governors, who are, however, clothed with the authority of the king. They are representatives of the king to punish evildoers, but also to praise those who do right. Today we know the national authority and also the lower authorities, such as the provincial and municipal authorities. The fact that they often do not consider God’s will, is not our business. God will hold them accountable for the way they performed their duty. In a general sense they indeed restrain the evil. It can be hard to adopt the right attitude toward the governing authorities. You are submitted to them, although you have nothing to do with their appointment. As an alien and a stranger it is after all not allowed for you to get involved with the politics of the country of your sojourning. Participation in the government or even the exertion of influence on its formation does not suit you as a Christian. The Lord Jesus does not rule either publicly yet. The kingdom of God is still a hidden kingdom, because its King is still hidden in heaven. Therefore we cannot possibly have government duties yet. The Corinthians had forgotten that and Paul had to blame them for that ( ). God rules the world now by governing authorities, also by those who do not consider Him at all. The Lord Jesus is, as always, our example. This is why He also did not want to be a judge in a case of an inheritance ( ). He was not of the world and neither are we. His time to reign is still to come and therefore ours also. . It is the will of God to submit to the governing authorities. Therefore it is not a kind request for you with the option to think about it and deal with it differently. This submission is also not to happen by grinding your teeth or by having a passive behavior. The important thing is to do right. The believers whom Peter addresses and also Peter himself have to do with the wicked and cruel emperor Nero. God even allowed that under the government of this monarch, both Peter and Paul were sentenced to death. How wicked a government or ruler may be, it is the responsibility of the believer to submit to it or to him and behave as a good resident of his realm. Doing right will result in being praised by the government, although that praise will possibly not be expressed. The government will acknowledge that Christians deliver their positive contribution to society, although their life may cause the hatred of the authorities. Besides the praise of the government, doing right has another effect. That effect is that you silence “foolish men” who in their foolish “ignorance” accuse the believers of the most absurd crimes. So it is not about words here, but about deeds in which the value of the Christian life becomes visible. . This life in submission is true freedom. Freedom is not doing whatever you want. If you do whatever you want, you only allow yourself to be controlled by your flesh, the sin, and that is bondage. That you are a free man also means that you do not put yourself under a law or that you impose or allow to impose a yoke on yourself. Freedom is that by possessing a new nature you love to do what God wants you to. Christian freedom implies that you have been freed from the bondage of sin and the law to enter the sanctuary of God. This freedom does not mean, however, that you must not do what the government says you should do. As it is already said, it is the will of God that you obey the government. The entire will of God is written in His Word. You are to obey what God orders or prohibits in it. It is foolish to avoid that with an appeal to your freedom. It is most possible – and it is a good thing to recognize that – that you misuse this Christian freedom ( ). You can fool yourself in this view. Therefore hold on to God’s Word as the supreme form of authority. That sometimes puts you in another area of tension, and that is when the government asks or allows something that is contrary to God's Word. Then it is important that you obey God rather than men ( ). Thereby you can think of the acceptance of unmarried living together or of a homosexual relationship. Those are reprehensible things. If you approve of such things with an appeal on Christian freedom, you are using this freedom “as a covering for evil”. It is in contrast to the fact that you are a bondslave of God. As a bondslave of God you are accountable to do God’s will. That is not a hard and difficult thing to do for someone who delights in doing the will of God ( ). If you see yourself as a ‘free bondslave’, you will not allow yourself to be misguided to act in a way that is in contradiction to God’s will. . The fact that you must refuse and condemn sinful practices does not mean that you must despise the people who commit these sins. Peter calls on to honor “all people”. That is because all people have been made in the likeness of God. You honor all people in doing right to all. That’s what the Lord Jesus also did when He was on earth. He, for instance, healed all who came to Him without making distinctions ( ). In the midst of “all people” who are to be honored, is a special company for which we have a special love. That is “the brotherhood”. That is the total of all believers and not only those, whom you are practically in contact with and certainly not only those, whom you can easily get along with. Peter says that we are to love the total of the believers, all who are children of God, without exception. Of the Christians in the first century it is said that they loved each other before they knew each other. That is a wonderful testimony and that is how it is still supposed to be today, for love has not changed. The love for the brotherhood will not always reveal itself in the same way. You are to love the brothers, but not the fleshy lusts or the worldly mind. You do not love what seeks the destruction of the brotherhood, for example causing divisions or a false doctrine. That is the reason for the addition that you should “fear God”. To fear God means that you have reverence for Him in everything. That is reflected in your obedience to His Word. It is also reflected in the respect that you show to the king who is appointed by Him as a representative of His authority. You will not always be able to do what the government expects you to do because you fear God, but that should in no way cause you to cease respecting the governing authorities. The recognition of the government should remain, for, as long as the church is on earth, there is no governing authority except from God ( ). You can summarize this section as follows. Peter addresses you as a subject of the kingdom of God. That is not an easy position because you live in a world that does not know anything about it and does not want to know anything about it. The world is seeking to make you suffer like they did to the Lord Jesus. It is impossible to be a follower of Christ without thereby evoking the resistance of the world. As His disciple you are submitted to His authority of Whom Peter says that you have to sanctify Him as Lord in your heart ( ). You are dealing with His authority in your life. But He has also placed you in authority relationships. These authorities come from Him. Even though these powers are so much against God, they are God’s ministers. We submit to them as if we were submitting directly to the Lord. Now read 1 Peter 2:13-17 again. Reflection: In which situations do you have to subject yourself to the government and when do you have to obey God more than men?

‏ 1 Peter 2:13-14

The Governing Authorities

1Pet 2:13. After the general admonitions to have a good conduct, Peter speaks about particular relationships in which that good conduct has to become visible. In the first place he draws your attention to your relationship toward the government. Peter says that you are to submit yourself to “every human institution”. He also adds a motive to that: it is “for the Lord’s sake”. That excludes other motives. Therefore it is not the intention that you only obey the governing authorities if, according to you, it may deliver you a personal benefit.

1Pet 2:14. The authority is an ordinance that has been established by God (Rom 13:1). Within this authority there are different levels. There is a king as supreme authority to which believers are to submit themselves. There are also lower levels of authority, such as governors, who are, however, clothed with the authority of the king. They are representatives of the king to punish evildoers, but also to praise those who do right.

Today we know the national authority and also the lower authorities, such as the provincial and municipal authorities. The fact that they often do not consider God’s will, is not our business. God will hold them accountable for the way they performed their duty. In a general sense they indeed restrain the evil.

It can be hard to adopt the right attitude toward the governing authorities. You are submitted to them, although you have nothing to do with their appointment. As an alien and a stranger it is after all not allowed for you to get involved with the politics of the country of your sojourning. Participation in the government or even the exertion of influence on its formation does not suit you as a Christian. The Lord Jesus does not rule either publicly yet. The kingdom of God is still a hidden kingdom, because its King is still hidden in heaven.

Therefore we cannot possibly have government duties yet. The Corinthians had forgotten that and Paul had to blame them for that (1Cor 4:8). God rules the world now by governing authorities, also by those who do not consider Him at all. The Lord Jesus is, as always, our example. This is why He also did not want to be a judge in a case of an inheritance (Lk 12:13). He was not of the world and neither are we. His time to reign is still to come and therefore ours also.

1Pet 2:15. It is the will of God to submit to the governing authorities. Therefore it is not a kind request for you with the option to think about it and deal with it differently. This submission is also not to happen by grinding your teeth or by having a passive behavior. The important thing is to do right. The believers whom Peter addresses and also Peter himself have to do with the wicked and cruel emperor Nero. God even allowed that under the government of this monarch, both Peter and Paul were sentenced to death.

How wicked a government or ruler may be, it is the responsibility of the believer to submit to it or to him and behave as a good resident of his realm. Doing right will result in being praised by the government, although that praise will possibly not be expressed. The government will acknowledge that Christians deliver their positive contribution to society, although their life may cause the hatred of the authorities.

Besides the praise of the government, doing right has another effect. That effect is that you silence “foolish men” who in their foolish “ignorance” accuse the believers of the most absurd crimes. So it is not about words here, but about deeds in which the value of the Christian life becomes visible.

1Pet 2:16. This life in submission is true freedom. Freedom is not doing whatever you want. If you do whatever you want, you only allow yourself to be controlled by your flesh, the sin, and that is bondage. That you are a free man also means that you do not put yourself under a law or that you impose or allow to impose a yoke on yourself. Freedom is that by possessing a new nature you love to do what God wants you to. Christian freedom implies that you have been freed from the bondage of sin and the law to enter the sanctuary of God.

This freedom does not mean, however, that you must not do what the government says you should do. As it is already said, it is the will of God that you obey the government. The entire will of God is written in His Word. You are to obey what God orders or prohibits in it. It is foolish to avoid that with an appeal to your freedom. It is most possible – and it is a good thing to recognize that – that you misuse this Christian freedom (Gal 5:13). You can fool yourself in this view. Therefore hold on to God’s Word as the supreme form of authority.

That sometimes puts you in another area of tension, and that is when the government asks or allows something that is contrary to God's Word. Then it is important that you obey God rather than men (Acts 5:29). Thereby you can think of the acceptance of unmarried living together or of a homosexual relationship. Those are reprehensible things. If you approve of such things with an appeal on Christian freedom, you are using this freedom “as a covering for evil”. It is in contrast to the fact that you are a bondslave of God. As a bondslave of God you are accountable to do God’s will. That is not a hard and difficult thing to do for someone who delights in doing the will of God (1Jn 5:3). If you see yourself as a ‘free bondslave’, you will not allow yourself to be misguided to act in a way that is in contradiction to God’s will.

1Pet 2:17. The fact that you must refuse and condemn sinful practices does not mean that you must despise the people who commit these sins. Peter calls on to honor “all people”. That is because all people have been made in the likeness of God. You honor all people in doing right to all. That’s what the Lord Jesus also did when He was on earth. He, for instance, healed all who came to Him without making distinctions (Mt 8:16).

In the midst of “all people” who are to be honored, is a special company for which we have a special love. That is “the brotherhood”. That is the total of all believers and not only those, whom you are practically in contact with and certainly not only those, whom you can easily get along with. Peter says that we are to love the total of the believers, all who are children of God, without exception. Of the Christians in the first century it is said that they loved each other before they knew each other. That is a wonderful testimony and that is how it is still supposed to be today, for love has not changed.

The love for the brotherhood will not always reveal itself in the same way. You are to love the brothers, but not the fleshy lusts or the worldly mind. You do not love what seeks the destruction of the brotherhood, for example causing divisions or a false doctrine. That is the reason for the addition that you should “fear God”.

To fear God means that you have reverence for Him in everything. That is reflected in your obedience to His Word. It is also reflected in the respect that you show to the king who is appointed by Him as a representative of His authority. You will not always be able to do what the government expects you to do because you fear God, but that should in no way cause you to cease respecting the governing authorities. The recognition of the government should remain, for, as long as the church is on earth, there is no governing authority except from God (Rom 13:1).

You can summarize this section as follows. Peter addresses you as a subject of the kingdom of God. That is not an easy position because you live in a world that does not know anything about it and does not want to know anything about it. The world is seeking to make you suffer like they did to the Lord Jesus. It is impossible to be a follower of Christ without thereby evoking the resistance of the world.

As His disciple you are submitted to His authority of Whom Peter says that you have to sanctify Him as Lord in your heart (1Pet 3:15). You are dealing with His authority in your life. But He has also placed you in authority relationships. These authorities come from Him. Even though these powers are so much against God, they are God’s ministers. We submit to them as if we were submitting directly to the Lord.

Now read 1 Peter 2:13-17 again.

Reflection: In which situations do you have to subject yourself to the government and when do you have to obey God more than men?