12. Live decent lives among unbelievers. Then, although they ridicule you as if you were doing wrong while they are watching you do good things, they will praise God on the day he comes to help you.
13. Place yourselves under the authority of human governments to please the Lord. Obey the emperor. He holds the highest position of authority.
14. Also obey governors. They are people the emperor has sent to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right.
15. God wants you to silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing what is right.
16. Live as free people, but don’t hide behind your freedom when you do evil. Instead, use your freedom to serve God.
17. Honor everyone. Love your brothers and sisters in the faith. Fear God. Honor the emperor.
18. Slaves, place yourselves under the authority of your owners and show them complete respect. Obey not only those owners who are good and kind, but also those who are unfair.
19. God is pleased if a person is aware of him while enduring the pains of unjust suffering.
20. What credit do you deserve if you endure a beating for doing something wrong? But if you endure suffering for doing something good, God is pleased with you.
21. God called you to endure suffering because Christ suffered for you. He left you an example so that you could follow in his footsteps.
22. Christ never committed any sin. He never spoke deceitfully.
23. Christ never verbally abused those who verbally abused him. When he suffered, he didn’t make any threats but left everything to the one who judges fairly.