BBCC Bible Study Notes
Be On Your Best Behavior – 1 Peter 2:11–20
October 13, 2024
I. What Does It Mean to Be a Sojourner and an Exile? (Review)
Sojourner: a temporary resident. Exile: one who is voluntarily or involuntarily absent from his or her home country.
II. Good Behavior Is Expected
"Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul." (1 Peter 2:11, ESV)
We are temporary residents in a spiritually foreign culture. The ways of the culture cause us internal conflict.
III. Good Behavior Honors God
"Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation." (1 Peter 2:12, ESV)
Even when we are ridiculed for our behavior, God will be honored and glorified by those watching us.
IV. Good Behavior Includes Honoring Government
"Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor." (1 Peter 2:13–17, ESV)
Honoring our government officials is equal to fearing God and loving our Christian family.
V. Good Behavior Includes Honoring Our Employers
"Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust." (1 Peter 2:18, ESV)
VI. Good Behavior Could Result in Suffering and Persecution
"For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God." (1 Peter 2:19–20, ESV)
We should expect to be disciplined for bad behavior. We should rejoice when we suffer for good behavior.
Summary
Accepting that we are temporary residents in a spiritually foreign culture leads to our understanding of our purpose as God's chosen people. Practicing best behavior lets unbelievers see that we do not belong to their culture. God should be glorified by it, but it won't be easy because we still have the ability to pursue the same passions we did before we became Christ followers. Best behavior includes obeying and honoring authority — the government and employers are authorities we are to honor. Don't be surprised if best behavior results in unjust suffering.
BBCC Verse of the Week
"Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation." (1 Peter 2:12, ESV)
Study & Discussion Guide – 1 Peter 2:11–20
We have some great devotionals in the lobby — pick one up and read devotionally each day. Use the notes below as a springboard to learning more about the Bible, and use the discussion questions to talk to others about what you're learning. Talk in the car on the way home, chat with folks during the week.
Verses 11–12 introduce the second part of 1 Peter (2:11–4:11), focusing on its main theme: conduct among the Gentiles that will not give them any reason to persecute Christians, with the hope that they will eventually glorify God. (Watson)
The appeal is to refrain from the desires of the flesh. "Flesh" in 1 Peter is always associated with being apart from God (1:24; 3:18; 4:1–2). It is whatever turns focus away from the mutual love of God and neighbor toward the self (cf. Rom. 7:14–20; 8:1–8; Gal. 5:16–21). (Paidia)
Peter shows how glorifying God would be effected: the unbelieving, led by our good works, would become obedient to God, and thus by their own conversion give glory to him — this is what he intimates by the words "in the day of visitation." (Calvin)
We submit ourselves for the world's sake so that our good deeds may be a witness to them or a testimony against them. We submit ourselves for our fellow Christians' sake out of sacrificial love. We submit ourselves for God's sake because we honour his image in our fellow-creatures and because we gratefully seek to take up our cross and follow Jesus Christ. (Clowney)
Peter recognizes some common definition of "good" between society and Christian ethics. How could the authorities in Asia Minor observe the good works of their Christian citizens if those works were only privately expressed? This fits well with the Diaspora motif in which the letter is framed, following Jeremiah's instructions: "Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf; for in its welfare you will have welfare." (Jer. 29:7; Jobes)
Discussion Questions
1. Read 1 Peter 2:11–25. What good results can we expect from keeping up good conduct among unbelievers (vv. 11–12)?
2. How can Christians show respect to governments and rulers even when we think they are wrong (vv. 13–17)?
3. Peter says God's people should do good and behave well in order to silence their critics. In what other concrete ways can Christians "do good" and "behave well" in order to silence their critics?
For next week: Read 1 Peter 2:21–3:7