Living on Mission in a Foreign Land
Principles and Patterns of Submission: Servants
1 Peter 2:18-25
David Taylor
We have begun a new Series, “Living on Mission in a Foreign Land,” based on 1 Peter 2.11-4.11, to highlight Peters belief that our lives, actions and our words, are to point people to the transforming work of God in the gospel. Peter points out that is our identity and our calling. Though we are sojourners and exiles who are in a foreign land, we have a purpose in this land. We are a holy nation, a royal priesthood whose purpose is to proclaim the excellencies of Him who called us out of darkness and into his marvelous light.
We are in a section where Peter outlines for us “Principles and Patterns of Submission.” Last week we looked at submitting to the government. I do not have all the answers to that issue; the governmental structure then and the governmental structure now is not a one to one relationship. What I do know is that Christians too often so qualify what the bible means that it no longer resembles what the bible says.
Big Idea – God calls us to submit to those in authority over us, even those who are unjust.
Passage Overview: Peter moves from our responsibility to submit to the government to servants responsibility to submit to their masters, the good as well as the bad. God's grace is put on display when we endure suffering for doing the right thing. God calls us to endure unjust suffering, taking after the example of Christ suffering for us. We are going to break this up 18-20 today; 21-25 next week.
Submission to Authority
Peter tells servants to submit to their masters. Servants were a common and an integral part of the Roman Empire. It is said that up to one quarter of the population were slaves. People became slaves as prisoners of war, sold themselves off because they were unable to pay off their debt or taxes, or they were born into slavery. Slaves could be anything from common laborers to teachers to physicians. They were often more educated than their owners, could be paid for their services, and even buy their freedom. Most slaves were probably treated well but not all. They were not seen as fully persons with rights so were vulnerable in society. As slaves they were expected to be loyal to the family gods for economic reasons and Peter probably singled them out here because as Christians slaves who would break away from worship and loyalty to the family gods, they were especially vulnerable to suffering and persecution. Yet it would be safe to say that the nature of most servant-master relationships would be similar to an employer-employee relationship today.
In the command for servants to submit to their masters is a general principles that applies to everyone to submit to those in authority over us. We see this in v. 19, where he says 'one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly.' So this text applies to children submitting to parents or other authorities in their life; it applies to Christians submitting to the church; and employees submitting to employers. But he makes this command more specific, we are to submit to those in authority over us whether they are good or bad. He does not let us off the hook with bad authority as most like to think. As I said last week submitting to authority is ultimately submitting to God. We see this in the manner or way we submit, literally 'all fear' translated 'with all respect (ESV)' or 'in reverential fear of God (NIV).' I think he is speaking of the fear of God for a couple of reasons. So he tells us to submit in fear of God whether those in authority over us are just or unjust. Whether we submit to those in authority over us tells us if we fear God or not. Why he will in the next verse tells us, submit while mindful of God, or as we saw last week, for the Lord's sake. There are probably a million excuses not to obey this command or find an exception but most are not valid. So the point of the passage is submit to those in authority, then in vs. 19-20 he gives us the reason or the motive for submitting.
Submission that God Approves
For or because this is a gracious thing or better this is grace, if you are mindful of God, you endure pain or grief unjustly for doing the right thing. Then he explains what he means by this in verse 20 with a negative then positive example. What credit or reward is it if you endure when you have sinned and are beaten for it? None. But if you do good and suffer for it and you endure this suffering with the right attitude - this is evidence of God's grace in your life. Let's look at two passages that will shed light on what he means, 1 Peter 4:12-16 and 1:3-5. In the first passage Peter tells us suffering is normal in the Christian life, and can rejoice in the midst of suffering because our hope is in Christ and the future he promises for us. The latter passage informs us of this hope - we have been born again by the miracle of God to this living hope which is an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading. I can be sure that I will receive this inheritance because God is guarding me through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed. The power to endure suffering (grace), from other kids mocking our faith, to neighbors sneering at us, to coworkers belittling our faith, or more extremes forms of suffering, being beaten for sharing the gospel is the hope of our future inheritance, God; He is our reward.
We have been ransomed, delivered, freed from the powers of this fallen world, but we still live in it. God has left us in this fallen world to reflect Him by living in a way that is contrary to our culture so people see us a distinct, foreigners in a foreign land and glorify God. Our ability to suffer for doing right, submitting to those over us who treat us unjustly, for being wronged is only possible if our hope is grounded in what this book tells us our hope is, Jesus of the Bible not the Jesus of popular American culture. We must fight against our natural gut reaction to rebel against being treated unfairly, wrongly, getting the short end of the stick. We are called to rejoice in being treated unfairly, wrongly, because our hope is God not this life. The darkest places the light shines the brightest.
