The Apostle Peter is the writer of these two New Testament Books which bear his name. Peter has been called the ignorant fisherman, yet no man who had spent three years in the school of Jesus should be called ignorant and the Epistles of Peter certainly confirm this. Of Christ, Paul writes in Colossians:
2 My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Colossians 2:2-3 (NIV)
Peter masterfully deals with doctrine and handles weighty subjects. In the first few verses alone, he deals with the great doctrines of election, foreknowledge, sanctification, obedience, the blood of Christ, the Trinity, the grace of God, salvation, revelation, glory, faith, and hope. You couldn’t have more doctrine crowded in a few verses!
A great change is seen in the life of Peter in these epistles. He had been impetuous, but now he is patient. He was bungling, fumbling, and stumbling when he first met Jesus. Our Lord told him in effect, “You are pretty weak now, but I am going to make you a Petros, a rock-man. And you will be built upon the foundation of Jesus Christ who is the Rock.”
4 He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he. Deuteronomy 32:4 (NIV)
Peter humbly calls himself an apostle speaking as if he were just one of them although, whenever the names of the apostles were enumerated, his was always first on the list. Also, the Lord chose him to preach the first sermon on the Day of Pentecost not to mention being privy to the display of Christ’s amazing glory on the Mount of Transfiguration, yet he appeared not to feel exalted above the others – on a level playing field. No spiritual pride rather humility. Remember we are all the same at the foot of the cross – sinners in need of a Savior.
Peter also speaks out of his own rich experience. When we discover our circumstances have changed (either of our choosing or not of our choosing) isn’t it those who have walked the same experience that we are presently undergoing those to whom we flee and seek advice? Especially if they have proven faithful in the circumstance! In his book on First Peter, Dr. Robert Leighton makes a timely comment:
“…It is a cold and lifeless thing to speak of spiritual things on mere report; but when men can speak of them as their own – as having share and interest in them, and some experience of their sweetness – their discourse of them is enlivened with firm belief and ardent affection; they cannot mention them, but straight their hearts are taken with such gladness as they are forced to vent in praises.”
For this reason, Simon Peter, while writing on suffering, emphasizes joy! Experience will always give validity to our words. When we no longer speak out of mere theory rather out of life happenings our words have weight and merit to the hearer. Further, suffering – as well as obedience – are two major themes in this epistle. Suffering is looked upon as a normal thing for the believer while pressing forward in obedience to our inheritance laid up for us in heaven. Indeed, obedience is the golden thread which weaves its way through both epistles – it mattes greatly how we live our lives.
“Woven throughout the book of 1 Peter is a condition of heart and way of life that only makes sense if you are rock solid sure of a reward beyond this life.” John Piper
First Peter was probably written around 62-64 A.D. to the scattered and persecuted Christians throughout Asia Minor who had been driven out of Jerusalem. Nero had come to the throne and bloody persecution was breaking out. Indeed, according to tradition, Peter himself suffered martyrdom on a cross upside down. It was all by God’s design in the “scattering” of His people so that they may spread the Gospel to the ends of the earth. Remember Jesus’ parting words in the Great Commission:
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20 (NIV)
As believers in Jesus, we too are aliens and strangers (a foreigner who has settled down, however briefly, among the native people) – pilgrims - journeying on through the wilderness of this world from the cross to the Glory. Indeed, earth is not our home heaven is. To be sure, this is easier espoused than lived. We so often get too comfortable and complacent here. Our longing for heaven and eternal home has grown cold. We seem to place more value on the temporal over the eternal.
Further, it is not typically natural for us to spread or depart from the known and the loved unless forced, amen? As God would have it, persecution forced these believers out of their comfort zones unwittingly enabling them to spread the Gospel further than the boundaries of Israel – to include all nations. A beauty from the ash to be sure. This must have been a strange thought for the Jewish mindset as they were always focused on their homeland. These Jewish Christians homeland now was to be heaven just as ours is. Paul tells us in Colossians:
1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. Colossians 3:1-2 (NIV)
And in 2 Corinthians as well:
16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (NIV)
“Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither.” C. S. Lewis
“For the Christian, heaven isn’t simply a destination; it’s a motivation.” Warren Wiersbe
“Heaven ought to so fill our hearts and hands, our manner and conversation, our character and our features, that all would see that we are foreigners. . .. Heaven is our native land and home to us, and death to us is not the dying hour, but the birth hour.” E. M. Bounds
“Hope can see heaven through the thickest clouds.” Thomas Brooks
“Our duty as Christians is always to keep heaven in our eye and earth under our feet.” Matthew Henry
An eternal perspective and hope in things to come sustained both Paul and Peter even in the midst of their harsh yet temporary sufferings which marked both of their ministries and it is to sustain us as well. Peter writes these epistles to give the Christian hope in the time of trials. It is the great theme of this first epistle. Although Peter deals with great doctrines and handles weighty subjects, he doesn’t write in a cold manner. Peter has been called the apostle of hope while Paul has been called the apostle of faith and John has been called the apostle of love. Peter’s first epistle puts a great emphasis upon hope yet, as noted, the words which convey the greater theme are suffering and obedience.
The word suffering or some related words that go with it occur in this epistle sixteen times. Hope is always tied with suffering. Therefore, it seems right to say that one predominant theme is the Christian hope in the time of trial. Don’t we all need a BIG dose of that! It behooves us to realize that their sufferings weren’t merely a broken fingernail (so to speak), they were severe as Paul stated in 2 Corinthians “far beyond his ability to endure.” Sometimes, I am confident, we can feel this way too! To bestow great hope, Peter also tells us that the temporal will one day be replaced by an eternal glory that will never fade away and, as Paul stated in 2 Corinthians, that far outweighs all our earthly troubles:
4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away. 1 Peter 5:4 (NIV)
The mystery of suffering has perplexed many down through the ages. It is part of man’s sad inheritance because of sin’s having come into the world, and in this life the child of God is not exempt from pain, sorrow, and anguish – which are all the effects of sin. Remember, every sin carries with it a death sentence. Bluntly, Christians are not exempt from suffering yet neither is the unbeliever. We live in a fallen world where sin abounds and where sin is plentiful, pain is very present. The Adamic curse has not yet been lifted. Yet the suffering of believers is all ordained of God to work out for blessing. Furthermore, with every trial and affliction there will come sufficient grace to meet every need in order to persevere with both hope and joy. Through this ministry of suffering we are enabled to understand better what the Lord went through for us while walking this dusty earth. God uses suffering to keep us from sin and as a means of chastening and discipline as well as purifying us whereby we are made more and more like Jesus. There is most certainly purpose in our pain. Also, as we suffer because of faithfulness to His Name and devotion to His cause, we enjoy a very real sense of fellowship with Him, who is still hated by the world that rejects His testimony. The reward is sure and will make us forget all our “momentary light afflictions” – which the Apostle Paul calls them – in the enjoyment of the eternal weight of glory.
“You are the One who is redeeming His bride and making all things new. It is Your unfailing love that we can and must hope in. There is no other supply sufficient to the need. There is no other strength sufficient for the task. There is no other balm sufficient for the pain. There is no other rest sufficient for the exhaustion. There is no other hope sufficient for the crisis.” Scotty Smith
This epistle could best be understood as a handbook written for ambassadors to a hostile foreign land. Peter, knowing persecution and troubles would arise – as Jesus has told us that with certainty - carefully prescribed conduct while undergoing trials designed to bring honor to the One they represented. This is a huge point. We are called to do likewise. He wrote to them encouraging them to trust in the Lord and go forward in patience even in the midst of hardships. Grumbling and complaining is not proper for a child of the King.
“God promises victory to those who endure, so He gives us enough strength – usually just enough so faith is still required – to keep us going. He wants us to succeed and not give up. In the walk of faith, we can’t afford to doubt, worry, fear, or complain – the very symptoms that kept a generation of Israelites out of their Promised Land. All of these attitudes severely undermine God’s work on our behalf, not because He can’t do whatever He wants but because He has chosen to relate to us on the basis of our faith. Negative attitudes and words undermine faith. They devalue the very currency we have to use in God’s Kingdom. Wherever God’s voice and your faith are leading you, do not be afraid or dismayed.” Chris Tiegreen
In speaking of the Jewish nation in the great tribulation, the Prophet Zechariah tells us:
8 “In the whole land,” declares the LORD, “two-thirds will be struck down and perish; yet one-third will be left in it. 9 This third I will bring into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, ‘They are my people,’ and they will say, ‘The LORD is our God.’”
The purpose then of 1 Peter was to encourage Christians when facing persecution so that the true grace of Jesus Christ would be evidenced in them. We are not to respond as the world responds to adverse circumstances that are certainly not of our choosing.
The Lord Jesus distinguished Peter as one in his inner circle along with John and James – the three of which had accompanied Him to the Mount of Transfiguration. Many instances of our Lord’s affections towards Peter – both during His life and after His resurrection – are on record. Peter also had a tremendous impact on the early church. The first twelve chapters of Acts are devoted to his ministry and to the development of the church in the East, where he was the dominant figure.
First Peter was addressed to believers in five Roman provinces in Asia Minor which is modern day Turkey. Again, his desire was to encourage Christians to endure the persecution that was prevalent in the area and to prepare the readers for the difficult times ahead. He used Jesus’ own suffering as the cornerstone of his exhortation. He admonishes believers to suffer as Christians, not as lawbreakers:
14 If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. 15 If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. 16 However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. 1 Peter 4:14-16 (NIV)
Peter’s intent in writing was to strengthen believers in the midst of the suffering and persecution they were facing. They were overwhelmed, crushed, torn and blinded to all hope tempting these Christians to wave the white flag of surrender. Ever been there? It is easy to fall prey to that. Many first-century followers of Christ were suffering and being abused and persecuted for believing in and obeying Jesus. Indeed, Peter himself knew persecution firsthand. Beaten and jailed, Peter was often threatened. He had seen fellow Christians die and the church scattered. Yet Peter knew his Lord and nothing could shake his confidence in Him. He was resolved – one of my favorite words! Therefore, he wrote giving comfort and hope urging continued loyalty to Christ. His message to them continues to speak to modern day believers, reminding us of our heavenly hope and our eternal inheritance in the midst of our sufferings. We are all called to holiness and a life of love. We are also called to glorify God in our daily lives and to imitate Christ no matter what the circumstances.
This epistle gives a theology of practical exhortation and comfort for believers’ daily needs. Peter concretely linked doctrine with practice. The new birth gives a living hope to those in the midst of persecution. New conduct is prescribed because Christ endured unjust suffering. New behavior is required to demonstrate the grace of God to an unbelieving and hostile world. And new responsibilities are placed on the leaders and members of the body of Christ since they should stand together as living stones against the onrushing tide of persecution.
Those who read 1 and 2 Peter are encouraged to lift their eyes from present problems and trials and behold the vistas provided by an eternal perspective. For though believers may for a while suffer grief in trials, they wait for an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade. When we suffer for doing what is right we must remember what counts costs and following Christ is a costly commitment. When persecuted for your faith rejoice that we are counted worthy to suffer for Christ. He suffered for us – His followers and as His followers we should expect nothing less.
10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Matthew 5:10-12 (NIV)
33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 (NIV)
And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. Romans 5:2-5 (NIV)
“Lean hard upon Me, for I bring you through to new victories, and restoration shall follow what seems now to be a wind of destruction. Hold fast to My hand, and rest in My love, for of this you may be very certain: My love is unaltered; yes, I have you in My own intensive care. My concern for you is deeper now than when things are normal. Draw upon the resources of My grace, and so shall you be equipped to communicate peace and confidence to your dear ones. Heaven rejoices when you go through trials with a singing spirit. Your Father’s heart is cheered when you endure the test and do not question His mercy. Be like a beacon light. His own glorious radiance shall shine through you, and Christ Himself will be revealed.” Frances J. Roberts
“We will each of us endure moments, perhaps years, when we are tempted to doubt whether the promises were true after all. Joseph in prison. David in the cave. JESUS IN THE GRAVE. Such moments form the crucible where faith is forged. He cannot lie. He will do what He said.” Ronnie Collier Stevens
“Let us not be mistaken: God never gave us faith to play with. Faith is a sword. But it was not made to exhibit upon a parade ground. It was meant to cut and wound and slay. Whoever has it may expect, between here and heaven, to learn what battle means. God has made nothing in vain; He especially makes nothing in the spiritual kingdom in vain. He made faith with the intent that it should be used to the utmost and exercised to the full.” C. H. Spurgeon
“The serene beauty of a holy life is the most powerful influence in the world next to the power of God.” Blaise Pascal
These are Beth’s personal notes, due to this fact sources are not often stated.