Initially when you read these verses, what comes to mind, at least to me is that Peter is saying for people to stay 'pro quo' don't fight for rights, don't bother changing the 'system' or look for betterment of the social order of things. Slaves be slaves, I don't care, and authority ... heck don't fight oppression, just stand back and be little pawns in an unfair political system. After all, Peter wrote this during a time of Jewish uprising against Rome, and just after the temple was burned down because of it. Was Peter talking about 'crawling back' into your holes, be safe, just do your thing but nothing too radical? Was he going back to the nature of when he denied Christ 3 times because of the threat of reprisal?
I think there are a few things that we need to learn from Peters gospel:
a) Living for Christ over-rules our political desires. It overrides our own desire, versus living a holy life. We don't commit crimes in the name of justice, because that is not the way of Christ. We need to carry our cross during the hardest of times.
b) This is a call for Christian living, and testimony of Christ in us during times of trouble, whether political, or even as a slave.
c) Even though we are called to respect authorities, check out the call of authorities ... "For the king has sent them (officials) to punish those who do wrong and to honor those who do right."(vs. 12) If the king and his officials don't do this, we are mandated to care for the orphans and widows, and to stamp out oppression.
We are called from a biblical standpoint to lift high the voices of the oppressed, but to do so without compromising the message. For us though, we have to keep an eternal perspective on things, and realize that we do need to carry our cross. It's a hard thing to do, but its what God has called us too.
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