Right Conduct: Employment Series

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NORTH PINE BAPTIST CHURCH

Sunday 3rd August 2025

1 Peter 2:18-25

“Right Conduct: Employment”

Today we are going to focus on a section of Peter that deals with slaves and slavery.

I’ll read the section in a moment.

Before I do we need to separate our modern concepts of slavery from slavery as it occurred in the first century when Peter wrote this latter.

When we say “slavery” some of us might think of the slavery in America which continued until the 18th December 1865 when the U.S. Constitution outlawed slavery and involuntary servitude. It was a slavery where the African-American community were treated as non-citizens or even as non-humans. And, it could be argued, that the echoes of this slavery still impact American society.

Perhaps when you hear “slavery” your mind goes to many young girls in Thailand who, because of the perversion of men, are slaves in a trade that makes them nothing more than an object. The slavery which, even today, organisation like Destiny Rescue and A21 are actively working to end.

Slavery.

There are a whole range of modern scenarios where people have been deprived of their freedom, or deemed to be second class because of their race, or forced to work for little or no income, or treated as nothing more than a piece of property.

If we have that understanding of slavery in our mind as we read our text, we are going to find what Peter says very confronting, and even unpalatable. Let’s read 1 Peter 2:18-25

18 Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. 19 For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God. 20 But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.

21 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His steps.

22 “He committed no sin,

and no deceit was found in His mouth.”

23 When they hurled their insults at Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats. Instead, He entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly. 24 “He Himself bore our sins” in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by His wounds you have been healed.” 25 For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

If we hold in our mind a modern expression of slavery these words can be quite challenging. For it appears that Scripture condones slavery.

“Slaves submit to your masters even the inconsiderate ones, this is your calling”.

That is quite jarring isn’t it..

… is Peter saying that making people second class citizens is ok?

… is he saying that the brutalising of young girls is ok?

… is Peter saying that racism is ok?

No he isn’t.

The reason he isn’t is because slavery in the Roman world was a very different to all the examples of slavery I have mentioned so far.

Slavery was never based on race or racism.

There was never a specific group of people, or even a specific nation, that were the source of slaves. When the Romans conquered they set up a system of slavery everywhere they went – it was just what they did.

But not everyone from the conquered nation was made into a slave.

In fact, there were Roman citizens who chose to become slaves rather than live the life of trying to find seasonal work which was often inconsistent. In many ways slavery was a mechanism that people could use to better themselves and to get educated so that they eventually could become self-sufficient and manage their own business.

Slavery was never a permanent condition.

Slavery always had a pathway to freedom. Many non-Roman citizens would become slaves but, at some point, they would be granted freedom from their slavery.

The technical name for this is manumission.

Manumission resulted when they had lived a life of good behaviour and great service, or because they had raised enough savings to buy their freedom and become Roman citizens.

Slavery did not always mean having a terrible life.

It usually cost a year of wages to buy a slave. In many ways, slaves were a valuable investment. If a slave was sick a doctor would always be called – which was not always the case for a freeman. Slaves often had the chance to become educated—some were doctors, lawyers and accountants. In some cases the master could be illiterate, but the slave could read, and so the slave was highly regarded and there was a high level of trust.