Nonverbal Resistance

1 Peter 2:19-25

19For it is a credit to you if, being aware of God, you endure pain while suffering unjustly. 20If you endure when you are beaten for doing wrong, what credit is that? But if you endure when you do right and suffer for it, you have God’s approval. 21For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in his steps. 22“He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” 23When he was abused, he did not return abuse; when he suffered, he did not threaten; but he entrusted himself to the one who judges justly. 24He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. 25For you were going astray like sheep, but now you have returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.

Historical Context

To understand this passage, it helps to understand the socio-political structure of household relationships in ancient Roman society. A large Roman household might comprise of parents and children, extended family members, and other dependents, such as slaves, who engaged in household related activities. Because the household involved a vast array of roles and activities to function, it was understood as a microcosm of the larger society. Subordinates such as slaves and wives who threatened the stability of the Roman household also threatened the stability of the Roman state.

Theme: Nonverbal Resistance

Throughout the letter, 1 Peter’s main concern is not that believers appease the Gentiles who mistreat and malign them, but that believers actually live in a way fitting to the people of God while living among those who mistreat and malign them. The letter’s household code offers a realistic strategy for how Christians can honor their socially prescribed roles within the Greco-Roman household, while finding a separate system of honor in the household of God.

As a result of their new birth, Christians have a radically different set of values and behaviors that puts them in more contact and conflict with the world. The letter assumes that Christians, slave or free, possess the moral discernment and agency to do what is right, and endure unjust suffering as a result. Although a convert’s social circumstances may not change, their consciousness of God changes their perception of their situation. The main thrust in 2:19-20 is not pleasing one’s master but gaining God’s “approval” (“grace”) by doing what accrues “credit” or is commendable in God’s sight. Because the author of 1 Peter knows that what pleases God will not always please one’s master, he is at pains to encourage slaves to patiently endure the pain (“beating”) that results from righteousness’ sake. First Peter presents suffering as the inevitable result of a transformed Christian life that is holy and obedient to God in a world that is hostile to the Christian way of life. Resistance to sin and enduring trust in God is possible because of Christ’s redemptive work on the cross (verses 24-25).

First Peter’s strategy for coping with unjust suffering continues to remain troublesome for readers, particularly African Americans and women. It does not question the legitimacy of the Roman Empire’s slave economy nor attempt to take down the patriarchal structure of the household. Instead, 1 Peter offers a strategy of nonverbal resistance that is patterned after Jesus. It speaks to the power of non-retaliation and the strength required to wield our words in ways that honor God. The substance of our response is not reflected in how quickly we can manipulate language to get what we want or hurl insults back at those who insult us or speak ill of those who are ill-treating us. Rather, it is reflected in the integrity of our actions and our awareness that we live in service to a God who will have the last word.