From Thrones to Chains (1 Peter 2:13-25)
What does the gospel teach us about power, dignity, and the value of every human life? Peter's instructions concerning emperors and slaves reveal a kingdom unlike any the world has ever known. By fixing our eyes on Jesus—the King who became the Suffering Servant—we learn to honor every person, serve our neighbors, endure suffering faithfully, and find our true freedom in belonging to Christ.
The sermon recording failed, but you can read Chandler’s manuscript below.
Archaeologists digging in the Roman city Priene, which is in modern-day Turkey, found an inscription dating back to 9 BC. It was an imperial mandate, requiring all territories to align their calendars to the Roman calendar. This inscription gives us an idea of the type of honor, esteem, and worship Roman citizens rendered to their emperor. It reads, “Providence ... has filled Augustus with virtue for the benefit of mankind, sending him as a savior both for us and for our descendants, that he might end war and arrange all things, and since he, Caesar, by his appearance, surpassing all previous benefactors…the birthday of the god Augustus was the beginning of the gospel for the world.”
Modern-day Turkey, or Asia Minor, was home to the churches Peter addressed in the letter we know as 1 Peter. Clearly, from this inscription, we can see that the emperor was held in great honor in the eyes of his Roman citizens in Asia Minor. He possessed all virtue, was the savior, surpassed all expectations, and brought prosperity and hope–he was god.
On the other end of the human spectrum was the slave. Aristotle said, “The slave is a living tool, just as a tool is an inanimate slave.” Varro, writing closer to the time of Christ, said, “There are three kinds of instruments used in agriculture: the articulate, the inarticulate, and the mute. The articulate are slaves, the inarticulate are oxen, and the mute are wagons” (De Re Rustica I.17). Cato the Elder, writing around the same time, encouraged, “Sell worn-out oxen, blemished cattle, sheep, wool, hides, an old wagon, old tools, an old or sickly slave” (De Agricultura, 2).
These accounts of emperors and slaves present highly divergent perspectives. One is not a human, but a god. The other is not human, but a tool. One is worthy of worship. The other is an instrument to be used. Christians in first-century Asia Minor were sojourners in this world. They were a holy nation, a church, living in a sin-stained and corrupted culture where one man was worshiped as a god and where thousands of men and women were executed for sport when they could no longer fulfill their master’s wishes. How should the church respond to the two extremes? How should the church relate to the emperor, and how should the church consider the slave? Peter, as he turns to how Christians must live in society, begins here, with the two extremes. He first speaks to the Christian’s relationship to the emperor and his governing authorities, and then to slaves.
While we can relate the emperor in some ways to the President and the current government, it’s more difficult to apply the comments to slaves to a situation today. Even though its memory still haunts thousands of families, slavery does not exist in our society; yet, I believe Peter’s words to first-century Christian slaves will speak to all of us. I believe we will learn today what our posture should be toward all people; from the mightiest and most influential amongst us to the smallest and lowliest amongst us. From the President of the United States to the refugee in Boise. From the CEO of Amazon to the delivery guy at the door, and from the well-dressed businessman who walks into this congregation to the homeless man who wants to walk into this congregation, we will learn how Jesus treats all humanity.
Let’s jump in and begin where Peter begins, with the emperor. We’d half expect Peter to tell Christians, “You can just ignore the pretend god, Caesar.” Why? Because Peter has already told us that our Lord is Jesus, and He alone deserves our obedience. But Peter does not say ignore. Instead, Peter says, “Submit to every human institution…first to the emperor as supreme and then to the governors under him.” Clearly from the context, Peter is speaking of governmental structures. The word “submit” means to “yield to” or “come under the influence of,” and it carries with it a sense of obedience. This, then, amounts to a call to obey the emperor and the government leaders under him. It’s a call to Christians to be good, earthly citizens, even while we remain citizens of God’s kingdom.
Why? Why submit to a leader who has a man-made position? Because it is “for the Lord’s sake” (2:13). Because of our relationship with Jesus Christ or on account of our loyalty to Jesus, we are to live as good, virtuous citizens, not causing a rabble, or living in rebellion against authorities, or leading an anarchy movement. But how is our virtuous citizenship and willing submission to authorities “for the Lord’s sake”? Because, and now looking at verse 15, when we fulfill the will of God by being honorable citizens who do good, we “put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.” Romans believed Christianity would destroy the very foundations of their society. Where Romans believed Caesar was Lord, Christians proclaimed Jesus is Christ. Roman society depended on appeasing the pantheon of gods, but Christians refused to worship any god but the Trinitarian God of the Bible. Romans believed Christian monotheism would bring down the wrath of the gods. Christians did not take part in the games, the theater, and the wild parties that served as a backbone for the culture. Because Christians abstained from the sins of the flesh and the culture, Christians were at best suspect or, at worst, according to Tacitus writing in the first century, a “hated class.”
That was the running narrative, or the common perspective—Christians are a danger to society. Peter, who just called for the church to live godly lives so that the world might see and come to glorify God, now says, “By doing good in society you silence that foolish narrative.” Peter's point is simple: Christians were accused of being a threat to society. Yet by doing good, serving their neighbors, and living honorable lives, they demonstrated that the accusations were false. Their public good works commended the gospel and brought honor to Christ.
So, as Peter teaches us to live in a society with a man-made government, he avoids two different extremes. On one side, Peter does not call for us to obey the emperor with absolute loyalty or to worship him as a god. Instead, as free men and women, liberated from the dominion of darkness and sin, we should use our freedom in Christ to do good for the city because our absolute loyalty is to God, for we are His servants, not Caesar’s. We “fear” God, not the emperor. On the other hand, Peter does not call Christians to retreat out of the community or to practice some type of separatism. Peter instead calls us to make the name of Jesus great by building a reputation as a benevolent, self-giving, virtuous community for the sake of the city in which we live. This is how our honorable citizenship is for the sake of Christ.
Friends, the Lord has planted us in Eagle. How can we serve our neighbors and seek the good of this city for the sake of Christ? What needs can we meet? What opportunities has God given us to display the love of Jesus in tangible ways?
Now, Peter moves from the broader social sphere to the household. Culturally and contextually, this makes perfect sense. According to the great philosophers of the age, healthy homes created a healthy empire. We know this even today. When families break down, societies break down, and both Aristotle and Plato addressed household codes similar to that of the New Testament. They both began with what Aristotle called “tools.” Though Peter does not address slaves as “tools,” he does begin with them. He addresses those opposite the emperor and, according to the culture, on the complete other side of the human status meter.
Verse 18 says, “Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect.” Servants is the Greek term for “household slaves,” and now we have to wrestle with slavery in the New Testament. Both Peter and Paul addressed slaves. Jesus used “servants” in many of His parables. Yet, nowhere in the NT do we get what we think we want: an outright call for the abolition of slavery. Why not? This is important for us to consider because non-Christians exploring Christianity or new Christians growing in Christ will often ask why? So, why doesn’t the NT call for the extension of slavery?
Some have argued it’s because the slavery of the first-century differed so greatly from the slavery that we think of. However, Roman slavery was a brutal and inhumane institution. Slaves were property; masters could beat, harass, and molest their slaves with no fear of retaliation and within the bounds of the law. Slaves had no rights.
Why, then, does Peter tell slaves how to be slaves instead of calling on masters to release their slaves? The slave industry in Roman culture, as well with all other ancient cultures, was assumed. The philosophy of the time taught that nature dictated some were born to rule and others were born to be ruled. Aristotle argues that slavery was a part of the natural order: “It is manifest therefore that … some are free men and others are slaves by nature” (Pol. 1255a1–2). There were no inalienable rights, no equality. Everyone’s worldview held that slaves were as natural as water and oxygen. Thus, in Roman times, ⅓ of the population were slaves, and if you were not a slave, you owned slaves. This was the air Peter and the first Christians breathed. Christians themselves owned slaves, according to the letter to Philemon.
Yet, at the same time, we know, and I believe Peter and Paul knew as well, that slavery is incompatible with the gospel and the truth that all humans bear the image of God. I believe Paul called for Philemon to release his slave, but that’s another sermon. Why, then, talk to slaves instead of calling for the freedom of slaves? Well, first, the smallest group of Christians, hated by the world around them, stood no chance of upending the world system. Second, and more important, while the NT does not attack corrupt institutions the way we might expect, it does goes after corrupt humanity, and when humans are reformed, systems are reimagined. By 379, bishop Gregory of Nyssa argued in the public square that slavery and the gospel are incompatible, and though some Christians have tragically and sinfully argued for slavery on biblical grounds, godly Christians have always led the way in abolishing slave systems.
So, now, what does Peter say to slaves in Asia Minor? What does he say to those, according to the society, who have no status, no rights, and are likened to wagons or inanimate utensils? In the gospel, he dignifies them. He restores their humanity.
Let me show you briefly. First, the noun “servants” is in the vocative case, which shows direct address. No other ancient household codes addressed slaves directly. How can you talk to a tool? But Peter speaks to the slaves because they are human and in Christ are part of the beloved brotherhood just like free Christians. In fact, according to verse 17, the slave should be honored just like the emperor is honored. Next, the slave is no longer a tool, but is a servant of God and a witness to God’s kingdom in the slave’s house. “With all respect,” in verse 18, should be “with all fear” and, according to Tom Schrenier, every time Peter talks about “fear” in his letter the reference is toward God. That is, slaves no longer live as tools in the hand of human masters, but they live as lights in the hands of almighty God. Third, Peter acknowledges slaves receive “injustice.” Verse 18 states that some masters treat their slaves in unjust ways. While it might be obvious to us, unjust treatment of slaves was not obvious to the average Roman. Aristotle wrote, “There can be no injustice…toward one's own possessions... a slave is a living possession. Therefore, there can be no injustice toward a slave, insofar as he is a slave." (Nicomachean Ethics V.6, 1134b–1135a). Peter rejects this idea and speaks to the slave treated poorly by his or her master as an equal, as someone who has to endure unfair treatment. Fourth, according to Peter, a slave can be “mindful of God.” Again, Aristotle, who shaped the minds of the Romans, argued that since slaves are “human chattel” they are incapable of deliberate thinking. Peter calls the slave to mindfulness; however. He sees the slave as a human, created in God’s image, valued and treasured by God, and as someone who can lift his or her mind up to God and think on the glories of the Father just as Peter or Paul or Jesus can. Next, Peter does not see the slave as something to be thrown out when the burdens of the work or the sufferings of injustice become too much, like Cato the Elder. Instead, Peter speaks to the one suffering in the slave system and promises, “God has a reward for you. Your suffering is not in vain. God’s grace is at work, and He will deliver you from this peril to eternal life and eternal freedom” (19-20). This is the gracious thing.
In all these ways, Peter dignifies the lowly; he lifts the weak; he humanizes the dehumanized. Now, finally, Peter gives slaves ultimate dignity, value, worth, and honor by showing them how their lives relate to the life of Jesus Christ.
First, in verse 21, Peter tells the slave that they were not subjected by nature to enslavement, but were instead “called” by God to follow Jesus Christ. The word “example” in verse 21 is such a beautiful word. Its root word refers to writing or copying something down on paper. In other Greek sources, this word was used to describe how students learned to write letters. The teacher would write a letter, and then the students would trace over the letter. So, Jesus is not just an example for the slaves to mimic; He is instead the letter that slaves trace their lives right over top of; they follow Him, stepping into His very footsteps.
Are you with me in 1 Peter? Aftering paying honor to the emperor, Peter turns to the lowest of the low in society. And what does he say, “Servants, the highest of the high, the Son of God, the King of Heaven and Earth, the Savior of the world, came to earth to leave you an example. He willingly walked your path before you were forced to walk; He was humiliated before you suffered humiliation, treated harshly before you received injustice, and suffered for doing good before you suffered for doing good.” Peter turns to Isaiah 53 in this passage, the great promise of a Suffering Servant in the book of Isaiah, to explain who Jesus became in His incarnation. Jesus was the suffering slave. He descended from the heights of heaven in His incarnation, to serve the world and to die a slave's death. Though He never sinned, He suffered as if He were a criminal. How valuable are slaves in the sight of God? How precious are the lowly? How important are the worthless? So valuable, precious, and important that Jesus became a suffering slave to rescue suffering slaves. So valuable Jesus was wounded to heal the wounded.
So, second, Jesus not only mapped out a path for slaves to follow, but He died for them. He died for the ones corrupt men would cast out like a broken wagon. Verse 21, “He suffered for you.” Cicero, the great orator writing just before the time of Christ, called crucifixion, “The most miserable and most painful punishment, appropriate to slaves alone.” Jesus came to seek and save the slaves by dying in their place. That’s the dignity Peter knows slaves have through the Savior, Jesus Christ.
But what does this mean for us who don’t know slaves? Let this first be a call for us to trace our lives over the life of Jesus and treat everyone with honor and dignity. There is no such thing as a second-rate human, no person who lacks dignity, or worth. All people have been created in the image of God, and the cross stands as a sign of God’s love to all, even those humiliated by the world and rejected by men. The homeless deserve dignity. The refugee bears the image of God; Jesus is for our immigrant neighbors. Jesus loves those with whom we disagree. So, who do we tend to dehumanize, even a little, with our thoughts, attitudes, or actions? Let’s see everyone the way Christ saw slaves.
Second, Peter suddenly shifts to the first-person plural in verse 24. Lest we think Peter thinks free Christians or influential Christians or rich Christians are better than slaves, uninfluential, or poor Christians, Peter gathers up every Christian into the discussion and says, “He bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.” We’ve all been slaves and we are all slaves, brothers and sisters. Jesus says, “Anyone who practices sin is a slave to sin” (John 8:34). Paul said, “You were slaves of sin” (Rom. 6:20). Sin was our master, and we obeyed him. We turned from the way of God; we sought life and freedom in slavery. We did not honor everyone nor fear God. We honored ourselves and ignored God. But Jesus took our chains; He became the servant, took our sins in His body as if they were His own, and died the slave’s death to set us free! Set free from sin, we are now slaves to God. 1 Peter 2:16 says, literally, “Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as slaves of God.”
By faith in the cross of Christ, we left behind the master who puts us to death, and turned to the master who frees us to life so that we can live like Him. So we could do good and bless no matter the cost. We were lost sheep, but now, by the cross and the crucified and risen servant, we have a living Shepherd who cares for our souls, who gives us dignity and worth, who blesses us with love and grace. We have Jesus. He is our Master.
From the emperor to the slave, we live like Christ by honoring all. It is in this way that the world is transformed. Peter does not call for a government takeover; he calls for faithful Christian living in light of the gospel and willing suffering. This infiltrates the world with Jesus and He changes the world.