Epistles of Peter

With Peter, we'll just hit the ground running and start right there with Chapter 1. I think in the introductory material we did look at, oh, perhaps verses 1 and 2, where he's writing to members of the church of the dispersion pilgrims, sojourners, the margin says, temporary residents of the dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. And I think I mentioned, if you'll check your Bible maps at the back, you probably have one about Paul's journeys, and that would include what we call today as modern-day nation of Turkey. And you will see on that map probably these very provinces—these are not cities, these are provinces, like Galatia is a province.

So that's where some of the remnant of the tribes of Israel were scattered, and that's where there were members of the church scattered. I think it could have been addressing both, but primarily I think those who are spiritually a part of Israel. Verse 2, he says, elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father. And this word, elect, speaks of being chosen, the chosen ones of God, being called and chosen and made a part of the very body of Jesus Christ, the physical Israel in the Old Testament where God's chosen ones, but then they disqualified themselves as the one parable there toward the end of Matthew 21 talks about how he's gonna take it and give it to another nation that bears the fruits of his spirit, or of the fruits of his of his calling. And so this remnant of Israel, Judah, is being laid down, and now in the first century God's working through and choosing those who spiritually become Israel. According to the foreknowledge of God the Father, we'll see this type of phrase a little later and comment more on it, but I believe that God from the very beginning foresaw when God and the Word designed their plan, they foresaw that human beings, that sin would enter the human family, that there would be a need for God himself, the Creator God, we call him Jesus Christ now, to come and pay the price. So there was a foreknowledge in sanctification of the Spirit, and to be sanctified is to be set apart. And of course in Romans Paul referred to how that if we are Christs, we have the Spirit of God, we're led by the Spirit of God, we're God's people. Notice it says, for obedience. Now we live in the midst of a there's a Christian world around us, and so many of them do not like that idea of obedience. And yet we're going to see it a number of times here in Peter, and he was one who was there from the beginning as far as Christ's ministry. But we are elect and we are set apart for obedience. And then it says, and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. So the blood is that which has been a symbol for covering of sin. You may remember back with the establishment of the covenant with Israel there in Exodus 24. There were bulls killed, blood kept, sprinkled on the book, on the people, the holy place, and the blood set them apart in that sense. And you had also, and I think it's Leviticus 13 and 14 where it talks about the rites you go through for purification and leprosy. And there was, I think, a turtledove or a pigeon. Anyhow, the blood was captured and the the priest would sprinkle the blood on the one with leprosy. So, okay, grace to you and peace be multiplied. So Peter has a similar greetings at the beginning, kind of like Paul did in all of his epistles. Usually they say grace, you know, reminding them that you, we are the recipients of, we are the undeserving recipients of God's forgiveness. And you always bid them peace. Be at peace among yourselves. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now, let's pause right there.

We have a booklet, It's God of Trinity, written by a young man named Scott Ashley. And in that booklet and earlier works that the church has had through the years on the Trinity, one of the points that one of the arguments we make is that with every one of Paul's epistles, and now we see it in Peter, that when they open up and kind of have this salutation, they will give greetings in the name of the Father and the Son. Not one time do any of them give greetings on behalf of the Holy Spirit. Now, some say that's an argument from silence, but I think it's a valid point. That if you had a third being of a Godhead who is snubbed on every letter, I would think he'd be upset. But Peter does it, Paul does it. Okay, now, who according to his abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Of course, Romans 5 verse 10 tells us that we are saved by his life. And so it was more than just giving his life and his life's blood being poured out, but then he was resurrected, brought back to life, and he then lives his life in us through the Spirit that God gives to us. But this phrase begotten us again, or as the old King James says, has begotten us again. That's the same wording. Unto a lively hope. Now, hope, remember that word, as we mentioned when we started James, that James focused on faith. I'll show you my faith by my works, by the way I live my life. Peter focuses often on hope. So James is called the apostle of faith, Peter the apostle of hope, and then of course we all know that John, we get the John's epistles, he just used the word love over and over and over and over. So he's called the apostle of love. So watch for that word hope as we go through it. But begotten us again. In other words, unless a person has a brand new life that begins, they're not going to inherit the kingdom of God.

Resurrection chapter, 1 Corinthians 15 verse 50, flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom. Now let's keep our place there and look back to John 3 with that discussion Jesus had with Nicodemus that night. John 3, and we will look at the first, well parts of the first eight verses.

So verse 1 speaks of a man of the Pharisees, Nicodemus, ruler of the Jews. So he's the one coming. He says to Jesus, Rabbi, we know you're a teacher come from God. Verse 3, Jesus answered and said to him, Most assuredly I say to you, unless one is born again. Now marginal note says, born from above. I think it's a new international that translates it, born from above. Born again, born from above. He cannot see. He cannot perceive. He cannot enter the kingdom of God.

So Nicodemus obviously didn't know what he's talking about. So because he asked verse 4, how can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born? So he obviously didn't get the point. Jesus answered most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit. So he's not talking about going back into a mother's womb, but he's talking about baptism. And along with that, the receipt of the Holy Spirit. He cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh. That which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Now some of you go back long enough. You remember Mr. Armstrong elaborating on this and using examples like giving someone the hatpin test. You know, if you're born again and you're spirit, then you won't feel this. And yes, they would. And I think it was an apt example of the way he put it there. But this Greek word translated born again here and then begottenness again back in 1 Peter, comes from Gennao. G-e-n-n-a-o. And it's a bit of an open-ended word. It can refer to a begettle. It can refer to the actual birth or both of the above. And so we look here and from the context of what Jesus said to Nicodemus, it's obvious he's not talking about being born again in this life as flesh and blood. But it is a beautiful analogy. As again, many of us remember how Mr. Armstrong wrote about that and likened the point of the combining of the egg and the sperm and the life and the little the new life that begins forming. But then it's in the mother's womb. And Benny pointed out he'd seen some... I never know when I'm safe from pictures posted on Facebook.

I try not to look, but at any rate, apparently some of you've seen pictures where our daughter was down and I think today or tomorrow she's fully six months along. And so there's a picture of Denise Meach had her hand on her stomach and her stomach. That's the size of mine right now, but these are meat and potatoes here. Too many through the years. But there is this nine-month period, gestation period of time, and then there's a full birth later on. Yes, sir? I thought maybe y'all were trying to feed us classes. Well, yeah, that'd be all right. Jenny and her husband fly so much with their work. They have all these airline miles, so while she was down, Denise and Jenny got on the computer, and they got Denise a ticket to go up there. It's like the day after the first Holy Day of Unleavened Bread. So I might have to go up here to get her and bring her back. I don't know. So I might be on my own. I don't want to have to wait until November when it gets real cold for her, Denise, to want to come back to Alabama. But anyhow, born again, but we should move on. So let's go back to 1 Peter, begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. All right, verse 4, to an inheritance incorruptible. God has an inheritance, eternal life. He has a reward for each person based on their works, but it is incorruptible. Or the margin says imperishable. It can't be destroyed. And undefiled, and undefileable, if I can coin a word, that does not fade away. You sometimes have something that's painted, and then it went out in the sun, it kind of bleaches out, and over the years it fades. Well, this one won't fade away. Reserved in heaven for you. So God is hanging on to that. And we're going to see as we go through this that the inheritance will be given at the time of Christ's return. Okay, verse 5. Who are kept? Kept. The word here, William Barclay's letters of James and Peter, I won't read the actual quote, but he makes mention of the fact that the Greek word means to safeguard as in a prison. That it is kept for us. It is a military type term. That it's set aside for us. It is sure, it is certain, and God won't let it get away from us. Who are kept by the power of God through faith. You see, salvation always gets back to faith. For salvation, ready to be revealed the last time. And that last time we would identify as the time when Christ returns, and the nations are divided to the right and the left, and the saints are given their inheritances.

All right, verses 6 and 7. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials. And so, you know, there are so many places in the Scriptures. I remember when I was young and counseling for baptism, I knew that there were places that said, all who live godly will suffer tribulation. But I think I just minimized it in my mind. I didn't realize, you know, it really means that. We're going to have one trial after another. We're going to have the heat turned up and the pressure applied, and there are things we won't or can't learn any other way. And this is, he's returning to this, one of the themes, as we mentioned in the introductory material, one of his themes is that we have hope through sufferings. We will suffer, we will be purified, but we look on. We earnestly anticipate what God has prepared for us. Greed by various trials. Verse 7, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes. God's dealing with holy righteous character that lasts for eternity. Gold's here, it comes, it goes, it's found, it's lost, it's melted down and reformed, but though it is tested by fire, now he's not talking about gold here, but he's referring to the word picture behind how a precious metal like gold is heated to the point of being liquefied, impurities float to the top, they're then skimmed off and removed, leaving a more purified product behind. Though it is tried with tested by fire, our faith is tested with fire. Fiery trials may be found to praise honor and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ. So God wants to find his own character. He wants to look and see it being formed within us. Verse 8, whom having not seen you love. The faith chapter, Hebrews 11, begins with, faith is the substance of things, hoped for the evidence of things not seen. So that's where our faith comes in. And of course, we remember the story of, well, he's called doubting Thomas, but Thomas, after the resurrection, Jesus appeared to the disciples, but Thomas wasn't there. And they told him about it, and he didn't really believe. He had to feel and inspect those wounds himself. And then Jesus says something to the effect that because you've seen you believe, blessed are they that have not seen and yet believe. And of course, here we are, 2,000 years down the line. There's not even someone, we can't go and interview people who were actually there and were eyewitnesses. We've got eyewitness accounts we can read about, but it all goes back to the issue of faith.

Having not seen you love, verse 8, in the middle there, though now you do not see him yet be leaving, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory. And of course, joy is one of those wonderful fruits God's Spirit breeds in parts to us that in spite of the source trials, we have the big picture in mind and we realize where it's all going. And we can have this joy that comes from within. Verse 9, receiving the end of your faith, the salvation of your souls and salvation, eternal life, that's where it is all pointed. And that word there, end, comes from the Greek telos, T-E-L-O-S, and it refers to the outcome, the result, the point aimed at. Let me just read for you. Romans 10, verse 4, uses that same word. Romans 10, verse 4, it says, Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. So people read that and they say, Christ did away with the law. No, Christ is the telos. He is that point we aim for. He is the outcome. He is what we want to be like as we come out the other side. Verse 10, of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully who prophesied of the grace that would come to you. You can go all the way back to the sin there at the Garden of Eden where one statement that was made, God told them or told the serpent that this seed of the woman would bruise his head. And that generally is thought to be the very first prophecy of the Son of God who would come and give the victory or provide the way of victory for all. And of course, then you get Genesis 4, you have the different sacrifices, Cain giving of the fruit of the soil, a farmer, and it was rejected. But Abel was accepted. He gave of a lamb of the flock and it was the beginning of God. I had to have taught them something about this concept of a substitution. So then all the way through you've got Abraham nearly sacrificing Isaac. Beautiful parallel there of God the Father and the Son of God. Three days and three nights they traveled or three days in Isaac was good as dead, so to speak. Stopped at the last moment and a lamb, a ram was provided. God will provide, he said. But you've got Daniel. Daniel wanted to understand, but he was told, shut up the book. Close the book. It's sealed to the time of the end. It's not for you, Daniel. There are places where we're told that angels want to understand. Verse 11, searching what or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when he testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.

So there are prophecies David wrote down in the Psalm. Psalm 22, Psalm 69. Just, you know, they're going to count my bones. They're going to cast lots for my garments. You've got so many messianic prophecies of Isaiah. Isaiah 52, 53. We're all like sheep to the slaughter and how he took our sins. He bore our iniquities. By his stripes were healed. So the Spirit of God working with them inspired them to write down all of those things, but their understanding just went so far. It was not for their time. Verse 12, to them it was revealed that not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit, sent from heaven, things which angels desire to look into. So there's one of those statements that refers to that. Angels. You know, of course, Hebrews 1 talks about to these ministering spirits. God has never said, you're my son, sit at my right hand. But he has that intent for human beings. So verse 13, therefore, gird up the loins of your mind. In our terminology today, we might say, well, let's roll up our shirt sleeves and get to work. But see, they had the long flowing clothing at that time. And if they really needed to move fast, they'd pull it up and cinch it around the waist so they wouldn't be tripped up by their own garments. Be sober. It speaks there of being vigilant, but also watchful and aware. And rest your hope. There's hope once again, fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. So here again, it talks about that full realization that comes when Christ returns. Verse 14, as obedient children, there's that word obedient again showing up, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts as in your ignorance. So it says, there was a time you didn't know any better. But then you recall that you don't go back to the way you were. You walk the path of obedience and continue down that path. Verse 15, but as He who called you as holy, you also be holy in all your conduct. And the word holy there comes from the Greek word haggios, H-A-G-I-O-S, and it basically just means different. You are called to be different. You're in the world, but you're not to be of the world. Verse 17, and if you call on the Father who without partiality judges according to each one's work. Now, there are all types of different criteria by which we're judged. We have looked at some parables here of late, and there's a factor of how much time do we have, how much effort do we put into it.

How do we use the talents, the natural talents, that God gives to us? How do we use our money? What kind of words come out of our mouth? So all of these are criteria for judgment, and God, you know, like Peter, we're going to read when we get to chapter 4 next time. The time is now. The judgment starts in the house of God. So we are being judged, and yet there's a time when the world will be judged also according to their works. Conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear. You know, and I think that's a sobering point there to point out. We need to be careful. We do not neglect so great a salvation. We're not to grieve the spirit. We're to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling, and there are a lot of things we should fear to allow ourselves to drift back into. All right, verse 18, knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things like silver or gold. You know, no wealth of this world paid that price for you, and it's leading to the precious blood of Christ, as you'll say in the next verse. Silver and gold from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers. You were just following, floating along with the pattern of the world. Verse 19, but you are redeemed with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. Verse 20, He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was made manifest in these last times for you. So many of the earlier first century writers kept referring to their time as the last times, the latter times. I think the Bible's written in such a way that people all through the centuries since that point have thought, this is it. And now you and I look at it, and we're saying, this is it. It can't go on much longer, and I think we're right. But you know, if life goes on, we still continue on fighting the good fight, continue walking the path of obedience on the way to eternal life, and leave the win and all that to God in His own due time. You know, as we read that, He was foreordained before the foundation of the world.

You know, when Christ prayed to His Father that night, or not when He prayed, but in John 13, as He's about to go to the foot-washing part, it was, you know, John talks about how He was cognizant, aware of the glory He had had with His Father, and He was going to have again. You read of His prayer there, where He was in the garden, and He cried out, if there's any way, let this cup. I mean, the flesh and blood side of Him, the nerves, would not want to go through what He knew was going to have to happen, in His agony, as if it were great drops of blood. But from the very beginning, before human beings were created, He knew and He had committed. And, you know, as He prayed, nevertheless, not my will but your will be done. And of course, it became obvious that the Father's will was, we have to go along with the original plan. But it just, again, it just strikes me that before He came to this earth, He knew how it was going to end. And He did it anyway. And the Father, you know, as parents and grandparents, we understand, we get a little taste of that. The Father, God so loved the world He gave His only begotten Son. We all know that Scripture. And He allowed Christ to go through what He went through. Well, verse 21, who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory so that your faith and hope are in God. There's the word hope once again. And the word faith. We see that quite a bit as well. Now, verse 22, we find obedience being spoken of again, since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit, in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart. So we are forgiven. And forgiveness is a free gift, but we have to pick up one foot and put it in front of the other and keep going. And we trip, we fall down, we get back up, and we keep going. Obeying the truth, that preserves us. The armor of God, the tunic that the Roman soldier wore, that truth was against the body. The truth preserved that soldier, so to speak.

Verse 23, having been born again, so there's Ganau again, not of corruptible seed, but incorruptible. Nothing of this earth that might be corrupted but from God. Through the Word of God, which lives and abides forever. Because, and then here he's quoting from back in Isaiah 40, all flesh is as grass and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, its flower falls away, but the Word of the Lord endures forever.

This was the Word by which the Gospel was preached to you. So, where we read, verse 23, having been born again, I said Ganau, but it's Anna, A-N-A, Ganau. Anna Ganau. And here, too, it speaks similarly of having been given a whole new lease on life. We're, you know, like Romans 6, we go into the watery grave, we die, we attend our own funeral, but, you know, this new creature comes up in the symbolism. And that's what we go through, and it's an ongoing process. Or, as, let me read Galatians 2, verse 20. Galatians 2, verse 20, as Paul says here, I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me, and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. And so, I think that's another way of focusing on that. When we were baptized, we died, and the old self was destroyed, and a new person came up, and life is not to be the same again. It is a new spiritual creation, a renewal. Okay, any comments or questions or any other thoughts on chapter one? A lot of material there, but I like the way Peter writes. Well, in John 3, what other conclusion can you come to? Flesh is flesh, and that was the spirit of spirit. So, we obviously are not spirit right now. Yeah, it is a process. I think we would say that about salvation, because it says, don't neglect so great a salvation. So, there is a sense that we've been given it now, but of course, we've got to endure to the end like it says in Matthew 24. Father, they should do it in their name. Yes, yes. Okay, well thanks. Appreciate that.

Chapter two, and this is as far as we're gonna get tonight. I was dreaming when I thought we were gonna get as far as chapter three. There's just too much here, and we'll probably even be summarizing a bit of this, but chapter two, therefore, so because all the above, although we've just covered, laying aside all malice, so put it out of your life, and that's another way of saying, obey the law. All deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes desire the pure milk of the word that you may grow thereby. So, he uses a different analogy here, but you know a baby that's born, and they're on the mother's milk, and just those earliest weeks, earliest months, just tremendous phenomenal growth of everything, you know, everything's in order.

If indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. Of course, there's that place back in the psalm where it says, oh, taste you and see the Lord that he is good. Hebrews 6 talks about those who turn back after they have tasted of the heavenly gift. So, it's talking about having received the Spirit of God, that spirit life imparted to us. Verse 4, coming to him as to a living stone. So, now we start talking about the building of, in this case, the spiritual temple, and what we're going to look at in the next few verses. In one sense, you've got the Jews of Christ's day. That was kind of the remnant of physical Israel, and they were being replaced by this other nation, as the parable spoke of, who will bring forth the fruits thereof. We have now spiritual Israel composing of all peoples, all races, ethnicities.

What he's talking about here is God is building this living spiritual temple. Christ is the chief cornerstone. Members of the church, members of the body, are the individual stones. He's going to talk about a priesthood. Of course, a priest offers sacrifices. A priest maintains the holy place. A priest has access to God, and so he's likening our calling to being like that. So, coming to him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men. You'll remember there in John 1 verse 11 how this word came to his own, but they believed him not. And rejected by men, but chosen by God, and precious. So that's referring to Christ. But then you also, so you, you members of the church, scattered out there that I'm writing to, as living stones are being built up a spiritual house. So, it is a process, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. So, we offer sacrifices today. What are some of the sacrifices that we offer that you can think of? Prayers. It talks about the prayers of the saints like that incense rising up to God.

Sacrifice of praise. Good. Singing praises to God. One place there in Malachi talks about to those that spoke often one to another, to communicate, forget not, as we have relations with each other and serve one another, but just giving our whole lives. Right. Sabbath. All of these would be a part of what we can offer to God.

Verse, verse 6, therefore is also contained in Scripture. And here he quotes from Isaiah 28, verse 16, Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect precious, and he who believes on him will by no means be put to shame.

And verse 7, therefore to you who believe he is precious, but to those who are disobedient. And now here he quotes from Psalm 118, verse 22, the stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. And verse 8, quoting here from Isaiah 8, verse 14, a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense. They stumble, being disobedient to the word. So there's the thought of obedience, but they are being disobedient to the word to which they also were appointed.

Now there are so many places that we are aware of that Christ is called the rock.

1 Corinthians 10, verse 4. They followed that rock. That rock was Christ. And so many times he is referred to, well, there at Caesarea Philippi there in Matthew 16. On this rock, referring to himself, I'll build my church, and you are the little foundational stones, the petros, the smaller stones. Okay, now verse 9, but you are a chosen generation. So here's kind of a resume of what the church is supposed to be doing. A chosen generation, and of course, originally Israel was to be that special people. A royal priesthood, a holy nation, his own special people. And here's why. "...that you may proclaim the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." Just a wonderful comment or statement that is made there. The church is the Israel of God, and the same promises that were originally offered to Israel as they came up to Mount Sinai, and they said, all the Lord has said we will do. These are now applied to the church, that nation that will bear the fruits thereof. Verse 10, I want to spend a little time here because it's very easy, and my Bible does not... well, yes, it does. Verse 10, it does have a reference to Hosea.

So, verse 10, "...who once were not a people..." So again, he's writing to the church scattered.

They are from various backgrounds, various races, ethnicities.

"...they were not a people, but now are the people of God, who had not..." Again, past tense, there was a time they had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. Now, let's keep our place there and go back to Hosea 1 and 2, because sometimes it's not even footnoted where any connection is made. But remember how Hosea was that prophet who was, boy, was he given a trial? He was told, go find a woman of hordums and have kids. It doesn't sound very appealing. But in Hosea 1, remember that these different children are born and they're all given very destructive names. Verse 6, Hosea 1 verse 6, "...and she conceived again and bore a daughter, then God said to him, call her name Lo-ru-hama." Now, if you have a marginal note, it says, literally, it means no mercy. In the Hebrew, the word lo is kind of like our no or not.

So lo-ru-hama, receiving mercy. For I will no longer have mercy on the house of Israel. Hosea goes way back there. He's one of the earlier prophets.

And Israel was coming down. But I will utterly take them away. Now, let's go down to verse 8.

Now, when she had weaned lo-ru-hama, well, how would you like to grow up as a kid and know your name meant not having received mercy? She conceived and bore a son. And God said, call his name lo-ami.

For you are not my people, and I will not be your God. Again, lo, no or not, ami is my people.

And so these are some of the very phrases that Paul, or that Peter just quoted there in verse 10. Well, let's check here chapter 2, verse 1. Say to your brethren, my people.

marginal note, my people is the Hebrew ami. So first, you haven't received mercy.

You aren't my people, but now call them my people. And to your sisters, mercy is shown. Or marginal note, Hebrew is ruhamah. So with that background, let's go back to 1 Peter 2. Again, verse 10, as we just read, who once were not a people, but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. So beautiful word pictures there behind that, as far as what he had Hosea and Gomer play out as far as the children that were born.

Verse 11, Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims. So he wrote to them in chapter 1, verse 1, as pilgrims, strangers, sojourners. He reminds them that your citizenship is somewhere else. You're kind of like Abraham. They said of him, they looked for that city whose builder and maker was God, but did not receive it during his lifetime. So journers and pilgrims abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul. That's another way of bringing up the topic of obedience. You need to struggle against the negative pulls of human nature. Don't go back into the lusts of the past. Having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers... Now, let me pause right there. There's something in Barclay's commentary I wanted to highlight. That's not the right page that I was looking for. A little bit. Conduct honorable among the Gentiles. They will speak evil against you. Okay, middle of verse 12. That they notice by your good works which they observe. Now, we have a Christian world around us that wants to go out, and they want to cry out from street corners, and they want to accost people wherever they can. Do you know the Lord? Do you know Jesus? Well, I kind of like the way James put it. I'll show you my faith by the way I live my life. But here he talks about the importance of not that you don't answer. We'll see that in chapter 3. You're ready to be able to give an answer to the hope that lies within you, but he, like James, speaks of the way you live your life. That people will see that and then glorify God in the day of visitation. One statement William Barclay makes on page 202 is that the strongest missionary force in the world is a Christian life. And to that, I would add it, you know, when we're for real and genuine. No stronger force for the work of God than the example we set. Now verse 13, therefore, submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether to the king of supreme 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. Now, similar statements are made in Romans 13 verses 1 through 4. I'll just let you have that as a reference. Another one is Titus 3 verse 1. Those bear up the fact that we may be citizens of the coming kingdom of God, but we have a citizenship here. Whether we're even in our own country, we have those powers that Romans 13 says are appointed by God. They don't have any power unless God gives it to them. They are here for our welfare for the most part. As we know, government is easily and often corrupted. But he says here in 15, for this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men as free, not yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, vice, marginal note, wickedness, but as bondservants of God. There may be a lot of things that we technically can do, but it might undo a lot in somebody else's life. We were often reminded to be aware of the example we set. Don't lay, don't cause, don't give a reason of offense for someone. Don't lay a stumbling block in front of someone. We have a responsibility and an accountability for their in that regard. But there are wonderful freedoms we're given, and we are citizens of a country. We thankfully, I believe, are still the freest country in the world, although it's not my daddy's country anymore. The times, the times, they are changing. But still, so much to be thankful for. So many freedoms to appreciate here. Honor all people. Love the brotherhood.

Fear God. Honor the King. Now, he shifts into in these last verses a bit about slavery and then about the example of Christ. And I want to move pretty quickly here, but let me just mention a little bit from Barkley on. We're going to be talking about slaves in a bit of a way that we don't really have it today. He says here, talks about in the time of the early church, the slaves in Rome were counted in the millions.

Talks about how the Roman citizens basically got lazy and let the slaves do everything. Might sound familiar. They reasoned the supply of slaves would never run out because they were always conquering and then bringing slaves into Rome. Slaves were not allowed to marry. They were allowed to cohabit. Any children born were not that of the property of the parents, but of the master. Some had masters who treated them with great love and trust and respect, and others were in Roman law. A slave was not a person but a thing.

He had absolutely no legal rights whatsoever. In the life of a slave, even if he was treated well, he still remained a thing, a piece of property. Slavery was a horrible scourge then, and it continued. Well, I mean, there's still slavery in the earth today, and different ways we can apply that. I mean, there are principles here. We could apply to a work setting that if you're a foreman, if you're a supervisor, a lion supervisor, if you are an employer, there are things we're going to read that we can learn from as far as just the basics of how you treat people.

But in verse 18, servants, or you could say slaves, some were called to the church that way. And you remember the little short book called Philemon. Philemon was a runaway slave. Or I'm getting that mixed up. Onesimus, the runaway slave, had come to Paul. Paul had baptized him. He was now a brother in the faith.

He was sending him back to his master, telling his master Philemon, accepting back, but this time as a brother. He's not just your piece of property, and you treat him as a brother. So servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh. And there are times when we do just have to suffer wrongfully, when we are mistreated, just like Jesus Christ was. For this is commendable if because of conscience toward God, one endures grief suffering wrongfully.

For what credit is it when you're beaten for your fault? You take it patiently. If you had faults, if you made mistakes, and you take your lumps for it, you brought it on yourself. But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. And Christ, of course, was led as a sheep to the slaughter, and he didn't open his mouth.

You remember with the so-called trial that he went through, there was a time when he just didn't answer. He just stood there and he took it. For to this you were called because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that you should follow his steps.

We aren't always going to get even in this life. We aren't going to right every wrong. There are times, plenty of times, where there's a battle we do not pick. We just take the wrong and go on with life. Who committed no crime, nor was deceit found in his mouth. And here he's... The next verses, a lot of quotes come out of Isaiah 53. Who, when he was reviled, did not revile in return.

When he suffered, he did not threaten, but committed himself to him who judges righteously. Who himself bore our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness by whose stripes you were healed. And that too comes from Isaiah 53. For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the shepherd. And of course, the shepherd. We've got the shepherd psalm there, Psalm 23.

We have that picture of David when he was young. He was out with the flock. And the practice in the Middle East was, there's always a shepherd there. Leading, guiding, inspecting, and protecting. And that is a picture it paints here of Christ. He is our shepherd and overseer. Marginal note, in my Bible, the Greek is episcopos, the overseer of your souls. And in certain respect, it means the guardian. That he is watching as guardian over us, and over our souls, which would speak to our eternal life. Okay, that's in chapter 2. Any other observations or questions on that? Just after 8. Let me give you just a brief update on the websites. Those of you who are internet savvy, go to the gazeban.ucg.org page.

Go to Birmingham.ucg.org. I've just begun getting a little bit posted. It's not easy for me, but they wanted a welcome letter and a picture of a pastor and wife. So those are up, although Ron Davenport up in Huntsville took the picture and he's improved it. He kind of brought it in, cropped it, and added a little light to it. So I want to get his photo and put on it so it'll be a better picture of the niece and me. Somebody took a couple of photos of us last week up in Murfreesboro. But there is that welcome letter. Down in Birmingham, there is a link to a blog about Ion Network, and that's this Sunday. Millions and millions of people that might have access to that, and the times are good. Back in the old, old days, I remember they'd give us a 5.30 a.m. Sunday morning time slot. But these are 8 or 9 a.m. These are good times and so something to be praying about. But we need to start getting our local messages. Not all of them. Sometimes I give a sermon and I just think, well, that was for the local congregation. I don't want it posted on the website where it goes to the world or where anybody in Yemen can click on it and listen to what I'm saying about Islam. Okay, well, that's all I have. Thank you much and appreciate your coming here tonight.