Honourable subordination: reading 1 Peter in the light of contemporary Graeco-Roman texts

Our study interprets 1 Peter from an honour/shame perspective, focusing on the theme of ‘honourable subordination.’ The author and recipients of the epistle were part of the first-century Graeco-Roman world where the honour/shame dynamic was pivotal. The strategy of 1 Peter regarding Christian interactions with non-Christians and the wider society is a subject of extensive debate. To assist his audience, who faced hostility and challenges for being Christians, the author offers advice on how to engage with non-Christians, recommending that believers demonstrate appropriate subordination in various social contexts. While these instructions seem to promote alignment with social norms, whether they actually encourage conformity to prevailing social expectations and values remains a question.

We aim to discern whether the Petrine exhortations to subordination present a distinct Christian perspective that contrasts with contemporary non-Christian writings. To achieve this purpose, we examine non-Christian philosophical and moral writings on subordination and undertake an exegesis of the subordination exhortations in 1 Peter. This examination covers works by first- and early second-century Graeco-Roman authors including Dio, Plutarch, Epictetus and Josephus, as well as popular morality sayings that circulated widely across the Roman Empire during this period.

Through a comparative analysis of the Petrine text and the contemporary materials, we seek to assess how the Petrine author directs his audience in engaging with and responding to their societal milieu. This analysis will illuminate the practical implications of the Petrine teachings for providing guidance and support to believers facing their challenges. Such insights will deepen our understanding of the author’s strategic approach to Christian interactions with non-Christians. Ultimately, our research contributes to the discussion on the author’s Christian strategy by elucidating his teachings on 'honourable subordination' within the context of the first-century Graeco-Roman world.