1 Peter 2, Yeshua influences listeners to pursue the good during their lifetime

CJB emphasis in bold (online), green, red, and blue with footnotes in blue; NIV in magenta; Nomads* comments in yellow; and my comments in gray.   *Participative Sunday-school-class at UBC led by Kenneth Tipton. My continually improved statement about Genesis 1:26-28 is at the end.

Peter wrote about 3 decades after Yeshua was executed. I perceive key civic advice to the good in the scripture that follows this summary, including:

1.     Be open-minded and open-hearted to all people.

2.     Pursue Yeshua’s motivation and inspiration.

3.     Accept power and authority to reject erroneous life styles.

4.     Incidentally and directly influence fellow citizens, including government officials, to pursue the good.

5.     Yeshua influences error-free living rather than soul-favor in afterdeath.

Ideas I object to:

1.     Peter addresses Jewish priests (and their sympathizers?).

a.    Priests receive sacrifices to God “acceptable to him through Yeshua the Messiah”.

b.    Even though they are chosen by their God, they are temporal visitors, should be good to their host nation.

2.     He attempts to relate the Torah’s prophecy to Yeshua yet avoids “circumcise the foreskin of your heart” in Deuteronomy 10:16. Recall that Yeshua was physically circumcised.

3.     He accuses both Israel and Judah of failing Yeshua (as messiah or what?).

4.     Civic citizens and government officials together accept the power and authority expressed in Genesis 1:26-28 – they rule on earth rather than submit as “God’s slaves”.

5.     There is no excuse for either mistreating “household servants” or accepting tyranny of an employer. Every person may develop their god-facing-death (John 10:34). I added an important footnote about R. E. Lee’s horrific Christian folly.

6.     The God can seem or be unjust – cannot be constrained by human opinion.

7.     Accepting Yeshua’s sacrifice makes believers righteous rulers of life on earth – no longer erroneous sheep; each person may and can pursue error-free living before death.

8.     Peter predicts Yeshua’s return. It’s been 2000 years. Competitive monotheism mostly ignores Yesuha’s civic influence. Resistance does not seem wise.

 

1 Peter 2, CJB

2:1 Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice, of all deceit, hypocrisy and envy, and of all the ways there are of speaking against people; ² and be like newborn babies, thirsty for the pure milk of the Word [What is this word? Yeshua’s civic influence?]; so that by it, you may grow up into deliverance. ³ For you have tasted that Adonai is good. [Psalm 8 good] [Adonai is a church construct, seemingly a representative of the Jewish God, so may be in error. I perceive some evidence “Jesus” is a lame substitute for “Adonai”. And “Christ” confounds the rule of law. Yeshua’s civic influence emerges from it all.]

⁴ As you come to him, the living stone, rejected by people but chosen by God and precious to him, ⁵ you yourselves, as living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be cohanim [male, Jewish priesthood to the temple. This may help explain 1 Peter 1:2, “chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father and set apart by the Spirit for obeying Yeshua the Messiah and for sprinkling with his blood”. Priests sprinkled blood each year at Passover.] set apart for God to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to him through Yeshua the Messiah [a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ] [Note: any use of “Yeshua” in the Old Testament cites a Jewish priest or servant of the temple. The argument that “Yeshua” is equivalent to Christ (saves souls during their death) via “salvation” fails on Yeshua’s improvements to the Torah – salvation from error in the believer’s living; see https://www.menorah.org/yeshuainthetanakh.]. ⁶ This is why the Tanakh says,

“Look! I am laying in Tziyon a stone,
a chosen and precious cornerstone;
and whoever rests his trust on it
will certainly not be humiliated.” [Isaiah 28:16, stricken with panic]

⁷ Now to you who keep trusting, he is precious. But to those who are not trusting,

“The very stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone”; [Psalm 118:22 exact quote]

⁸ also he is

a stone that will make people stumble,
a rock over which they will trip. [Isaiah 8:14, both Israel and Judah will trip]

They [competitive monotheisms or churches] are stumbling at the Word [What is this word? 5500 year old Genesis 1:26-18?], disobeying it — as had been planned. ⁹ But you are a chosen people, [Isaiah 43:20, the animals celebrate the choice; Deuteronomy 7:6, holy to the Lord your God; 10:15, above all the nations ADD 16, Circumcise your hearts!!!! implies humility, faith, hope, and charity] the King’s cohanim [See V 4 comment.], [Exodus 19:6, to Israel; Isaiah 61:6 of Adonai] a holy nation, [Exodus 19:6, Israel] a people for God to possess! [The God possesses the unchosen as well.] [Isaiah 43:21 to proclaim my praise; Exodus 19:5, keep my covenant] Why? In order for you to declare the praises of the One who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light [“Word” acceptance?]. ¹⁰ Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people [the God’s people because you rule to the good on earth.]; before, you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. [Hosea 2:25(23) pity] [The God offers mercy to the unchosen as well, provided they reform to the good. Every human being may and can effect intentions to the good, and I think the process is expedited in each generation if they together pursue Yeshua’s civic influence for their times and their posterity.]

¹¹ Dear friends, I urge you as aliens and temporary residents [Genesis 23:4 Abraham seeking to bury Sarah; 47:4 visiting Goshen because Canaan has drought; Psalm 39:13(12) traveler passing through; 1 Chronicles 29:15 temporary residents just passing through] not to give in to the desires of your old nature, which keep warring against you [erroneous if not sinful living]; ¹² but to live such good lives among the pagans [Maybe “pagans” meant non-Jews. In 2024, it could mean people who have not decided to rule to the good on earth.] that even though they now speak against you as evil-doers, they will, as a result of seeing your good actions [reminds me of the time Sam Adams, LSU and UBC, called me a heretic because I said I want to treat all neighbors the same way, then would not explain his reason.], give glory to God on the Day of his coming [Peter expected Yeshua to return soon. It’s been 2000 years and Yeshua still influences people who listen to his civic suggestions rather than focus on mystery.]. ¹³ For the sake of the Lord, submit yourselves to every human authority [With Ken’s prompt, Nomads strained at this idea.] — whether to the emperor as being supreme, ¹⁴ or to governors as being sent by him to punish wrongdoers and praise those who do what is good. ¹⁵ For it is God’s will that your doing good should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. ¹⁶ Submit as people who are free, but not letting your freedom serve as an excuse for evil; rather, submit as God’s slaves. ¹⁷ Be respectful to all — keep loving the brotherhood, fearing God and honoring the emperor. [Peter’s reasoning in V 13-17 is wrong hearted and arrogant toward the God. Civic citizens aid their civil servants such as the king or emperor or elected official in order to fulfill Genesis 1:26-28, which informs every human being that they may and can accept the power and authority to rule on earth. Dissidents and rebels may reform to develop human being (verb) and habitual villains may and can be eliminated.]

¹⁸ Household servants, submit yourselves to your masters, showing them full respect — and not only those who are kind and considerate, but also those who are harsh. ¹⁹ For it is a grace when someone, because he is mindful of God, bears up under the pain of undeserved punishment. ²⁰ For what credit is there in bearing up under a beating you deserve for doing something wrong? But if you bear up under punishment, even though you have done what is right, God looks on it with favor. ²¹ Indeed, this is what you were called to; because the Messiah too suffered, on your behalf, leaving an example so that you should follow in his steps. [In V 18-21 Peter classes himself with the traitors of humankind. His offense seems more severe than Paul’s against couples in 1 Corinthians 7:5, CJB “Do not deprive each other, except for a limited time, by mutual agreement, and then only so as to have extra time for prayer; but afterwards, come together again. Otherwise, because of your lack of self-control, you may succumb to the Adversary’s temptation.”
Readers who object to my opinion might consider R. E. Lee’s letter to his wife in 1856.*]

²² “He committed no sin, nor was any deceit found on his lips.” [Isaiah 53:9 died with a rich man; had done no wrong] [The complete verse does not seems to represent neither Yeshua of Nazareth nor Christ of the Pauline cross.]

23  When he was insulted, he didn’t retaliate with insults; when he suffered, he didn’t threaten, but handed them over to him who judges justly [I think it is arrogant to judge the God.]. ²⁴ He himself bore our sins [Isaiah 53:4 our suffering, 12 bearing sin of many] in his body on the stake, [Deuteronomy 21:22–23 convicted, killed, then hung, to be buried that day] so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness [Yeshua influences error-free living rather than favor in afterdeath.] — by his wounds you were healed. [Isaiah 53:5 by his wounds we are healed] ²⁵ For you used to be like sheep gone astray, but now you have turned to [Isaiah 53:6 Adonai laid on him the guilt of all of us] the Shepherd, who watches over you.

 

 

*Lee was a general and fully informed about the white Christians on white Christians wars in “Bleeding Kansas”. Peter-influence cost him everything. See his wrong-mined letter to his wife, online at https://encyclopediavirginia.org/primary-documents/letter-from-robert-e-lee-to-mary-randolph-custis-lee-december-27-1856/, emphasis mine, “In this enlightened age, there are few I believe, but what will acknowledge, that slavery as an institution is a moral & political evil in any Country. It is useless to expatiate on its disadvantages. I think it however a greater evil to the white than to the black race, & while my feelings are strongly interested in behalf of the latter, my sympathies are more strong for the former. The blacks are immeasurably better off here than in Africa, morally, socially & physically. The painful discipline they are undergoing, is necessary for their instruction as a race, & I hope will prepare & lead them to better things. How long their subjugation may be necessary is Known & ordered by a wise & merciful Providence. Their emancipation will sooner result from the mild & melting influence of Christianity, than the storms & tempests of fiery Controversy. This influence though slow is sure. The doctrines & miracles of our Saviour have required nearly two thousand years to Convert but a small part of the human race, & even Christian nations, what gross errors still exist! While we see the Course of the final abolition of human slavery is onward, & we give it the aid of our prayers & all justifiable means in our power we must leave the progress as well as the result in his hands who Sees the end; who Chooses to work by slow influences ; & with whom two thousand years are but a single day. Although the abolitionist must Know this; & must see that he has neither the right or power of operating except by moral means & suasion, & if he means well to the slave, he must not create angry feelings in the master; that although he may not approve the mode by which it pleases Providence to accomplish its purposes, the result will nevertheless be the same: that the reasons he gives for interference in what he has no Concern, holds good for every Kind of interference with our neighbours when we disapprove their Conduct; Still I fear he will persevere in his evil Course. Is it not strange that the descendants of those pilgrim fathers who crossed the Atlantic to preserve their own freedom of opinion, have always proved themselves intolerant of the spiritual liberty of others.”

Lee is without excuse: He could have, should have, sold all his property and moved to a non-slave state, in order to conserve his opportunity to live. Then, he could have, in 1861 accepted Lincoln’s request that Lee general the Union rather than the CSA.

A couple year ago, Anne Cramer kindly sent me pertinent sermons from before the Civil War. Also, Vaughn Crombie pointed out the Baptist convention split on this issue in 1845. Looking it up, I found the Methodists split in the same year. Most Americans have not encountered the claim that Christianity directly caused the U.S. Civil War. I perceive no excuse for ignorance to the claim.

[I read to apply perhaps 5500 year old Sumerian political philosophy. It’s primitively expressed by Semite scholars of 3900 years ago in Genesis 1:26-28; in my paraphrase:  Female-and-male-human-being may and can, choose to independently and together constrain political democracy on earth: on earth, humankind has the power and authority to pursue the good and constrain the bad. Civic citizens may use the rule of law to develop justice. Yeshua* affirmed these ideas in each Matthew 19:3-8, in Matthew 5:48, and in other direct dialogue. The next Bible canon could and should include the law codes of Sumer and competing civilizations. Resulting insights would take the heat off Judeo-Christianity, a Christ vs Messiah** vs the God competition.*** Competition egregiously deludes Yeshua’s civic influence. The collaborative view could accelerate mutual pursuit of human being (verb) and lessen habitual baby killings, like those happening in Israel, in Ukraine, and in the U.S. in the year 2024.

*In 4 BC, Yosef and Myriam of Nazareth begot Yeshua. 250 years beforehand, Greek translation of the Torah provided Ἰησοῦς and χριστός, both of which competed with Yeshua, the former during life and the latter in death. By the 16^th century, Christianity used “Jesus Christ” to repress Yeshua. The person, Yeshua, said, in my paraphrase: if people don’t speak my name they can’t consider my civic influence. Competitive monotheism hides Yeshua’s civic influence. Churches hide Yeshua.

The God is a mystery. Civic citizens may, can, and do discern Yeshua’s civic influence. Accepting Genesis 1:26-28 helps yet is not exclusive to the open-minded and open-hearted fellow citizen.

**Cyrus, 600 BC, is called a messiah in Isaiah 45:1.

***Competitive monotheism survives on war.] 

Updated on May 19, 2024