Christ's Law

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● 1Pet 2:1 . . Lay aside all envy

Webster's defines envy as painful or resentful awareness of an advantage enjoyed
by another, coupled with a desire to possess the same advantage

There are musicians that I greatly admire for their talent and their creativity. But I
don't hate them for it; no, I truly love their work, i.e. I'm a fan rather than a rival.
For example: famed sessions musician Carol Kaye laid down smooth jazz lines with
an electric bass using nothing more than a flat guitar pick. I wish I could do what
Carol does; at the same time wish her all the best and would sincerely like for her
to continue playing and teaching forever.

But when admiration is mixed with pain and resentment, it can become ugly and
extremely dangerous.

For example, it was the ugly kind of envy that motivated Cain to murder his kid
brother, and it was the ugly kind of envy that motivated Joseph's brothers to sell
him into slavery, and it was the ugly kind of envy that motivated Jesus' opponents
to have him arrested and put to death.

People prone to the ugly kind of envy share a very common denominator: they
simply must be either equal to, or better than, others. It's that simple. And if they
cannot be equal to, or better than others, then nothing would make them happier
than to see those others failed, maimed, silenced, disfigured, dishonored,
disgraced, humiliated, handicapped for life and/or deceased.
_
 
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● 1Pet 2:1 . . Lay aside all evil speaking

The Greek word for "evil speaking" basically pertains to defamation; defined by
Webster's as the act of deliberately communicating false statements about a person
that injures their reputation.

For example there was a case in the courts not that long ago wherein a notable
politician initiated a Russian collusion hoax with the intent to destroy the public's
trust in a former US President's integrity.
_
 
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● 1Pet 2:11 . . Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly
lusts, which wage war against the soul.

"When in Rome, do as the Romans do" is normally good advice to tourists and
immigrants; but when your real world is in Heaven rather than on the earth, then
Christians have to be on guard against picking up cultural mores that conflict with
Heaven's.

"fleshly lusts" pertain to human nature's longings and cravings. Not all are bad for
us. The ones we need to avoid indulging are the inordinate ones, viz: those that
wage war against the soul, i.e. have a marked effect upon the core of our being.

* An example of this is located in the 13th chapter of 2Samuel.
_
 
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● 1Pet 2:12 . . Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the
thing in which they slander you as malefactors, they may on account of your
good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.

The Greek word for "malefactors" is somewhat ambiguous. It can, among other
things, refer to a bad influence.

The Greek word for "visitation" is another ambiguous word that can mean, among
other things, inspection and/or evaluation.

Webster’s defines "inspection" as a checking or testing of an individual against
established standards.

If it turns out that the criticism hurled at believers was unjustified, then the hurlers
will have to pay. In so doing, how will they glorify God? Well, the slanderers
themselves may not pay their respects to God, but their retribution will certainly
honor His standards.
_
 
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● 1Pet 2:13-15 . . Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for The Lord's sake:
whether it be to the king, as supreme; or unto governors, as unto them that are
sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do
well. For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the
ignorance of foolish men.

Every ordinance of man of course includes traffic laws like J-walking, unsafe lane
changes, drifting through stop signs, tailgating, road rage, exceeding speed limits,
feeding parking meters, crossing streets against the light, blocking driveways,
failure to yield the right of way, illegal U-turns; etc.

"foolish men" would include employee theft, factions like ANTIFA, and activists
involved in civil disobedience.

"ignorance" can be defined as a lack of knowledge, education, and/or awareness.
Used the wrong way; labeling someone ignorant is an effective insult. But to us it
means that someone either hasn't been sufficiently catechized to know any better
or they are handicapped with a low IQ.

* Human government isn't the end-all; it's only a tier in the hierarchy. The top tier
belongs to the supreme being, and His word is the final word. (e.g. Acts 4:19 &
5:29)
_
 
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● 1Pet 2:16a . . Live as free men

Some of Christ's believing followers in the Roman empire were slaves; so it was
legally impossible for them to live as free men without risking severe consequences.

I think what we're looking at here is that Peter is encouraging the Christians to
whom he wrote to voluntarily accept their status as slaves instead of resenting it.
In other words: free men have choices; and even though some of the Christians
were slaves against their will, they were free to choose to make the best of it or let
it get to them.

A pretty useful platitude that I once heard goes like this: Bloom where you're
planted. So; if you should find yourself planted in adverse circumstances; make up
your mind to make the best of it. This is something wherein you have a choice;
even though you have no choice about being stuck. It's really all about attitude
adjustment.
_
 
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● 1Pet 2:16b . . Do not use your freedom as a cloak for evil; live as servants
of God.

That passage is likely a reiteration of the one below:

"You were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an
opportunity for the flesh" (Gal 5:13)

No sin that a believer commits will ever again put them in danger of the wrath of
God.

"I assure you, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me
have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have
already passed from death into life." (John 5:24)

However, folks unified with Christ should never regard John 5:24 as a license to
steal, so to speak. It's liberty to steal in that they are in no danger of the
consequences listed at Lev 26:14-39, Deut 27:15-26, and Deut 28:15-68, but
certainly not license because theft is just as wrong for God's friends and allies as it
is for His enemies (Rom 6:1-15). Just because believers won't suffer the sum of all
fears for theft is not an eo ipso exemption for them to have a go at it.
_
 
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● 1Pet 2:17a . . Honor all men.

Right after the Flood, God outlawed taking human life; and the reason given for the
ban was not because killing people is necessarily wrong, but because people were
made in the likeness of God. (Gen 9:5-6)

James criticizes the use of language that expresses a wish that someone be sent to
Hell. The reason given is not because that sort of language is necessarily wrong,
but because people were made in the likeness of God. (Jas 3:8-9)

I gather that failure to treat everyone with dignity-- regardless of age, race,
gender, or status --not only dishonors men but by extension also dishonors God in
whose likeness all men were made.

FAQ: Does that mean even serial killers, mass murderers, and monsters like Osama
Bin Laden, Robert Mugabe, Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Saddam Hussein, and crooks
like Al Capone and Bernie Madoff have to be treated humanely and with dignity the
same as everyone else?

REPLY: Yes, absolutely because the honor that Peter is talking about doesn't have
to be earned, merited or otherwise deserved because it's given to all without
reservation.

Take for example Lev 19:32 which reads like this:

"Rise in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your
God. I am The Lord"

Senior citizens don't have earn our respect, i.e. it's neither merited nor otherwise
deserved. The only requirement is age; and failure to dignify senior citizens fails to
dignify God and comply with His expectations.

NOTE: I've seen young Christians in Sunday school treat senior citizens as peers,
and sometimes even as children. That kind of conduct is not only disturbing, but it's
also very unbecoming for Christian people.
_
 
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● 1Pet 2:17b . . love the brotherhood

The Greek word translated "brotherhood" appears in only two places in the entire
new testament; both are in the apostle Peter's epistles: one here and the other in
1Pet 5:9.

It's a curious word because it doesn't specifically refer to "the church which is his
body". Adelphotes basically means a fraternity; defined by Webster's as a group of
people associated or formally organized for a common purpose, interest, or
pleasure; i.e. persons of the same class, profession, character, or tastes: for
example leagues, guilds, societies, and trade unions.

Just to be on the safe side, I think we should assume that Peter's instructions apply
to anyone and everyone identifying themselves as a Christian regardless of their
denominational affiliation.

One thing to our advantage is that the Greek word for "love" in 1Pet 2:17 is
impersonal, viz: it requires neither fondness nor affection; it only requires that we
be humane, e.g. civil, courteous, friendly, peaceable, hospitable, sympathetic,
tolerant, lenient, forgiving, charitable, and generous. In other words; we don't
especially have to like everyone identifying themselves as Christians; we just have
to be tolerant.
_
 
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● 1Pet 2:17c . . fear God, honor the king.

There are times when it isn't possible to honor both God and king. When that
happens-- and it does --take the high road, i.e. honor God above the king because
God is superior to everyone there is, and to every name that can be named. This
principle goes way back; especially for God's people: the Jews.

"Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all
your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." (Deut 6:4-6)

"You be the judge; whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to men rather
than to God." (Acts 4:19)

"We must obey God rather than men." (Acts 5:29)
_
 
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● 1Pet 2:18-19 . . Servants, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not
only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. For it
is commendable if a man bears up under the grief of unjust suffering because he is
conscious of God.

In free lands like the USA, the master/servant relationship is a thing of the past.
However, Peter's instructions still apply to all who work for a living as employees.

The Greek word for "commendable" is ordinarily translated "grace" viz: gracious

Whether supervisors are angels or pigs we still have to give them the level of
courtesy that their position deserves because that's how we need to behave if we
wish to be seen in Heaven as truly God-fearing instead of heathen.
_
 
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● 1Pet 3:1-2 . . In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands
so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without
a word by the behavior of their wives, as they observe your chaste and respectful
behavior.

Peter began his instructions with the words “in the same way” which refer back to
1Pet 2:18-25 wherein he taught Christ's followers the Christian way to cope with
abusive management practices.
_
 
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● 1Pet 3:3-5 . . Wives, let not your adornment be merely external-- braiding the
hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses --but let it be the hidden
person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which
is precious in the sight of God.

Some of the more ascetic Christians have attempted to use that passage to insist
it's wrong for women to wear cosmetics. No, the apostle Peter is only reflecting an
old Portuguese proverb that goes something like this: A beleza não ajusta a tabela
(Beauty doesn't set the table) which simply means a pretty girl might be amazing in
yoga pants but that's no assurance she's any good as a homemaker.

Hollywood movies often portray "spirited" women as somehow desirable. No, they
aren't desirable; they're feral, they demean men and make them miserable.
Hollywood also commonly portrays women slapping men in the face and getting
away with it. That is NOT what Peter means by a "gentle and quiet spirit" and
besides, slapping is the criminal act of assault and battery-- not what I would call
setting a good example for growing girls.

"Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Matt 5:3)

"Blessed are the peaceable: for they shall be known as God's kin." (Matt 5:9)

An assertive, confrontational woman is neither peaceable nor poor in spirit; no, in
point of fact she's quite militant, obnoxious, chafing, critical, temperamental,
impudent, and arrogant. Those might be desirable characteristics for strong females
in television and movie roles but clearly not desirable in a Christian wife.

When a Christian wife gets all dressed up to her nines, but yet lacks a "gentle and
quiet spirit" then her ensemble is incomplete. In point of fact, an assertive,
confrontational wife is, in reality, nothing less than a domesticated beast.

"As a jewel of gold in a swine's snout, so is a fair woman which is without
discretion." (Prov 11:22)

So then, by all means Christian women should continue to shop at SEPHORA, but
at the same time make an effort to be agreeable too.
_
 
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● 1Pet 3:6 . . . Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord; and you have become her
daughters if you do what is right without being frightened by any fear.

Sarah's submission to Abraham was voluntary, i.e. she was neither coerced nor
intimidated. Abraham didn't have to break Sarah's spirit by violence, neglect, or
abuse.

That's very interesting because Sarah's original name was Sarai (Gen 17:15) which
in Hebrew means dominative, i.e. domineering. I can't imagine any parent tagging
their little girl with a bossy name like that, but apparently it was appropriate, viz;
baby Sarai must've been a demanding little tyke right from the get-go.

I don't know how or why it came about, but somewhere along the line in their
relationship; Sarah decided within herself that it was far better for the home to
negotiate with her husband rather than destroying his peace of mind with
ultimatums, walk-outs, foot stomping, looking at him with daggers, silent
treatments, withholding conjugal rights, serving cold food, grumpiness,
assertiveness, stone walling, brow beating, chafing, nagging, slamming doors, hissy
fits, and likely a number of other methods that wives employ to manipulate their
men.

In other words: Sarah decided to exercise diplomacy in her relationship with
Abraham; and the important point to note is that she chose that route voluntarily,
i.e. by simply making up her own mind about it.

I get that from the fact that Sarah called Abraham her lord kind of late in the
marriage. Her first recorded expression of that designation doesn't show up till Gen
18:12 after they had been together in the land of Canaan something like 25 years
prior to the birth of Isaac. (Gen 12:4-5 & Gen 17:17)
_
 
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● 1Pet 3:7a . . You husbands, dwell with your wives according to knowledge

The Greek word translated "knowledge" basically means knowing (as information)
in other words: facts and/or ideas acquired by study, education, training,
investigation, observation, research, and/or experience.

There are young boys being brought up by macho (a.k.a. toxic) fathers teaching
their sons to "control their women". Well, that might be an acceptable marriage
philosophy in the home of a Muslim fundamentalist and/or a club-toting
Neanderthal, but not in the home of a man passing himself off as one of Christ's
followers. In a pious home, Christian husbands are neither required nor expected to
tame their Christian wives seeing as how the onus is upon the wives themselves to
exercise their own self control.

It's required of Christ's followers to love their enemies, but it's not required to like
their enemies nor is it required to always have a good opinion about them. If a
man's enemies include his wife, then of course Jesus' instructions apply there too.

So then; although a Christian husband's love for his wife need not include the
elements of affection and/or fondness; the love he extends to his wife does need to
include the element of benevolence, along with diplomacy; which Webster's defines
as skill in handling affairs without arousing hostility, viz: tact. Benevolence is
defined as the disposition to do good, i.e. kindness.
_
 
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● 1Pet 3:7b . . Give honor unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel,

NOTE: Although husbands are senior in the Christian marriage relationship, their
position doesn't grant them carte blanch to mistreat their wives any more than
Jesus has carte blanch to mistreat his church. (cf. Eph 5:28-30)

The Greek word for "honor" basically means: a value, i.e. money paid.

The word for "weaker" basically means: having no strength, i.e. fragile.

And the word for "vessel" basically indicates anything from a soup bowl to a
cardboard box; in other words: a container.

Peter isn't saying women are physically weaker than men; but that Christian
husbands should exercise the same care with their wives as they would a fragile
antique worth thousands of dollars like, say, a Ming vase. Nobody in their right
mind handles a Ming vase like a farmer handles a 5-gallon bucket. Not that some
women couldn't take that kind of handling; it's just that its unbecoming for a
Christian man to lack sensitivity.

This particular assessed value isn't an intrinsic value, nor is it a deserved value
either; but rather, it's a gratuitous value. In other words: Christ commands
Christian husbands to categorize their wives up there with Dresden china even if
she's as tough as a female cop and/or a UFC mixed martial artist the likes of
Rhonda Rousey-- and this is not a choice; no, it isn't optional; it's required.

Christian husbands who treat their Skil saws and their tomato plants with more
care and concern than they treat their wives can just forget about associating with
God on any meaningful level.

● 1Pet 3:7c . . as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not
hindered.

Note the word "together" which is quite the opposite of autonomy and/or
independence.

Couples sometimes assert themselves with words like "What I do is between me
and The Lord." No; marriage changes everything between one's self and The Lord
because people become one flesh in marriage: no longer two sovereign individuals.
_
 
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● 1Pet 3:8a . . Finally, all of you be of one mind

Peter’s not talking about the nerve center of a Borg-hive collective. The Greek word
translated "one mind" basically means harmonious; and this is the only place in the
entire New Testament where that word appears.

Webster’s defines "harmonious" as: 1) musically concordant, 2) having the parts
agreeably related; viz: congruous, and 3) marked by accord in sentiment or action.

Peter's instructions emphasize the third element-- "marked by accord in sentiment
or action". Head-strong Christians, domineering Christians, and those for whom
every disagreement is either an affront or an act of war to win at any cost-- those
for whom the words diplomacy and tact have no meaning --of course have trouble
complying with 1Pet 3:8a; that is: if they even consider it worthy of their notice.

Anyway; Peter's instructions relate to a timeless complaint that goes something like
this: Why can't we all just get along? (cf. Ps 133)
_
 
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● 1Pet 3:8b-9 . . Have compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be
courteous; not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing, but contrariwise:
benevolence.

"compassion" is from a Greek word that basically means having a fellow-feeling;
viz: empathy, i.e. mutual commiseration.

One of the meanings of commiserate is condole: like when we share someone's
grief at the passing of a loved one, or their job has been outsourced to cheap labor
in a foreign country, or they've lost their entire retirement fund to an unscrupulous
corporation like ENRON, or their life savings to a crooked Ponzi schemer like Bernie
Madoff, or when there's news from their doctor they have to begin chemo-therapy
for a recently detected advanced cancer, or when the car of a single mom with
limited income needs expensive repairs.

People in those predicaments are in no mood for philosophical platitudes.

The Greek word translated "railing" basically means slander or vituperation; which
Webster's defines as 1) to abuse or censure severely or abusively; viz: berate, and
2) to use harsh condemnatory language.

Toxic rejoinders fall into that category; which are defined as a usually rude or angry
reply to something written or said; viz: insensitive retorts deliberately meant to
hurt people's feelings; viz: tit for tat, i.e. food fights. That kind of behavior doesn't
go unnoticed.

"I say to you, that every careless word that men shall speak, they shall render
account for it in the day of judgment. For by your words you shall be justified, and
by your words you shall be condemned." (Matt 12:36-37)
_
 
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● 1Pet 3:10-11 . . Let him who means to love life and see good days refrain his
tongue from evil and his lips from speaking guile. And let him turn away from evil
and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it.

Webster's defines "guile" as duplicity which is defined as: contradictory doubleness
of thought, speech, or action; especially in the belying of one's true intentions by
deceptive words or action; in other words, speaking with a forked tongue and/or
saying one thing while meaning another.

Quite a bit is said in the Bible about the words people speak, whereas little to
nothing is said about the words they write. That could be because so many people
back in the day were illiterate. But surely one's written words have just as much
voice as one's spoken words; else we couldn't justify calling the Bible the word of
God.

Good and evil are here juxtaposed as benevolence vs malevolence, i.e. good will vs
ill will.

To "seek peace and pursue it" is blessing-worthy.

"Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God." (Matt 5:9)

If it's true that only peaceable kinds of people qualify to wear the label "children of
God" then the opposite is just as true: difficult Christians are unworthy of the
distinction.
_
 
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● 1Pet 3:14a . . If you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed.

The Greek word translated "blessed" means fortunate.

The righteousness spoken of here is likely relative to a moral code in agreement
with divine standards-- which are more or less set in concrete --whereas the
world's moral codes are typically flexible, i.e. aligned with cultural/political
standards.

* Circumstances are unpleasant for Christians living in countries dominated by
Islam and Communism. Though I pity them, the Bible says I should count those
particular Christians fortunate. Apparently they will be compensated in ways
unavailable to us who live in the free world.
_
 

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