Introduction

In the early 1990’s, a 20-year-old young Malayali boy, soon after his Bible School
graduation in Mumbai, started sharing the gospel in the interior places of Gujarat. He visited the
smallest and unreached villages and shared the Living Gospel. He was beaten up, persecuted and
threatened to be killed by religious fanatics. During one of his visits, he met a family in Fetharia
village. The mother of that family was mentally ill, attacked by an evil spirit. They visited many
babas and tantrics but could not heal her. However, the power of the gospel brought her healing.
The whole family came into Christ and this was the only house to believe in Christ in that village.
This change of heart bought huge persecution upon that family. They were ex-communicated from
the village banning participation in any social events and were considered untouchables. The
persecution and pain did not break their faith in Christ. They became an example of Christ in that
village. People witnessed a transformation in their house. Once called the house of the mad woman,
the house now is known as the house of peace. Slowly people started joining them. New souls came
to Christ and now this village has thousands of Christian believers. This house is now the biggest
church in that district and the young 20-year-old boy is Pr. Santhosh Thomas, my father.
I have grown up listening to the mission stories of my father and mother, and it is true that
it's never easy to follow Christ. The moment we accepted Christ, we became strangers to this world.
People saw us as aliens and exiled ones.

Historical Background
We see a similar group of people in the first epistle of Peter. A community who are under
great persecution because of their faith. They are now rejected by their own community and seen as
aliens. Apostle Peter talks about this community as a scattered community throughout Pontus,
Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia [Minor], and Bithynia, who are chosen according to the foreknowledge
of God the Father, a mixture of both gentiles and Jews.
The letter opens with the greeting, and then it moves into a poetic song of praise to God,
which introduces the key themes that are explored in the main body of the letter. He first affirms the
‘new family’ identity of these persecuted Christians, which will help them see their suffering as a
way to bear witness to Jesus. And this has a way of focusing their future hopes on the return of
Jesus.
It is debated till date whether it was a state-sponsored persecution or a regional persecution
while Peter was writing this letter, i.e., between 64 and 68 A.D. Nevertheless, a major rejection of
people from their own community is recorded. We can see a heavily paradoxical identity ascribed to
this community. On the one hand, they are identified as a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a
consecrated nation, a [special] people for God’s own possession, one who is out of darkness and
into His marvelous light, while on the other hand, alienated, exiled, strangers, shattered and more.
In this background, Peter pens down a conduct for the people to live a life in exile by being God’s
slave.

Conduct of a God’s slave as an alien in exile

Let’s read 1 Peter 2:11-17

Theme: Conduct of an Alien in Exile.

Peter shows them their real identity in verse 9 and then in verse 10 he quotes from Hosea and says,
that ‘Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy,
but now you have received mercy’ and this acceptance of becoming God’s own people, gives them
the responsibility to conduct their life according to God’s commandment. Peter talks about how we
can conduct as an alien in exile.

The first way is, Conduct of a God’s slave as an alien among the gentiles

1. Conduct of a God’s slave as an alien among the gentiles

Vv. 11 starts with Peter inviting his community to be alongside him, to create an impact. He
is referring to them as paroikos and parepidomos, which means alien and exile. There is a debate
over whether this was due to physical displacement of people from the land or the post-conversion
titles bestowed by society.
The combination of paroikos and parepidomos appears only three times in the LXX (gen
24:4, ps 38:13, and 1pet 2:11). There are other common words like allótrios and fygas, but
Peter used these two words because he wanted to help the community understand that they were no
more a normal people but Yahweh’s own people. Even Israel was seen as an alien and an exiled
group of people but God never left them. He knew every small detail of his people and provided all
that they needed in their days of exile. It was an assurance for the reader that they will be treated as
strangers because they are God's people but he is never going to leave them. So, Peter is calling
them paroikos and parepidomos, which was not only to describe their current situation but also a
description of the status they were expected to keep by abstaining from fleshly desires.
 What are the fleshly desires? The greek word which is used here is sarkikón, which means
carnal or animal apettite. Paul in Galatians ch 5:17 ff gives a list of fleshly desires. Which you can
refer back later. One thing is very clear, the biggest threat to our spirituality is nothing but we
ourselves. In today's context, we witness so many Christian leaders and pastors fall because they
fall in the trap of fleshly desires, and as a result of that, Christians are called hypocrites. We forget
to conduct ourselves among the gentiles. Is it possible to abstain from fleshly desires? Peter says
yes. The word Peter uses here is apexsomai which is aorist passive imperative, which means to
actively abstain from fleshly desire. But how? By taking the help of an agent. Yes, my friends, the
only way to abstain from the fleshly desires is to take the help of the one who is called to be on
one’s side, God himself. The only way to abstain from fleshly desires is to walk with him.
My brothers and sisters, are you struggling with the desires of the flesh? Peter is teaching us
to take the Holy Spirit’s help. Why? Because it is impossible for us to fight on our own. Now why
are we abstaining ourselves from the fleshly desire? Is it to portray ourselves as holy and special?
No, it is to make Him known to the world by our honorable deeds through which His name is
glorified. Always remember, honorable deeds are not merely an action, but it is a worship.

Application
To all my graduating Friends and everyone listening to me right now, God has appointed a
greater responsibility on us as we are called to be out there. We are chosen to be the image of God.
As Peter begins this verse, we are called to be the witness and people will look up to us. There will
be lot of challenges, temptations, persecutions but are we ready to live a life worthy of the Gospel?
Are we ready to be the paroikos which he wants us to be?

The second conduct is the…

2. Conduct of a God’s slave as an alien under foreign authorities

After talking about good deeds, now Peter is adding one more step to it, “For the Lord’s
sake be subject to every human authority”. Amidst all these injustices, oppression, emperor worship
and more, is Peter asking the community to be subjected?
The word used here to “be subject” is hupotagete. The English word which comes closer, is
to be subordinate. It is very important to understand that the context behind this passage is very
deep. On one side we see the roman government and the citizens of Rome had a very different
lifestyle. The household codes which were prevalent, status of people, the emperor worship, cult
and evil belief, which the citizens were expected to follow. On other hand, Christians started
withdrawing themselves from the secular society. Sudden social freedom brought chaos among the
unbelievers and the zeal for revolutionizing the society, were very strong. Paul, in Romans 13:1-7
brings the same idea with similar words but one addition, that is the divine appointment. In a
comparative study, Peter in this whole passage, especially in v17, is trying to tell his community
that the emperor is just a mere human and at the same time, Paul also says in Romans that these
governing authorities are merely human but their position is ordained by God. That’s why emperor
worship is a sin but at the same time dishonoring the authority of these rulers is equal to
dishonoring God’s ordination and appointment, which is dishonoring God himself.
So instead of blindly following the authorities, who dictates what to do, they should check
whether it is against God’s will and his ethos. Peter makes it clear that they are not supposed to
withdraw from the society but to associate with the government when they are doing right.
However, when they go against the will of God, His children are to live a life doing good deeds. By
doing right, we silence the ignorant talk, instead of rebelling against and planning to oppose the
authority. Honor them, respect them, pay the dues. Show them your real identity and belonging, the
value and lifestyle of a Godly people.
Same like Apexomai, hupothagete is also constructed in a way to show that we have
submitted to the emperor, once for all. This means you may go through persecution by the same
authority because of your doing good. You may go through oppression and pain by the same
authority to whom you are submitted to. God is asking us to submit and not to rebel and this can
only be done with the help of the Holy Spirit. This action of submission needs the help of the Holy
Spirit.

Application
We cannot deny what Peter wrote in the 1st century. We live in an evil prevailing world. Our
authorities are addressed as gods and are worshiped. We are rejected of our citizenship for not
obeying certain evil practices. In the future, we might be gravely persecuted for our faith, but are we
ready to respect the ordination that God has placed? When Darius, the king of Medians, signed
emperor worship, Daniel’s first response was to get on his knees and thank God. Daniel did not opt
for weapons. He could have easily raised an army against Darius but he chose to sit on his knees. In
this Modern era, where it is shameful to submit and not to rebel, are we ready to respect what God
has ordained? Even if we are persecuted for doing good, we have to still submit to the authority.
3. Conduct of a God’s slave as an alien with the family of believers

Verse 16, Peter is bringing two very contrasting words, ‘to be the servant of God’ and ‘free
people’. The word used here for servants in doulos which means a slave or a bond servant.
Understanding of being saved and no more in bondages paved a way to use this freedom to stand
against the state and political power. This not only created the conflict and disturbance in the
society but also brought more persecution among them. Many have gone even to the extent of using
this freedom to sin, commit adultery and more. In this context, Peter warns that accepting Christ is
not merely a physical freedom, but to willingly become the doulos of Christ. What does it mean to
be doulos? The Doulos don’t have life of their own, no will of their own, no purpose of their own,
or no plan of their own. Doulos is the submission of one’s mind, soul and body. Once accepting
Christ, we have become His possession. Now our works, passion, will and future becomes what
God’s will is. Act as free men and don’t use your freedom as a covering for evil but use it as bond
slaves of God. The freedom which we got from the sin, oppression and bondages is not to side evil
but to honor everyone, love the family of believers, fear God and honor the emperor.
For us, today, to honor everyone and love the family of believers may look very normal, but
in Peter’s context it was different. In Rome, there were millions of slaves and these slaves were
seen as “things”, not as human beings, women were considered as men’s possessions and
discriminations prevailed. Here Peter is asking his community to honor or give whole respect to
everyone and "Remember the rights of human personality and the dignity of every man.”
Honor everyone also includes the unbeliever, one who removed you out of your own
community, one who calls you an alien and exiled, one who is persecuting you, and may be the one
who is killed your close ones. Peter is asking to honor them, give them the full respect.
Peter also goes deeper by saying that the Christian community is to love the family of
believers. Slaves who were considered as things and possessions, are to be loved. Agapete, which is
in present imperative active, used here for love gives the understanding of loving consistently. It
doesn't matter if he or she betrayed you, caused you pain or ignored you. You may see them as your
own but have caused greater pain than the unbelievers but you have to love them, a love that runs
along with your age.
Then comes the fear of the lord. Everything should be done out of the fear of the Lord. He is
now our God and master. What you do, represent him. So, our deeds need to be aligned with God’s
will. Fearing the Lord our God, let us honor our emperor. Not worship but honor. The fear of God
should steer the wheel of our journey.

Recapitulation and conclusion

 We have seen how Peter is teaching his community to conduct their life as aliens and exiles.
This applies to us also. Everything starts within us. To live a life as an example and to testify who
our God is, the first step needs to starts within us. As v 11 says, it is war and we shouldn’t take it
lightly. We have to train and build our self with the help of the Holy Spirit in order to win the battle.
Secondly, we need to learn to maintain our good deeds in order to silence the ignorant talk. Because
we are considered as an alien doesn't mean we should withdraw ourselves from the society. We
have a greater responsibility, that is to do good. We are called to be in the society and become that
sign post that leads people toward Christ. At last, we should live a good life among ourselves, by
honoring and loving, that is founded on the fear of God. To fulfill the imperatives of this passage,
we need the help of Holy Spirit. Therefore, let’s start living a life as paroikoi and parepidomos with
the help of Holy Spirit by becoming God’s slave

Amen.