First Peter and Fighting Oppressive Injustice

I recently read the following quote by a Christian leader:

 

“The Biblical response to oppression? Be holy, love one another, submit to one another, and if you are a pastor, shepherd your flock well (1 Peter 1-5). Not a word about fighting injustice.”

 

I found this quote disconcerting for two reasons: First, even a casual read of the Bible will show God’s interest in justice and how he wants believers to live. Leaving aside the plethora of commands about doing justice and the voluminous condemnations for not doing so, there are many specific commands telling believers to fight oppressive injustice (Jeremiah 22:3-5; Isaiah 1:17; 58:6; Proverbs 29:7). Second, the book of 1 Peter (along with Daniel, Ephesians, and Revelation) is one of the principle biblical books about how to battle against oppressive power. To say otherwise would be like stating that Paul’s letter to the Galatians hasn’t a word about justification by faith! Given this, why did this Christian leader make such a statement? His accompanying comments suggest a context in which he is reacting against Christians who encourage others to involve themselves in social activism, promote social justice, and engage oppressive powers. However, his reaction is just a symptom to a cause. I suspected that his real problem was that he has a severe reductionist conception of the Gospel and that this was coloring his reading of the Bible and prompting his misinterpretation of 1 Peter 1-5. After some research, I discovered that my suspicions were correct. This person had reduced the Gospel to “Jesus died for my sins so I can go to heaven.”

In truth, the Gospel is about the coming of the Kingdom of God (Matthew 9:35; 24:14; Mark 1:14-15; Luke 4:43; 8:1; 16:16; Acts 8:12; 20:25; 28:31), which is the rule, will, and reign of God on earth and heaven (Matthew 6:10). The good news of Jesus is that he is the King of that Kingdom of God. Thus, we get references to the “gospel of Christ” (Acts 5:42; Romans 15:19; 1 Corinthians 9:12; 2 Corinthians 2:12; 4:4; 9:13; Galatians 1:7; Philippians 1:27; 1 Thessalonians 3:2). The Greek word “Christ” (Christos) is the translation of the Hebrew word Messiah. The Messiah/Christ was the term used for the King of the Jews. When Jesus is identified as the Christ, he is being identified as the King of the Jews (Matthew 2:2; 21:5; 25:35, 40; 27:11, 29, 42; Mark 15:2, 9, 12, 18, 26, 32; Luke 19:38, 23:2-3, 37-38; John 1:49; 12:13, 15; 18:33, 37, 39; 19:3, 12, 14-15, 19, 21; Acts 17:7; 1 Timothy 6:15). One of the central beliefs of Christianity is that God enthroned Jesus the Christ, as King of the Jews, as King of the world, following his death and resurrection. Essentially, Jesus is currently ruling this world, sitting at the right hand of God (Mark 14:62; Matthew 22:44; 25:33-34; 26:64; Daniel 7:13; Acts 2:33; 7:55-56; Romans 8:34; Ephesians 1:20; Colossians 3:1; Hebrews 1:3; Hebrews 8:1; 10:12; 12:2; Revelation 3:21; Psalm 110). Having been made king over the world, all power and authority has been given to him (Matthew 28:18) and all powers and authorities have been subjected to him (Ephesians 1:20-22; Philippians 2:8-11; 1 Corinthians 15:24; Colossians 1:13; 2:10, 15; Jude 1:25; Revelation 2:26-27; 12:10; Matthew 9:8; 21:23; Mark 3:15; John 5:27; 17:2; Psalm 110).

Though anointed Christ the King at his Baptism (Matthew 3:26-17; Mark 1:10-11; Luke 3:21-22; John 1:32-34), it wasn’t until his crucifixion on the cross that Jesus was formally recognized as such and scandalously crowned and enthroned (Matthew 27:37; Mark 15:26; Luke 23:38; John 19:19). Yet, it was because of his sufferings on the cross that Jesus defeated evil, sin, death, idolatry, and the oppressive powers of this world (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11; Galatians 1:4; 1 Corinthians 10:13; Colossians 2:15; 2 Timothy 1:10; Hebrews 2:14; 1 John 3:8). It is specifically because of his suffering submissiveness that Jesus was able to defeat the dark powers that unjustly oppress humanity (Luke 24:25-26, 46; Acts 3:18; 17:3; Philippians 2:6-11; Colossians 2:12-15, 20).

What Jesus showed us in his life, ministry, and ultimate work on the cross is that proper engagement of the powers is not by violence, force, bullying, fear, oppression, coercive conformity, and the weapons of political posturing. Rather, we are called to model our engagement under the teaching and example of our King. It is a method which is counter-intuitive and counter-cultural. Instead of seizing power and bullying his way to the top, Jesus became a servant (Mark 10:42-45; Luke 22:25-27; Matthew 25:28; John 13:3-17; Philippians 2:7) in order to be exalted (Philippians 2:5-11). This is why we read the first shall be last and the last shall be first (Matthew 20:16, 26-27; Mark 10:31, 43-44; Luke 13:30; 22:26). This is why Christian leadership is about servant leadership (Mark 10:42-45; Luke 22:25-27; Matthew 25:28; 1 Peter 5:2-3). This is why being a pastor is about equipping other believers (Ephesians 4:11-12). While the world may be run by the aggressive use of force and while governments may have a monopoly on violence (see Romans 13:1-3), the Christian (both laity and minister) must pursue the Kingdom of God through humility, selflessness, submission, and sacrifice (Matthew 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23). It is through the poor, the mourners, the meek, the justice hungry, the merciful, the pure, the peacemakers, and the persecuted that the Kingdom of God will come to fruition. This is a complete redefinition of power and of what it means to be the people of God. Jesus taught an ethic where abuse, persecution, and violence are to be dealt with by love, forgiveness, and non-violence. Again, you can see this prominently in the Sermon on the Mount, but it is the ethic Jesus took all the way to the cross where he rejected violence (Matthew 26: 52-54; Luke 22:51) and proclaimed forgiveness (Luke 23:34). The power exhibited and unleashed on the cross is that of self-giving love and forgiveness. This is the heart of the Gospel. 

In 1 Peter, the apostle is addressing Christians living in Asia Minor (1:1) who are suffering under serious persecution (1:6; 2:4, 7, 11, 19; 3:13-14, 17; 4:4, 12-19; 5:10). Why are they being persecuted? They suffer because of their righteousness (3:14), good behavior (3:16-17; 4:4), and their association with Christ (4:14-16).

Peter addresses their circumstance by connecting their suffering with that of Christ’s (2:21; 3:18; 4:1) which led to glory (1:11, 21; 3:18-22; 5:1), rescue (1:10-11), redemption (1:18-19), and the subjugation of the Powers (3:22). Indeed, Peter states that their suffering is necessary (1:6) because it results in their rescue (1:9). He says that the prophets predicted this rescue (1:10), the time when Christ would suffer and become glorified (1:11). In this, Peter is stating that the sufferings of Christians are a participation in the sufferings of Christ which lead to glory and the subjugation of the Powers (3:22). Thus, just as Christ suffered, so too must they suffer (2:19-20; 3:17; 4:1). They need to model Christ’s suffering, because they are called to do so (2:21-3:1, 7, 18). Christ is to be their example (2:21-25; 3:18; 4:1), but, because they are incorporated into Christ, they share in his sufferings (4:13-14). Therefore, if the sufferings of Christ (1:11; 2:7, 21-24; 4:1; 5:1) lead to his glory (1:11, 21; 3:22; 4:13; 5:1, 4, 10) then their sufferings will also lead to glory in Christ (1:7-8; 2:5, 9-10; 4:13-14; 5:1, 4, 6, 10). Thus, the sufferings the recipients of the letter are currently experiencing will lead to glory in Christ. Peter, like Paul in Colossians 2:9-15, is attempting to connect the believers’ participation in Christ’s death and resurrection, symbolized in baptism (v. 21), with the subjugation of the powers that followed that death and resurrection.

Therefore, because believers are in Christ, their submissive suffering for the Kingdom of God is an active participation in the suffering of Christ on the cross that defeats evil and subjugates the oppressive powers. This is why Paul encourages Christians to model Christ’s submission and subjugation (Philippians 2:5-11). This is why Jesus tells his followers to take up their cross (Matthew 10:38; Matthew 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23; Luke 14:27).

So, yes, counter the initial quote, 1 Peter is very much about fighting the injustice of oppression. And like the ethic of Christ and his Kingdom, it is fought through submission, subjection, and turn-the-other cheek justice (2:13, 17-18; 3:1-2, 7; 3:8-9, 16; 5:2-3, 5-6). It is fought with obedience and good conduct (1:13-16, 22; 2:1, 12, 15; 3:1-11; 4:2-3, 7-11). The biblical response to oppression is fighting injustice through holiness, love, submission, and pastoring. Indeed, the audience of 1 Peter suffer because of it (3:14, 16-17; 4:4, 14-16). And, again, Peter tells them: “Keep it up! It has a purpose!” As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15, the resurrection establishes Christ as King over the world (v. 12) where he rules until he subjugates all the powers under him completely (vv. 24-28). Therefore, the work of the believer done for the Kingdom is not in vain (vv. 57-58).

I am a conservative evangelical who believes in the inerrancy of the Bible. Nevertheless, I find myself dismayed with fellow conservative Christians who have a poor conception of the Gospel and who vehemently reject fighting for social justice and engaging oppressive powers. Having said that, I am equally dismayed with my brothers and sisters within progressive Christianity who too often pursue false social justice causes with anti-gospel methodology. One side refuses to engage the Powers and the other side is unwittingly being used by the Powers! Yes, Christians are called to fight injustice and oppressive powers, but that justice is not an abstract concept with its content dependent upon the cultural and social desires of the individual. Biblical justice is defined as what is constituted as justice in the Bible. Similarly, such justice is effectively advanced by submission, suffering, holiness, love, non-violence, and good behavior. To attempt to accomplish the justice of the Kingdom without its ethical methodology is self-refuting and ends in failure.