1Peter 1
Location - First Peter is written to the five providences of Asia Minor. The
large land mass north (some 420 miles) and west of Israel. This is the general
area that Paul’s first missionary journey took him except it covers the entire
Asia Minor area and Paul stayed more to the south.
Interesting Note - This Epistle would show that while Peter may be recognized
as the Missionary to the Jews and Paul as the Missionary to the Gentiles, both
spent much time and effort in evangelizing all people.
Theme - Peter is written to teach Christians the that we can have victory over
suffering. Some form of the word SUFFER is used 15 times in this small, five
chapter Book. The Christian persections were well under way by the time Peter
writes this letter. While the exact date seems to be debated, it is possible
that it was written after the empire-wide persecutions begun by Nero in 64 AD.
Outline:
I. \\#1Peter 1:1-2:12\\ The Saints Service
A. \\#1Peter 1:1\\ Introduction
B. \\#1Peter 1:2-12\\ Our Position
C. \\#1Peter 1:13-17\\ Our Duty
D. \\#1Peter 1:18-25\\ Our Motivation
E. \\#1Peter 2:1-13\\ Our Examples
Notes:
I. \\#1Peter 1:1-2:12\\ The Saints Service
A. \\#1Peter 1:1\\ Introduction - Very short as Peter almost instantly
starts discussing the deep topic of election. See notes above.
B. \\#1Peter 1:2-12\\ Our Position
1. \\#2\\ - A good understanding of election can be grasped by this
verse. It includes the three components of election: (1) Fore-
knowledge of God (2) Work of the Holy Spirit (3) Obedience of
the choosen.
a. ELECT means the CHOOSEN. It is an out growth of the
sovereignty of God and implies some have been pre-choosen
for something, either salvation or some work after
salvation.
b. FOREKNOWLEDGE - We are told that any pre-choosing God
does is based on what He knows in advance. In other words,
God does make some decisions concerning us based on what He
already knows we will do.
c. THROUGH SANTIFICATION OF THE SPIRIT - But even after God
pre-determines some elements in our life, the Holy Spirit
still SEPARATES us out to deal with us. This is done
because the choice is still ours to make. God has
predetermined how He will deal with us after we make a
decision but that does not stop the Holy Spirit from
offering us the choice.
d. UNTO OBEDIENCE AND SPRINKLING OF THE BLOOD - Not only does the
Holy Spirit still deal with those who are the elect, but
the elect must also make the decision to obey, for
salvation that would be to trust and repent so that the
blood of Jesus might be applied.
f. THE FACT THAT GOD KNOWS IN ADVANCE WHAT THEY WILL DECIDE
TO DO AND HAS ALREADY MADE PLANS FOR THEM BASED ON WHAT HE
KNOWS DOES NOT MEAN THE DECISION IS MADE FOR THEM. The
Holy Spirit still deals with "the elect" and they still have
a choice.
2. \\#3\\ "lively hope" - God has given to us a LIVING HOPE;
that is, it is not a past tense, passive, static blessing. The
hope of the resurrection should influence our lives each and
every day!
3. \\#4-5\\ These verses give powerful foundational truths concerning
eternal security.
a. \\#4\\ We have an inheritance which is "undefiled" or pure.
While I do not pretend to comprehend all that this
inheritance contains, I do know its quality to be holy and
good. Such an inheritance can only do me good! Not only
is it undefiled in its present state but it is "incorruptible"
in its future state, meaning that God will keep it pure and
holy. The last two phrases teach concerning our security.
This inheritance "fadeth not away." If I lost my salvation,
surely I would lose my inheritance, but that is simply not
possible. Instead, it is "reserved," that is, kept or
guarded.
b. \\#5\\ What keeps our inheritance? It is not the believer
who does this work but the very power of God! God does the
work but His power is activated by our "faith." All that
God offers must be gained by faith, that is trusting to the
place of obeying Him.
4. \\#6\\ So far, the discussion of the believers’ position has been
all spiritual which causes them to "greatly rejoice," yet Peter
is writing at a time when persecution in the physical world is
abounding. Despite the fact that these many and diverse
"tempations" do bring a "heaviness" to the lives of the believers,
they are still to "greatly rejoice."
5. \\#7\\ The question must be asked, "Why? Why in the midst of
persecution should the believer rejoice greatly?" The answer is
"That the trial of your faith… might be found unto the
praise… of Jesus Christ." An untried faith lacks the proof
which only the fire of testing can give it. Hence, we should
count even the trying of our faith "more precious than gold."
Consider that when we are persecuted, are tortured, and are
killed, we have an opportunity to give back to our Lord a small
portion of what He gave for us.
6. \\#8\\ Having brought up the name of Jesus in relation to these
persecuted believers, Peter magnifies both what their faith in
Him had done and what it could yet do. He lists two counts that
faith had done for them, then one which it could yet do.
a. Although "having not seen" Him, they had in faith loved Him.
b. Although that had yet to see Him, they believed on Him.
c. And now, although going through great trials, they could
rejoice with "unspeakable joy" and be "full of glory."
7. \\#9\\ This great faith would bring them to the "end of… faith,"
the "salvation of…" their "souls." That was not to say that
they were not already saved, just that they had not yet reached
the end or destination of what saving faith will do. Presently,
our salvation is a "positional" salvation. We are saved by
faith and virtue of what Christ has promised to do. One day,
our salvation will be "factual." That is the destination of our
faith.
8. \\#10-12\\ Bringing up the thought of salvation moves Peter to
note that this salvation has been "inquired" and diligently
"searched" after by Old Testament saints, who desire to know
"what" would happen to the Christ and "what manner of time"
these things would happen. Yet, "it was revealed" to them that
Christ was not coming to them, but to those, like us, who would
live later. This is also the salvation that "angels desire to
look into," that is, they would like to understand it better.
C. \\#1Peter 1:13-17\\ Our Duty
1. \\#13\\ It is our duty to think soundly.
a. "gird up the loins of your mind" - Tighten the sinch of your
mind. Prepare to use your mind. Get ready for a long, rough
ride.
b. "be sober" - Think properly. Keep your mind in order, keep it
straight. Keep your thinking right and clear.
c. "hope to the end" - Keep your anticipation for the "grace"
(the work" that God will do at the "revelation of Jesus Christ"
the end.
d. Reword It - In light of the persecutions which are to come,
we should prepare our minds to think right and righteously,
always looking for the work God will complete in us when
Jesus returns to claim His own.
2. \\#14\\ It is our duty to obey as children.
a. Be the Father’s "obedient children". To acknowledge this
example is to agree that there is a command from the Father
to be to remain pure while living in this world.
b. "not fashioning yourselves… to the former lusts" - A new
life dictates a new lifestyle. If there was nothing wrong
with the way we were living, why did we need a Savior?
3. \\#15-17\\ It is our duty to be holy as our Father is holy.
a. \\#15\\ "he…" God "is holy." Let us never forget that
God is not at all as we.
b. \\#16\\ The command accepted in the last verse is not plainly
giving, "Be ye holy."
c. \\#17\\ "…if ye call on the Father… pass the time of your
sojourning here in fear." Even we who know and love God
should never take His holiness for granted. Such was the
case of Nadab and Abihu \\#Lev 10:1-2\\ and they paid for
it with their lives.
D. \\#1Peter 1:18-25\\ Our Motivation - We have several things which
should motivate us to live righteously.
1. \\#18-19\\ THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF JESUS - We "know that…"
we "…wer not redeemed with" earthly and corrupted things, "as
silver and gold…but with the precious blood of Christ." This
should motivate us to live holy. A cheap salvation might
produce a cheap life but a salvation as costly as ours should
produce a most excellent life.
2.\\#20-21\\ THE BLESSED GOD AND HIS SON- Thinking about the
precious blood will obviously cause one to look at its Source.
Two thoughts are presented here about Jesus.
a. \\#20\\ He was ordained for this task since before the world.
b. \\#21\\ Because of Him, we believe in God. There is a
unique difference in the Jews of Peter’s day and the
Gentiles. If a Jew accepted Christ as Messiah, he did it
because he had a knowledge of God which lead him to Jesus.
We who are Gentiles usually follow a reversed order. We
find Jesus first and He leads us to the true God.
3. \\#22-25\\ THE PURIFYING WORD OF GOD - Now talking about both
our motivation and the changed life the motivation brings, Peter
describes us.
a. \\#22\\ We "have purified" our "souls in obeying the truth."
The Source of the TRUTH is the Word of God, but Peter makes
a fascinating statement. Obedience to the Word of God, in
effect, cleanses us! Paul agrees:
Eph 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the
word,
Of course this can’t be accomplished unless it is "through
the Spirit" and it should produce a tangeble result, i.e.
an "unfeigned love of the brethren."
b. \\#23\\ We are "being born again." Notice the verb indicates
present continuous action. Salvation is not just what has
happened in the past but an on going work. In this verse,
Peter tells elaborates on the third motivation, the Word of
God.
c. \\#23-25\\ The Word of God is…
1. "incorruptible" - Pure now and pure forever.
2. "alive" - Ever able to speak to us now.
3. and it will "abide for ever."
d. Considering that we are but "grass," the eternal Word of God
should motivate us to live a holy life.
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