1 Peter 2: Living Like Christ in the Heart of Society

Introduction

A nursing home, a kindergarten, a school, a university, a hospital. What do these five things have in common? They are all essential to the life of a society. But Bert Görzen, pastor of FeG Mainz (Freie evangelische Gemeinde Mainz), points out another thing they share: "They all have something to do with Christianity."

It is a largely forgotten fact, he reminds us: much of the social foundation of our societies rests on the commitment of Christians in the past. Being a Christian therefore does not mean withdrawing into a parallel world and leaving public life to others. Being a Christian means living in the middle of society with the good of everyone at heart.

This message is part of a series on the first letter of Peter, which asks a question: how do you live as a Christian in a society that sociologists call "post-Christian"? Today's theme is living according to Christ in the heart of society. Peter gives guidance for four pillars of life together: community life, the state, work and marriage.

Message outline

1. What society owes to Christians

Hospitals and care homes trace back to the Christian orders of the Middle Ages, such as the Knights Hospitaller of Saint John and the Franciscans. Their motivation was love of neighbor toward the sick and those who depend on others.
The European school and university came almost entirely out of monastic and cathedral schools. Orders such as the Jesuits shaped higher education for centuries.
In the 19th century, kindergartens developed thanks to women's religious congregations and deaconesses.
For the pastor, this is still our mission today, perhaps more than ever: society is losing the good values of the Christian faith as it cuts itself off from its roots. We want to shape it and contribute to it constructively, with values that Jesus lived and entrusted to us.

2. Foreigners in the world, for the good of the world

Peter writes: "Beloved, I beg you as foreigners and pilgrims, to abstain from fleshly lusts, which wage war against the soul" (1 Peter 2:11). He calls for good conduct among those who do not know God, so that when they see the good that is done, they will glorify God (verse 12).
Being a "foreigner in the world" often has a negative sound: being cut off from reality. Peter does not mean it that way. We belong to this world, but we do not let its values determine who we are. We are citizens of heaven, of the kingdom of God, with other laws and other standards, and this is for the good of this world. Jesus said it in the Gospel of John: we are not of the world, but we are in the world.
How do we live in an exemplary way? In a hard-fought battle, the good has to win. Inside us, a battle is being fought between our "self" and Jesus. If the self wins, we are on an "ego trip". If Jesus wins, we no longer live only for ourselves; we have the good of others in view.
The outcome of this battle matters for society too, which is already marked by individualization. The pastor cites the political scientist Heike Leitschuh and her book Ich zuerst! Eine Gesellschaft auf dem Ego-Trip ("Me first! A society on an ego trip"): rudeness has become normal in public and is spreading into private life; empathy and solidarity, two pillars of a humane society, are eroding more and more.
This battle sometimes seems lost in advance, but we do not fight it alone. Jesus does not just give us values: he lives in us and helps us live them out. "Let's fight with Jesus" and do good to society by not circling only around ourselves but keeping the other person in view. That is what we call love of neighbor.

3. Respecting the state without giving it first place

Peter asks the Christians of Asia Minor to submit, "for the Lord's sake", to every established authority, to the emperor as well as to governors (1 Peter 2:13-17). It is astonishing: the emperor at the time was Nero, known for launching a harsh persecution of Christians. According to tradition, Peter himself was executed under his reign.
Why no call to revolt, contempt or revenge? Because the order of the state is in principle willed by God, who has given it the power to organize civil life. Any form of state is better than anarchy.
This does not mean following the authorities in everything. Our supreme authority is neither a state nor a political leader: it is Jesus. The first Christians respected those in power, but they refused to worship the emperor and the Roman gods, even when the law required it. "We respect Jesus even more."
In practical terms, Christians are friends of the state and of its constitution. The pastor calls for gratitude: living in a democracy, with so many freedoms and the equality of all before the law, is a blessing. "We certainly grumble a lot, but we should be even more thankful."
And when we criticize, how do we do it? Peter speaks of respect: "Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king" (verse 17). We can name what is wrong and vote to steer the country, but without contempt, hatred or mockery, as we see so often on social media. Political leaders, including those we disagree with, are God's creatures, made in his image.

4. Praying first of all for those who govern

Paul urges, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercessions and thanksgivings be made for all people, "for kings and all who are in high places", so that we may lead a peaceful life (1 Timothy 2:1-2).
Praying for those who govern is probably not foreign to us. What may be more foreign is the "first of all" in the text: making it a priority.
"What if, as Christian citizens, we grumbled a little less and prayed a little more?" Pray for a government built on values, for the right people to be elected, for society to stay united, for wisdom in the face of the world's crises and wars.

5. At work: respect and the ability to endure

Peter addresses slaves: submit to your masters, both good and harsh, and patiently bear unjust suffering out of faithfulness to God (1 Peter 2:18-20).
Two objections come naturally. First, Peter does not say that slavery is good: he takes it as the setting for his argument. The Christian value is freedom, and it has prevailed in history. William Wilberforce, an English politician, fought the slave trade out of Christian conviction and obtained in 1807 a law from the British Parliament against the slave trade. "God is not for slavery. He is for equality, justice and freedom."
Second, work today is very different. The text can only be carried over with caution and in a general way, but two values remain: respect and a willingness to suffer. The pastor notes in passing that anyone who looks after children does an immense service to tomorrow's society, even without paid employment.
Do we stay respectful toward a boss who treats us badly or unfairly? Do we have the courage not to take part in conversations where the boss is being run down?
This is not about putting up with everything: we have the right to resign, and sometimes that is the right thing to do. But before doing so, we can ask ourselves: "Does God perhaps still want to use me here?" These principles can change the atmosphere at work and make colleagues curious about the source of our values: Jesus.

6. In marriage: a love that knows how to step back

The German Basic Law places marriage and family under the special protection of the state (Article 6, paragraph 1): marriage is seen there as the basic cell of society. Stable marriages are good for the spouses and for the whole of society.
Peter speaks to wives about submission and about an inner beauty rather than hairstyles and jewelry, then to husbands about living with understanding and respect toward their wives, who are fellow heirs of the grace of life (1 Peter 3:1-7). The pastor acknowledges a delicate text with "plenty of potential for misunderstanding".
The biggest misunderstanding would be to read it as a text hostile to women. What submission covers exactly varies from culture to culture, and each couple has to discern it. But it does not mean that the wife comes after the husband: according to the creation account, man and woman are both created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). In the ancient Near East, only kings were called images of God; the Bible shatters that privilege.
Husbands are bound too: to be considerate and understanding (verse 7), and to love their wives "just as Christ also loved the assembly, and gave himself up for it" (Ephesians 5:25).
Peter does not forbid looking beautiful: he says that character matters more than appearance, which applies to men as well. And the "weaker vessel" (verse 7) does not speak of a moral or intellectual weakness, an idea common in antiquity but not Christian. Peter means that men must not use their physical superiority against their wives: domestic violence must remain a taboo.
At bottom, the text is about consideration, respect, understanding and kindness. Individualization pushes us in marriage too to think: "It's about me, about my needs." The pastor cites a couples specialist: the growing fragility of marriage comes from the enormous expectations placed on it, to make up for emotional gaps, to deliver sexual fulfillment, to offer deep intimacy and at the same time to allow us to pursue our own plans. If marriage exists only for me, it cannot last.
Jesus showed us that fulfilling relationships are possible when we do not think only of ourselves. "Love is above all keeping the other person in view."

7. Not leaving your faith in the cloakroom

The pastor sums it up: fight our selfishness and let love of neighbor win; speak respectfully of those who govern, vote and pray for them; treat colleagues and bosses with respect and, if necessary, endure, unless a line is crossed; live in marriage a love like Christ's, which knows how to step back for the other.
He concludes with a quotation from German Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier: "I am a Christian, I am involved in the Protestant church. Of course my faith has something to do with my actions in society. I don't leave my religion in the cloakroom when I go to the office in the morning."
In his closing prayer, he reminds us that Jesus has placed us in this society with a mission: to be salt and light (Matthew 5:13-14), not to stay among ourselves, and to meet people in such a way that they are fascinated by Jesus and his values.

Key takeaways

Christians built a large part of the social foundation of our countries; living out your faith does not mean withdrawing into a parallel world.
We are in the world without being of the world: the battle between our "self" and Jesus is fought with him, for the good of others.
We respect the state and pray first of all for those who govern, but our supreme authority remains Jesus.
At work as in marriage, respect and a love that steps back reflect Christ and make others curious about the source of our values.

Personal application

In which area of your life is your "self" winning the battle against Jesus right now?
How do you talk about political leaders, with your family or on social media? Do you pray for them as much as you criticize them?
Is there a conversation at work you should step away from, or a situation where God may still want to use you?
If you are married, what do you expect from your marriage for yourself, and how could you step back for the other person this week?

Verses cited

Frequently asked questions

What does it mean to be "foreigners" in the world according to 1 Peter 2?

For Bert Görzen, Peter is not talking about Christians cut off from reality. We belong to this world, but we do not let its values govern us. As citizens of God's kingdom, we live by its standards, for the good of the world: in the world, but not of the world.

Why does Peter ask people to submit to the emperor when it was Nero?

Because the order of the state is willed by God to regulate life together. But Peter specifies that we submit "for the Lord's sake": our supreme authority is Jesus. The first Christians respected the state while refusing to worship the emperor.

Does 1 Peter 3 put women down in marriage?

No, according to the preacher. Man and woman are both created in the image of God, and the text also calls husbands to understanding and respect. The heart of the passage is an attentive love that knows how to step back for the other person.