We’re going to go through the book of 1 Peter together.
Please join in and comment with any thoughts or questions you have on the passage.
1 Peter 1: 1-12
1Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
To God’s elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, 2who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood:
Grace and peace be yours in abundance.
Praise to God for a Living Hope
3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, 5who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
10Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, 11trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. 12It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.
The back ground of this letter is that Peter is probably in Rome when he wrote it in about A.D.62-64. Many first-century followers of Jesus were suffering and being abused and persecuted for believing in and obeying Jesus. Beginning in Jerusalem and then the persecution spread to the rest of the world and this came to a head in Rome with the great persecution under Emperor Nero.(Eventually Peter was executed during this persecution).The letter is written to (Aliens) strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia.
Here is a question I have to get us started that you might like to comment on.
What do you think Peter means in verse 1 by “strangers in this world”?
“Too heavenly minded to be any earthly use”
“Pie in the sky when you die”
- disparaging comments about Christianity, that some Christians deserve I guess.
I think most of us though don’t give enough attention to the hope that we have after our deaths, or the inheritance that is kept in heaven for us. Peter is encouraging those Christians who are going through the most severe trials with these words and I think I need to meditate on them a bit more and to consider my attitude to God’s promises to me.
I have not seen Jesus either but I do love him.I love reading about him and considering his actions and words. I love the way he treats people .
I do believe in him, but am often lacking that inexpressible and glorious joy Peter is talking about! My mind is too fixed on my “trials” minor though they are.
I am comforted though by the words “you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls” – which reminds me again of the process of salvation I am in, which in my experience is a very meandering path to follow, rather than the mostly straightforward progress or peaks and valleys, that others tell me they experience.
What do you think about this passage? Please leave a comment…….