Commentary on First Peter (53)

1 PETER 2:13-17
Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.

For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.

There is a central purpose to Peter's letter – it is to encourage and instruct Christians who would face harsh persecution and unjust treatment at the hands of unbelievers. Until now, he has been testifying to the greatness of the salvation that his readers have received – that is, about what God has done, about what he has made them in Christ, and about how all of this has made a difference between them and the unbelievers. This provides the Christians with the necessary theological perspective from which they can understand and endure their sufferings. It also provides the foundation for the rest of the letter, as Peter now turns to consider how Christians ought to behave within specific situations and relationships.

He prominently addresses three items, namely, the believers' relationship to government (2:13-17), to masters (2:18-20), and to spouses (3:1-7). Of course, believers also function in spheres other than those Peter mentions; however, keep in mind that he is writing to instruct them on how to think and behave in the face of persecution, and one form of persecution is slander, or false accusations about what the Christians believe and how they behave. It could be that Peter is especially concerned about the false accusations regarding the Christians' view toward human authority, that the Christian faith has been misinterpreted as a religion that stirs up rebellion in its adherents.

Some false accusations are especially dangerous, such as those that portray Christians as lawless and unruly troublemakers, or even insurrectionists plotting to overturn the existing government. When circulated and believed, these false ideas about the faith would naturally lead to harsher forms of persecution, including the state's official opposition. Then, for the believers, what is even worse is that these false accusations attack God's honor, our chief concern. Therefore, although wicked men will always slander the faith, believers must seek to minimize the damage and even glorify the Lord by their holy speech and conduct.