1 Peter

Submitting to Masters

Review: The Roadmap

We've been born again to to a living hope & secure inheritance [1:3]
so, set your hope fully on the coming grace [1:13]
and, after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you [5:10]

Group Study

Read: 1 Peter 2:11-3:17
From 2:18-25, answer:
1. To whom is this addressed? 2.19
2. The "servant"/"master" relationship 2.18
  - What exactly is a "servant" (οἰκέται) in this context?
  - What exactly is a "master" (δεσπόταις) in this context?
  - Is this the same kind of "subjection" (ὑποτασσόμενοι) as mentioned in 2:14?
  - How is this "subjection" to be exercised? (ἐν παντὶ φόβῳ)
  - What kinds of "masters" qualify for this treatment?
  - What are some scriptural examples
    - of this kind of relationship in general?
    - of behaviors and attitudes that
      - negatively illustrate this subjection?
      - positively illustrate this subjection?
3. Is this about "unjust" (σκολιοῖς) masters, or all masters? 2.18
4. "For"
  - How many "for"s are there?
  - What does "for" mean?
  - To what does each refer?
5. What is "a gracious thing"? Is this specific to servant/master scenarios?
6. What does Christ's suffering have to do with this? Didn't he come to provide atonement for sin?
7. What kind of "credit" is in view?
8. Christ's example
  - What is it?
  - What can a servant with an unjust master learn from it?
9. Is this relevant beyond household servants to those with large estates?

Homework

Keeping 1st Peter in mind, do a word-study of the following words in the scriptures:

servant
slave
bond-servant
master
lord (not Lord or LORD)

See Also