Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Living in a pagan world

¹¹ My beloved ones, I beg you—strangers and resident aliens as you are—to hold back from the fleshly desires that wage war against your true lives. ¹² Keep up good conduct among the pagans, so that when they speak against you as evildoers they will observe your good deeds and praise God on the day of his royal arrival.

¹³ Be subject to every human institution, for the sake of the Lord: whether to the emperor as supreme, ¹⁴ or to governors as sent by him to punish evildoers and praise those who do good. ¹⁵ This, you see, is God’s will. He wants you to behave well and so to silence foolish and ignorant people. ¹⁶ Live as free people (though don’t use your freedom as a veil to hide evil!), but as slaves of God. ¹⁷ Do honor to all people; love the family; reverence God; honor the emperor.