Reward Good, Punish Evil
1 Peter 2:13–17
“Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.”
—1 Peter 2:13–17
We find in this passage echoes of Romans 13. As we saw earlier, that passage (1) calls on both Christian individuals and governments to be subject to their proper authority, and it (2) indicates that governments have been given the responsibility to reward good and punish evil. The same is true here, in 1 Peter 2.
This assertion that governments are called by God to praise good and punish evil raises an important question:
How do governments know what is good and what is evil?
There are, of course, wildly differing ideas of good and evil. When it comes to American politics, we tend to think that the majority decides such things — if we make a collective decision by a democratic process, then it’s good. But can democracy really say whether something is good or evil? Of course it can’t. Plenty of people are wrong about plenty of things, and majority rule is never a reliable substitute for moral clarity.
What about the legal system, then? Is something good if it is legal, and evil if it is illegal? No, that’s not true either. Slavery, after all, used to be legal; pornography still is. But that doesn’t make them good.
It’s the same with most of the things we can use as a measurement or a standard for good and evil. Custom or tradition, expediency, science, pragmatism, preference, expertise, merit, power… none of these can reliably tell us whether something is good or evil.
The answer is that the word of God is the only place where we can learn what is truly good and what is truly evil. God’s word is the only reliable standard.
“We know that the law is good,” wrote Paul (1 Timothy 1:8), and the Psalmist agrees:
“I know, O LORD, that your rules are righteous” (Psalm 119:75).
“Righteous are you, O LORD, and right are your rules” (Psalm 119:137).
“Your righteousness is righteous forever, and your law is true” (Psalm 119:142).
It’s worth pointing out that God’s moral standards are good for all people in all places and times. Too often we think that God’s law is only for Christians or only for the church or for how we conduct our private lives (e.g., “Don’t sin in these ways”). But when Paul continues his brief meditation on God’s law in 1 Timothy, we see that it “is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane” (1:9).
God’s standard for good and evil applies to everyone — even for those who don’t believe in him. After all, all authority in heaven and earth has been given to him (Matthew 28:18), and he commands even rebellious rulers to kiss the Son (Psalm 2:12).
God’s standard, then, should be reflected not only in our personal lives and interpersonal relationships, in our families and churches, but in our government, too. The state is commanded by God to reward good and punish evil according to God’s standard of good and evil.
There’s a little bit more to be said here. Not only does God command governments to rule according to his standards of good and evil, but he warns against confusing the two:
Woe to those who call evil good
and good evil,
who put darkness for light
and light for darkness,
who put bitter for sweet
and sweet for bitter!
—Isaiah 5:20
Does the government call “good” what is actually evil, and call “evil” what is actually good? Does it put darkness for light and light for darkness? Woe to that government! A state that punishes those who do good and praises those who do evil is a state that is disobeying God.
In one of my favorite Bible passages, Paul encourages us to pray for our rulers, “that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life”:
First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.
—1 Timothy 2:1–2
A “peaceful and quiet life” sounds nice, doesn’t it? It sounds good — because it is good. And the way to that life is found in the very next word: godly.
We cannot have a peaceful and quiet life, governed by those who reward good and punish evil, unless they do so according to a godly standard.
If you liked this post, please forward and share with your friends. It really helps.
Also, if you’d like express your gratitude and contribute to my work, you can buy me a coffee on Ko-fi.
View a list of all Christ is Lord posts.
© 2024 Josh Bishop. joshbishopwrites.com