On Civil Obedience
by Rev. Kirby Williams
Peter reveals how Christians should submit to authority.
Text: 1Pet. 2:13-17
Date: 11/03/2019, the Evening service.
Series: "Peter's Epistles: The Sojourners Handbook" Part 13
Description:
As we have all ready seen, Peter dedicates the second part of his letter to instructing Christians on their behavior. His subject turns to the way Christians should react to the civil authorities under which they live. He makes it clear that all authority comes from God and so Christians should subject themselves to God's sovereignty and therefore His ordained institutions and people of authority. We will consider the qualifications to this principle and analyze Peter's specific examples. Ultimately we will have to disagree with Henry Thoreau's famous essay on civil disobedience (and the culture which extols his ideas) and align ourselves with the Scriptural mandate to respect, obey and even honor the authority God has established for us to dwell under.
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I. Introduction
II. Exposition of the text, 1Pet. 2:13-17.
A. Context
B. Submission to civil authorities.
1. The "who", "what", and "why" of submission, vs. 13-14.
a. The command for submission, vs. 13a.
i. A well-documented principle, Rom. 13:1, Matt. 22:21.
ii. Qualifications to the principle.
• Even wicked governments must be obeyed.
• Scriptural evidence of civil disobedience, Ex. 1:17, Dan. 3:18, 6:10, Acts 5:29.
iii. The formula for discernment.
b. The reason for submission, vs. 13b, Psa. 22:8, 46:10, 47:8.
c. The scope of submission, vs. 13c-14.
i. To every human institution.
• Defining "institutions".
• An expanded scope, Rom. 13:1.
ii. To the emperor, Matt. 24:15-16.
iii. To the governors.
iv. Purpose and privilege.
• To punish the evil-doer, Rom. 13:2-4, Matt. 26:52-53, John 19:10-11.
• To reward the obedient.
2. The public perception of submission, vs. 15.
a. Doing the will of God, John 5:30, 26:39, John 7:17, 1Pet. 3:17, 4:2, 19.
b. A reason for doing good, 1Tim. 3:7-8.
c. To silence the ignorant.
i. A more intense command.
ii. A largely ignored command.
3. Honoring true freedom, vs. 16.
a. The nature of true freedom.
i. What true freedom is not.
ii. What true freedom is, John 8:34, Rom. 6:16, John 8:36, Rom. 6:17-18.
b. The "do's" and "don't's" of true freedom, 1Cor. 6:12, Rom. 6:15.
i. The "don't" of true freedom.
ii. The "do" of true freedom, 1Cor. 7:22.
4. Specific categories of submission.
a. Honor everyone, Gal. 3:28.
b. Love the brotherhood, John 13:34-35, Gal. 6:10.
c. Fear God, Prov. 1:7.
i. Willful obedience of authority.
ii. Christians should fear no one else, Matt. 10:28.
d. Honor the emperor, Rom. 13:7, Matt. 22:21.
III. Application
A. Summarizing Peter's message, Titus 3:8, Eph. 2:10.
B. Honor in a hostile environment.
IV. Conclusion
