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1 Peter Chapter 2

Encouraging them to show love to each other, rather than to display to each other behaviour that shows that their faith is not also in the keeping of the commandments, (v1) (I.e. a "G v p" statement that permits disobedience is double-minded) Peter commands them to earnestly desire the word of God for the correction of their behaviour. By the words of the new testament ministered by grace of the Holy Spirit and of Christ as well as the law, a believer is to be edified. (v2) If any man has received the word of Christ to their edification then they have tasted the grace of God through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, as received from other believers. (v3) (Peters "brethren" or amongst themselves.)

In coming to Christ for His teaching, one is to come as to a stone (cut out without hands) which is used for the allegory to unshakable proper faith towards God, when God is at liberty and the believer has to repent. (Proper action towards the "G v p" statement) and the sovereignty of a closer God demands both repentance and obedience. Christ, displaying all proper faith and having knowledge of the Father is utterly precious: as no other has known the Father but He. (v4)

Likewise, believers properly approaching God knowing the past coming of Christ to fulfill the law, in being blameless towards God and mediator of a better covenant, are likewise under grace imputed Christ's righteousness for their own obedience as well as following His Faith: for we are justified likewise in setting God at liberty and as unshakable as did Christ. In this we are built up a body for Christ, which was offered up by Him on the cross (see later) for the grace He promised. Likewise we should sacrifice spiritual sacrifices and should prune our faith of all those things which separate us from properly approaching God. (Our "p"(s) in our "G v p" statements.) So that we should in repentance be offering up sacrifices acceptable (comparable) to the example of Christ, rather than offering up for our sins, which Christ has done already with Himself blameless. (v5)

For in having our faith a subset of Christ's we ensure by keeping God at liberty and ourselves repentant to Christ's example, that we share a subset of Christ's faith that contains that principle element of the ultrafilter that selects us as a people from amongst all those that do or don't believe. (Hx(G) = Hx(HG(G))] => L(G) => AG(x) - see the "Liberty, Faith and Authority" pages in the metaphysics area. Critically, Hx(HG(G)) => Ax(G) so that Ax(Hy(G)) => L(G) => AG(y)) (v6)

Likewise, for those that do not believe, Christ is the condition at which they refuse: (v7) for Christ has fulfilled the law and is blameless before God. By stumbling at the law they protest in their disobedience that God's "ways are not equal" or that keeping the law is too difficult or impossible. Likewise, they have fashioned religious systems after their own requirements of God (as after numerous "G v p" statements), not understanding the intent of God and His method by Christ to draw us to Him. (v8) Having not understood proper faith and the grace of God, they seperate out themselves and the only name which does this is that of Jesus Christ who is God come to us. (A(HG(G))[x] is true only if x=G, i.e. x is correctly stood in God's work)

But as by that principle element, of faith toward obedience rooted in the perfect example of Christ, The people of God are separated out from amongst all others. By the predestination of the Holy Spirit and the righteousness of Christ imputed by grace we are a holy nation, not given over to a reprobate mind, that we should praise God with thanks at Christ's coming - and in the presence of the Father in our gifted eternal life to which we have been called: by the nature of our belief and the truth that it holds. (v9) (that marvellous light.)

Formerly, before the coming of Christ the gentiles were not the people of God, and have now by Christ obtained mercy towards the greater praise of God with much more thanksgiving than would merely the house of physically descended Israel alone. The gentiles are therefore justified as Israel under grace, as the kingdom of Israel under God has now been translated to a spiritual kingdom. (v10)

Peter implores the believers to abstain from lusts of the flesh - those sins of disobedience which make void the faith of Christ - such things should be repented of and swiftly - for we are elected by grace, not elected to it. Grace is shown all whom may believe but it is not true that grace is the sign of salvation, for salvation is still contingent on obeying the ministrations of the Holy Spirit. We should never neglect our salvation, else we can fall away not having loved God to obedience. (v11)

If our behaviour is honest before God it should remain honest before the non-believers too. If a man speaks of a person as evil but there is no evidence of anything but commendable works, then the accusation is slander, and God will have His name glorifed by the clearing of such slander as of "those damned evil Chrstians". (v12)

Peter commands them to submit themselves to worldly authority - as long as it is done in obedience to God: It is not true that men are tried before the king in general, but the king sets laws for the stability of the nation: so if a man reverences the king alongside reverencing God in total obedience to God, he can show that He can obey authority, whereas submitting to the king as supreme over God would not show that a man can obey God were God His king. That should be self evident. (v13)

Governors however are the most likely courts before which an "evildoer" will be sent if he is to be tried. Whilst not making the law themselves, but judging it they are sent by the king for punishment according to the law and to praise those that do well. It is better therefore to do well and be praised, but as governors are sent by the king for the king; it should also be self evident that God should be obeyed rather than disobeyed: for obeying a governor and not God is not evidence that one can obey God. (v14)

But in obeying God and the king, or "and governors" when there is no conflict in authority, there is evidence that one can obey God whom one has not seen, and "a god" or "gods" whom one has seen, and therefore could obey God when one does see Him. For it is ignorance to assume that slander that Christians are law breakers (common complaint of the jews of Peter's day as before the gentiles.) and will stand in court before gentile authority when there is no evidence of their own law being broken. (v15) The ignorant and foolish men here are the gentiles being stirred up against Christians, (as by the jews when Paul was stoned in the book of Acts.)

Peter commends them to do so, obeying God as free men, and not using their freedom before the authorities to disguise their faith with lustful, malicious or even licentious behaviour to avoid coming under the slander that Christians were generally slandered with. (v16) (But rather showing outwardly their obedience to God, and their love of the truth.)

Peter sums up with His commands thus far (see above.) (v17) Then, he encourages all servants to serve their masters with all fear of God, for they are already under the authority of others, and are not free - they could easily be judged without any need for slander to be tried in any court. (v18)

It is better then to be rewarded for that which is hard than that which is easy because the reward is expected to be greater: (v19) If we expect reward for being punished for our faults, we expect a reward for doing wrong and we make nonsense of the grace of God who is disciplining us to obedience. Rather, we should seek to be rewarded for being chastened by earthly authorities when we are doing rightly and acting in all obedience to God: We should fear God. (Peter is still talking to servants as well as all others here - particularly pay attention to "with all fear" in verse 18 as inclusively qualified with this verse. The letter to Philemon could be a good relevance.) (v20)

For we are also called to obey God foremost in opposition to earthly authority (v21) as did Christ when He was faced with the injustice of man for obedience to God. (Although He had not broken the law of which He was accused, neither made any attempt to lie His way out of justice according to finding fault in the law He was accused with. (v22)) (For finding fault with the penalty of the law finds fault with the whole law: and defending a guilty man by saying the law of God is at fault makes one a breaker of the whole law.)

Jesus Christ made no attempt at violence when He was violently treated, or whilst being God Himself and able to take "special action" He chose not to as an example for us: that we would find strength in Him going before us - that He should display human obedience to God in all its requirement, and though He must have been tempted, He chose to uphold our faith rather than destroy the example of perfect human obedience and faith. (v23) In doing so, He trusted and committed Himself to death in obedience to the will of God, and remained blameless before God by fulfilling the law.

By His testimony to the extension of grace from the Father towards us all, He went beyond the law, although the prophets did speak of it (see ch.1) In giving testimony to that grace, He made Himself to bear all of the grace before God, rather than the consequence of that lawbreaking the grace is extended over: Christ bears the praise and thanksgiving, being "annointed with the oil of gladness before His fellows" rather than bearing the guilt of forgiving so many sinners. In Him we find He is "made a curse for us" in that He has taken the place of the condemnation of the law (sin) and has predestined us by grace to eternal life under the training to repentance of the Holy Spirit, that we might presently inherit that life even now, knowing His yoke is easy and His burden light: So that by His death and His obedience rather than by our guilt, we are healed. (v24)

We know there is no transference of guilt to Christ for bringing in this grace: only praise and glory - for we are the ones gone astray, and we are returned again to Christ, "the shepherd and bishop" of our souls. (v25) We can confidently rest in knowing it is far more perfect for God to have a people praising Him with thanksgiving for salvation for their sins, rather than having any satisfaction in utterly destroying the whole world of all guilty sinners.


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