Thursday, July 21, 2016
1st Peter ~ The Position of Believers (2:4-12), Submission to Authority (2:13;3:7)
1 Peter 2 NLT
4 You are coming to Christ, who is the
living cornerstone of God’s temple. He was rejected by people, but he was
chosen by God for great honor.
5 And you are living stones that God is
building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests.
Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that
please God.
6As the Scriptures say, “I am placing a
cornerstone in Jerusalem, chosen for great honor, and anyone who trusts in him
will never be disgraced.”
7 Yes, you who trust him recognize the
honor God has given him. But for those who reject him, “The stone that the
builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.”
8 And, “He is the stone that makes
people stumble, the rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they do
not obey God’s word, and so they meet the fate that was planned for them.
9 But you are not like that, for you
are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own
possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called
you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.
10 “Once you had no identity as a
people; now you are God’s people. Once you received no mercy; now you have
received God’s mercy.”
11 Dear friends, I warn you as
“temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that
wage war against your very souls.
12 Be careful to live properly among
your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they
will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he
judges the world.
13 For the Lord’s sake, submit to all
human authority—whether the king as head of state,
14 or the officials he has appointed.
For the king has sent them to punish those who do wrong and to honor those who
do right.
15 It is God’s will that your honorable
lives should silence those ignorant people who make foolish accusations against
you.
16 For you are free, yet you are God’s
slaves, so don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil.
17 Respect everyone, and love the family
of believers. Fear God, and respect the king.
18 You who are slaves must submit to
your masters with all respect. Do what they tell you—not only if they are kind
and reasonable, but even if they are cruel.
19 For God is pleased when, conscious of
his will, you patiently endure unjust treatment.
20 Of course, you get no credit for
being patient if you are beaten for doing wrong. But if you suffer for doing
good and endure it patiently, God is pleased with you.
21 For God called you to do good, even
if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and
you must follow in his steps.
22 He never sinned, nor ever deceived
anyone.
23 He did not retaliate when he was
insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered. He left his case in the hands
of God, who always judges fairly.
24 He personally carried our sins in his
body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By
his wounds you are healed.
25 Once you were like
sheep who wandered away. But now you have turned to your Shepherd, the Guardian
of your souls.
1 Peter 3 NLT
1 In the same way, you wives must
accept the authority of your husbands. Then, even if some refuse to obey the
Good News, your godly lives will speak to them without any words. They will be
won over
2 by observing your pure and reverent
lives.
3 Don’t be concerned about the outward
beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes.
4 You should clothe yourselves instead
with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and
quiet spirit, which is so precious to God.
5 This is how the holy women of old
made themselves beautiful. They put their trust in God and accepted the
authority of their husbands.
6 For instance, Sarah obeyed her
husband, Abraham, and called him her master. You are her daughters when you do
what is right without fear of what your husbands might do.
7 In the same way, you husbands must
give honor to your wives. Treat your wife with understanding as you live
together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in
God’s gift of new life. Treat her as you should so your prayers will not be
hindered.
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