1st Peter Chapter One
Introduction to 1st Peter
Theme: Hope in the Midst of
Suffering:
1 Peter 1:6-7 ESV In this you
rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by
various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith--more precious
than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire--may be found to result in
praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Author: Peter, The Apostle:
Peter was a trailblazer…
1. An innovative leader in a field; a pioneer.
2. He had many firsts because of his outspoken nature:
a. First one to confess Jesus as the Christ
b. First one to say he would die for Jesus
c. First one to deny Jesus
d. First one to preach the Gospel
e. First one to open the doors to the kingdom of Heaven
f. First one to officially reach out to and baptize Gentiles
3. He was only second when it came to reaching the empty tomb. John beat him to that.
4. He was brought to Jesus by his brother Andrew – John 1:40-42
5. Peter knew firsthand about hope
a. He had denied Jesus – he knew hopelessness
b. He was forgiven by Jesus and reinstated, without losing a beat! He knew hope!
c. He had received beatings and was incarcerated in the name of Jesus
d. He had seen Jesus transfiguration on the mountain
e. He had witnessed the ascension of Jesus into Heaven
f. He knew whatever he suffered here was worth the glory he was to receive!
6. Peter had the heart of a disciple
a. He said “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life?” – John 6:68
b. He couldn’t contain himself to be near Jesus: “When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea.” – John 21:7
Time and Place of Writing:
According to 1 Pe 5:13; “She who is at Babylon, who is likewise chosen, sends you greetings, and so does Mark, my son.” Peter denotes his location to be Babylon.
Some have supposed that it refers to the well-known place of that name on the Euphrates; others to a Babylon situated in Lower Egypt; others to Jerusalem or Rome, represented as Babylon.
Assuming the death of Peter to be about 67 or 68 AD and the persecution to be under Nero, not under Domitian or Trajan, the date can be assumed to be around 65 AD. Perhaps Peter uses “Babylon” to hide his actual location from Nero, the Emperor of Rome at the time. Whether Peter was in Rome while Paul was still there is something we don’t know, though John Mark was there with Paul (Col 4:10). We can presume at the time of Peter writing this that Nero had not yet begun the full persecution of Christians.
Who is it Addressed To:
Peter writes “To those who are elect exiles of the dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia” (1Pe 1:1). These five Roman provinces are mentioned from the standpoint of Babylon (Rome).
1- Elect exiles = disciples of Jesus.
2- Soon to experience/already experiencing suffering
3- Needing hope to endure
Characteristics of the Epistle:
(1) Peter writes tenderly to the fellow disciples scattered throughout the provinces. He is consoling them and encouraging them through their present trials to remain hopeful because Jesus endured as much for them. Peter, probably an older man by the time he writes (citing himself as an elder – 1 Pe 5:1), shares the encouragement he’s had in dealing with his own toils and afflictions.
(2) Peter packs a punch in these letters, providing concise and condensed advice to the disciples. He does not seem to deal with customary or local situations, enabling any disciple of today to take in the wisdom dispensed by the Spirit and be encouraged by its depth and sobriety.
(3) Peter is well acquainted with Paul’s letters by the time he writes his letters. We see some similarity of expressions such as the apostle Paul used in his epistles.
(4) Peter’s objective is to provide encouragement and cheer to the Christians going through this dispersion. Many disciples abandoned their homes and families and had to find a living in foreign cities and amongst foreign cultures. Peter draws from his own experiences to focus them on the hope they have in Jesus.
The Epistle is in three parts:
1. Christian suffering and conduct (1 Peter 1:1 - 2:8)
2.
Christian life in view of the Seven Blessings and
through the vicarious suffering of Jesus
(1 Peter 2:9
- 4:19).
3. Christian service in light of the coming of the Chief Shepherd (1 Peter 5:1-14).
Chapter One
1 Peter 1:1 (All verses from the English Standard
Version)
Peter, an
apostle of Jesus Christ, To those
who are elect exiles of the dispersion in Pontus, Galatia,
Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,
GREETING
Peter
starts out by identifying his stake in addressing the recipients of his letter
of encouragement: he is an apostle (one sent on a special
mission) of Jesus Christ. Although his birth name is Simon, he calls himself by
the name the Lord gave him: Peter (Cephas
in Aramaic), which means stone (John 1:42; Mat 16:18).
What
is the definition of an apostle? What are the
qualifications? Apostolos = One commissioned to continue in
a specified work. The primary qualifications are listed in Acts 1:21-22 when they sought a
replacement for Judas Iscariot. Notice that only Judas is replaced. When an
apostle has died as faithful, he continues to be an apostle in Heaven, not
needing replacement on Earth, for their words continue to testify to the commission
assigned by Jesus. In John 17:6-21
Jesus illustrates the commission given to these apostles, and how they were to
impact others who were not apostles. In Mat 19:28
Jesus teaches how they will continue to be apostles even in Heaven, so nowhere
do we see the church practicing a replacement for them, not even after James is
martyred (Acts 12:2).
Here's
Peter’s audience – the Jews (Christians) of the Diaspora: scattering
of language, culture, or people: a dispersion of a people, language, or culture
that was formerly concentrated in one place.
Peter
defines these brothers as elect exiles, chosen sojourners or temporary
residents. Usually the kind of terminology ascribed to the Jewish nation,
Peter now uses it to describe what all disciples are to the world: chosen by
Jesus to be set apart from the world – longing to go home to Heaven:
1Pe 2:9-11 ESV But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a
people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him
who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are
God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received
mercy. 11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from
the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.
Heb 11:13 ESV These all died in faith, not having received
the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and
having acknowledged that they
were strangers and exiles on the earth.
Historical
Background
The
Jewish state comes to an end in 70 AD, when the Romans begin to actively drive
Jews from the home they had lived in for over a millennium. But the Jewish
Diaspora ("diaspora" = "dispersion, scattering") had begun
long before the Romans had even dreamed of Judaea. When the Assyrians conquered
Israel in 722, the Hebrew inhabitants were scattered all over the Middle East;
these early victims of the dispersion disappeared utterly from the pages of
history. However, when Nebuchadnezzar deported the Judeans in 597 and 586 BC,
he allowed them to remain in a unified community in Babylon. Another group of Judeans
fled to Egypt, where they settled in the Nile delta. So from 597 onwards, there
were three distinct groups of Hebrews: a group in Babylon and other parts of
the Middle East, a group in Judaea, and another group in Egypt. Thus, 597 is
considered the beginning date of the Jewish Diaspora. While Cyrus the Persian
allowed the Judeans to return to their homeland in 538 BC, most chose to remain
in Babylon. A large number of Jews in Egypt became mercenaries in Upper Egypt
on an island called the Elephantine. All of these Jews retained their religion,
identity, and social customs; both under the Persians and the Greeks, they were
allowed to run their lives under their own laws.
In 63 BC, Judaea
became a protectorate of Rome. Coming under the administration of a governor,
Judaea was allowed a king; the governor's business was to regulate trade and
maximize tax revenue. While the Jews despised the Greeks, the Romans were a
nightmare. Governorships were bought at high prices; the governors would
attempt to squeeze as much revenue as possible from their regions and pocket as
much as they could. Even with a Jewish king, the Judeans revolted in 70 AD, a
desperate revolt that ended tragically. In 73 AD, the last of the
revolutionaries were holed up in a mountain fort called Masada; the Romans had
besieged the fort for two years, and the 1,000 men, women, and children inside
were beginning to starve. In desperation, the Jewish revolutionaries killed
themselves rather than surrender to the Romans. The Romans then destroyed
Jerusalem, annexed Judaea as a Roman province, and systematically drove the
Jews from Palestine. After 73 AD, Hebrew history would only be the history of
the Diaspora as the Jews and their world view spread over Africa, Asia, and
Europe.
– The Jewish Virtual Library (www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org)
Not
only were these brothers true strangers to the regions of the world they lived
in since they had to leave behind their homes friends and family, sometimes
their traditions and cultures, but Peter further encourages them that they are
strangers in deed to the entire earth, being part of the church of the
firstborn whose names are written in heaven. He sees them as:
1
Peter 1:2
according to
the foreknowledge
of God the Father, in the sanctification
of the Spirit, for obedience
to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling
with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you.
The
first thing I notice here is the affirmation of the Godhead.
Peter mentions specific works of each of the persons in the Godhead that
together made salvation for men possible.
1-
The Father – He knows all
– He is the authority of the Godhead. By His foreknowledge and will did the plan
of salvation come into effect.
2-
The Holy Spirit – He provides
the sanctification necessary for us to make it home. He is the rebuilder and
the intercessor – the other Counselor
sent to be with us.
3-
The Son – King of Kings
and Lord of Lords, current Ruler and Master of the Universe. We have been
chosen and sanctified to be in His service! He provided for our initial
sanctification through His blood that the Spirit of God may do His work and
carry us home!
Our
God did everything in His power to sanctify us and bestows His grace and mercy
on us unto salvation!
In
view of the Godhead Peter refers to scattered brethren as:
1-
Being chosen people of God – God had
chosen his people since the times of Abraham (Gen
12:3) and put them exactly where He wanted them to be (Acts 17:26-27). They were not there by
some random occurrence, but placed specifically where God knew the Gospel was
needed.
2-
Sanctified by the Holy Spirit of God – they were
very special people – different (holy) from those around them and intermingled
with the common man to lead others to Jesus by their light and holiness. The
Holy Spirit sanctifies us by God's word (John 17:17).
3-
Fashioned for obedience to Jesus and set apart for
that purpose
– not to be common men, indulging in the pleasantries of the flesh, pursuing
the passions of the world; but to have continued obedience unto conformation to
Jesus since we have been set apart for holiness by His blood.
1Th 5:23 ESV Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely,
and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Just
as the temple and its utensils had to be sprinkled with the blood of bulls and
goats before God's spirit was to dwell in it in the days of Moses, so we have
to be cleansed before God's spirit makes His dwelling in us. So Peter speaks of
the initial or primary sanctification
by the blood of Jesus in baptism (Heb 10:22)
and then the continued sanctification
for the purposes of being able to claim the inheritance readied for us in
heaven, also possible through Jesus’ blood (1John
1:7). We will see both of
these sanctifications, viewed also as the state and the process
of sanctification addressed by Peter later on in this letter and in 2 Peter.
In
the same fashion as Paul saluted the brethren in his letters, Peter wishes unto
them the blessings of grace and peace in multiplication. God's will for the
church is to receive His grace and peace always. He doesn't want to come to us
with judgment or with strife, but mindful that His will for us is to receive
His grace and so be changed, holy, peaceful people. Grace comes from the Greek word charis,
which means "unmerited favor" - a divine influence on the heart and
its reflection upon life, usually producing gratitude, joy and pleasure because
of the knowledge of being accepted by God as a son. Rom 5:1-21
explains this grace of God exquisitely. Eirene,
or peace, is denoted as prosperity,
quietness and rest. This is the kind of peace Jesus gives (John 14:27;
John 16:33), which is not like the world gives.
1
Peter 1:3
Blessed be
the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy,
he has caused us to be
born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from
the dead,
LIVING
HOPE BY NEW BIRTH
Blessed
be God! That is Peter’s attitude in light of all we receive through Jesus! God
is indeed merciful, He could have relented as he did during the days of Noah
and destroy the entire earth, but he had mercy on us and treated us not as our
sins deserve. He showed us mercy through the death of Jesus on the cross. He
gave us His one and only Son, as a show of His great love (John
3:16):
Eph 2:4-7 ESV But God, being rich in mercy, because of the
great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we
were dead in our trespasses, made
us alive together with Christ--by grace you have been saved-- 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with
him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
7
so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace
in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
He
caused us to be born again to a living hope! The salvation that is
granted by our Father is not something that can be attained by human effort or
will, any more than a child can bring about his own natural birth. This is why
we bless the Father for giving us this living hope through our new birth! Hope
is not found in what is seen (Rom 8:24),
in this palpable life, but the kind of hope that lasts forever is the hope that
is beyond the grave, revealed through the resurrection of Jesus – shown to be
true and powerful in His resurrection!
2Co 4:17-18 ESV For this light momentary affliction is
preparing for us an
eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen
but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient,
but the things that are unseen are eternal.
Jesus’
empty grave is the greatest evidence of the living hope
we have. For our God is not the God of the dead, but of the living (Mat 22:32)!
Anything
that can give you a sense of satisfaction on this earth is due to expire, when
it breaks or dies, or when you die or the earth ends. Peter will talk about
that end in 2 Pe 3:12. The lasting
satisfaction comes when you have a hope that never dies – eternal life! This is
what Peter wanted these early Christians to think about. He is setting up that
image for them since they may have been despondent due to the loss of their
homes, friends, or way of life in the dispersion. They felt like a displaced
people, hopeless and lost. Peter is reminding them they have a living hope in
Jesus!
Some
of you who may have lost jobs, family members or other significant people or
things can relate to this in a way. The loss of these things is just a reminder
that we have a true living hope that cannot be lost in Jesus Christ.
Peter
describes the elements of this living hope in the following verses. This living
hope concerns:
1-
Desire – you have to want
it! To want it you need to understand that you have no hope in this world. When
you fully realize that you will desire this living hope in Jesus above anything
else, even your own life!
2-
Expectation
– fully
believing and desiring passionately for your goal to be realized in Christ
produces exciting and joyous expectation, similar to when you are engaged and
planning for your wedding, or when you are an expectant parent. Nothing
discourages you or fazes you.
3-
Longsuffering
(patient waiting) – you
submit yourself to the wait, keeping yourself pure and free of blemish until
the day comes upon you. You know you will suffer temptations and distractions,
but your hope and your desire keep you focused on the goal.
Living
Hope Through Godly Hope
These
elements of our living hope are the same as the godly hope Jesus has for us:
1-
God
has an intense desire for us – for God so
loved the world… (John 3:16)
2-
God
does everything He can, hoping we will turn to Him – in hope they might find Him… (Acts 17:27)
3-
Jesus
suffered and waited patiently until the hope was realized on his end – for the joy set before Him He endured the
cross… (Heb 12:2)
It
was this godly hope, the hope God has for us to be in Him that brought about
the living hope through Jesus’ resurrection from the dead.
·
Because
God hoped for us Jesus became a man
·
Because
God hoped for us Jesus underwent longsuffering
·
Because
God hoped for us Jesus was raised from the dead
The
resurrection is God's evidence on deep involvement and hope that we may desire
to be with Him! You have been translated from a hopeless situation into a
situation where everything spells out HOPE
for you:
Holiness –
through Christ
Obedience – to the
Gospel
Propitiation – by
Jesus blood
Endurance – in the
Spirit
1
Peter 1:4
to an inheritance that is
imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,
The
inheritance received (when the hope becomes real, when the faith shall be
sight) is one that is not subject to the decaying forces of earth’s realm, for
this inheritance is beyond tarnishing, beyond corruption and that never will
fail – eternal life in and with Jesus!
The
most precious things you could have on earth can all be subject to one of these
7 curses:
1-
Aging/sickness/death
2-
Theft
3-