By the time Peter wrote his letters, other books of the New Testament had already been written and probably read by Peter. These include James and Jude (written by the brothers of Jesus), the ten letters written by Paul: 1 & 2 Thessalonians, Galatians, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Romans, Colossians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Philemon; and at least two of the Gospels, John and Luke.
In Jerusalem, Christians were being forced by their Jewish brethren to leave, and this pattern of persecution spread through the rest of the world, wherever Christians gathered.
The church was now about 35 years old and had suffered persecutions in various localities at the hands of local authorities, and now Imperial Rome (which had been indifferent until this time) was accusing the Church of a terrible crime and was set to punish it. Rome was determined to rid the empire of anyone that would not bow to Caesar.
Nero’s persecution of Christians was very severe in and around Rome, but not general over the Empire. It was a trying time. The church now faced a world trial and it seemed to Peter as if the end had come. Christians were being burned nightly in Nero’s gardens and it seemed that the devil was about to devour the church.
Peter had been beaten and jailed and threatened often. He had seen fellow Christians die, but he knew Jesus and would not allow his confidence in his risen Lord to be shaken.
The year is AD66*, and Peter is in Rome. Emporer Nero is persecuting Christians, torturing and killing them because of their faith, and the church in Jerusalem has been scattered throughout the Mediterranean world. And to make matters worse, Peter has just learned of Paul’s death.
Although Peter can speak Greek, he is not fluent enough in the language to write it well. But with Silas’s help, he drafts his letter and has Silas deliver it to the churches Paul had founded in Asia Minor to encourage them and to inform them of Paul’s martyrdom.
His letter was intended for all believers, the Jewish Christians whom were driven from Jerusalem and scattered throughout Asia Minor, and the Gentiles, to give them comfort and hope and to urge them to continue being loyal to Christ.
Some of the images Peter uses had special meaning to him because Jesus had used them when revealing certain truths to him. His name, meaning “Rock” had been given him by Jesus. Peter’s conception of the church, "a spiritual house composed of living stones built upon Christ as the foundation”, came from Christ. Jesus encouraged Peter to care for the church as a “shepherd tending the flock”. Thus Peter uses these images, living stones, shepherds and sheep, to describe the church.
1 Peter – Chapter 1:
1Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
To God's elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, 2who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.
Peter first identifies himself as the writer of this letter and calls himself an apostle of Jesus Christ. Then he identifies those for whom this letter is intended: to Christians who are strangers to this world and have been scattered throughout different areas of the Roman world. The first Christians were Jews, but when they became Christians, they did not give up their Jewish heritage, just as you wouldn’t give up your nationality. So these Christians, although Jews, were not accepted anywhere because of their faith in Jesus Christ, therefore Peter called them “strangers in the world”. As Christians, our home is in heaven with our heavenly Father; therefore we are “strangers” in this world.
They were scattered due to persecution against believers in and around Jerusalem. Persecution didn’t stop the spread of the Gospel, but instead served to introduce the Truth to the entire empire. So now there were also Gentile Christians for whom this letter was also intended.
Peter tells Christians they were chosen by the Father. Prior to Christ, only the nation of Israel could claim to be God’s chosen people, but through Christ, all believers, Jews and Gentiles, are His.
In this one sentence, Peter mentions all 3 members of the trinity: It takes all three to bring about our salvation:
- The Father chose us before we chose Him (see Eph. 1:4);
- Jesus Christ, the Son, died for us while we were yet sinners (see Romans 5:6-10);
- and the Holy Spirit sets us apart, or sanctifies us, for God’s service (see 2 Thess. 2:13) The influence of the Holy Spirit draws us from sin toward holiness.
The first thing Peter does, after identifying himself and his intended readers, is thank God for salvation.
The term “new birth” refers to spiritual birth, which is the Holy Spirit’s act of bringing believers into God’s family. In John 3, Jesus used the concept of “new birth” when he explained salvation to Nicodemus. Peter often repeats Jesus’s terms and illustrations.
The Jews had looked forward to the inheritance of the promised land of Canaan in the old testament. Today, Christians look forward to a family inheritance in the eternal city of God. God has reserved this inheritance; it will never fade or decay and is unstained by sin. If you have trusted Christ as your Savior, you have that inheritance to look forward to.
God has the power to shield us from difficult times. This doesn’t mean we won’t have hard times or be persecuted. It means that through our faith, we are able to face them and look ahead to the larger picture. When we realize that these things cannot harm our souls and we have the gift of eternal life, it helps us place these trials into perspective. Trials, persecutions, and even a violent death cannot take that away from us.
“…in the last time” is the judgement day of Christ described in Romans 14:10 and Revelations 20:11-15.
Christians were the target of persecution because they were viewed as atheists and traitors for refusing to worship the emporer as god. They refused to worship in pagan temples, so whenever Christianity moved into an area, income and profits fell in these temples. They also rejected the immorality of pagan culture and didn’t support the Roman ideals of self, power, and conquest, and the Romans scorned the Christian ideals of self-sacrifice.
Peter is attempting to encourage those being persecuted by pointing out to them what God has done for them. We are called into a living hope of eternal life. Our hope is not only for the future; eternal life begins when we trust Christ and join God’s family. No matter what pain or trials we face, we know it is not our final experience.
When Peter refers to trials, he is not talking about natural disasters or problems people bring on themselves, but rather the persecution of people of faith by the unbelieving world. All believers face such trials. We must accept these as part of the refining process that purifies us and prepares us to meet Christ. Trials teach us patience and help us grow to be the kind of people God wants. (Romans 5:3-4; James 1:2-3)
7These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
Verse 7 is a key verse where Peter explains why they should be strong and face their persecution. He explains to his readers that trials will refine their faith.
When gold is heated, the impurities rise to the top and can be skimmed off. When steel is heated, it is strengthened or tempered. In much the same way, trials, struggles and persecutions refine and strengthen our faith, making us more useful to God. We often forget to turn to God until we are going through a difficult time. These serve to remind us of His presence and our need for Him.
10Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, 11trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. 12It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.
Peter tells Christians to believe in spite of their circumstances because in past times, the prophets believed in God’s plan of salvation even though they didn’t understand it. Although the prophets believed what they spoke, they may not have completely understood the full significance of their words. But now, says Peter, salvation has been revealed in Christ. The plan of salvation was a complete mystery to the Old Testament prophets, yet they suffered persecution and some even died for God. But, Peter says, those reading his letter have seen Jesus. They know of His sacrifice on the cross and of his resurrection, so their faith should be even stronger than that of the Old Testament prophets.
The “Spirit of Christ” is another way of saying “The Holy Spirit”.
Before Jesus ascended into heaven, he promised to send the Holy Spirit, or Counselor, to teach, help, and guide his followers. The Old Testament prophets wrote the scriptures with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, foretelling the coming of the Messiah. The New Testament apostles, with the guidance of the same Holy Spirit, proclaimed the crucified and risen Lord.
An interesting note: “Even angels long to look into these things”. This remark indicates to us that angels are not all-knowing. They do not have the knowledge the Holy Spirit has revealed to the prophets and the apostles.
13Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.
Now Peter gets to the heart of his message. He tells his readers to be mentally alert and disciplined, and stay focused on what Christ has promised His followers, that He will return. This imminent return should be what motivates us to live for Him.
In the language of the first century, preparing for action meant to literally gather up their long flowing garments and be ready for physical action.
14As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."
Because of being given such salvation, Peter commands them to live holy lives. God sets the standard for being Holy. Unlike the other gods worshiped at that time, He is a God of mercy and justice who cares personally for each one of His followers. He expects his followers to follow His high moral standards. We therefore should be merciful to others and sacrifice for others. In Leviticus 11:44, 45, 19:2; 20:7 God said “Be holy, because I am holy.” This phrase appears 4 times. Whenever something is repeated in the scriptures, it is important. They had no way to italicize or underline, so they repeated the important points. Therefore, this was a well-known scripture to the Jews. Peter repeats this familiar Old Testament scripture to emphasize his point.
Peter realized Christians are still tempted to fall back into old habits. He was often tempted also. So he warns them against giving in to that temptation by remaining focused on God and His holiness, and living a holy life by calling on the Holy Spirit to help guide us. Being holy means to be set apart from sin and impurity.
17Since you call on a Father who judges each man's work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. 18For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, 19but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 20He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. 21Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.
Peter tells them to live as strangers while on earth, meaning to set themselves apart by reverently fearing (or having a healthy respect for) and trusting God. We should not be spoiled children, but grateful children who love to show respect for our heavenly Father. Dare not ignore God or treat Him casually, for He is the Judge of all the earth.
In that time, a slave was “redeemed” when someone paid money to purchase their freedom. As “slaves” to sin, we were redeemed by Jesus sacrificing His life for us.
The Old Testament sacrificial lambs were a foreshadowing of the ultimate sacrifice—Christ, who was without blemish or defect, was sacrificed for all men’s sins.
Verse 20 reveals to us that before the earth was created, Jesus was chosen to sacrifice himself for man’s sins. It wasn’t an afterthought because the world had spun out of control, but was planned by an eternal all-knowing God long before the world even existed. This was important for the Jewish Christians so they would understand that the Law of the Old Testament had purpose in God’s plan and was not being scrapped because it didn’t work, but was always a part of God’s eternal plan.
22Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart.
Sincere love means selfless giving. God’s love and forgiveness, and Christ’s sacrifice for us, frees us to take our eyes off ourselves and focus on doing for others. A self-centered person cannot truly love. Peter asks his readers to love more deeply than ever before.
23For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. 24For, "All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, 25but the word of the Lord stands forever."
And this is the word that was preached to you.
Again, Peter uses a familiar scripture (Isaiah 40:6-8) to help make his point:
We are born again because God’s promises are enduring.
Peter reminds us of a truth that can lift our spirits from a pit of melancholy as we consider our mortality. Our earthly mothers and fathers can give us life that may only last about a century. There is, however, a Father who loves us enough to birth us into eternity. It is not merely an eternity of existence, but an eternity of life; life that is marked by joy, exuberance, vitality, and youthful enthusiasm.
In verse 25, Peter sums up his main point – the Word will never perish.
*The year and some of the details I’ve described while setting the stage of events are approximate. Obviously, we cannot know exact dates or details, so I have taken a few liberties, or poetic license, here to help you understand.
(Poetic License: deviation from strict fact for artistic effect.)
Thank you for visiting. I hope you’ll return again.
The next lesson will be posted on, or about, June 15.
2 comments:
I am very interested in your study on Peter and his epistles. The background info is full of good material. At one point you mentioned that the people of that time had "no way to italicize or underline." That had never crossed my mind. Perhaps that explains why Paul and even Jesus sounded so repetitive many times. It has always amazed me how David could have written so many Psalms which contain a lot of the same phrases of exhortation and praise over and over again. It seems he never tired of praising his LORD. I'm looking forward to our next lesson.
Thank you, Aimee, for joining in and posting your comment. I appreciate the encouragement and hope you will continue with us as we study the next chapter on June 15.
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