1 Peter 2:18-25

1 Peter 2:18–25 KJV (WS)

18 Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward. 19 For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. 20 For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. 21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: 22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: 24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. 25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

Introduction

The code…

Roman culture was deeply concerned with codes of conduct and philosophies of life.

This portion of Peter’s letter matches the contemporary pattern of setting out a code of conduct for household members.

Directions for Servants. vss 18-20

Who is Peter speaking to exactly?

He is not using the typical greek word for servant.

Paul usually used the word doulos to refer to servants/slaves.

Peter writes to a group of people he refers oiketai which is specific to house slaves.

Slavery in Rome was fairly different than what we have been shown of slavery in America.

You had different levels of slavery in Rome.

You had the house slaves, mentioned here, who, at times had more economic and social mobility than a free peasant did.

Then, you had your field slaves.

They were much more oppressed than the household slaves.

Given the geographic audience of Peter’s letter, these types of slaves are not the intended audience.

The most oppressed slaves in Rome, were those that served in the mines.

They rarely escaped this fate.

They had fewer rights than other slaves.

The household slave in Rome was often considered a member of the family.

He was usually allowed to make and save money to eventually purchase his freedom.

The law however viewed him as both a person and a piece of property.

Some owners were known to abuse their slaves as a piece of property.

Peter does not speak here to the morals of slavery.

His intention is not to attack the institution.

He is trying to help people who are seeking to live a Christian life in the midst of the present institutions of the world.

His word of counsel?

Be subject to your masters.

To be subject means to obey.

This places slaves right alongside other groups of Christians that Peter tells to be submissive throughout this letter.

Citizens are supposed to submit to government.

Servants submit to their masters.

Wives submit to their husbands.

Younger people submit to their elders.

All Christians submit to each other.

When it comes to slaves, though, Peter sets up his next point by establishing the servant’s motivation,

He is to submit with all fear.

This is not a fear that is directed towards his master.

This a fear that is directed towards God.

No master is deserving of submission.

Neither is any government, husband, or parent.

But God does deserve our total submission.

He is the one asking servants to obey their masters.

In God’s perspective, there is no exception for evil masters.

Peter makes this clear.

We don’t just subject ourselves to the good and the gentle, but also to the froward.

Froward means twisted or perverse.

As we already said, most household slaves were treated as a member of the family.

Some owners, though, abused their servants.

Peter communicates to them that God expects them to submit to their owners anyways.

Unjustified suffering can bring glory to God.

This is a weird thing to think about.

God is glorified when his people suffer unjustly?

Well it’s kind of like the story of when Socrates was told by one of his friends that he needed to protest because he suffered unjustly.

Socrates replied, “what? would you prefer that I suffered justly?

The key here is that we suffer unjustly for conscience sake towards God.

In other words I will suffer wrong, in order to bring glory to God.

For the natural man, this is improbable or even impossible.

The natural man can suffer patiently for his own faults.

Peter asks where the reward is for bearing a punishment we deserve.

If you break the law or you do a poor job and you are punished for it, you better take your punishment because you deserve it.

But, if you do well, and you are punished without protest, something interesting happens.

Rome was a society built on respect and honor.

To be treated in the way that v23 details was extremely painful and humiliating.

Christians slaves were not to return insult for insult.

Peter says this behavior is thankworthy and acceptable.

Though these are two distinct english words, they are the same greek word.

Some of you may recognize this word, it the word charis.

You’ve heard it before if you were here for our study of grace a few years ago.

Charis is most commonly translated grace in the New Testament.

Grace is most often something we think about God showing to us.

It makes total sense though, in this case.

The servant is receiving a punishment he doesn’t deserve.

He is giving subjection that his master doesn’t deserve.

He receives the approval of God in this behavior because of how this lines the slave up with some really good company.

This is revealed when Peter shifts gears to explain the motivation for the slave to endure this type of treatment.

Motivation for submission. vss 21-25

Peter connects Christian slaves to the ultimate example of servanthood that humanity has ever witnessed, Jesus.

The NT is full of examples of Jesus acting as a servant.

He claimed to have come not to be served but to serve.

He dressed a literal house slave at the last supper.

Philippians 2:7 “7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:”

This was no stretch for Peter to make this connection.

He may have even turned a little red when he remembered how he tried to stop Jesus from serving him.

Jesus was the ultimate servant.

Jesus was also the ultimate example of unjust suffering.

Jesus never sinned.

He never told a lie or tried to deceive someone with his words.

Yet, he was reviled and he was made to suffer.

Still he did nothing in response to his attackers.

The roman slave had no legal recourse for unjust treatment.

Jesus had all the power of the universe .

Like the song says, he could have called 10,000 angels to rescue and avenge him.

But he did not.

Why not?

We have to go back to that word grace.

Grace was motivating Jesus’ submission.

Specifically, the grace he would share with us.

We should let the description of what Jesus did to purchase our salvation motivate all of our service an actions for him.

He bore our sins in his own body.

Every evil wicked thought and deed, he took it.

Everything done in secret or in anger, he took it.

Everything malicious act and every crime, Jesus carried them all to Calvary’s hill.

He did this so that we, being dead, should be made alive.

Through his stripes, we are healed.

Jesus submitted to unjust suffering for our sakes, he now asks us to do the same out of fear for Him.

We were sheep going astray

Our shepherd died to save us.

He broke the mold.

In the OT the sheep died for the shepherd.

In the NT the shepherd died for the sheep.

He asks us not to follow the crowd too.

Most every other servant would try to submit the least.

Christians servants should submit the most.

Application for non-servants.

We are not house slaves today.

I don’t think this lets us off the hook for applying this passage though.

For one, the connection to our work life is indisputable.

You have a boss.

You have coworkers.

They are all sinners.

Even if you have a good work environment, you still need this passage.

Our work must be done with all fear of God.

Whether ye eat or drink or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

Second, suffering unjustly is and will continue to be apart of the human experience.

This may or may not apply to your work life.

I don’t know that any of us will be able to escape the possibility of unjust suffering.

The question is, how will you deal with it when it comes?

As Christians, we must remember Jesus’ testimony and example.

He suffered unjustly.

He did it for us, to purchase our salvation.

He is the one that is asking us to follow his example.

The last phrase of this passage tells us that he is the Bishop of our souls.

He is the overseer.

No matter who your boss is, Jesus is your ultimate master.

Let’s serve him well today.