Notes from 1 Peter 1:1-12
If you see anything I have missed or gotten wrong, leave me a comment. The goal is to "rightly divide the word of truth" above all so I welcome corrections where I have gotten off track.
Background
• Written by the apostle Peter.
• Probably written in early 60’s AD.
• Written to Christians living in what is modern day Turkey (possibly the descendants of Jews who settled there after the Babylonian captivity – as the diaspora (dispersion) was the term used to speak of their state.
• The recipients were being persecuted for their faith (possibly the persecution instituted by Nero)
• Not written to one specific church.
Major themes
• Salvation and how it affects:
• Holiness / Conduct
• Suffering
• Submission
1 Peter 1:1-12
The reality of our salvation is our
anchor as we live holy lives in the world in the face of suffering.
Knowing that these believers are
facing persecution, Peter begins by reminding them of the magnificent realities
of their salvation (election).
Salvation
·
A product of all three members of the Trinity - election is ascribed to the Father, reconciliation
to the Son, and sanctification to the Spirit.
o
Father – elect according
to His foreknowledge (v.1) and mercy (v.3)
o
Spirit –
sanctified (set apart as His) for obedience (the end in mind) to Christ.
§ 2 Thessalonians
2:13 -- But we ought always to give thanks to God
for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be
saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.
§
Hebrews 10:10 -- And by that will we have been
sanctified through the
offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
§ Ephesians
1:4 -- even as he chose us
in him before the foundation of the world, that we should
be holy and blameless before him.
§ Acts 20:32, Romans 15:16, 1 Corinthians 1:30,
1 Corinthians 6:11
o
Son – “for obedience
to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood”
§ Obedience to Christ in saving faith
·
Romans 1:5
-- through
whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about
the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the
nations,
·
Faith is a gift – Philippians 1:29
§ justifies believers with His blood.
·
Hebrews 11:19-22 -- For when every commandment of the law had
been declared by Moses to all the people, he took the blood of calves and
goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book
itself and all the people, 20 saying, “This is the blood of the covenant
that God commanded for you.”21 And in the same way he sprinkled with
the blood both the tent and all the vessels used in worship. 22 Indeed, under the law almost everything is
purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no
forgiveness of sins.
·
A living hope – Christ’s resurrection assures us that our
hope is not in vain, but alive and sure in the person of Jesus Christ.
·
Inheritance
– Salvation attains an imperishable, undefiled, unfading inheritance for us in
heaven as children of the Father and co-heirs with the Son.
·
Protection
– We “through God’s power are being guarded through faith”. (Matthew 10:28)
·
The prophets longed to know of it – the prophets of the Old Testament wanted to
know more about the messiah they prophesied of.
Suffering/Trials
·
Test the
genuineness of faith
·
Genuine faith
results in the praise of Jesus Christ.
Suffering
and trials are for the purpose of refining and testing our faith so that it
will bring honor and glory to Christ when He returns.
