Stand Firm In the Face of Cruelty and Injustice

This morning I want to talk about tyranny and oppression. Tyranny is what happens when a select group of people, abuse their power and authority. I can’t think of many issues that are of greater concern to our young people. There is a real hunger and thirst, “a cry”, for justice. This same concern is driving a record number of people to vote.

If you’ve been following along, we are in Week 8 of our study guide. We’ve been talking about this group of believers who were geographically scattered across a 300 sq mile area of modern Turkey. They were scattered by hate, by injustice and cruelty. It’s not until we get into 1 Peter 2 that we begin to understand their circumstances, their experiences. For our purposes this morning, I want to reach “back” into part of last week’s text and “forward” into part of next weeks text, so we can get a fuller picture of what these exiles were enduring.

First, they were experiencing Cultural Oppression.

1 Peter 2:12 (CSB) reveals these exiles (aliens and strangers) faced “slander. . . as evildoers.” One face of oppression is when one group (usually the majority) paints themselves as “moral” and “heroic” while painting another group (usually a minority) as morally “inferior” or “evil.” If you are part of the in-group you may be completely aloof. But if you part of the out-group, you find yourself perpetually enraged to always be painted by the Media, by the majority, in such a negative light. Our stereotypes dehumanize, degrade, slander, mischaracterize, incite, enrage. How should you respond as a Christian when the tide of cultural opinion seems against you? 

Second, they were experiencing Political Oppression.

1 Peter 2:13 (CSB), they were subject to “the emperor as the supreme authority.” Nero was a paranoid, homicidal, cruel ruler. 1 Peter 2:14 (CSB), Nero had appointed a hierarchy of governors and authorities “to punish those who do what is evil and to praise those who do what is good.” The Christians in Rome received the brunt of Nero’s wrath—they were tortured and executed in the most brutal fashion. It goes back to our first point. Christians were being ignorantly mischaracterized (scapegoated) as a harmful sect, subversive to Nero’s rule and the good of the Empire. They were to be eradicated!

Around the world, Communist governments see Christians as a subversive sect. China and Russia have been eradicating churches, believers. Islamic governments see Christians as subversive. Secular governments see Christian beliefs as subversive to the good of their nation. In watching the coverage of this Supreme Court Nominee, it's clear the media, and an alarming number of politicians, see Christian faith as subversive to the good of our nation.

Notice how Peter characterizes Nero’s government in 1 Peter 2:15 (CSB)—he makes reference to the “ignorance of foolish people.” Often government leaders implement policies intended for the “good” of one group, yet these same policies prove to be horrifically ignorant, foolish, destructive, cruel and oppressive to another group. It’s so important that we study history. So much of the anger and rage we see today is the result of terrible policies implemented yesterday. The out-groups, the aliens/strangers, the minority, the weak, the voiceless, the powerless… bare the brunt of the pain of bad government policy. How should you respond as a Christian when political forces seem aligned against you?

Third, they were experiencing Economic Oppression.

In 1 Peter 2:18 (CSB) we see some of these believers were “household slaves.” Nobody these days believe any of the biblical texts related to slavery are “prescriptive.” They are wholly “descriptive.” In other words, the Bible does not commend, nor condone, nor legitimize slavery. But it does acknowledge the stark realities in which God’s people have often found themselves. Just as the Israelites were subject to slavery, so the Christian were at times.

Now we shouldn’t necessarily read our own stereotypes of slavery into these passages. In the 1st Century, people became slaves for vastly different reasons and because of variable circumstances. Some were enslaved (against their will) as captives of war. Some were enslaved to work in fields or mines. But more commonly, you had “household” slaves. People who for economic reasons, might sell themselves as a slave to pay some debt. The Prodigal Son after he squandered his Father’s wealth, sold himself to a pig farmer.

On Facebook, some Christians in Pakistan contacted me asking for money. Christians are not just a “persecuted” minority there, they are an “enslaved” minority. Christian families are so impoverished (no Muslim will hire a Christian), they are forced to beg and sell themselves (even sell their children) as slaves to owners of brick factories. They are “barely” better off as slaves, getting little food, and no education (literacy). The factory owners are perfectly content for Christian organizations to feed these Christian slaves—it lessens their expenses, increases their profits, and incentivizes injustice.

1 Peter 2:18 (CSB) tells us that some of these “Household slaves” had good, gentle masters. But 1 Peter 2:18-20 (CSB) tells us others suffered unjustly, enduring incredible grief, being beaten, by cruel masters. What ever were you to do as a believer if you found yourself subject to any kind of master?

Fourth, they were experiencing Marital or Male Oppression.

Not “all” of them of course, but enough of them, that Peter mentions this issue! 1 Peter 3:1 (CSB) mentions husbands who “disobey the word.” On the one hand there was a “spiritual” disparity between an obedient, word-loving, wife and an ungodly husband with little or no regard for the Word. There was also a “physical, emotional, and psychological” disparity. 1 Peter 3:6 (CSB) mentions marital dynamics of “fear” and “intimidation.” 1 Peter 3:7 alludes to husbands not being reasonable or understanding, not seeing or treating their wife as equal in value and dignity. What should an unequally yoked woman do with a spiritually uncooperative man?

These matters of oppression weren’t academic to these 1st Century Christians. They were personally weighty and enraging and perplexing. Our message as Christians isn’t to simply “accommodate” whatever tyranny or oppression that exists. It isn’t to shrug our shoulders and passively hope these realities will fade away. The Bible never legitimizes cultural, political, economic, or male oppression. But what the Bible does do is prescribe a radically different remedy to tyranny and oppression that runs contrary to anything the world could conceive!

In 1 Peter 2:11-12 (CSB), Peter urges those facing CULTURAL OPPRESSION to abstain from sinful, impulsive reactive desires. And to change the tide of public opinion how? “Conduct yourself honorably…” let people “observe your good works”

In 1 Peter 2:13-17 (CSB), Peter urges those facing POLITICAL OPPRESSION to submit to human authorities as unto the Lord. Understand their intentions and goal to punish evil and reward good. Silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing good, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, honoring people, loving your brothers and sisters in Christ, fearing God, honoring Nero. In other words, don’t bring down the wrath of Nero by being subversive and rebellious!

*Do you realize the most powerful, politically, nationally transformative stories in your Bible are about people who did "1 Peter 2:13-17".

• Joseph won over Pharaoh and ruled over Egypt doing "1 Peter 2:13-17".
• Jeremiah the Prophet told the exiles in Jeremiah 31 to always see the good of the city, place, and people to whom they were exiled!
• Daniel "1 Peter 2:13-17’d" Nebuchadnezzar.
• Daniel "1 Peter 2:13-17’d" evil Babylon, evil Persians and evil Medians.
• The early Christians "1 Peter 2:13-17d" Rome and emperor after emperor until Christianity became official religion Empire.

In 1 Peter 2:18-20 (CSB), Peter urges the ECONOMICALLY OPPRESSED to submit to the good and gentle Masters as well as the cruel and abusive ones.

His invitation is that if you are going to suffer, don’t let it ever be for doing wrong. He encourages them to endure grief, and suffering the injustices, out of their consciousness of God, knowing that when they love what’s good, they always have, and should never fear losing, the favor of God! Peter tells slaves that their motive for doing good has nothing to do with whether it benefits your master… it has everything to do with honoring and securing the favor of God! Remember 1 Peter 2:16-17, Peter says, “Submit as free people, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but as God’s slaves honor… love… fear…” They were bound to a greater principle—they were slaves not of man, but of God himself. Slaves of righteousness.

Now I’ve read about the history of slavery in Europe and America. Our continents embraced some of the most horrific and vile forms of slavery know to modern world. What turned the popular sentiment against institution and practice of slavery? The African American slave was a strong, and noble, and courageous human being. They had strength of character to in faith, "1 Peter 2:18-20’" their cruel masters. There are certain things the human consciousness cannot bear in time. It cannot bear raw hatred. It cannot bear unjust suffering. It cannot bear cruel abuse for cruelty's sake. If these slaves in 1 Peter would have returned evil for evil, they might have prolonged their affliction, they might have invited greater cruelty or forfeited all empathy. But no, the slave is slave no more.

1 Peter 3:1-7 (CSB), Peter urges the MARITAL or MALE Oppression to submit.

To win over their husbands not with words but by living pure, reverent lives. To focus not on outer beauty but inward beauty. To cultivate heart qualities like a gentle and quiet spirit. To put their hope in God, to follow Sarah’s example of obeying her Abraham. To always do good no matter how much the man tries to use fear or his strength to intimidate you. We’re going to unpack these verses next week!