The Regular Guys Bible Study
1 Peter 2:13-25
How do you balance respect for authority with your personal beliefs? In our latest episode, we grapple with this question as we break down 1 Peter 2:13-25. We guarantee that by the end of this discussion, you'll see obedience to human institutions in a whole new light. Through our humorous banter, we emphasize that the Bible is no exclusive property of theologians; it's a treasure trove accessible to everyone. Join us as we stress the importance of personal engagement with scripture and the necessity of obeying earthly authorities while living as true servants of God.
As we continue, we dig into the virtue of enduring suffering for doing good, inspired by Christ's own example of non-retaliation amidst injustice. We tackle the complex dance of obeying laws while prioritizing moral goodness, offering thought-provoking scenarios to illustrate these dilemmas. Wrapping up, we candidly discuss the moral quandary of sharing one's faith and invite you to weigh in with your thoughts and feedback on Apple Podcasts. Remember to check back for our upcoming discussion on 1 Peter, Chapter 3—though bear with us as it might be delayed due to a little business and pleasure trip!
How do you balance respect for authority with your personal beliefs? In our latest episode, we grapple with this question as we break down 1 Peter 2:13-25. We guarantee that by the end of this discussion, you'll see obedience to human institutions in a whole new light. Through our humorous banter, we emphasize that the Bible is no exclusive property of theologians; it's a treasure trove accessible to everyone. Join us as we stress the importance of personal engagement with scripture and the necessity of obeying earthly authorities while living as true servants of God.
As we continue, we dig into the virtue of enduring suffering for doing good, inspired by Christ's own example of non-retaliation amidst injustice. We tackle the complex dance of obeying laws while prioritizing moral goodness, offering thought-provoking scenarios to illustrate these dilemmas. Wrapping up, we candidly discuss the moral quandary of sharing one's faith and invite you to weigh in with your thoughts and feedback on Apple Podcasts. Remember to check back for our upcoming discussion on 1 Peter, Chapter 3—though bear with us as it might be delayed due to a little business and pleasure trip!
you are listening to the regular guys. Bible study podcast the bible study for regular guys by regular guys. We are your host, ken and steve, and we are just regular guys studying the bible together not theologians. You were not in percut easy for you to say.
Speaker 2:Percussion. Where are you, since you're so eager to speak? I think you should read today.
Speaker 1:You know what I will read today because I read every day and I read like the speed of light. It's like I'm done. You didn't even know I did it, you read so gooder it is good. Uh-huh, that's true. So, um, you know, we're really fortunate. This is not a smell, a smell a cast, because we have both worked out and not showered. Oh, I don, I don't stink. Oh, I'm pretty sure I stink. Why do you not stink? You worked out, you have sweat all over. You look nasty.
Speaker 2:But I smell good, I smell like me.
Speaker 1:Uh-huh, and what does Beth think of that?
Speaker 2:Yeah, uh-huh.
Speaker 1:All right. Well, guys, we are on 1 Peter 2. We finished 1 through 12 last time. We are going to read 13 through 25, which is the rest of chapter 2 of 1 Peter, and if you have not read it, as always, I recommend you stop this and read your Bible. Read this so that you can follow along with us. But you know, I want to reiterate the point of the whole point of this podcast, steve, the whole point of this podcast.
Speaker 2:My mom told me it was rude to point.
Speaker 1:But that's a different kind of point. The point of this podcast is that you don't have to be a priest or a pastor or some you know in the clergy or whatever to read your bible and to understand it. Understand most things. As we sometimes notice, we don't understand everything.
Speaker 2:This is true.
Speaker 1:You know what it's good to ponder over things it is good to ponder. It makes you think and the Holy Spirit will work through those questions. Excuse me by turning it around like that. It didn't pick it up at all. I'm sure it's better than coughing into the mic, maybe, maybe. Anyway, the point is read your Bible. Read your Bible on your own. You don't need somebody reading it for you. We enjoy you coming to this podcast and listening, but this should not be your only source of Bible. Bible, read your Bible every day.
Speaker 2:So before you read what was the first half of 1 Peter, 2 about.
Speaker 1:It was about the stuff, the living stone, and he was the cornerstone rejected by men, those kinds of things.
Speaker 2:Oh man, oh, I'm sorry, are we done already?
Speaker 1:Gosh, that was such a boring question, I had to yawn. I'm sorry about that, steve.
Speaker 2:Well, the reason I asked is if you recall, last time I brought up something about how I thought the Jewish people got a bum deal. Yeah, you did. I've been thinking about that and I don't think that's necessarily true.
Speaker 1:Well, I didn't agree with you last time.
Speaker 2:So the reason I think that is because we have so much history on them and they're still around. All the other people groups are gone. They've been exterminated.
Speaker 1:Well, not all of them, but you get my point.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I know a lot more history about the Jewish people than any other people.
Speaker 1:And you know I mean from an extreme distinct group standpoint. You're right. I mean there's been a lot of melding of other groups, right?
Speaker 2:I thought that was the Wicked Witch of the West.
Speaker 1:I don't know what that means. I'm melding All right, that was a good setup, steve, I'll give that one to you. That was funny, all right. So would you like me to read now, if you can, I can you, steve. By the way, let us know if that joke ever gets old, because I don't think it ever does.
Speaker 1:No, never, it never gets old because I don't think it ever does, no, never. It never gets old. All right, I will read 1 Peter 2, verses 13 through 25. Be subject, for the Lord's sake, to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme or to governors, as 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. 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. Servants, be subject to your masters, with all respect, actually, let's stop at the first paragraph, because I think you could read the second paragraph. No, that's not the reason. I'll read both. I don't care, I just think this is. They're really two separate. You don't care, that's right, I don't care.
Speaker 2:Then, why are you doing?
Speaker 1:this. I don't care at all, I'm a careless person. Anyway, I'll pray for you. I kind of think they're separate ideas, even though they have some of the same they're. They all are about submission to authority. But let's talk about this first part, um, because I think the first paragraph we can relate to. The second paragraph is a little more difficult for us to relate to and we can get sidetracked in there.
Speaker 2:All right.
Speaker 1:So what's the theme of this first paragraph, Steve?
Speaker 2:That we are to obey the laws that are around us and the leaders that have been put in place.
Speaker 1:Okay, yes, so be subject to the human institutions that are put around us, right, yep. So what does that mean? Do you see yourself as being subject to those things?
Speaker 2:let's see I'm subject to the uh sheriff of Travis County. I'm subject to the uh Texas state laws. I'm subject to the tax laws, tax laws, the federal tax laws for sure, I'm subject to my manager. I'm subject to his manager. I'm subject to his manager. I'm subject to his manager. Okay, I'm subject to my wife. Oh wait, no, that's the next one, that's servants. Oh wow.
Speaker 1:Actually, chapter three goes into wives and husbands. I can hardly wait, yay, all right. Three goes into wives and husbands. I can hardly wait. Yay, um, all right. So yeah, we live subject um to the laws. Now, do you ever try to not be subject to those laws, steve?
Speaker 2:so that's actually what my note is about, because, because lately I've been in a bit of rebellion against the return to work policy.
Speaker 1:But hold on, you have like a thing that lets you not come in.
Speaker 2:You got that approval, that was just for as long as it lasted. I don't think that's valid anymore.
Speaker 1:Oh, so it wasn't a permanent thing? I don't think so, you don't think so.
Speaker 2:I don't think that's valid anymore.
Speaker 1:Oh, so it wasn't a permanent thing.
Speaker 2:I don't think so, you don't think so, I don't know. Okay Well, but I don't know. It just seems stupid. They're not going to enforce it. Why are they tracking it?
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's a little overreaching. By the way, my, my son and my youngest daughter both started their jobs today and they're both hybrid, by the way, and hybrid work. They're part animal, no, they're part machine. Oh, um, no, I mean, their work situations are hybrid and, in fact, my youngest. You know, they gave her a laptop and some other stuff. I mean, they didn't ever tell her it's hybrid, they just said, eh, we come in sometimes. We try to come in a couple of times a week, just whatever, any particular days.
Speaker 1:Well, they have a Monday meeting. That's the important one. So, anyway, I think that's really kind of funny and it sounds like a very laid-back environment. Fun to workplace, so all right. So you've been rebelling against this, but sometimes you're there every single day. I've seen you there every single day some weeks.
Speaker 2:That has happened. In fact, I'll be there the next three days, so I mean you're doing good. My rebellion isn't very strong.
Speaker 1:No, your rebellion stinks.
Speaker 2:Just like you do right now.
Speaker 1:instincts just like you do right now. Um, anyway, um, okay, anywhere else steve. Well, I'm not real good at obeying the speed limit precisely, so I was gonna ask is going three miles per hour over the speed limit really rebelling against authority? Is that all you ever do, primarily, every now and then, like if I'm trying to pass somebody. That's really slow.
Speaker 2:But when I told you how fast I drive to work, you said oh well, that's not really speeding, because everyone else is going that fast or faster.
Speaker 1:Okay, now and that's 10 over. Okay, on the way to work, there are areas where, if you're going, the speed limit you might die. I don't count that at all, because I don't even want to go that fast. I just need to stay with traffic, all right. I don't think that's what it's talking about here.
Speaker 2:All right. What is it talking about?
Speaker 1:I think it's talking about living at peace in the environment that God has put you in. So you're not making waves, you're not being a troublemaker, let's see. Let's see, live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. So and dang it. Where did it say? Ah, for this is the will of God. This is chapter verse 15, for this is the will of God, that, by doing good, you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. This is verse 15. It's all about showing us Christ followers. They weren't called Christians, yet Christ followers as good people.
Speaker 2:But you said living in peace and not in rebellion.
Speaker 1:But I think there are times when we are called to rebel. All right, yes, I agree, expand on that, steve.
Speaker 2:So here's an example.
Speaker 1:Back in Abraham Lincoln's day, the Northerners You're just saying this because of the next section.
Speaker 2:It does occur to me that way Okay, yeah. They had the Underground Railroad. They were violating law, the national law.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:They were helping slaves escape those trains were moving.
Speaker 1:They dug those tunnels and the trains were moving underground.
Speaker 2:And now they've got all those nice subways on the East Coast.
Speaker 1:No, but yes, I agree, there are times when God calls us to stand out, that is true, but in general, well, let me just say that needs to be a calling from God to do something different. Yeah, and this is really talking about doing good versus doing evil well, I think the underground railroad was doing good no, I know, I know. But this, if you the um paragraph, there is talking about doing good and not evil.
Speaker 2:This is true.
Speaker 1:And so there are times when good goes against authority.
Speaker 2:Here's a question for you. Okay, let's say you live in a city full of crime. You live in a city full of crime.
Speaker 1:You live in a city full of crime, no don't literally copy me when I say it.
Speaker 2:That's a figure of speech imagining this oh, I see. Okay, and you decide that you're fed up with this crime. So you take it upon yourself to become a vigilante and stop crime.
Speaker 1:Okay, do I have enough money to create some like bat suit that'll protect me from bullets?
Speaker 2:and stuff. No, you're just wearing some stupid leotard and a mask. You've got a belt with some leather pouches on it, but there's really just a tape measure and some other stuff in it.
Speaker 1:I don't think that's what this is talking about, steve about doing good. Doing good would be to—you've got a bird like hitting your window over there.
Speaker 2:It's probably a red tanager, isn't it A tanager? Is it tanager, tanager, tanager yes, he does that all the time. Yeah, all over our house.
Speaker 1:Anyway.
Speaker 2:Crazy bird.
Speaker 1:The stuff I was saying is really good.
Speaker 2:Well, you were dressed up in leotards, you were running around solving crimes?
Speaker 1:No. So in that case I would say that doing good would be to like contact the authorities Okay.
Speaker 2:What about the episode of Seinfeld where they stood on the other side of the street? And just laughed and took pictures. Obviously, that's evil. Well, they should have done something. They ended up going to jail for not doing something.
Speaker 1:That's a Seinfeld episode. Okay, that's stupid. And they made fun of the dude. You're the one running around in a leotard. No, I'm not All right. Let's just move on, Steve All right. So hold it Before I move on the whole point. All right, so hold it, let's, before I move on the whole point. And do you agree that the whole point of that paragraph is not? It's about doing good and not evil and not going against the authorities in your life.
Speaker 2:I think that last part of it is the major portion of it To be subject to the authority.
Speaker 1:Think that. I mean, I think that is important, um, but, and okay, that is a major theme here. But if you read between the lines, I mean, you don't have to read between the lines the whole he's saying, for this is the will of God that by doing good, you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. So these foolish people who are saying you're wrong about Jesus, jesus isn't the Christ.
Speaker 2:Well, it ends with love, the brotherhood, fear God and honor the emperor yeah, the emperor. So I'm. I think it all kind of goes together. I don't think you can it's not separated. I agree, I agree all right.
Speaker 1:Oh, you want to go on to the next one, steve, yes, I'd love for you to read the next.
Speaker 1:I will I will servants, be subject to your masters, with all respect, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the unjust. 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, for to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile. In return, when he suffered, he did not threaten but continued entrusting himself to him. Who judges justly? He himself pour our sins in his body on the tree that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed, for you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the shepherd and overseer of your souls.
Speaker 2:So this is interesting because in verse 16, the word servants comes from I'm gonna mispronounce it, I know doulos, which is a slave, literally or figuratively, involuntary or voluntary, frequently therefore in a qualified sense of subjugation or subservience. But servants in 18, the one where you stopped because you thought it was more about slavery, is a household servant from Okatis. Okatis, I don't know how to say it.
Speaker 1:Okay, a household servant. Does that mean they're a slave or not? They could be a slave, just as a fellow resident menial domestic household servant. Does that mean they're a slave or not? They could be a slave.
Speaker 2:Just as a fellow resident menial domestic household servant, One who lives in the same house as another. Spoken of all who are under the authority of one and the same householder Doesn't even mention slave, I know, but I think that those can be slaves as well.
Speaker 1:Oh, they could sure, it's just I don't Okay. What is the point of you saying that, though, steve?
Speaker 2:I had one.
Speaker 1:Let's see if I can remember what it was.
Speaker 2:I had several points, they're all blurring together now. Uh-huh, so one. It goes on to say For to this you have been called because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example so that you might follow in his steps. Where is it? Huh, I don't know where I got my note from. I don't know where I got my note from, but basically he was a servant for us and went to the cross.
Speaker 1:I don't know if I like that Servant for us, because I mean he laid his life down for us, but he wasn't our servant. But he was an example. He was an example of that we might follow.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that we might follow.
Speaker 1:And be. He made himself subject to authority and people and did not retaliate, because we know what he could have done in retaliation anything he wanted, um. So remember up above when we were talking about obey the emperor and obey the yeah, it feels.
Speaker 2:It feels like it was just five minutes ago.
Speaker 1:It was just like a second ago, a few minutes ago, All right, so let me ask this question why would a servant suffer, for? Let's see one endure sorrows while suffering unjustly. Why would someone suffer unjustly, it says, if when you do good and suffer for it?
Speaker 2:and suffer for it. You endure.
Speaker 1:This is a gracious thing in the sight of God, All right. So if you did good, why would you suffer for it? Because the person that's punishing you is a jerk, All right but remember, because the person that's punishing you is a jerk, all right, but remember I was saying that the main thing is to do good Right. Secondly would be to obey the emperor.
Speaker 2:Sometimes those things will clash.
Speaker 1:This is true and so you know, I don't know what a servant might do. Maybe a servant was injured and they tried to help them and the guy said, no, don't do that. But they helped him up and then they get beaten for helping the other servant up. I'm just making a hypothetical here.
Speaker 2:Or maybe he ordered that you kill all two-year-olds, males and younger.
Speaker 1:That happens a lot too. Sometimes, or once, okay, actually twice.
Speaker 2:Well, the first one was newborns, wasn't it? Or was it two years and younger? It was. First one was newborns wasn't it?
Speaker 1:Or was it? Two years younger it was I was all newborns. I don't really know how that worked. That was in. Egypt. That was in Egypt when Moses was put in the basket.
Speaker 2:Yeah, not, joseph Not.
Speaker 1:Joseph. It was Moses put in the basket, okay, so I guess. My point is, though, that, even though it says obey your master, the focus, I think, is on doing good. The focus is on doing good. You hope, and you try to make sure that both align, that you're serving the ones in authority to you and the doing good Don't conflict, but sometimes you have to do good over the other. And you get punished, and you might be punished, and it's okay, you will be counted as gracious.
Speaker 2:And that's the example Christ says.
Speaker 1:This is a gracious thing in the sight of God, Right, and that is the example Christ set. All right, what other? Do you have any other notes on this, Steve?
Speaker 2:I don't have a lot honestly Okay.
Speaker 1:so let's see. By his wounds you have been healed, for you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the shepherd and overseer of your souls, all right. So I guess what? Do you have any? You know, that's it on the Scripture. Do you have any thoughts about what we just read? If you were to summarize what we just read, how would you say it, steve?
Speaker 2:Putting you on the spot. Let's see. I'd say obey the law, but follow the law of God first if there's question. And you may suffer because you did, but that's okay, long live the king.
Speaker 1:Okay, I guess that's it. Anything else you want to say, steve?
Speaker 2:Well, what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it?
Speaker 1:Oh right, If you sin against your master, or let's just you know what. Let's take this into the work environment. Or let's say you're a professional basketball player, You're a professional basketball player.
Speaker 2:I said let's not, you say it. Okay, you're a professional basketball player.
Speaker 1:I said let's not, you say it. Okay, you're a professional basketball player. Thank you now. Wasn't there a professional basketball player a few years ago that compared being in the nba to being slaves to the owners yeah, something like that.
Speaker 2:Oh man Making his millions of dollars, that poor guy yeah just a slave.
Speaker 1:I can't, can you imagine?
Speaker 2:Having to work what? Three months of the year? Yeah, I know it's got to be rough.
Speaker 1:I think they have. They're working out all the time and it's a tough life, steve, yeah, but I feel for him Now. Actually, I thought about when he said that it's like, oh man, you know, if he has ancestors that actually were slaves, I can't imagine If it's possible for them to roll in their grave.
Speaker 1:They were like oh my gosh, do you know what this was like, dude? Yeah, so that's a shame. Anyway, I don't know where I was going. I started to say something profound and I got distracted by my own stupid comments. Yes, yes, you did. So that's what I do. Oh, no, we're talking about. We did just kind of skip over the. You know what is it if you sin? What gain is it if you sin?
Speaker 2:and you're punished for it. That's just a consequence of your actions.
Speaker 1:Right, God does not go. Oh, poor you for your punishment. But you know, when you do good and are punished, then it is honoring to God, it is honoring to God.
Speaker 2:Have you ever been in a situation where you struggled whether the thing the authority wanted you to do violated God's word?
Speaker 1:Okay, I'll tell you it's sort of, but a little different, what I wanted to do or what I. How do I?
Speaker 2:say this Slowly, apparently All right so.
Speaker 1:I. I believe that if we proselytized at work, we might get fired. It's possible. Right Trying to bring those others to Christ. I will, though, ask people if I can pray for them sometimes, because sometimes they're going through tough stuff and they tell me about it, and, as a Christ follower, that's what I do. I feel like I can pray for them, and so I have asked people if I can pray for them, and they've never said no. They've always actually said please, please do, but there has been a time where I wanted to share Christ with somebody, and the person worked for me, and I thought I can't do that hmm, so you failed yeah, and you know this person well.
Speaker 1:Of course you know this person. We've worked together. Course you know this person.
Speaker 2:We've worked together for a long time. Yeah, too long. Yeah, I know, almost 25 years.
Speaker 1:Really oh that's true.
Speaker 2:Yeah, this will be my 25th year there.
Speaker 1:I've been there for over 25 years.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Oh, that's crazy. Okay, wow, and I didn't know you before. That Is that right. No, okay, you were at AMD or something. Yep, all right. Anyway, I still don't know, steve, if I did the right thing by not sharing Christ with that guy.
Speaker 2:Hmm, yeah, I don't know, that's a tough one.
Speaker 1:So I don't know. You know, actually, if you listen to this on Apple Podcast, you can leave reviews. I know that I would love to see questions or comments. Leave comments. Podcast you can leave reviews. I know that I would love to see questions or comments or comments. Leave comments. Leave questions. Leave your thoughts on what we should have done or what I should have done in that situation, because I still don't know. So anyway, I think that's all I got, steve you got anything?
Speaker 1:no, all right guys so next time we're gonna do first peter, chapter three. Um, it might be a while. It might be a while I'm going on vacation or business trip and then vacation. So it'll be a while, guys, a couple of weeks. See ya, see ya.