DISCUSSION GUIDE
Read: 1 Peter 2 11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 12 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. 13 Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, 14 or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. 16 Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. 17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor. 18 Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. 19 For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. 21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. 22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were straying like sheep but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
Q1: What authority have you been under (or are you under) that has been difficult for you to trust and follow? Why?
Q2: How would you do things differently now related to that person(s) in authority? How could you do things differently?
Read: Mark 12: 13 And they sent to him some of the Pharisees and some of the Herodians, to trap him in his talk. 14 And they came and said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are true and do not care about anyone’s opinion. For you are not swayed by appearances, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not?” 15 But, knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, “Why put me to the test? Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.” 16 And they brought one. And he said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said to him, “Caesar’s.” 17 Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they marveled at him.
Q3: Using the passage from Peter and from Mark, what are some principles you can derive related to being good citizens in the place God has chosen for you?
Q4: What biblical examples can you think of (some were given in the sermon) where it is right to not obey civil authorities? What principles can you derive from Scripture related to when it is appropriate or necessary to disobey authorities?
Q5: Peter said that part of our calling is to sometimes suffer unjustly. When this happens, we are to follow the example of Jesus. Using the example of the Lord, what would it look like to honor God in the face of being treated unjustly? What is Peter “not” saying? (He isn’t saying we can never speak out or take a stand. He isn’t saying we should not look out for others who are being mistreated.)
Q6: “Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.” Unpack this verse. What are some practical implications for you of what Peter is saying here in this very concise passage? (For instance, Read Galatians 1:10. We are only to fear (seek to please) God, not people.)
Q7: In the military it is sometimes said that “you must respect the rank even if you don’t respect the person wearing the rank.” Why is this an important principle and how does it apply in a wide variety of circumstances where authority is in place?
Q8: If the people over whom you have some authority had the same level of expectations or demands of you that you have for your authorities, do you think you would measure up? Why or why not?
Q9: Everyone lives under authority. What do you think it means that the “authority of self is an enslaving tyrant?”