1 Peter 2:15-18

[clark thompson]

[h=3]1 Peter 2:15-18[/h]King James Version (KJV)


15 For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:
16 As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.
17 Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.
18 Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.


[h=3]1 Peter 2:15-18[/h]The Voice (VOICE)


15 You see, it is God’s will that by doing what is right and good you should hush the gabbing ignorance of the foolish. 16 Live as those who are free and not as those who use their freedom as a pretext for evil, but live as God’s servants. 17 Respect everyone. Love the community of believers. Reverence God. Honor your ruler.
18 If you are a slave, submit yourself to the master who has authority over you, whether he is kind and gentle or harsh as he deals with you.



The Voice (VOICE) The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.


These are my thoughts, please share yours.

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15 Gods will is what we believers are to seek to follow.Peter is referring to the believers giving Him praise and giving Him glory.People may not believe in Christ but they can not deny what the way we livewhen they see first hand and maybe because of our obedience to the Lord we willmake them thing, maybe there is something to what they are saying. Our livescould spark a fire for the Spirit to come into them.

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16 We are made free in Christ from our sins and from thesecond death. We are not lie as if we are still serving the evils of our flesh,our own desires. We are to follow God and by this we will grow more like Himand as we go we will be less like the world around us. The more He has changedus the more we will be able to shine the light into the darkness of this world.

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17 We should show respect to all people. Jesus went outsidewhat was accepted to talk to those that we outcasts, we should not be afraid totake this same set if He leads us. We should always understand God is all powerful;we live because He allows us to. We should always remain aware of who He is. Weshould live by the laws of the land and do what those who run the land ask usas long as it doesn’t go against what God wants of us.

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18 We should be good workers for our bosses. We should worklike a Christian. Many people today only live the Christian walk only aroundother believers. They do not live like Christian while they work, they do underhanded tactics. It is not always easy to do this but we as believers shouldattempt to take the extra step and please the Lord.

 

[Davy]

1 Peter 2:15-18, (NIV) says: "15-For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. 16-Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. 17-Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honour the king. 18-Slaves, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh."

This is a general live a genuine Christian life and things will generally go well with you. However, the key to living a life that brings praise to God, as verse 15, states, is shows in verse 16. "Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God." Although we have free will, and we can make choices. We must not abuse that freedom, deceiving ourselves with distorted thinking. Saying to ourselves "I don't think it is wrong, and God is a forgiving God anyway!" I have heard of some Christians who have sexual relations with their boy/girl friend, think nothing of going out to a nightclubs and getting drunk. Then confidently saying they are a Christian and God is using them to do his will. They seem to completely dismissing what the Bible has to say about fornication-that's sex before marriage, and drunkenness, which are both condemned by God's word.

Certainly, God is forgiving, if a person repents and stops practicing serious sins like these. But he will not continue to show such ones mercy. Notice what Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 6:9, 10, (NASB): "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate , nor homosexuals, 10-nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God."

If Christians choose to practise such fleshly behaviour, (Galatains 5:19-21) they are not as verse 17 says, "showing proper respect to everyone," "loving the brotherhood of believers," or "fearing God." How can a person claim to respect their congregation or their brotherhood, if their behaviour outside the congregation brings reproach against what they claim to represent. Let alone, be fearing God by honouring his holy standards. It is true God will forgive them if they repent and no longer practise their fleshly ways. But it is loving and kind on our part to point out these verses Peter wrote to such ones. In the hope that they will come to their senses and change their ways.