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Thus far in this letter, Peter has shown us how the gospel drives our vertical identity as Christians, set apart by God, living distinctly as aliens and exiles in a hostile world. But the question that comes next is, how does that same gospel play itself out horizontally in our engagement of that hostile world around us? Inevitably, we're going to find ourselves under harsh, oppressive or even ungodly authority. In those situations, the temptation is either to run or retaliate evil for evil. In this passage, Peter exhorts the believer – whether a citizen under an oppressive government or a slave under an oppressive master – toward gospel-centered submission, in such a way that points our oppressors toward Jesus and brings glory to God's name.