Reading 1 Peter Together, Day 22 - 1 Peter 3:1-7

3 Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, ² when they see your respectful and pure conduct. ³ Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— ⁴ but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious. ⁵ For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, ⁶ as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening. 

⁷ Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered. 

Peter has addressed his readers and given instructions as citizens, as servants/employees, and now he moves to the home.  He continues the theme of submission to authority with wifely submission to the headship of the husband.  

It’s important to note that the instruction is for wives to submit to their own husbands.  This is not a general command for women to submit to men, but for wives to willingly, joyfully respect and submit to the headship of their husbands.  

But as with citizenship and servanthood, there is no exception made for wives with unbelieving or unloving husbands.  The Christian wife is to submit to her husband and respect her husband. Period.

If the husband is an unbeliever or if he is not loving his wife as he should, the Christian woman seeks to win him over by respectful and pure conduct, not by rejecting his headship of the family and disrespecting him.  

Furthermore, the Christian wife puts her hope and her trust in the promises of God, not her looks or possessions.  

Peter gives the example of Sarah who followed Abraham as he left behind his family to go to a place that God would only later show him, and trusted Abraham even as he made some really bad decisions.  The Christian wife is not controlled by fear, she trusts in God.  As an act of that trust, she submits to the headship of her husband.

The instruction to husbands is much shorter, for reasons we do not know.  Peter tells husbands to live with their wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with men in the grace of life.  Weaker vessel does not mean inferior in personhood, just as the instruction for wives to submit to their husbands does not mean that women are inferior in personhood.  Women are physically weaker.  Men should not physically dominate their wives, as unfortunately many men through history have done.  Men should love their wives, and not use their position as head of the family selfishly.  

Here are your questions for the day.

How do you respond when you hear/read Peter instruct wives to submit to their own husbands? Does it make you uncomfortable?

Do you think it’s unfair that God instructs wives to submit to the headship of their husbands?  Why or why not?

What does it mean for a husband to live with his wife in an understanding way?

From verse 7, how serious an issue is it when a Christian husband does not live with his wife in an understanding way?

Reading 1 Peter Together, Day 21 - 1 Peter 2:18-25

¹⁸ Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. ¹⁹ For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. ²⁰ For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. ²¹ For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. ²² He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. ²³ When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. ²⁴ He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. ²⁵ For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. 

We come now to one of the harder to embrace passages not only in 1 Peter, but in all of Scripture.  This section is particularly difficult for American Christians to accept and obey.

Peter tells servants to be subject to their masters with all respect, whether the master is just or unjust.  The closest parallel in contemporary society is the employer/employee relationship.  Christian employees are to submit themselves to the authority of their bosses, whether the boss treats them justly or unjustly.  Employees have the option of changing jobs where servants and slaves in Peter’s day did not, but as long as a Christian is employed, he or she is to give his or her best to the employer regardless of how the employer treats the employee.

If we do suffer, it needs to be for doing what is right, not because we have sinned.  If we are stealing from our boss and suffer because of that, there is no reward.  But if we suffer for doing what is right, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God.   

Jesus gave the example of suffering without responding sinfully.  We are to strive to follow his example.  He suffered injustice sinlessly, entrusting himself to the one who judges justly.  Through this, our redemption was purchased.  We have been returned to the shepherd and overseer of our souls, so we too can now entrust ourselves to God and do what is right, trusting God with the outcome.  

Here are your questions for the day.

Why does Peter instruct servants/employees to submit to their masters/bosses with all respect, even when the master/boss is unjust?

In what ways might a Christian suffer at work for doing what is right?

How does Christ’s example encourage us?  Is his example alone enough, or do we need something more in order to live as he lived?

What does it mean to die to sin and live to righteousness?

Reading 1 Peter Together, Day 20 - 1 Peter 2:13-17

¹³ Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, ¹⁴ or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. ¹⁵ For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. ¹⁶ Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. ¹⁷ Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor. 

The preceding verses signaled a shift from Peter’s description of who believers are and what they have in Christ to how they are to live as Christ’s people.  Verses 13-17 will introduce one of the major sub-themes of Peter’s letter - submission to authority.

Peter instructs believers to be subject to every human institution.  In other words, in every situation where believers find themselves under the authority of someone else, whether as citizens, servants (employees), wives, or church members, believers honor Christ by submitting to authority - provided of course that submission to that authority does not conflict with the revealed will of God.

We do this so that ignorant and foolish people will be put to shame by our doing good.  From the earliest days of the church until today the unbelieving world has spoken evil of the church.  The early church was accused of incest, cannibalism, and holding orgies among other accusations. Our responsibility as Christians isn’t to defend ourselves against such accusations with words alone, but to live in such a way that the accusations make the accuser appear foolish.  We use our freedom in Christ to separate ourselves from evil, not live in evil and cover up evil.  

We are to honor all people, love those in the church, fear God, and honor the emperor (government leaders).

Here are today’s questions for consideration:

Would you say that your life is characterized by obedience to authority?  

Why is obedience to authority, even secular authorities, expected of Christians?  How did Jesus demonstrate obedience to authority during his earthly ministry?

What are some of the accusations the unbelieving world makes against Christians today?  Do you think those accusations are deserved or not?  How can we put to silence the ignorance of foolish people in this day?

Why does Peter say to use our freedom to live as servants of God?  Is that a contradiction?

Reading 1 Peter Together, Day 16 - 1 Peter 2:11-12

¹¹ Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. ¹² Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. 

From 1 Peter 1:3 up to 2:10 Peter has primarily informed believers of their privileged status as God’s chosen people.  They have salvation, the promise of future glory, redemption by the blood of Christ, the living word of God, and they have been made into a chosen race, a royal priesthood and a people for God’s own possession.  Verses 11 and 12 of chapter 2 function as a transition from the privileges of being chosen to the responsibilities and expectations of being chosen.  

Peter reminds them, and us, once again that they and we are sojourners and exiles.  The world is not our home.  And since the world is not our home, we should not live like the world lives.  Of course we eat, drink, work, have families, and do all sorts of other things that unbelievers do, but in other ways the lives f believers should be markedly different from the lives of unbelievers.  Our behavior is different, our values are different, our worldview is different.

In verse 11 Peter urges his readers to abstain from fleshly passions, which wage war against the soul.  When we think about fleshly passions we think of things like sexual immorality and greed, but the term being used really encompasses the spectrum of sin.  Christians should abstain from sin.  

So often our attitude towards sin is that God has made all the really fun stuff in life off-limits as some sort of test of our obedience.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  Sin kills. Sin enslaves.  God, in his loving goodness, has told us what kills us, what separates us from his perfect love.  The Biblical teaching is the unbeliever has no power to abstain from sin. But the believer is a new creation in Christ, walking in the power of the Holy Spirit, who now has the ability to choose to do what is right.  Peter’s instruction is simple: abstain from sin, do what is right.

And we do this so that the unbelievers around us will us living holy and upright lives and recognize that there is actually power in the gospel.  How can we preach of message of repentance and belief for salvation from sin and continue in sin?  But if we preach a message of salvation from the penalty and power of sin, and live lives characterized by good works, unbelievers will notice and perhaps be brought to repentant faith as well.

Here are your questions today.

How does viewing as sin as something that kills us vs. a test of obedience change the way we fight sin?  How does this change our view of God?

Is living a good, moral life alone enough to see unbelievers brought to faith?  In other words, can we live the gospel without preaching the gospel and see people brought to repentance and faith?

Reading 1 Peter Together, Day 14 - 1 Peter 2:9-10

Today is day 14 of Reading 1 Peter Together.  We're almost halfway through our month long daily reading of the entire book.  Today we'll focus our attention on two verses, 2:9-10.

⁹ 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. 

As Peter begins to wrap up the opening thoughts of his letter, he continues to distinguish between the believers to whom he is writing and the unbelieving world.  In the introduction he called his recipients elect exiles, and in verse 9 he calls them a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and a people for his own possession.  

Peter is drawing heavily from the Old Testament books of the Law (Genesis-Deuteronomy) and applying to the church words that were previously spoken of the nation of Israel.  (See Deuteronomy 7:6-9 and Exodus 19:6.)  The promises and the status that once exclusively belonged to the people of Israel now belong to all believe in Christ.  

Although the church is comprised of many different nationalities and ethnicities, we are one race in Christ - a chosen race to be God’s holy people.  Formerly we were not a people, now we are God’s people.  Formerly we were in darkness, now we have been brought into the light.  Formerly we had not received mercy, now we have received mercy.

These are among the many privileges of being God’s chosen people.  But with these privileges come responsibilities.  Most of the rest of Peter’s letter will instruct believers on how we are to live as God’s chosen people in a world that hates us.

Here are today’s questions for meditation.

Peter unashamedly contrasts the privileges and status of God’s chosen people and those on the outside.  Are you comfortable thinking and speaking this way?  Why or why not?

What are the implications for believers of various cultural and ethnic backgrounds of being made one race in Christ?  Is it Christ-honoring for believers to segregate themselves in local congregations where everyone has the same skin color and cultural background?

How do we proclaim the excellencies of him who called us out of darkness into his marvelous light?  

Reading 1 Peter Together, Day 10 - 1 Peter 2:4-8

Today is day 10, meaning we're 1/3 of the way through our month long reading of 1 Peter.  Today is the tenth day in a row you should have read 1 Peter in its entirety.  Hopefully by now it's becoming very familiar to you.

Today's focus is on 1 Peter 2:4-8.

⁴ As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, ⁵ you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ⁶ For it stands in Scripture: 

“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, 

a cornerstone chosen and precious, 

and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” 

⁷ So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, 

“The stone that the builders rejected 

has become the cornerstone,” 

⁸ and 

“A stone of stumbling, 

and a rock of offense.” 

They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. 

In the verses preceding 2:4-8 Peter has told his readers that they are to love each other and crave the pure spiritual milk of the word of God.  In these verses he begins to tell them more about who they are as a people in Christ, and how they will share in both Christ’s suffering and reward.

Jesus was “a living stone” rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious.  He was rejected during his earthly ministry by the Jewish religious leaders who denied his claim to be the Messiah and put him to death, just as it was foretold in the Old Testament that they would.  He is rejected still today by all who do not believe the gospel.  Jesus told his disciples in John 15 that the world would hate them just as it hated him.  If Jesus was rejected, we can expect to be rejected as well.

But in the sight of God, the only one whose opinion ultimately matters, Jesus was chosen and precious.  So are we who are united as one in Christ.  We, the church, are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.  

Though the world may shame Christians, we will not be put to shame by God.  We have honor in the sight of God.  

For us, Jesus is the cornerstone.  For those who reject Christ, he is a stumbling block and a rock of offense.  This is cited from Isaiah 8:14, one of the prophecies that Isreal would reject her Messiah.  Peter then finishes the thought with an interesting statement, “They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.”

Here are your questions to consider today.

Do you expect the world to reject and despise you because you are identified with Christ.  Why or why not?

Why did the people of Israel reject Jesus as their Messiah?

What hope do Peter’s words in these verses give believers, especially believers facing persecution and suffering for the faith?

What does Peter mean when he says that those who disobey the word were destined to do so?  How should this inform our thinking about those who reject Christ?

Reading 1 Peter Together, Day 8 - 1 Peter 2:1-3

It's day 8 of reading 1 Peter Together.  Remember, the challenge is to read the entire book every day and spend a few minutes extra meditating on the verses I highlight here on the blog.  Today we'll look at 2:1-3

2 So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. ² Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— ³ if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. 

Peter continues with the theme of obedience by listing five things that believers should put away - all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy and slander.  These five things are, of course, not the only behaviors that Christians should avoid, but Peter is continuing the thought he began in the previous few sentences.  Christians are to love one another earnestly from a pure heart.  Malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander have no place among people who love each other.  

Instead, believers should be like newborn infants, craving pure spiritual milk, that they may grow into salvation.  In John 3, Jesus famously told Nicodemus that a person must be born again to see the kingdom of God.  In the preceding sentences Peter told the believers that they were born again through the word of God, and that is the pure spiritual milk he is instructing them to long for.  Just as a baby needs milk to grow into a mature and healthy human, a Christian who has been born again needs the word of God to grow into spiritual maturity. There is no Christian growth without a steady diet of God’s word, which, in his loving kindness, he has given to us in the Bible.  

John Bunyan once said, “Prayer will make a man cease from sin, or sin will entice a man to cease from prayer.” There is much truth in that statement, and it is at least equally true that reading/hearing, studying, and knowing the word of God will keep a man from sin, and that sin will keep a man from the word of God.  Peter’s instruction is put away sin, and crave the word instead.

Here are your questions for today.

Do you find your life characterized by any of the five sins Peter mentioned?  If so, what needs to change?

Do you crave the word of God like a newborn baby craves milk?

Why is the word of God so important in the life of a believer?  Why does Peter tell them to crave the living and abiding word, not prayer, fellowship, or other aspects of Christian living?

Reading 1 Peter Together, Day 7 - 1 Peter 1:22-25

In the previous verses Peter instructed the believers to live holy lives because they had been called by holy God and purchased with the blood of Christ.  Now he instructs them to live lives characterized by love for one another.  They were, and now we are, to love our brothers and sisters in the church sincerely, earnestly, and from a pure heart.  And again, this is not to earn God’s favor or earn our salvation, but because we have already been born again of imperishable seed.  

They, and we, were born again through the living and abiding word of God.  Peter echoes what Paul says in Romans 10:17, that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ.  There is no belief, there is no saving faith, without hearing or reading the word of God.  Paul makes it clear in Romans 1 that creation gives us enough knowledge of God to be held accountable for our sins, but as he will say in Romans 10 and what Peter affirms in these verses is that it is only through the living and abiding word of God that sinners are brought to saving faith.  

Throughout the first chapter Peter has repeatedly distinguished between the temporal, gold and silver or things that are perishable, and the eternal - salvation, the blood of Christ, and the word of God.

Here are today’s questions:

What is the relationship between being born again and loving one another?  

Do you think it’s possible for someone who hasn’t been born again to genuinely love someone else?

Why is it so important for Christians to love one another, particularly in times of suffering as Peter’s original readers were experiencing?

Why do you think Peter keeps stressing the difference between the temporal and eternal to those suffering believers?  Even in times of peace, how should this influence the way we live?

Knowing that we were born again through the preaching of the living abiding word of God, what should we be doing with the word of God?

Reading 1 Peter Together - 1 Peter 1:13-21

This is day 6 of Reading 1 Peter Together.  By today you should have read the entire book of 1 Peter six times.  Is it becoming familiar yet?  Today we will focus our attention on 1:13-21.

¹³ Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. ¹⁴ As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, ¹⁵ but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, ¹⁶ since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” ¹⁷ And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, ¹⁸ knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, ¹⁹ but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. ²⁰ He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you ²¹ who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. 

After giving assurance of salvation and reminding the believers of the future glory awaiting them in Heaven in 1:3-12, Peter begins transitioning to instructing the exiles how to behave during their remaining time on earth.  Heaven is home; earth is only a temporary dwelling place for believers.  So how do we live while we’re here living through various trials and suffering for the faith, if God calls us to suffer? 

Peter gives several instructions in verses 13-21.

• Preparing your minds for action and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. (v. 13)
• As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but be holy in all your conduct (v. 14-16)
• Conduct yourself with fear during the time of your exile (v. 17)

But why should believers live this way?  

Because God our Father is holy, and because we were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from our forefathers by the blood of Christ.  Christ paid a price, not with silver and gold, but with his own blood to ransom us from our bondage to sin.  Why would we continue to do things that Christ bled and died to free us from?  How can claim God as Father and then live in a way that dishonors him, or live in continued disobedience to him?   

Here are some questions to think about today.

In the context of suffering for your faith, or even facing the various trials of life, what does it mean to prepare your mind for action and be sober-minded?  How do we do this?

Why does Peter tell us to live as obedient children?  What is the significance of that?

What are the passions of our former ignorance and futile ways inherited from our forefathers?

What does it mean that our Father judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, and why would that cause us to conduct ourselves with fear during the time of our exile?

Why does Peter say that the precious blood of Christ is like that of a lamb without spot or blemish?

According to verses 3, 13, and 21- what is the source of hope for the Christian?  Why does this give us hope?

Reading 1 Peter Together - 1 Peter 1:3-12

It's day 2 of reading 1 Peter together.  I hope you've read the entire book again today.  For your meditation and today please look more carefully at 1 Peter 1:3-12.

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, ⁴ to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, ⁵ who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. ⁶ In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, ⁷ 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. ⁸ Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, ⁹ obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 

¹⁰ Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, ¹¹ inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. ¹² It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look. 

After the introduction in which Peter told the readers of his letter that they were chosen to obey Jesus Christ, he begins not with a list of rules to obey but a glorious statement of what God has done for the believers, who they are and what they have in Christ.  This is consistent with the Biblical pattern of indicative and imperative.  If you remember your elementary grammar, an indicative or declarative sentence is a statement of fact.  An imperative is a command.  Throughout the Bible we see indicatives followed by imperatives.  The Ten Commandments don’t begin with the first commandment, they begin, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery” (Exodus 20:2). The Great Commission doesn’t begin with “Go..”, it is preceded by, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matthew 28:18).  

So Peter doesn’t begin with commands to follow, he begins with assurance of salvation.  It’s not obey the rules and you will obtain salvation; it’s you have salvation, so obey the commands of Christ.  You have a living hope, so live like one with a living hope.  You are holy, so live holy.  

Here are some questions for you to consider from 1 Peter 1:3-12.

Do you have the absolute assurance of your own salvation that Peter has in the salvation of his original readers? Why or why not?

Why does the resurrection of Jesus give us a living hope?

Why do Christians have the ability to rejoice through trials?

Would you say that your life is characterized by rejoicing with joy that is inexpressible because you know who Jesus is, what he has done, and what awaits you in eternity?

Have you ever thought about the fact that you have knowledge that the prophets of old desired but was kept hidden from them?  That the experience of salvation is something into which angels long to look?  What does this say about our position in the kingdom of God?  

Reading 1 Peter Together: 1 Peter 1:1-2

Today begins our month-long journey through the book of 1 Peter.  I hope you’ve already read the entire book once today.  If you missed it yesterday, there is an introduction here that will help you understand the background of 1 Peter.  Today we’ll focus our attention on the first two verses.

1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, 

To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 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. 

Peter’s epistle begins with a brief introduction, but there is much to learn in this first sentence.

As you read through the entire book of 1 Peter today, you might have noticed that the word fear appeared several times. This is interesting, because if you’re familiar with the life of Peter you know that fear was a constant problem for him.  He had the faith to step out of the boat and walk on water, but then became fearful and sank (Matthew 14:22-33).  He promised to follow Jesus even unto death, but then denied knowing Jesus three times even after being warned that he would do so (Matthew 26:69-75).  Even later in his life, Paul had to confront him because he would not eat with Gentiles when the Judaizers were around out of fear (Galatians 2:11-14).  This after Peter was the very Apostle who received a vision from God instructing him that the unclean animals were no longer considered unclean and Peter was sent to preach the gospel to the first Gentile converts! (Acts 10-11)

As a follower of Jesus, what fears do you have?  How does the life of Peter encourage us as we face our fears, sometimes with faith and sometimes lacking faith?

Peter writes to the elect exiles dispersed in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia.  The word elect or chosen is often a source of controversy among Christians, but Peter makes no apologies or qualifications.  He simply tells the believers to whom he is writing that they were chosen.  He then calls them exiles even though most of the recipients were probably living in the regions where they were born and raised.  

What is your reaction to reading that you, a follower of Christ, were chosen by God? How does knowing that you were chosen by God help you in times of fear or doubt?

How does seeing yourself as an exile, sojourner, or alien even in your home country affect the way you live?  Where is your true citizenship?

These believers, and all believers, were chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Holy Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood.  We see here Father, Son, and Spirit - one God in three persons - all working together in perfect harmony for the salvation of those who believe.  God the Father chose us in eternity past, Jesus' blood redeemed us, and the Holy Spirit sanctifies us (see Ephesians 1:3-14 for Paul's lengthier explanation of this same truth).  We also see what followers of Jesus were chosen for or to: obedience to Jesus Christ.  It’s very important to note that were not chosen because of our obedience, but were chosen for obedience.  Obedience to Jesus no matter the cost is the major theme of Peter’s letter.

The reference to sprinkling with Jesus’ blood is a reference to Exodus 24:3-8.  After Moses received God’s Law, he read the Law to the people of Israel and they agreed that they would obey God and be his people.  Moses took the blood from sacrificed animals and sprinkled it on the people, signifying the covenant that they were entering into.  Peter is telling us that that event was a type (prefigurement) of Christ and his people, the church.  We have entered into a covenant with Jesus figuratively being sprinkled with his blood, and although that covenant is secured by Christ’s obedience and not our own, when we agree to follow Jesus we are agreeing to submit to His sovereign authority and obey all that he has commanded.  The final words of Jesus recorded in Matthew’s gospel are commonly known as the Great Commission, in which Jesus says, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20a, emphasis mine).  

We often think that the purpose of salvation is Heaven, but have you ever thought about the fact that God you chose to obey him while you remain on earth?

Based on your first reading of 1 Peter today, or anything else you know from Scripture, is there any area of your life in which you are not obeying God? 

Reading 1 Peter Together: An Introduction to 1 Peter

Introduction to 1 Peter

Philip Lee

The Author

Have you ever thought that it would be so much easier to trust Jesus, to live a life completely devoted to Him, to avoid the temptations to sin if you could just spend some time with Him face-to-face?  It is easy to think that, but the Bible is full of stories of men who experienced God in the Old Testament or walked with Jesus in the New Testament but remained deeply flawed, committed grievous sin, still struggled with faith.  There is perhaps no greater example in the entire Bible than Peter, a man whose life recorded in the Scriptures alternates between incredible boldness and faith in one instance followed by seemingly unbelievable failures the next.  

The life of Peter serves as a great encouragement to followers of Christ.  Being a follower of Christ does not mean that we are perfect.  Just as Peter did on numerous occasions, we will sin, we will lack faith, we will deny Christ with our words or actions.  Peter always repented of his sins when he realized his sin and Jesus always forgave and restored him when he did.  In the same way, God always stands ready to forgive and restore us when we confess and repent of our sins.  

Peter seems an unlikely choice to be the first among the apostles, yet in every list of the twelve apostles he is listed first (Matthew 10:2-4, Mark 3:16-19, Luke 6:13-16, Acts 1:13).  He was not trained religiously.  In fact, Acts 4:13 says that he was “untrained and uneducated.”  He and his brother Andrew ran a fishing business in the town of Capernaum along the Sea of Galilee, where he owned a home (Mark 1:16-29, Matthew 4:18-19).  Andrew, who was previously a disciple of John the Baptist, was also one of the twelve and the gospel of the apostle John records that it was Andrew who introduced Peter to Jesus saying, “We have found the Messiah” (John 1:40-42).  Peter’s birth name was Simon, but it was at this first meeting that Jesus said, “You are Simon the son of John; you shall be called Cephas.”  Cephas is the Aramaic (Peter’s native language) word for “rock”.  The Greek word is Peter.  

Throughout the gospels Peter is referred to as Simon, Peter, and Simon Peter.  Interestingly, the name Simon is often used after his failures.  In The Bible Exposition Commentary on 1 Peter Warren Wiersbe says, “Peter was a man with three names. Nearly fifty times in the New Testament, he is called ‘Simon’; and often he is called ‘Simon Peter.’ Perhaps the two names suggest a Christian’s two natures: an old nature (Simon) that is prone to fail, and a new nature (Peter) that can give victory. As Simon, he was only another human piece of clay; but Jesus Christ made a rock out of him!”

In Matthew 16:17-19, after Peter confesses that Jesus is “the Christ, the Son of the Living God,” (v. 16), it is recorded: “And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.  I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.  I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”

This humble fishermen, prone to impulsive verbal and physical outbursts, often lacking in faith, is the man whom Jesus chose to be the first among His disciples, part of his inner circle along with James and John (Mark 5:37; 9:2), and the rock upon which He would build His church.  Jesus builds his kingdom through forgiven but not yet perfect men and women, who, like Peter, sometimes display great faith and sometimes commit great sin.

In John 21:15-17 Jesus asked Peter three times if Peter loved Him, three times Peter answered yes, and three times Jesus told Peter to take care of His sheep.  The number three is not insignificant in light of the fact that Peter denied Jesus three times on the night of His arrest.    

Following the ascension of Jesus back into Heaven, Peter was clearly the leader of the apostles and the early church.  He took the lead in choosing a replacement in the 12 for Judas (Acts 1:15-26).  He was the preacher on the Day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came down and 3,000 souls believed in Jesus and were baptized (Acts 2:1-42).  In Acts 3-4 Peter boldly preached the gospel even facing the threat of imprisonment and beatings.  In Acts 5 he brought about the first case of church discipline before being beaten and thrown in prison.  In Acts 9 he raised Tabitha from the dead.  In Acts 10-11 God used Peter to open the gospel to the Gentiles through his encounter with Cornelius.  The historical account of Peter’s life in the Bible concludes in Acts 15 at the Jerusalem Council.

According to church tradition, Peter’s life ended in Rome around 65-66 AD under the persecution initiated by Nero.  Tradition holds that Peter was crucified upside down, at his request, claiming that he was not worthy to be put to death in the same manner as Jesus.  He probably wrote 1 Peter from Rome shortly before his death, most likely in 62-64 AD.  

Questions Surrounding Peter’s Authorship

As with every book of the Bible, there are scholars who challenge the authenticity of the book.  Those scholars raise four objections to Peter’s authorship: 1) it is not listed in the Muratorian Fragment, a list of canonical books compiled in Rome between 180-200 AD, 2) the Greek is too polished for an “uneducated” (Acts 4:13) fisherman from Galilee, 3) it is too similar to Paul’s writings in Romans and Ephesians, and 4) the description of persecution in 1 Peter better fits a later date, such as Emperor Trajan (AD 98-117).

Those objections do not give serious reason to doubt Peter's authorship.  According to B.F. Westcott in A General Survey of the History of the Canon of the New Testament the Muratorian Fragment is damaged and is missing at least one line of text.  Peter was not completely uneducated, but rather untrained in a Jewish rabbinical school.  Being from Galilee he was likely bilingual in Aramaic and Greek from an early age.  1 Peter 5:12 also suggests that Peter used Silvanus (Silas) as a scribe in composing the letter, which would account for both the high level Greek and the similarities to Paul’s writing, as Silas was also Paul’s missionary companion and scribe.  Finally, 1 Peter does not seem to suggest empire-wide persecution, as he would not be likely to stress submission and honor to government authorities under such a scenario.  The persecution Peter refers to was more likely coming to a limited degree from local governments but to a greater degree from individuals.     

There is nothing in 1 Peter or from outside sources that causes doubt in Peter’s authorship.  

The Original Recipients

1 Peter is written to “those who reside as aliens scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia” (1:1).  These areas were provinces in the Roman Empire located in modern day northern Turkey.  It is not known how the gospel spread to these regions as there is no record of Peter or anyone else ministering there.  Paul ministered in parts of Galatia and Asia, but is not recorded visiting Pontus, Cappadocia, or Bithynia.  He was actually forbidden by the Holy Spirit from going to Bithynia (Acts 16:7).  It is possible that the churches Peter was writing to were founded by early Jewish converts who had spread out from Jerusalem, but this is not certain.  

Peter used a number of Old Testament quotations and allusions in this letter leading some scholars to believe that his original audience was primarily Jewish  converts to Christianity.  Other passages in the letter seem to indicate a predominately Gentile audience.  In 1:14 he warns the readers against conforming to former lusts which were theirs in ignorance.   Jewish converts would not have been ignorant of God’s Law.  In 2:9-10 Peter tells them that they are now a people, in fact the people of God, where they formerly were not a people.  A Jewish audience would have already believed that they were the people of God.  Also, in 4:3 he tells them the time is past to pursue the desires of the Gentiles.  It therefore seems likely that Peter was writing to a mainly Gentile audience.    

The believers who received Peter’s letter were believers suffering for their faith.  In her commentary on 1 Peter Karen Jobes writes, “Virtually all commentators understand the persecutions referred to in 1 Peter to be sporadic, personal, and unorganized social ostracism of Christians with varying intensity, probably reinforced at the local level by the increasing suspicions of Roman officials at all levels.”  These were believers whose transformed lives had left them out of step with the surrounding culture and even their own families.

Cities, trade guilds, and families all worshipped their own gods and expected their members to do the same.  Worship of such false gods often involved immoral practices contrary to the teachings of Jesus.  The Christians who abandoned such practices were seen as counter-cultural, denied job opportunities, and even cut off from their families.  

The Bible is full of promises that following Jesus will result in persecution.  Jesus Himself said in John 15:18-21, “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know the One who sent Me.”  Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 3:12, “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” 

It’s important to understand that Peter was not writing to people who were suffering because of sin, but were suffering for their faithfulness to Jesus Christ.  The recipients of Peter’s letter were not facing government endorsed persecution at this time, but personal persecution from people around them who didn’t understand why they were different, didn’t understand why they wouldn’t engage in the same sinful acts that they had previously and everyone else still did.  Government persecution has existed in various places throughout church history and continues in many places around the world today, though the persecution most believers around the world suffer is not at the hands of government; rather, it comes from friends, family, co-workers and bosses, neighbors, etc. who ridicule, discriminate against, or even commit violence against believers because of their faith.  

Purpose

The purpose of 1 Peter was to encourage the suffering believers to remain strong in the faith.  The key to the book is found in the first two verses:  “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure” (emphasis mine).  

The issue of how and why God chose people for salvation has been greatly debated throughout church history.  One thing is clear though, Scripture clearly teaches that before the foundation of the world God chose a people for salvation (Eph. 1:4).  Some have claimed, based on Romans 8:29-30, that God’s choice was based on foreknowledge of who would believe, but there is little Scriptural basis for that belief beyond those verses and the knowing in Romans 8:29-30 indicates intimate personal knowledge.  The teaching of Scripture from Genesis through Revelation indicates that God chooses people as part of a sovereign plan.  Those that are chosen are not chosen because of anything good or deserving that exists within them, but only because it pleases God to bestow love and mercy upon them and grant them salvation.  

What those who believe in election and those who do not can agree on is that with salvation comes an expectation of obedience.  In verse 1:16 Peter quotes the often repeated statement of God from Leviticus (11:44; 19:2, 20; 20:7) “You shall be holy for I am holy.”  To be holy is to be set-apart, completely free from sin.  The process of becoming less like our old selves and more like Christ is called sanctification and it is the Holy Spirit that brings about that change in our lives (Romans 8:12-13).  Obviously in our fleshly bodies we will never be completely free from sin but that should be the goal and desire of every believer.  In Exodus 19:6 God told the people of Israel that they were to be to Him “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.”  In chapter 2 Peter applies this to New Covenant followers of Christ.  Just as the nation of Israel in the past was to be holy, set-apart, a display of God’s love, mercy, compassion, justice, etc. for all the world to see; followers of Jesus should be a display of God’s character to the unbelieving world around them wherever they are, and in whatever circumstances they find themselves.

Peter reminds the believers that they are on display for the unbelieving world to see and encourages them to stand firm in the faith, enduring the hardship in the present time with an eye on the future reward.  He begins the letter with an explanation of the joy and privileges that come with being chosen to obey.  The bulk of the letter details some of the challenges of being chosen to obey in society, the workplace, the home, and through suffering.  The letter concludes with a reminder of some of God’s expectations for His chosen people and the expectation of a reward for those chosen people.       

Reading 1 Peter Together - An Invitation

Following the announcement of the Supreme Court’s decision on same-sex marriage Friday I sent out the following tweet:

My advice to American Christians: read 1 Peter in its entirety every day for the next month. You were chosen to obey Jesus in suffering.

— Philip Lee (@LeePhilipA) June 27, 2015

After thinking things over for a few days I’ve decided to invite all of you to join me in a month long study of the book of 1 Peter.  Here’s what I’m planning and asking you to consider doing with me:

• Read the entire book of 1 Peter every day in the month of July.  It’s a short book that should only take 10-20 minutes depending on your reading speed.
• Monday-Friday during July I’ll do my best to post a short video or something written to explain some things in a paragraph or two of the text and give you some questions to consider.  The blog and my social media accounts will be open for comments, thoughts, and questions.

That’s it.  Simple.  Read a short book of the Bible every day for a month in order to become familiar with what God, through the Apostle Peter, spoke to a first century group of persecuted believers. Then, five days a week, give a little extra thought to a small portion of the book as we work our way through from beginning to end.  

Why 1 Peter?  1 Peter was written by the Apostle Peter to churches in the first century where believers were suffering for the faith.  American Christians have heard about persecution for most of our lives, but have never really had to count the cost of following Jesus.  Sure, Hollywood, the media, and the academy may have mocked us and insulted us, but that’s largely been the extent of our suffering.  Things are going to change though, and I think it will happen sooner and more severely than most professing Christians are prepared for.

We’re not going to see Christians fed to lions or used as human torches to light the White House garden.  We’re not going to meet in secret, afraid of making too much noise and knowing that the police could burst into the room at any moment and carry us away to labor camps.  But we will be shunned, we will be denied career opportunities, jobs and small businesses will be lost.  In the years to come, fines and arrests may be come to those who preach God’s law and the gospel of Jesus Christ.

When Christians have brought this up the advocates of gay marriage have told us we’re paranoid, but one only needs to listen to the words being spoken about Christians by the culture at large and look at what is currently happening in places like Canada and the UK to see what the future holds for the U.S. Persecution is coming, and the church needs to be ready.

1 Peter was written to believers in a similar situation.  They weren’t yet facing Roman Empire-wide persecution.  It was local, coming from family, neighbors, trade guilds, and perhaps local governments.  Peter wrote to them reminding them of who they were and what they had in Christ, then instructed them how to live as sufferers for the sake of Christ.  His words will have great relevance to American Christians in the years ahead.

We'll begin July 1.  I hope you'll join me, and invite some friends to join in as well.