Overview 1 Peter

Next up for our General Epistles is 1 Peter. Traditionally attributed to Simon-Peter the early disciple of Jesus. Some push back on this, pointing to the complex Greek of this letter. How would an uneducated Jewish man be able to write such complex Greek?

The answer for this seems like it included at the letter. Peter admits that the letter was written through Silvanus, who is believed to be the Silas that we read about in Acts 15:22. In other words, Peter wrote this letter with the help of Silvanus, just like Paul dictated many of his letters.

If this was written by Peter, then it was likely written around the early 60s CE, and if not sometime in the 90s CE. It is believed to be written to persecuted Gentile Christians in Asia Minor.

1 Peter 1:1-2:10 - Greetings and identity in Jesus

1 Peter 2:11-4:11 - Living as exiles for Jesus

1 Peter 4:12-5:9 - Suffering and advice to church leaders

A few times in this letter, Peter refers to his readers as ‘exiles’. In this, he wants his readers to see themselves as similar to the Jews during their exile. They are in a foreign land, a culture that is not there’s, and they are facing opposition and persecution because of it.

In this, Peter is then able to draw on the wisdom of the exilic prophets to help guide the believers he is writing to (see Jeremiah 29:4-7). These believers are not to rebel and actively fight against their host culture, nor are they to be absorbed into it. Instead, they should live well in it pointing to a better story and life.

They are both foreigners in a hostile land, a holy nation. This makes them inherently counter cultural, but their way of living has to inspire others towards God, not harden them against God.

This means living well in the face of suffering and opposition.

1 Peter 1-2

The letter opens from Peter and is dedicated to ‘the exiles of the Dispersion’ (1 Peter 1:1). This is clearly drawing on the same idea as James’ ‘twelve tribes in the Dispersion’ (James 1:1), used to refer to all believers across the known world. Except Peter localises it to the cities and towns in Asia Minor, and pulls in the idea of exiles.

Some have tried to argue this means that Peter is referring to Jews who are literal foreigners in these lands, but most scholar disagree with this idea. Instead, they suggest that while Peter is talking to people, some of whom would be locals to these areas who have come to faith, their faith has made them like foreigners in this land they once called home.

Peter reminds his readers that they are chosen by God, and sanctified by the Spirit, so they can be obedient to Jesus. Many have highlighted the very Trinitarian use of all three figures of the godhead here.

Peter then switches to praise of God as he focuses on the salvation work that God has done. Through Jesus’ death and resurrection, believers are now born again, receiving a new inheritance in heaven. Through their faith, believers are protected and held by God’s power until they one day receive this salvation.

This brings back this idea of now-but-not-yet. Believers are born again now, but they wait for a future salvation in Jesus. That means that believers can rejoice, even if they suffer now, because of the future eternal hope in Jesus.

Peter reminds his readers that they love and believe in Jesus even though they cannot see him. There is a confidence in this future eternal hope, and, as believers continue in that hope, they will continue to receive more and more of it.

He then unpacks this salvation a little more. Linking this salvation to the Old Testament scriptures, Peter highlights that prophets of old spoke about this salvation and sought God for information about it. They knew a messiah was coming and sought God for who it would be and when. They also were able to gather that this messiah would need to suffer before they revealed the future glory.

Peter the claims that the Holy Spirit responded to these prophets that their words were not just serving their own people, who largely didn’t listen to them. Instead, they were recording words for future generations to look back on.

This means that believers have the benefit both of the words of the Old Testament prophets and of the apostles and leaders who have now announced Jesus to them. Both of these groups were led and shaped by the Holy Spirit.

Therefore, in light of this hope and salvation that has been announced before them, may Peter’s readers get ready to live lives that reflect this truth. May they prepare and discipline themselves, setting their hope and attention on Jesus. They should not allow their desires to be shaped by the culture that they used to be part of.

They are now set apart and different, and therefore should pursue lives that are holy, just as God is holy. Peter is quoting Leviticus 11:44-45 here.

They are exiles now, and they live lives in ‘reverent fear’ of God. He is the father of all judging them equally. In other words, God loves those who are persecuting the believers as much as he loves the believer. They should not fall into the trap of Jonah of being consumed by hatred for the very people God has sent them to reach.

Remember, these believers were not saved because of their great works, but by the blood of Jesus who was perfect. It was planned from the beginning of time that this would happen, and has been revealed to them now. It was through Jesus that believers now have faith and hope.

Therefore, believers should be obedient to the truth. In other words, as we’ve already said, believers should live lives in light of this truth. That looks like, in part, loving one another deeply. They are born again into an eternal life. Peter Quotes Isaiah 40:6-8 to show them that their old way of life was perishable, but this new way of life is eternal.

So the believers should rid themselves of their old way of life, of malice, insincerity, envy, and slander. Instead, they should be hungry for the good things of God, just like a newborn baby for milk.

Peter then uses the metaphor of stones being used to build a house. Each believer is like a living stone, specifically chosen by God to build his house. They are to be a holy priesthood, which is a reference to Exodus 19:6. Remember, the role of a priest is those outside the priesthood encounter God. That is now the role of all believers.

We then get three different Old Testament references to stones and building, Isaiah 28:16, Psalm 118:22, and Isaiah 8:14. Each of these points to Jesus being the foundation that believers as individual rocks are built upon to build God’s house.

Peter reiterates, the Israelites failed in their role as a priesthood to the world, but now the believers are to pick up that role. They are to be a light to a dark world. They have been included amongst God’s people for that purpose.

Up until now, while Peter has largely been laying out the theology of his letter. He now focuses on the practical ways of living that come from that theology.

Again, he calls his readers exiles. They are to abstain from their old ways that are at war inside them. Instead, they are to live honourably ‘amongst the Gentiles’ (1 Peter 2:12). Again, some use this to argue that Peter is talking to Jewish Christians. But remember, he just said to his readers they were once not God’s people but now are. This suggests they are Gentile Christians.

When Peter uses the term Gentiles, he’s talking about those who aren’t believers. Believers should live honourably amongst unbelievers so that they might demonstrate the honour of God. This is where Peter is drawing on the wisdom of Jeremiah 29:4-7, speaking to a people not in a land that should be foreign to them.

They should not seek to overthrow the culture they live in. Instead, they should live right and submit to authorities. While God has given the believers freedom from these cultures, the believers should not use that freedom to allow Christian faith to become slandered by others unnecessarily. They should be defined by honour and love.

Peter then gets specific about how this can be applied. Take slaves. They should not seek to overthrow their masters but seek to submit and show loyalty masters, regardless of whether they are kind or not. God sees the suffering and struggle that they endure. Peter even recognises that this suffering is unjust.

If they are suffering because they have done wrong, then that means nothing. But if they suffer when doing right, then they are demonstrating who God is. They are living the life that Jesus modelled. Jesus did nothing wrong and yet he was abused and suffered. At no point did he retaliate but bore his suffering and our sins to the cross to bring freedom and healing.

The idea is that in the same way, believers who are suffering and being oppressed can live well under that suffering in a way that it counter cultural and can bring healing and freedom to communities.

Psalm 31

This psalm is attributed to king David and falls into the category of lament psalm. It follows a chiastic structure, where the passage reflects itself, with a closing section of thanksgiving and prayer.

a) Psalm 31:1-5 - Prayer

b) Psalm 31:6-8 - A declaration of trust

c) Psalm 31:9-13 - Lament

b) Psalm 31:14 - A declaration of trust

a) Psalm 31:15-18 - Prayer

d) Psalm 31:19-24 - Thanksgiving and praise

The psalm opens with a prayer to the Lord to intervene. The psalmist appeals to God as their refuge and fortress, and repeatedly asks God to help, deliver and rescue. 

They then declare their trust in the Lord. While others may trust in idols, the psalmist only trusts in God. They can be confident that they will be able to rejoice because God is faithful and will not deliver them to their enemies.

Next comes the lament, as the psalmist shares their struggle. They are in distress. It feels like they are wasting away from grief. Their entire life seems to be spent in sorrow, and their strength fails them. They are hated by those who know them, and those that don’t avoid them. 

Having shared their lament, the psalmist goes back to declaring their trust in God. This leads them to make bigger requests from God, knowing that he will answer them. They ask to be rescued from their enemies and blessed with God’s love. To save them from shame, but bring the shame of the wicked upon themselves.

And then the tone of the psalm shifts, as though the psalmist has heard from God and knows that he will intervene. The psalmist now turns to thanksgivings and praise. He is a God that stores up good things for his people. He protects them from the wicked. 

God has been faithful and loving. Though the psalmist felt like God was hidden from them, God had heard their cry. The psalm ends with a call to the others saints, those who are faithful, to love God. May they be strong and take courage as they wait on God.

This psalm shows the power of lament, and how it leads us to making big requests of God. To begin with, all the psalmist could do was ask God to save them. But as they alternated between declaring their trust, and sharing their hurt and pain, it brought them to a place where they could ask God not only to save them, but bless them. 

From there, God’s faithfulness led them to a place of praise and thanksgiving.