In the ESV the command to “be subject” is identical to the command of 1 Peter 2:13. In the original, however, “be subject” in 1 Peter 2:13 is an imperative, while in 1 Peter 2:18 it is a participle. Grammatically, the participle of 1 Peter 2:18 must be understood as an imperative, as the English also renders. But the fact of the participle in the Greek following the imperative of 1 Peter 2:13 makes clear that Peter intends the present instruction to serve as one application of the broader command of 1 Peter 2:13. In other words, we may not isolate 1 Peter 2:18–25 from the previous paragraph, 1 Peter 2:13–17.
18 Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust.