The Zone Gathering

Background

When the apostle Peter wrote his first epistle, it was a perilous time for Christians living in the Roman provinces.  The book is thought to have been written about A.D. 63 or 64, on the eve of the Roman Emperor Nero’s persecution of Christians.  It is no surprise that Peter wrote this epistle to encourage Christians to maintain a proper and godly response to suffering, in light of the persecution they were about to face.  Throughout 1 Peter, the author uses Christ’s suffering and response as the model believers are to emulate.  And even though he warns about suffering and persecution, Peter uses his epistle to provide encouragement and hope: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1:3).

Structure

Peter opens by addressing his readers and praising the Trinity (God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit) for salvation and sanctification (1:1-3).  He extols God for the riches of salvation by anticipating the Christian’s inheritance, which is “imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you” (1:4).  This salvation instills living hope in those who may suffer trials (1:6-9).  Peter also reflects on the prophets of the past who predicted the realization of God’s grace in the person of Jesus Christ (1:10-12).

Peter outlines the steps believers should take to prepare themselves for persecution, calling upon them to live holy and sanctified lives (1:13-25).  He reminds his readers that they have been redeemed by Christ’s precious blood and their souls have been purified to love one another (1:19-25).  Peter exhorts his readers to “long for the pure milk of the word” (2:2), which enables the believer to grow.  We are called to be “living stones” offered as sacrifices to God for the building of a royal priesthood, “a people for God’s own possession” (2:4-10).  This requires abstinence from earthly lusts, which “wage war against the soul” (2:11).

Peter urges believers to submit to governmental and social authorities (2:13-20), indicating that doing so is a testament to God and garners His favor.  He uses Christ as the ultimate model of someone who suffered sinlessly, silently, and as a substitute for the salvation of others (2:21-25).  He follows this by calling for submission in marital relationships (3:1-7) and summarizes his appeal for Christlike submission and humility: “To sum up, let all be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; not returning evil for evil, or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing” (3:8-9).

Peter continues encouraging his readers to be ready to defend their faith in an intelligent and gracious way: “And who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good?  But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed.  And do not fear this intimidation, and do not be troubled, but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.  For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right than for doing what is wrong” (3:13-17).  He stresses that Christ died for humankind’s sins and has authority and supremacy over all spirits (3:18-22).

As believers in Christ, we should no longer pursue the lusts of the flesh, but the will of God (4:1-6).  Although hardships and persecution are imminent, Peter encourages his readers to “keep fervent in your love for one another” and to continue exercising their spiritual gifts (4:7-11).  Believers should expect to be mistreated, slandered and reviled for their faith, but should take comfort and find courage in knowing that God is sovereign and has a purpose for all things.  Ultimately, God will judge those who persecute those who belong to Him (4:12-18).  1 Peter 4:19 lays it out simply: “Therefore, let those also who suffer according to the will of God entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right.“

Peter ends his epistle by urging the elders of the churches in the Roman provinces to be diligent, gentle shepherds of their flocks (5:1-4).  He instructs all of his readers to “clothe yourselves with humility toward one another” and toward God, who will “exalt you at the proper time” (5:5-7).  They are urged to resist the devil and remain firm in their faith (5:8-9), taking hope that “after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you” (5:10).  He closes by extolling the “true grace of God” (5:12) and conveying greetings and a benediction (5:12-14).

Relevance

Many Christians living in the United States have not experienced serious persecution for their faith in Christ.  However, our brothers and sisters carrying the gospel around the world have been put to the test and, in some cases, have died defending their belief in (and loyalty to) Jesus Christ.  1 Peter reminds us of our responsibility to “love one another” in the face of persecution — we need to stand with those who suffer and pray for them regularly.

Standing firm and living a holy life in a world that is decidedly less-than-holy can be difficult for any one of us.  1 Peter urges Christians to encourage one another in love – being in community allows us to stand together and wage war against earthly lusts, pray for one another in times of spiritual warfare, and maintain our “living hope” in the “faithful Creator.”  We do not have to go it alone.

Food for Thought

Am I pursuing holiness and living in light of the hope that it is within me by virtue of being a child of God?

Am I praying for my Christian brothers and sisters around the world who are facing persecution for defending the gospel of Jesus Christ?

This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 6th, 2006 at 9:17 am and is filed under Bible Drills. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.