1 Peter 2:18 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.
Peter next gives instructions to slaves. Many parts of the Roman Empire of that time had slaves, often far outnumbering citizens. When the Romans conquered an area, and especially if the people resisted, the Romans made the people slaves. Being a slave could be harsh or almost pleasant like having a job today. Some slaves died in the gravel pits and others lived in luxury. Peter does not distinguish between those extremes here. Many slaves had become believers in Jesus. Like other writers of the New Testament (especially Paul in Ephesians 6 and Colossians 4), Peter urges slaves to show respect to their masters, no matter what type they are, the good and kind ones or the harsh ones. The motive of such slaves should be fear of God.
Because we worship God and respect God’s authority in our lives, we can be empowered to respect those who have authority over us. Sometimes in the modern world, we may find ourselves working under supervisors who are harsh, inconsiderate, or just poor leaders or administrators. We can put this type of situations into the hands of God and trust God to see us through. Our strength for endurance can come from the deep well of God’s love rather than the shallow pit of our own emotions.
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