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Like Paul's letters, Peter begins this one in the standard letter form of his time.

 

The author,

To the audience.

A blessing.

 

But like Paul, Peter takes this opportunity not just to address his letter, but to make a theological statement that sets up the direction of the letter.

 

His identification of himself is simple. (1:1) "Peter, as apostle of Jesus Christ..." His station as an apostle is not in question (like Paul's often was), so no further explanation is necessary. Peter was universally recognized in the early church as one of the original disciples of Jesus, and as having a certain level of respect and even authority from his role among the disciples.

 

The blessing is likewise simple. "Grace and peace be yours in abundance." Charis from the Greek was a standard letter opening, but also served the New Testament writers well since grace was such an important theme of the Gospel. Eirene was Greek for peace, but came from the Jewish salutation, shalom, indicating the peace that only comes from living in alignment with God and thus receiving His blessing.

 

Now Peter moves on to his intended audience. (1:1-2) "To God's elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for the obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinking by his blood..." There's a lot here.

 

First, the readers are "God's elect." The word "God" is not in the Greek, but it is seems a fair interpretation since there was really no other way these people were "elect." The context of the rest of the book and Peter's Jewish heritage fills this out even more. "The elect" is a long-standing reference to the people of God, people God has chosen.

 

But even though these people have been chosen by God, they are "strangers in the world." The Greek here could also be translated as "exiles" or "sojourners." It's referring to people who are not at home, and perhaps are even a bit excluded because of that. Today we read this as a spiritual exile. "This world is not my home, I'm just a-passin' through..." This is a part of the story, but Peter's audience were exiles in the physical sense as well. They were a minority group, misunderstood and on the edge of persecution.

 

Any of them that had Jewish heritage experienced marginalization on the basis of their race. Outside of Israel, Jews were generally looked at suspiciously. They worshipped an invisible God, and as such were considered atheists. They had complicated dietary rules that made it nearly impossible for them to eat socially with non-Jews. Jews in the Roman Empire were seen as exclusive and even potentially rebellious, since they of all the conquered people refused to accept the divinity of the Roman emperors. As these people became Christians, the view didn't change much. In fact, things often got worse.

 

Most people saw Christianity as a strange sect within Judaism, made up of the poor and illiterate. Their unwavering commitment to their one God made it difficult for them to participate in much of civic life, since nearly everything done in public life was tied up with the worship of the Roman gods. And, like the Jews, the Christians worshipped an invisible God--which led to the charge of athiesm. Combine this with the fact that most Christians in the first century were from the poor, working classes, and it's easy to see how they were viewed with a downward glance by the society around them. Add in the fact that those Christian converts who came from a Jewish heritage were immediately ostracized from their Jewish community, and you end up with a picture of people who were increasingly cut off from the normal social networks and benefits of society.

 

They were "scattered." The Greek here is the famous word, diaspora, which originally was used to refer to the Jews who were scattered by force and circumstances away from Israel, and later came to mean any group that is no longer living in their homeland. This is another clue that very likely Peter's audience is largely of Jewish heritage. They truly were scattered far from home.

 

So Peter was addressing a community that didn't feel very important, and perhaps was even wrestling with their own relevance. And so Peter addresses who they really are--both as the world sees them and as God sees them. Even though their condition is lowly, they have been chosen and God is working in them. They have been chosen by God the Father, sanctified through the Holy Spirit, and made clean by the blood of Jesus. (1:2)

 

Scot McKnight summarizes their position well: "We are, then, to see in this description a picture of hard-working, poor people who had no rights and no protection but who, through the grace of God, had found life in Christ and fellowship in the family of God."^[1]

 

Having identified his audience, Peter jumps right into the foundation of his letter. He's going to talk about how they--as a marginalized group--are to live in society, but before He talks about ethics, He must talk about the source of those choices--salvation.

 

(1:3) "Praise 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..." Peter starts off worshipping and blessing God. In God's mercy, He has given us a new birth, which gives us a living hope. This is the basis of everything that is to follow. God acted in grace toward these people. He gave them the opportunity of new birth. So regardless of how they were born in this life (what social class, what role, what personal difficulties), they have been given a new birth--salvation. This new birth is the reason they can have a vital hope in their very difficult circumstances.

 

This hope is sealed as trustworthy through the resurrection of Jesus. It is something that will never change. It is an "...inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time." (1:4-5) This gift of grace--the inheritance that does not fade--is the source of joy for these people.

 

(1:6-7) "In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials..." In fact, they can rejoice, even though they are facing difficulties. Peter doesn't explicitly state what these difficulties are other than calling them "trials" and saying they brought about "grief." These might have been the difficulties due to these Christians' social standing, or perhaps due to theri faith. This might even refer to the beginning of persecution. In any case, Peter tells his readers that these "trials" have a benefit: They will purify their faith and glorify Jesus through their lives.

 

(1:7) Gold is the most valuable thing these people knew of, and Peter tells them that their tested faith is more valuable than even that. He points to some experiential evidence: their own depth of love for Christ. (1:8-9) "Though 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 inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of yor faith, the salvation of your souls." This testing has strengthened their love for Jesus, and given them a deep joy in knowing Him.

 

The next three verses are a long digression on the value of this salvation. (1:10-12) Basically, Peter tells them that the very thing they now have is what the prophets saw in advance. They are now possessors of something so mysterious and wonderful that even angels long to know more about it.

 

 

1st Peter 1:1-12  The Interpreter

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The social state of these early Christians

I Peter highlights something that's easy for contemporary Christians to forget. Until the legalization of the church by Constantine, in the 4th century, most Christians were people on the fringes of society--day laborers, slaves, a few in the merchant classes. While there certainly were some Christians who were wealthy and influential, the vast majority of them were not.

 

It was just not socially advantageous to be a Christian. For Jews it was a step away from the mainstream and into a questionable sect, perhaps viewed the way that an evangelical Christian might view a family member who became a Jehovah's Witness. For someone of Greek heritage it was seen as abandoning the wisdom of the philosophers for superstition. For others in the Roman empire it meant choosing to be discriminated against and looked down on. Given this reality the explosive growth of the church in the first two hundred years can be seen for the miracle it was. People would only choose this life if there was something powerful in the community, a truth that made sense of their spiritual experience and some kind of authentic encounter with God.

 

God's election or predestination.

In the opening verses of this section Peter says that the Christians to whom he writes are God's elect, chosen according to God's foreknowledge. This has been referred to election and is tied up in the issue of Predestination. This is one of the most complicated and often-debated ideas in the history of Christian thought. The core question often comes down to this: If God has chosen certain people ahead of time, does that also mean that He has chosen others not to be saved? What, in fact, does God's predestination mean? For a short discussion of this, see the article Predestination or the the article on Ephesians 3:1-4 where Paul makes the same comment.

 

 

1st Peter 1:1-12  The Disciple

Note: The Disciple role looks at the passage for what it says about how to live, and can only be done with a personal application. As I look at this passage, some of what I reflect on may be subjectively directed at me--since I'm looking at the issue of how to live my life. Hopefully much of this is transferrable to you, but please remember that this is an example of one follower of Jesus applying this passage to his own life. --Marc Schelske

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Do I know that as a follower of Jesus I am one of God's elect? God has chosen me to be a part of His family. That ought to put an end to any question about God's love or my value in this world. Do I own this reality in my heart?

 

Does my understanding of salvation give me hope? Peter suggests that a true understanding of salvation is the source of hope. I take that mean an essentially positive and faithful view of this life, taken in perspective of what God is doing now and into eternity. Do I live with hope? Do I have an optimistic outlook on my life, when I consider my salvation? In some sense, if I am living in a negative attitude or without hope, then I have not internalized the reality of my new identity in Christ.

 

Am I able to rejoice even in the face of difficulties or trials? Like James, Peter encourages us to see the difficulties of this life as the training for our faith, stretching it and making it stronger. Is my natural reaction in the face of adversity to give up, to become bitter, to complain? Do I have the perspective to see that God can work through these difficulties to shape my character and grow my faith?

 

Do I value my savlation and relationship with Jesus above everything else in my life? Peter told his audience that this gift was more precious than gold. Do I see it as more precious than the most valuable stuff I own? Do I have a sense that this one thing is enough for me, enough to get me through?

 

 

1st Peter 1:1-12  The Lover

Note: The Lover role looks at the passage for what God is saying to the reader directly, and like the Disciple role, can only be done from a personal perspective. In this role, the reader is listening and responding to what God is saying about Himself, about the reader and about the relationshi between them. As such, I will just reflect on my own experience in this area. Remember that this is only the example of one follower of Jesus trying to her God's voice in the passage. --Marc Schelske

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Dear Father, The thought that You have chosen me, and appointed me for some great task is hard to get my head around. From my perspective, I chose to become a Christian, and I choose the steps I take everyday in living that out--sometimes well, often not. I want to take the credit for the good, and I know I am responsible for the bad. And yet in this text You say that You have chosen me and given me this great status. Not through my effort or qualifications, but simply because of Your great purposes. This is not a natural thing for me to grasp. But if it's true, it means so much.

 

 

Thank You for valuing me and trusting me with meaningful work. Thank You for working in me and through me. Thank You that I have an inheritance that will not spoil or fade. Help me to value this more every day and to live my life in light of it. I desire the "inexpressible and glorious joy" these first Christians had when they considered what You had done for them. I don't want to take You and Your work for granted.

 

I want to give up my whining and complaining when things are hard. Give me the perspective to see these things as a testing of my faith and an opportunity for me to grow. My life is nowhere near as difficult as many. And yet I can complain with the best of them. Forgive my spoiled attitude, my sense of entitlement, and give me an open spirit to learn what You are teaching me through my circumstances.

 

Help me to live today with an awareness of my salvation, and a deep practical hope that comes from that.  I love You and surrender myself to You for Your purposes. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.