Humility – Page 14 – Three Minute Bible

July 27, 2020July 28, 2020

1 Peter 2:13-14 — Human Authority

Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, 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.

We have spent two days talking about the first seven words of verse 13. In “The Meaning of Submit” and “For His Sake” we looked at what it means to submit, or “put under,” and why this is important to Christians. Now we look at the rest of this verse and the next.

We live in a time where everything is seemingly being turned upside down. The year of this writing is 2020. If you are reading this at some future date, you will know how 2020 turned out. For the rest of us, reading this in the middle of this unusual year, we are still wondering what will happen.

July 26, 2020July 27, 2020

1 Peter 2:13 (b) — For His Sake

Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake…

Peter is asking us to do something none of us want to do. Now he tells us why we should want to: Because of Jesus.

How does that work?

July 25, 2020July 27, 2020

1 Peter 2:13 (a) — The Meaning of Submit

Picture of man's silhouette kneeling before the cross.

Submit…

The word “triggered” has taken on new meaning in the English lexicon. It has always been around, of course, and used in the practical sense of activating something with a trigger. During the war, if a booby trap was set off you would say it had been “triggered.” These days the word is often used to describe a strong adverse emotional reaction to something. For example, “The student in the front row was triggered when the instructor mentioned that they had voted for the president.”

Words that set off an emotional reaction are “trigger words.” One of the oldest trigger words in the English language is the word, “submit.”

July 24, 2020July 24, 2020

1 Peter 2:12 — Smeared

Picture of brown and white and cream colors all confused.

Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.

This is another challenging text. Peter is starting a section of his letter that describes how to live among unbelievers. As I think about what he is teaching us, it feels like we are sitting in on a master’s class for Christian living.

In today’s passage, we are talking about neighbors or coworkers who accuse us of doing wrong. (Peter assumes we are innocent!) Has this ever happened to you? It has for me. It can be a terrifying experience. In an instant, everything you thought was solid ground can be swept away.

July 21, 2020July 21, 2020

1 Peter 2:10 — Party Clothes

Picture of a banquet room set up for a wedding feast.

Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

I once attended a church whose pastor was a master storyteller. I have never in my life had the pleasure of being entertained by someone so gifted in making a story come to life. Often, the story illustrated a Bible passage. One Sunday, he told a story about the parable of the wedding banquet from Matthew 22: 1-14.

The story was told in his unusual, vivid style. I remember it to this day. The mental images he conjured in my mind are indelible. Sadly, his telling of the story seemed to muddle the point of the Biblical account.

July 18, 2020July 18, 2020

1 Peter 2:7 (b) — Choices

Picture of white arrows on a green background with the words "Possibility" placed next to the arrows.

But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone…”

Have you ever been one of those people who hate to make choices? I have. I would overthink every little decision. When I finally made a decision I would wonder if I should have chosen differently. Another version of this was the knocking of opportunity. Should I take this opportunity or wait for something better?

All this overthinking and worrying resulted in stress. It also meant I never felt certain about anything. Ironically, finding Jesus put an end to all that anxiety. Suddenly the question, “Is this God’s will?” trumped everything.

July 16, 2020July 17, 2020

1 Peter 2:6 — Read

Picture of a small boy reading an old Bible.

For in Scripture it says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”

Today Peter leads us through the first of three Old Testament passages. He has carefully laid out his teaching about Jesus being a “living Stone.” He points out that this “stone” has been rejected by humans but is precious to God. Then he explains that when we are in Christ, we are like living stones, too. Now he walks us through the Scriptural foundations for his teaching.

How do we know that the Bible is God’s Word? One very important clue is the consistency of God’s Word throughout the Bible.

July 15, 2020July 16, 2020

1 Peter 2:5 (c) — At the Foot of the Cross

Picture of the cross silhouetted against the morning sky.

…offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

This may be one of the most important verses in the Bible. Oh, I know…it looks benign. You can read it and think, “Nice verse…” and go on with your reading. But when I look at this verse I see all the threads in the Bible coming together into one place.

I can guess what you are thinking. You are probably thinking, “Okay, Jeff. Go ahead. Show me how this ties together all the threads in the Bible. But remember, this is ThreeMinuteBible.com, not TwentyYearBible.com, okay?” Okay. Fair enough. Since we are constrained on time, I will use large brush strokes again and see if I can paint a picture of what I see.

July 11, 2020July 11, 2020

1 Peter 2:4 (a) — Cornerstone

Picture shows the base of two Greek columns build on a foundation of stone.

As you come to him, the living Stone—

These are the opening words of a beautiful passage. Peter is beginning a description of a house built of stone. But more than a house, it is a temple. A holy place.

The Scripture reference that he uses as the “foundation” of his own words is from the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 28: 16). Isaiah is chastising Israel and Judah for abandoning the Lord. Through Isaiah, God explains his plan going forward.

July 9, 2020July 9, 2020

1 Peter 2: 2 (a) — In Search of Truth

A picture of a man looking through binoculars.

Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk…

In looking over Peter’s letter, I get the impression that he is giving us a “Cliff Notes” version of the entire New Testament in a few words. I marvel at the consistency of God’s Word. Whether we look through the lens of Luke, Paul, James, or Peter, the message is consistent.

I’ve helped to raise a couple of amazing young men from when they were very tiny babies, but that doesn’t mean that I am an expert on babies. I do know, however, that there are different kinds of babies. The kind of baby that Peter is talking about is “newborn.”