1 Peter 2:11-12
What is written? (ESV)
Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 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.
What does it say?
Please, as strangers in this land, resist the passions of the flesh that wage war against your soul. Among the Gentiles, behave honorably, so that when they accuse you of being evildoers, they may see your good works and glorify God in the final day.
What is its immediate context?
Peter is writing to the “elect” of the “dispersion” – Christians that have been scattered throughout Galatia and Asia Minor. He is encouraging them to stand firm in the face of current persecution and reminding them of the promise they have in and through Christ. In this chapter, Peter calls forward several prophetic statements including Isaiah 28:16 (vs 6), Psalms 118:22 (vs 7), and Isaiah 8:14 (vs 8). In verse 9, Peter takes all of the characterizations that God made (through Moses) to his people in Exodus 19:5-6 and applies them to Christians. Finally, in verse 10, he recalls Hosea 1:6, 9, 10, the same verses that Paul applies to the Gentiles being grafted in by God in Romans 9:25-26.
How 1 Peter 2:11-12 is applied across Bible answers
Can we lose our salvation?
Giving in to the passions of the flesh can cause us to lose our souls (e.g. salvation).
What happens next in the Bible?
Same as Paul,1 Peter warns about good behavior and fighting sin in light of what was next --- "the day of visitation".
