1 Peter 2:13-15—Concerning the laws of men

Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right. For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men. 1 Peter 2:13-15

Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors…

This section of Scripture is an easy one to embrace when leadership is wise and just. However, it is far more difficult to abide by these verses when those in positions of authority violate laws of their choosing, exhibit little respect for God, and express open disdain for those who hold to their faith in Christ.

Nevertheless, as believers, part of our call is to respect the laws of the land and those who implement them as well as those who enforce them. Christians are to live in such a way that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men.

You know as well as I that many Christians have been challenged recently for culturally-unpopular stances on various laws and accepted mores of society. Memes circulated in the digital world indict those who take godly stands now considered distasteful…and in some cases, illegal.

I’ve read over and over on Facebook and comment threads scathing indictments against folks who oppose abortion, those who speak out against homosexual marriage, and conscientious objectors on any number of other topics who refuse to accept majority viewpoints.

Does Peter’s admonition mean that you must throw away your conviction and shut up about laws and worldviews embraced by the culture? Does your faith restrict your civic responsibility to going along to get along?

Let’s look at Peter himself to find out.

Not too long after the death and resurrection of Jesus, Peter and John were walking to the temple. On the way, they met a lame man for whom they prayed. He was healed and started jumping around and praising God. As you can imagine, this caused quite a stir among the people. The leadership was offended by all of this and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. The same Peter who wrote about obeying the law said to the rulers, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:18-19).

And guess what? Later that day Peter and his friends prayed about it—not in repentance for breaking the law—but in bold defiance: “And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Your bond-servants may speak Your word with all confidence, while You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Your holy servant Jesus” (verses 29-30).

Under those circumstances, Peter was absolutely comfortable about defying ungodly rules imposed by men who opposed God’s will. Using Peter’s example, it is safe to say that in our time, Christians are justified when they choose to obey their convictions based on Scripture rather than laws that violate the Word. To insist otherwise—based on verses about obeying the law—is to inaccurately interpret the Bible.

… as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right.

Those who are in positions of authority hold offices established by God. This does not necessarily mean that the humans in those positions are godly; it simply means that God instituted human authority for the purpose of punishing those who do wrong and shining a positive light on the ones who do what is right. Even if the person in power is demonstrably evil, your job is to obey just laws—laws that ensure safety, well-being, and justice. Just because the man or woman in office has unscriptural views and stances doesn’t mean that every law under their jurisdiction is wrong. You must obey the law—unless it violates the Word of God.

For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men.

Slander—and at times, worse—happens to those who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus (see 2 Timothy 3:12). Despite that…and because of that…as you consistently do what is right in your daily life, your very behavior will ultimately silence—and expose—those who rage foolishly against you and your faith. You can count on this: God will back you with His power.

Not many of us are five-fold ministers; but all of us who believe are ambassadors of Christ and epistles read of men. Your very life declares the wisdom and truth of God. Because of this, you and I are accountable to God and to those around us to do right, to obey just laws, and above all, to obey God.

Dorothy

…let God be found true, though every man be found a liar… Romans 3:4b

…And the government will rest on His shoulders… Isaiah 9:6b

© 2015, Dorothy Frick