Obey (5218) (hupakoe from hupó = under + akouo = hear) (Click study of related verb hupakouo) literally means "hearing under", that is, listening from a subordinate position in which compliance with what is said is expected and intended.
Hupakoe is used only once in the Lxx (2Sa 22:36) and 15 times in the NT ...
Romans 1:5 (note) through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith (see study of Obedience of faith) among all the Gentiles, for His name's sake,
Romans 5:19 (note) For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.
Romans 6:16 (note) Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey (present tense = habitually), either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?
Romans 15:18 (note) For I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me, resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed,
Romans 16:19 (note) For the report of your obedience has reached to all; therefore I am rejoicing over you, but I want you to be wise in what is good, and innocent in what is evil.
Romans 16:26 (note) but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith;
2 Corinthians 7:15 And his affection abounds all the more toward you, as he remembers the obedience of you all, how you received him with fear and trembling.
2 Corinthians 10:5 We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,
2 Corinthians 10:6 and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete.
Philemon 1:21 Having confidence in your obedience, I write to you, since I know that you will do even more than what I say.
Hebrews 5:8 (note) Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered.
1 Peter 1:2 (note) according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, that you may obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in fullest measure.
1 Peter 1:14 (note) As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance,
1 Peter 1:22 (note) Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart,
Hupakoe speaks of the one hearing as being under the authority of some one else. Thus, hupakoe comes to mean compliance (disposition to yield to another) with the demands or requests of someone over us. Obedience is submission or hearkening to a command. Obedience is the carrying out the word and will of another person, especially the will of God.
Illustration - A missionary translator was endeavoring to find a word for “obedience” in the native language. This was a virtue seldom practiced among the people into whose language he wanted to translate the New Testament. As he returned home from the village one day, he whistled for his dog and it came running at full speed. An old man, seeing this, said, admiringly in the native tongue, “Your dog is all ear.” Immediately the missionary knew he had his word for obedience. (Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations by Paul Lee Tan)
Hupakoe conveys the picture of one listening and following instructions. Submitting to that which is heard involves a change of attitude, forsaking the tendency of the fallen nature to rebel against Divine instructions and commands and seeking God's will, not self will. Someone has said that a "proof" that we are of the elect is not an empty prating about how secure we are once we believed, but rather how sensitive we are to the principle and practice of obedience to Jesus.
Paul uses hupakoe to describe the goal of his apostleship which was
to bring about the obedience of faith ("the obedience that comes from faith" NIV) among all the Gentiles for His name’s sake." (Ro 1:5-see notes for discussion of the phrase obedience of faith ; see related topic Relationship of faith and obedience)
A similar truth is expressed by Luke describing
the word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient (verb form - hupakouo) to the faith (here meaning "the gospel"). (Acts 6:7)
To become obedient to the faith, is to obey the requirements of the gospel. The point is that genuine, saving faith always produces obedience and submission to the gospel of Christ. A person who claims faith in Jesus Christ but whose pattern of life is utter disobedience to God’s Word has never been redeemed and is living a lie. Faith that does not manifest itself in obedient living is spurious and worthless (Jas 2:14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 , 21, 22, 23 ,24, 25, 26-see notes ).
In the closing lines of Romans Paul again emphasized that the purpose of the gospel was to lead men "to the obedience of faith (the obedience which springs from faith)" (Ro 16:26-note).
Faith and obedience are inseparable. There is no true faith that does not produce obedience (Ro 15:18-note; Ro 16:19-note; 2Co 7:15). (See related study Obedience of faith)
In sum, Peter is saying that the purpose of our election is obedience to Jesus Christ. Peter then goes on to use hupakoe two more times in this same chapter to help his readers understand what this obedience looks like in our daily walk --
(1) As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance (1Pe 1:14-note)
(2) Since you have in obedience to the truth (referring to their conversion upon believing the Gospel) purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart (1Pe 1:22-note)
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