The Bible studies of our church have been working their way through 1 Peter. This is some of what I have learned as I prepared to teach this book.
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Background to the letter
This letter is written to Christians who are suffering because of who they are: Christians.
Peter's goal is not to make them feel better. He knows that, for some of them, their situations will not change. They won't 'feel better'. Rather, his goal for them to be able to respond well to that suffering. Toward that end, he teaches them some Gospel truths that they need to know and believe. These truths include things like knowing:
• who God is
• how Jesus is an example as well as a savior
• who they are
• how their future in eternity effects their present in this world
1 Peter 1:1-2
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 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.
Here, Peter identifies himself. But he also identifies the people to whom he is writing.
Peter identifies himself as an apostle of Jesus. The word 'apostle' is not unique Christianity. It was a word that was in general use. An apostle is simply one sent with the authority of the sender. Thus, Peter, as Jesus' apostle, writes with Jesus' authority. Now, why would he bother to do that? Is this a way for him to flaunt his authority? Absolutely not! It is, instead, a way to give these saints some hope. There is comfort for these saints when they hear an authoritative word from Jesus through one of His apostles. Peter will tell them accurately how they should respond to the difficulties that they are facing. They will know exactly what to do. And having Jesus as the source will encourage them as they put these things into practice. Peter's authority is an aid to them.
Peter then identifies the people who are receiving this letter. This is important because they need to understand who they are. Understanding yourself is an aspect of wisdom. He applies these labels to them:
- elect
- exiles
- the Dispersion
The Dispersion was originally a term to refer to the Jews who were far from their homeland and scattered after the Babylonian exile seven or so centuries before Jesus was born. (Think Daniel.) Peter takes that term and applies it to these Gentile Christians of the first century. In so doing he is helping them to understand that they are far from home just like those ancient Jews were. But if where they were living was not home, where was it? This is an important theme for Peter. Home is what comes later. It's not about now. Home is about the life to come. This is important because it's true that 'Home is where the heart is'. We'll see this theme develop as we work through the book.
It makes sense, then, for Peter to also label them as exiles, people who have been banished from their native land. Accepting this as true would affect their expectations of life in the here and now. If this is home, then certain things should follow. But if they are exiles from home, then those expectations need to be adjusted. This makes a difference to people who are suffering.
Peter balances all of this when he applies the label 'elect' to them. This is also a key part of their understanding of themselves. Yes, they are exiled, far from home. And that makes life hard. But while that is true, it is also true that they are loved by the Father. After all, they have been chosen by Him. It is confidence in the love of the Father that makes life work, even (or especially) a hard life.
In verse 2 Peter explains more of what it means that they are God's elect exiles. First, he speaks of how that happened 'according to the foreknowledge of God the Father'. If one is to understand this 'foreknowledge' it is important to see in it the biblical intimacy often included in the word 'know'. That shows up in places like this:
Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain … Genesis 4:1
Intimacy. Peter's point is that there is an intimacy between the Father and these suffering saints. He knows them. He loves them. And this is a love that didn't just show up. It has its roots in eternity past. That gives hope to these Christians as they face hardships. First, they are not exiles because of some historical accident. They are exiles 'according to the foreknowledge of God the Father'. That means that their suffering is part of His eternal plan. And they are not just exiles. They are elect that is, loved, exiles. So, they do not face the difficulties of their lives alone. The love of the Father is with them.
They are elect exiles 'in (by means of) the sanctification of the Spirit'. It is the Spirit who has set these people apart (sanctified them) to be 'elect exiles'. They have been set apart from their old sinful past, rescued from the power of that sin. And they have been set apart to a holy life. Peter is again labeling them. Part of who they are includes this calling to become the holy people that they actually are.
Then, to round out the Trinity, Peter writes about Jesus. The literal rendering sounds awkward, but it will bring out some important aspects. Literally, what Peter wrote was 'unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ'. This is an allusion to something that Moses did with Israel at Mount Sinai.
Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it in the hearing of the people. And they said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient.” And Moses took the blood and threw it on the people and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.” Exodus 24:7-8
This is when the covenant between God and the people of Israel was established. Note that obedience was first pledged by the people, and then they were sprinkled by the blood, sealing that covenant agreement. Peter is teaching his audience that the same thing happened to them. They are the covenant people of God. The God of heaven is their God. He has bound Himself to them. And at the same time, they are obligated to obey this God. And just as Israel was sprinkled to seal this covenant, these Christians were sprinkled in baptism. Peter is helping these people to understand who they are. Being clear on this will make a huge difference in how they approach life.
Peter ends this introduction to his letter in a familiar way. He blesses the people with God's peace to counter the effects of the conflicts that they were dealing with, as well as God's favor since finding favor in God's sight deeply affects how a saint deals with any situation.
One of Peter's goals in this introduction to his letter is to establish the identity of the people to whom he was writing. They were
elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 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 …
If they could see themselves in this way it would go a long way to encouraging them as they suffered so. He was trying to help them to see their situation in terms of Gospel truth so that they could respond well.