Suffering Servants

Intro.

Motif: Suffering

Live holy through suffering

Knowing our hope and from Whom we receive it (1 Pet. 1.3-11)

Live Honorably (1 Pet. 2.12)

Loving one another

Priests of God

Good works

Submit even in suffering

1 Pet. 2.13-17.

Now, we enter into a new circle, and a new “section” — Graceful Servants.

When to Suffer

It often gets said that the Christian should be the hardest working and most dedicated worker on the job — and that is true! As we are told through Paul our brother, everything we do must be done in the name of Christ, to His glory!

Common Approach to Work:

In the modern day, the Self is the focus of all endeavor, and this includes the dynamic of the work-life:

We hear commonly that we have no need to put up with bad managers or coworkers

We don’t have to respect bad managers or administration

If it doesn’t further the self, don’t put yourself through it

Yet, what does Peter say?

1 Peter 2:18–25 CSB

18 Household slaves, submit to your masters with all reverence not only to the good and gentle ones but also to the cruel. 19 For it brings favor if, because of a consciousness of God, someone endures grief from suffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is there if when you do wrong and are beaten, you endure it? But when you do what is good and suffer, if you endure it, this brings favor with God. 21 For you were called to this, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. 22 He did not commit sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth; 23 when he was insulted, he did not insult in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten but entrusted himself to the one who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree; so that, having died to sins, we might live for righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were like sheep going astray, but you have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

To the Good and Bad

Now, before we move on we need to discuss a little nitty-gritty.

OIKETES — house servant, not bond-slave. This is a person that lives in the house and is not necessarily and enslaved individual. Think of a butler as an example.

DOULOS — this is the word that means one is a slave, and is often translated as “bondservant”. Paul says this of himself, he is a “slave” to Christ, as are we.

Now that we have the context of the word cleared up, now let’s get this controversy in full display:

Peter, honing in on Christian suffering, does not speak to masters. Paul does, because Paul will talk about how Christians are to be characteristically. Peter, with a focus on suffering, has a different goal.

While servants may have been Christians, that did not mean that masters were!

Most masters, or to be more technically correct, householders, were religiously pagan.

As Christian servants were under Pagan masters, there came times when the Christian could not commit to doing what the master desired of him, because he had a “consciousness of God”. Naturally, this would cause conflict.

People are not different now than 2,000 years ago — some people are decent, and some people are cruel. Accordingly, some householders were kind or cruel.

Whether good or bad, Peter says to the Christian servant, “You submit to them!” As the phrase we mentioned at the start says, so Peter also affirms, that Christians are to be good workers regardless of who their higher-up is.

put yourself under them — and not just when they treat you well!! What a counter-cultural view...

All Reverence

Reverence, or fear, is another word recently used. “Fear God,” Peter says.

Did it mean there that we live being scared of God and under compulsion? No! But that we properly respect God and know our place before Him!

The word here is exactly the same. Of course, Peter isn’t telling servants to treat householders like God, but neither is he telling them to be afraid of them. Simply that they ought to show them respect and honor.

Circumstances for Suffering:

Finally we come to the question of when they were to endure suffering under masters.

The answer is that they were to endure suffering when they suffered for doing good.

Why would they do that?

“Consciousness toward God” in v. 19 might come across as a bit of an odd phrase — but it’s not all that complicated in application.

“Consciousness” or “mindfulness” as in ESV is literally the conscience of the person.

The consciousness toward God is the conscience which is convicted against sin and toward God. To say it another way, it means that the person knows what God wants and they are convicted deeply enough so as to refuse evil — even if sinning meant to avoid punishment.

To bring favor:

It brings favor from God.

Matthew 5:10–12 CSB

10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. 11 “You are blessed when they insult you and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of me. 12 Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

It is a good thing to cling so closely to Christ that we refuse compromise even under potentially violent suffering.

Application

But how, you might ask, does doctrine on suffering for ancient house servants relate to me?

Remember the phrase at the beginning — that applies to you!

Of course, a number here are retired. So what about you?

Remember Paul’s exhortation to older men or women — teach the young! Encourage them to do what is right in all circumstances, and bear up under it when one suffers for doing good!

For those who are still working:

I am not saying that you can never find a new job when you need to — I am telling you that leaving because of self-servitude is wrong. You serve a risen King, and you work for Him; do what is good on your job site. Don’t cut corners, don’t be dishonest, don’t fudge the numbers — be righteous and follow the Lord. When you suffer for this, endure it and know that this exercising of your faith brings favor from God!