3.2.3 1 Peter Babylon, The Bishop the Soul and Believers

Introduction

• LIVE HOLY ( 1Pe 1:16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.) -- GOD OVERSEES -- BABYLON

• a strong distaste for Babylon == A building block of a mature faith is a HATRED for sin. It is the other sdie of the coin of a LOVE FOR GOD's HOLINESS.

• Lot pitched his tent toward Sodom.

Genesis 13:12 — Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom.

• hate even the garment spotted

Jude 1:23 — And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. [hating the sin that contaminates their lives]

• abstain from teh appearance of it.

1 Thessalonians 5:22 — Abstain from all appearance of evil.

I. Babylon

1 Peter 5:13 — The church that is at Babylon, elected together with you, saluteth you; and so doth Marcus my son.

• Not Just Fallen, but Opposed to God and the CITY OF GOD
• Babylon is mentioned 287 times in the Scriptures, more than any other city except Jerusalem.
• In Genesis 4:16,17 Cain went out from the presence of the LORD ... Cain built a city (Enoch = THE CITY OF MAN). Cain being uninterested in being ruled by God and attempting to ensure his legacy of self rule by building cities

Augustine in his writing "The City of God": framed all of human history around the conflict between two cities: the City of God (built on love of God) and the City of Man (built on love of self). He identified Cain as the founder of the earthly city, whose rebellious lineage directly birthed the spirit of Babel and imperial Rome/Babylon.

• Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:9), Syrian Assaults (2 Kings 6:8), Assyrian Captivity (2 Kings 17:6), Babylonian Captivity (2 Kings 24:10), Mystery Babylon (Revelation 17:5), "Rome"/"Egypt"/"?" (1 Peter 5:13)

Daniel 4:28-33 — ...31 While the word was in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee.

• Before her ultimtate Judgment, There will be an increasing "normalization of evil" (UPSIDE DOWN WORLD):

  • Refusing the Mark of the Beast to buy, trade and sale will be characterized as criminal - capital crime.
  • Refusing to worship the Beast or his image, will be characterized as idolatry.
  • To speak the TRUTH of God's Word, will be condemned as spreading lies and false information.
  • State sponsored corruption will be accepted "as they way things are" and any rebellion (verbal, action, inaction) against Babylon will be characterized as acts of terrorism.
  • or a season Babylon will be the standard of the world, but she will be judged for her corruption.

• Babylon is an unholy (ANTI-CHRIST) union of the religious, commercial and political systems of the world. The system will be judged in two stages (17:16 and 18:21): Religious (Revelation 17) and Commercial/Political (Revelation 18). A DECEPTION YOU CAN HAVE IT ALL. (Matthew 4 "All of the kingdoms of the world!...")

  1. COMMERCIAL: "Parallel Economy"
  2. POLITICAL: What we do and how we do it are not the same instruments and motivations in the hands of a believer.
  3. RELIGIOUS: Not merley competive with genuine faith but TROUBLESOME to it. (Mark 16:14- "who is doing this stuff?")

John 16:33 — These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

• Babylon is the "city"/"society" that has forgotten God, in that they have refused to RETAIN Him in their hearts and minds. [acknowledge]. An Unholy Society Opposed to the Holy Society.

Romans 1:28 — And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; [like a minted coin; A = negative; failing the test --- "RETAIN; APPROVE GOD IN THEIR MIND" => "REPROBATE; OVER TO THEIR DISQUALIFIED MIND"]

Deuteronomy 8:8:10-20 — When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the LORD thy God for the good land which he hath given thee. 11 Beware that thou forget not the LORD thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day: 12 Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein; 13 And when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied; 14 Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the LORD thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage; 15 Who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents, and scorpions, and drought, where there was no water; who brought thee forth water out of the rock of flint; 16 Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that he might humble thee, and that he might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end; 17 And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth. 18 But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day. 19 And it shall be, if thou do at all forget the LORD thy God, and walk after other gods, and serve them, and worship them, I testify against you this day that ye shall surely perish. 20 As the nations which the LORD destroyeth before your face, so shall ye perish; because ye would not be obedient unto the voice of the LORD your God.

THE BELIEVER HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH BABYLON. THE BELIEVER OPPOSES and RESISTS BABYLON.

• 1 Peter 1:1 "elect scattered..."; 1 Peter 1:6 "Manifold Tempations" (patience/endurance needed); 4:12 "fiery trial"; 1:17 "Time of your sojourning"; 2:11 "strangers and pilgrims"; 3:17 a place where you may "suffer for well doing"; 2:8 & 3:22 contrast: "rock of offense" & in heaven "all subject" to Christ; 4:3 "the will of the Gentiles"; 4:6 "the dead"; 5:8 "your adversary the devil"

Revelation 18:4 — And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

• Peter teaches much (and we will get into more detail another time) on subjection. And frames the nature and character of our resistance to BABYLON is found truly in our SUBJECTION to God.

• 1 Peter is NOT WRITTEN TO BABYLON, but the elected scattered in her midst!

• THINK ABOUT THE SONGS WE SING: This old world is loosing its hold, I'm Getting Ready to Leave this World, I'll Soon be Gone, We're Marching to Zion,

• (find missing notes)

II. The Bishop of the Soul

1 Peter 2:25 overseer... inspects, protects, the sheep;

Rods cťàc. Tfaff

Under the the rod

God oversews your soul as a shephwrd hos sheep. Not just over the flock, over the body but individually. He cares nurtured saves and inspects

1 peter 3:12 For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.

III. And the Believer

The Believer Has...

• 1:12 "holy Ghost sent Gospel - good news!"
• 1:4 a incorruptible inheritance
• 1:5 "end time salvation" and 1:9,10 "the "Salvation of the Soul"
• 1:11 "the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow"
• a "call to holiness" (to be like Jesus) 1:14,15,16
• a "grace of sanctification"
• "the elect of God"
• Hope in this world and BEYOND
• "the revelation of Jesus Christ"

Subjection/Submission

1 Peter 2:13 ¶ Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; 1 Peter 2:18 Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward. 1 Peter 3:22 Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him. 1 Peter 5:5 ¶ Likewise, ye younger, **submit&& yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.

In 1 Peter, the primary Greek word used for “submit” or “be subject” is hypotassō (ὑποτάσσω), which literally means "to arrange under" or "to yield to proper order". However, across English translations and the underlying Greek text, Peter relies on a rich web of related terms and expressions to convey submission, deference, and posture.

English translators render hypotassō and related concepts using several distinct terms:

• Obey / Obedience: Rendered in passages like 1 Peter 1:2, 1:14 (as "obedient children"), and 3:6 (where Sarah obeyed Abraham).
• Yield / Yielding: Often used in modern dynamic translations (like the NLT or Amplified) in 1 Peter 2:13 and 5:5 to capture voluntary deference.
• Be Subordinate / Subordinate Yourselves: (e.g., NABRE, NRSV) for 1 Peter 2:18 and 3:1.
• Humility / Humble Yourselves: Found in 1 Peter 5:5–6 ("clothe yourselves with humility" / "humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God").
• Honor / Respect: Rendered in 1 Peter 2:17 ("Honor everyone... Honor the emperor") as an active manifestation of submissive deference.

Conclusion