Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the temporary residents scattered about in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,...
To whom was Peter writing? He was writing to 'temporary residents scattered about in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia’. At first glance this seems to suggest a disparate selection of lonely individuals, spread around modern-day Turkey, needing some encouragement. However, in chapter five Peter exhorts the elders to shepherd the flock of God. This strongly suggests that he was writing to actual congregations in these areas. But how had these congregations been established?
Acts chapter two notes that at the Festival of Pentecost 33 C.E. 'devout Jews from every nation under heaven were staying in Jerusalem' (v5) and that inhabitants of Cappadocia, Pontus and the province of Asia were hearing the message in his own native language. Peter then arose and delivered a quite extraordinary speech (given that ten days earlier the disciples were still asking if the kingdom was to be an earthly Israel), the effect being that 3,000 people were baptised on that day. No doubt these returned to their homes and communities and took this message of salvation with them. When Paul was in Corinth, he found a native of Pontus, a Jew named Aquila. We don't know whether Aquila was in Jerusalem on that momentous day, or whether he responded to the subsequent preaching of those who were, or whether he learned the truth elsewhere. Nevertheless, it is clear that the good news had taken hold in these far-flung areas. What about Bithynia and Galatia? Paul wanted to go to Bithynia but in some way he was prevented from so doing (Acts 16:7). The direction was to 'step over into Macedonia' instead. Prior to this he had travelled through Phrygia and Galatia, but not speaking the word in the province of Asia. Around 50 CE Paul wrote a letter to the congregations of Galatia, but which ones were they? The book All Scripture is Inspired of God rather simplistically states that 'apparently this included Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra and Derbe – places in different districts but all within this Roman province.' This may be true but it is slightly naughty in that there is no mention that Paul travelled widely in Galatia, or of the controversy that surrounds precisely to which congregations Paul was writing. His epistle to the Galatians may, or may not, have included the above. Lightfoot, in his commentary on the letter to Galatians, devotes an entire chapter arguing that Paul was writing to congregations further north. As always, the best course is to ask 'what does the Bible itself say?'
On his first missionary tour the account in Acts states that he visited Antioch, Iconium and (specifically) the cities of Lycaonia - Lystra and Derbe and the surrounding country - declaring the good news (Acts 13, 14). For his second journey he travelled through Syria and Cilicia and arrived at Derbe and at Lystra, where Timothy accepted an invitation to accompany Paul. From here they 'travelled on through the cities' (16:4) and in v6, 'moreover they travelled through Phrygia and the country of Galatia' because it was at this point that they received direction not to enter Asia or Bithynia. Then 18:23 reports that they departed from Antioch (Syria) on a third journey and 'went from place to place through the country of Galatia and Phrygia'. There is no mention that Paul again visited Derbe and Lystra. He 'went through the inland regions' (19:1) before eventually arriving in Ephesus. Clearly there were many congregations in Galatia besides Derbe, Lystra and Iconium.
So while there is no mention of Paul reaching Pontus, or if he ever penetrated Bithynia, we do know that congregations were established in these provinces and that he did much fine work in Galatia amongst the many unnamed congregations there. One hopes that ten years or so after Paul's final visit, Peter's letter reached all these congregations and provided the needed encouragement and support.
...to those chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, with sanctification by the spirit, for the purpose of being obedient and sprinkled with the blood of Jesus Christ: May undeserved kindness and peace be increased to you.
'those chosen according to the foreknowledge of God...' Is this a statement of predestination? A guarantee of heavenly bliss based on an invite?
No. The foreknowledge is that a class of individuals would be gathered to receive an incorruptible, undefiled, unfadable inheritance in the heavens (v4) - immortality. As for those who make up that class, well, is this not why Peter is exhorting them to fine works? They need to brace up their minds, be obedient, and to be holy; not being moulded by their previous fleshly desires (1:13-14). They were to rid themselves of all badness and deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all backbiting (2:1). These are among the qualifications to be attained in order for the invite to be confirmed. Who decides if a person qualifies? It is the Father who judges impartially according to each one's work (1:17). Yes, a group of chosen ones will go to heaven but who comprise that group – that cannot be known until each individual has made his calling and choosing sure for himself (2 Pet 1:10). Jesus will not tolerate those who are inactive or unfruitful in his kingdom.
'…being obedient and sprinkled with the blood of Jesus Christ.'
Peter’s Jewish readers would have been familiar with the idea of sprinkling blood on the altar, at the tabernacle and later temple, as part of the process of making either a burnt offering or communion sacrifice. This was performed out of obedience to the Mosaic Law. It was a legal requirement; they complied out of duty. Having been sprinkled with the blood of the Christ we become obedient from the heart. We are motivated by love for Jesus and the sacrifice that he made, once for all time.
Praised be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for according to his great mercy he gave us a new birth to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an incorruptible and undefiled and [unfadable] inheritance. It is reserved in the heavens for you, who are being safeguarded by God’s power through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last period of time.
A doxology in which Peter reminds his readers of the earthly inheritance that the nation of Israel had lost. Those in union with Christ, his brothers, are to receive an inheritance of infinitely greater value, in the heavens where it can never be corrupted and defiled and will never fade.
Because of this you are greatly rejoicing, though for a short time, if it must be, you have been distressed by various trials,...
'various trials'. The adjective used here is poikilos (poy-kee'-los) and is defined as meaning 'many coloured' but in usage 'various', 'diverse', 'manifold'. Jehovah's people will face a diverse range of trials but we need not worry as to whether there are some that we may not be capable of withstanding or that Jehovah cannot help us with. In v5 Peter has already stated that we are being safeguarded by God's power. But, quite specifically, in 4:10 he mentions 'God's undeserved kindness expressed in various (poikilos) ways'. Here is the perfect antidote, and the message is clear; whatever trial we may face, there is a matching expression of undeserved kindness from God to perfectly match our trial. Our trials are varied but so is God's love. Consider the following cross-references:
Psalm 34:19 ‘Many are the hardships of the righteous one but Jehovah rescues him from them all.’
Acts 14:22 'We must enter into the Kingdom of God through many tribulations.'
James 1:2 ‘Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you meet with various trials,’
...in order that the tested quality of your faith, of much greater value than gold that perishes despite its being tested by fire, may be found a cause for praise and glory and honour at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Faith has to be genuine. Anyone can say ‘I believe’ but will that belief withstand scrutiny, particularly of a fiery type? Fire does not destroy gold – the crucible and the furnace are the means used to clarify the metal so that the impurities are removed. It is not only unharmed by the fire but its value is greatly enhanced. Yet gold perishes through wear and tear. Trials do not destroy faith. Faith, refined and assayed by the fire of various trials, the crucible of persecution, will last until that day when it is fulfilled.
Though you never saw him, you love him. Though you do not see him now, yet you exercise faith in him and are greatly rejoicing with an indescribable and glorious joy, as you attain the goal of your faith, your salvation.
How many of the recipients of Peter's letter met, or heard, Jesus in the flesh? From the above we must conclude that none of them did so, although it is not beyond the realms of possibility that a few may have been in Jerusalem for one of the festivals and were in the crowds that heard him with pleasure. Nevertheless, and even without this esteemed privilege, the faith that these worshippers are exercising in Jesus is bringing indescribable and glorious joy. If this is the case for those who know Jesus through hearsay, what feelings must have been experienced by those who shared his life and ministry? The gospel accounts tend to be very matter-of-fact. For the most part the reader needs to provide the emotion for himself. We are not told how the disciples were feeling when Jesus was nailed to the stake, when they took down his dead body, when they placed it in the tomb and what they did all that Sabbath day. We are left to imagine. But we do get glimpses in their reactions to his resurrection. The account in John 20 of Mary Magdalene has to be one of the most emotionally charged pieces of prose in all scripture. She visits the tomb whilst it is very early, still dark, weeping, distraught. She has a conversation with two angels as if it was a most normal thing to do. She then enquires of the gardener where the body is. The 'gardener' then says a single word 'Mary!' and with that, recognition; she melts into a sobbing mass of ecstasy, relief, joy and wonderment. And then John shatters the moment by recording that Jesus says to her 'Stop clinging to me'. In what tone of voice this was said is again for the reader to supply, but the fact that Mary was clinging, and was eventually told to stop clinging, is suggestive of the very strong emotions flooding through Mary at that point.
Another account is that supplied by Luke, of Cleopas and his friend travelling to Emmaus. They were sad and confused. This Jesus who had raised their hopes so high, who was to be their saviour, was now dead. A stranger approached and began interpreting the scriptures to them. It was a seven-mile walk so they could have had up to two hours together. He was invited for a meal, he started handing out some blessed bread and suddenly they knew – and he was gone. 'In that very hour' they returned to Jerusalem. Their hearts were burning. Can you imagine them not running all the way, up hill at that and in the dark, such was their joy, enthusiasm and desperation to relate the events of the day to the Eleven?
In John 21 when Jesus arrived on the beach, the apostles having gone fishing, John recognised that the stranger on the shore was 'the Lord'. Upon declaring this, Simon Peter 'plunged into the sea' such was his enthusiasm and devotion to Jesus. The boat was a mere three hundred feet from land yet Peter was unable to wait that long and was clearly in no mood to help in landing the catch. His beloved master was there and Peter needed to be there too. His emotions took over.
That those who knew Jesus personally and worked alongside him felt such 'indescribable and glorious joy' is not to be wondered at. These Asian disciples had also come to share such strong emotions through their faith in Jesus knowing that this faith in action would lead to their salvation. But how had they come to know Jesus so well? Although Mark's gospel was contemporary with Peter's epistle there were two other gospel accounts available – those of Matthew and Luke. Paul travelled extensively in Asia Minor preaching and establishing congregations. Letters were sent from the governing body in Jerusalem. Possibly there were individuals who had first-hand experience of Jesus' life who may have passed on the exuberance that they reflected. Could it have been the influence of the holy spirit? This was poured out at the time of baptism, anointing them to be heirs of the kingdom. For those who have not experienced this, the effects are impossible to comprehend. Could it be that this endowment provided these ones with all the enthusiasm they needed?
Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the undeserved kindness meant for you made a diligent inquiry and a careful search. They kept on investigating what particular time or what season the spirit within them was indicating concerning Christ as it testified beforehand about the sufferings meant for Christ and about the glory that would follow. It was revealed to them that they were ministering, not to themselves, but to you, regarding what has now been announced to you by those who declared the good news to you with holy spirit sent from heaven. Into these very things, angels are desiring to peer.
The Hebrew Scriptures are full of prophecy. I suppose that it would not be an exaggeration to state that every one in some way relates to the Messiah, the Christ, his salvation and that of ourselves. But were the prophets aware of this? Did they know what they were writing? We have only to read of Daniel's perplexity at what he recorded. He clearly stated that he could not understand. He was told to seal up the words until the time of the end when those having insight would very much understand. In this we have a clear affirmation – the prophetic writings were not the result of the 'diligent inquiry and a careful search' but to the contrary, the writings prompted the enquiries and searches. What was it that the spirit was indicating? How would these prophecies be fulfilled? When? Oh, the frustration! Even now, with two and a half thousand years of hindsight, we struggle to interpret the end game for the King of the North. In what way does he storm against his rival? Having heard disturbing reports, how does he come to his end? We eagerly await further enlightenment. But let us not forget the blazing illumination that we already have and the realisation that came upon those first-century disciples. In the first chapter of Acts the disciples are still expecting some earthly manifestation of Christ's reign. Ten days later the transformation in their understanding is truly metamorphic. Peter, standing before thousands, explains everything; his audience is 'stabbed to the heart' and demanding to know how to rectify matters. What an amazing privilege was theirs. They knew the writings, the prophecies, and the promises that the spirit had caused to be recorded. Now, suddenly, it all made sense. The penny had dropped. Yes, what an honour. Those men of yore had written and experienced and struggled and pondered all for our sake. We are indeed privileged, so along with our angelic friends, powerful spirit creatures, let us be fascinated by the outworking of Jehovah's purpose as we all continue to peer together into these very things.
So brace up your minds for activity; keep your senses completely; set your hope on the undeserved kindness that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, stop being moulded by the desires you formerly had in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, become holy yourselves in all your conduct, for it is written: ‘You must be holy, because I am holy.’
Yet basking in the glow of privilege and enlightenment is one thing. Living up to the responsibility this brings is another. In verse thirteen Peter tells us that we need to act. Brace up your minds, he says. The metaphor is gird up your loins. We hoick up our robes into our belt such that we can run and work without hindrance. Our minds must be prepared and unencumbered. We must keep our senses (lit. be sober), and remain holy in everything. Jehovah is holy. Let us not waste our privilege. Think of Abraham, Moses, Elijah, David, Daniel and others whose faith moved them to great works whilst in such relative ignorance. Will you, will I be around, to explain to these great men how what they experienced and what they wrote came to pass? That is the level of privilege we have!
And if you are calling on the Father who judges impartially according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves with fear during the time of your temporary residence. For you know that it was not with corruptible things, with silver or gold, that you were set free from your futile way of life handed down to you by your forefathers. But it was with precious blood, like that of an unblemished and spotless lamb, that of Christ.
Judging! It is indeed part of an elder’s role and purpose. But what an awful responsibility! Of course Jehovah is the supreme judge. Elders merely judge by proxy as visible representatives of Him who judges impartially, and they do so within the auspices of the congregation of which Jesus is the head. Jesus is also a judge yet even he must be careful. Note what was prophesied regarding this role.
‘Upon him the spirit of Jehovah must settle down, the spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the spirit of counsel and of mightiness, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of Jehovah; and there will be enjoyment by him in the fear of Jehovah. And he will not judge by any mere appearance to his eyes, nor reprove simply according to the thing heard by his ears. And with righteousness he must judge the lowly ones, and with uprightness he must give reproof in behalf of the meek ones of the earth.’ (Isaiah 11:2-4).
Now, if Jesus judges ‘in the fear of Jehovah’, then what does that mean for human, imperfect judges?
Firstly they should remember that they are dealing with people’s lives, their ‘souls,’ as those who ‘will render an account.’ (Hebrews 13:17). Note this comment from w1/7/92 par. 6:
In view of this, surely they will also be accountable before Jehovah for any avoidable judicial mistakes they may make. In his commentary on Hebrews 13:17, J. H. A. Ebrard wrote: ‘It is the duty of the shepherd to watch over the souls committed to his care, and . . . he must render an account of them all, of those also who have been lost through his fault. This is a solemn word. Let every minister of the word consider, that he has voluntarily undertaken this awfully responsible office.’—Compare John 17:12; James 3:1
Secondly, those who judge will likewise be judged by Him who sees the inner person and does so entirely impartially. That is sobering. If we wish to receive a favourable judgement then our view of our brothers and sisters must be disinterested by outward appearances, personal friendships or profit.
Thirdly, Peter reminds us of the precious value of each sheep. Note that he compares material that humans have, since time immemorial, considered the pinnacle of value and beauty – gold and silver – with the real value of Jesus’s incomparably precious blood. One is reminded of Peter’s words to the lame man in the temple gate. ‘Silver and gold I do not possess…’ That man would have been delighted with such an offering. It was all, or more, than he could have realistically hoped for. But what Peter gave that man made those desirable precious metals pale into pathetic insignificance. ‘In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, walk!’ And he did. He went ‘walking and leaping and praising God’ and those who saw him were ‘completely astonished and ecstatic’. That account gives us a true valuation. Each and every brother and sister is not worth their weight in gold that ultimately perishes. They are worth far more – more that all the gold in the world. They are valued in blood – that of the unblemished and spotless lamb (note the contrast in 2 Pet 2:13). Judging these sheep really does demand every ounce of care, impartiality, responsibility and fear. Judgement that is necessary and skilfully applied will save our brother and will keep him within the fold. Judgement that is unnecessary or harshly administered and that drives our brother away into the wilderness of Satan’s world is a terrible thing.
True, he was foreknown before the founding of the world, but he was made manifest at the end of the times for your sake. 21 Through him you are believers in God, the one who raised him up from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope might be in God.
When was the founding of the world? The best answer is to ask Jesus himself. The answer is at Luke 11:49-51. ‘That is why the wisdom of God also said: “I will send prophets and apostles to them, and they will kill and persecute some of them, so that the blood of all the prophets spilled from the founding of the world may be charged against this generation, from the blood of Abel down to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the house.” Yes, I tell you, it will be charged against this generation.’ The founding of this world was with the conception and birth of imperfect offspring outside of Eden. That seed who would crush the serpent and redeem mankind was none other than Jesus Christ, revealed, died and resurrected for our sakes. Our faith and hope is a guaranteed certainty!
Now that you have purified yourselves by your obedience to the truth with unhypocritical brotherly affection [philia] as the result, love [agape] one another intensely from the heart
In using two different words for love, philia and agape, we are reminded of that fishy breakfast on the beach in Galilee shortly before Jesus's ascension to heaven. Let us remind ourselves of the conversation at John 21:15-17:
Jesus: Simon son of John, do you love [agape] me more than these?
Peter: Yes Lord, you know I have affection [philia] for you.
Jesus: Simon son of John, do you love [agape] me?
Peter: Yes Lord, you know I have affection [philia] for you.
Jesus: Simon son of John, do you have affection [philia] for me?
Peter: Lord,...you know that I have affection [philia] for you.
As is evident by his choice of words for love, Jesus is here trying to determine what is in Peter's heart. Agape is a love of will, of the mind, of choice. We can choose to whom we can extend this quality. This might be the people we interact with in our daily routine. It could be work colleagues, service-providers, neighbours. We are even urged to love our enemies, something that is quite unnatural, where the achievement of such is a conquest, a victory over our natural tendencies. On the other hand philia is warm and natural affection such as exists between family members and close friends. We are reminded of Ruth and Naomi, David and Jonathan, Jesus and John, Paul and Timothy. It rises unbidden.
In the above conversation, what is Jesus trying to discern in Peter? He knows that Peter has affection for him. They have been together for over three years during which time Peter has stuck with him through many trials. They are close friends. But what is in Peter's mind? Twice Jesus asks if he has love for him, not as a friend, but in principle? Would Peter be his follower if they were not friends? When Jesus has gone, will Peter have the qualities to feed and shepherd the flock of God? At this point the answer is no. Twice, Peter fails to answer the question and so the third time Jesus says 'well OK, you haven't quite learned to love me, but do you really have affection for me?' at which point poor Peter starts getting a bit grumpy. Nevertheless, for each of the times that Peter denied Jesus, he has a corresponding opportunity to reaffirm his affection for his Lord. Did Peter come to recognise the difference? Very much so!
Returning to 1:22 Peter commends the brothers for their obedience to the truth, and as a result of that obedience, the genuine brotherly affection they have developed. This affection is based on appreciation for their qualities, hard work and unity in combating a common foe – Satan, his world and our own weaknesses. This is proved in the way we greet one another, care for each other in time of hardship and in the hospitality we display. We go out of our way to encourage, appreciate and support our brothers and sisters.
But, as laudable as all this is, it is not enough. Showing affection towards those whose company we enjoy is a relatively easy thing to do. Peter urges us to do more. Love intensely from the heart. That is a challenge! You see Peter is not using the word philia but agape. We have already defined agape as love emanating from the mind. It is the principled love that we extend to those not close to us, even our adversary. Not only is Peter asking us to make this considered love heartfelt, but that we should do so intensely. Wow! The word used here for 'intensely' is ektenos Strong's Greek 1619: Earnestly, strenuously, fervently. Adverb from ektenes; intently. To do this we stretch out, we strain, we widen our hearts to the maximum extent, to include those to whom we may not naturally be drawn. 'God loved [agape] the world so much...'. This is what Jehovah and Jesus did in ransoming mankind 'with precious blood like that of a spotless, unblemished lamb, that of Christ'. If this is what they did for us, are we not expected to follow suit as we endeavour to closely follow in the footsteps of our model (2:21)? If there are those in the congregation who are cramped for room in our tender affections (2 Cor 6:13), we have work to do. We need to be generous in our expressions of praise and encouragement. We must focus on their fine qualities, not their failings. And if we struggle to find such fine attributes, as long as they are not causing divisions and stumbling, we must put forth earnest, strenuous, fervent effort to seek out these qualities. To reinforce this, Peter repeats himself in 4:8 where he states: Above all things, have intense love [agape] for one another, because love [agape] covers a multitude of sins.
Here is the reason why we must display intense love for one another; we have had intense love shown towards us! Peter explains:
For you have been given a new birth, not by corruptible, but by incorruptible seed, through the word of the living and enduring God. For ‘all flesh is like grass, and all its glory is like a blossom of the field; the grass withers, and the flower falls off, but the saying of Jehovah endures forever.’ And this ‘saying’ is the good news that was declared to you.
Peter and his anointed brothers and sisters had all been given a second chance, so to speak. They had all been born again by means of holy spirit - no longer sons of Abraham, the corruptible seed, but now to be called sons of the Most High with incorruptible, immortal life in view. This is a very great privilege. It is certain, guaranteed. For unlike seed sown in the physical ground that produces and then dies, Jehovah’s saying endures forever. There is such beauty upon our Earth. Think of a rose and its beguiling scent; the rhododendrons and azaleas that light up the springtime; the daffodils, that carpet of bluebells, the peony that today is a large pom-pom of rich vermilion and tomorrow is reduced to a few scattered petals on the grass. The young man confident in his strength. The mature man blessed with experience and wisdom. Our lady friends, intelligent, shapely, pretty, attractive, delightful… and all in a moment cut down by tragedy – disease, accident, crime. Cities, empires, architectural masterpieces all decay and return to nothing. Yet ‘the word of our God endures forever’ (Isaiah 40:8). And that forever really is forever. That is a concept that we humans cannot comprehend. Entropy is the only process we understand – everything we have, everything we have worked hard for, ultimately breaks down to be cast into the skip of futility and the landfill site of wastefulness. ‘Good things cannot last’. ‘It is too good to be true’. Such aphorisms succinctly describe human experience. But with Jehovah absolutely nothing is too good to be true. Concurring with the Queen of Sheba and her words to Solomon – we have not been told the half! She was left breathless by his wisdom and prosperity, yet she understood that it was all ‘because of Jehovah’s everlasting love for Israel’, the entire edifice having been founded upon ‘justice and righteousness’ (1 Kings 10). Whether our reward is immortal life in the heavens or everlasting life here on Earth, is it really too much to ask that we love our brothers ‘intensely from the heart’? This is the good news that we have embraced and that we declare to all that are willing to listen. Alas, such attitudes do not arise naturally. Look at some of the attitudes with which Peter’s brethren were grappling:
So rid yourselves of all badness and deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all backbiting. As new-born infants, form a longing for the unadulterated milk of the word, so that by means of it you may grow to salvation, provided you have tasted that the Lord is kind.
As a clue to the range of conduct Peter had either witnessed or of which he had been made aware, here are the Greek words and Strong’s interpretation of each of them:
As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but chosen, precious to God, you yourselves as living stones are being built up into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, in order to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it says in Scripture: 'Look! I am laying in Zion a chosen stone, a precious foundation cornerstone, and no one exercising faith in it will ever be disappointed.' It is to you, therefore, that he is precious, because you are believers; but to those not believing, 'the stone that the builders rejected, this has become the chief cornerstone' and 'a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.' They are stumbling because they are disobedient to the word. To this very end they were appointed.
Peter describes Jesus as a living stone, a chosen stone, a precious foundation stone, 'the chief cornerstone' (Ps 118:22) and 'a stone of stumbling and rock of offence' (Isa 8:14).
In Matthew 16:18 Jesus states 'You are Peter and on this rock I will build my congregation,'. What did Jesus mean? Was Peter to be the foundation of the congregation? Does this make him the Bishop of Rome and the first pope, as Roman Catholics love to claim? If this is the case, Peter here has a wonderful opportunity to indulge in some self-aggrandisement. He doesn't. Why?
Let us examine the Greek words used by Matthew. 'You are Peter'. Petros (Strong's 4074) – noun, masculine, a stone – properly, a stone (pebble) such as a small rock that might be found on a pathway. Petros always means a stone... such as a man might throw. 'and on this rock'. Petra (Strong's 4073) – noun, feminine, a large mass of rock, connected rock, solid or native rock rising up through the earth, distinct from Petros a detached stone.
In the preceding verses Peter had identified Jesus as 'the Christ, the son of the living God'. Petra clearly refers to Jesus himself. Peter (Petros) would go on to display rock-like qualities in life, but why would Jesus build the congregation on a pebble when he had a huge rock mass available? It is noteworthy, then, that Peter avoids the use of either word. Instead he uses the word lithos (Strong's 3037) – a stone, millstone, building stone. In other words, a stone that has been cut, prepared for a specific purpose. The only time, in this passage, that Peter does not use lithos is in verse 8 where he describes Jesus as a 'stone (lithos) of stumbling and a rockmass (petra) of offense'. Not only would he cause people to trip over a rock in the pathway but they would walk straight off the cliff, to their ruin. That he failed to live up to the popular expectations of a fleshly Messiah led the many to reject him as he really was – the son of the living God. And that son is also the king of God’s Kingdom. Recognising this fact leads us to a notable cross-reference in Daniel 2:34. The stone that crushes the statue of human government is ‘cut out, not by hands’. If it is cut then it has a purpose – such as a corner stone, a lintel, a headstone, or a millstone; it is not a rock, a petros, that just happens to be lying around. It is cut from the petra. Just as Peter here describes Jesus as a ‘living stone’, Daniel’s cut stone is not large at the beginning. It was small enough to strike the image on its feet, yet paradoxically it crushed the entire immense image in such a way that no trace was ever found; and that stone grew to fill the whole Earth. This living stone was rejected by men as it was not their stone; they did not cut it. And so the God of heaven, who set up the government that will rule the whole Earth with Jesus as its king, has every right to destroy all human governments. The living stone, precious and permanent will be the foundation of all good things to come.
But you are ‘a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for special possession, that you should declare abroad the excellencies’ of the One who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. For you were once not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not been shown mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Here Peter, having quoted from Exodus 19, now refers to the three children of Hosea, all named for prophetic significance. His first-born was to be called Jezre-el meaning ‘God will sow seed’. His daughter, Loru-hamah, her name meant ‘not shown mercy’ and his second son Lo-ammi, ‘not my people’. The Jews were no longer God’s people; they were not to receive collective mercy. But God had sown seed in the Diaspora, it had germinated and was flourishing. Individuals from among the Jews and Gentiles had embraced the Lord with enthusiasm and had been anointed with holy spirit. Spiritual Israel was bearing much fruitage.
At this point Peter has completed the theory, the why, and now starts to explain what this means in everyday life: servants to their masters, wives to their husbands, husbands to their wives, younger men to the older men. In each case Peter uses the word homoios – in like manner, the same way. In the same way as what or whom? The model left by our Lord Jesus.
Beloved, I urge you as foreigners and temporary residents to keep abstaining from fleshly desires, which wage war against you.
Let us talk about residency. This seems appropriate as Peter raises the subject four times. At 1:1 he addresses his letter to temporary residents. At 1:17 he refers to this temporary residence and at 2:11 he calls his readers both foreigners and temporary residents. Why? There are two different Greek words deployed here. 1:1 parepidemos, 1:17 paroikos, 2:11 paroikos and parepidemos. It would seem that parepidemos refers to a short amount of time away from home; perhaps whilst we are on holiday or living in alternative accommodation whilst our main home is redecorated, refurbished or rebuilt. The writer of Hebrews (11:13) in reference to Sarah and Abraham uses this word. He refers to them as strangers and temporary residents. They lived in tents; they were not settled. In his speech to the Antiochans (Acts 13:17) Paul uses the word paroikos when talking about the Israelites in Egypt. Yes, they were foreigners and slaves but they had settled. They had houses, flocks and pasturage. It had become their home and remained so for four centuries but it was not their final destination. They would eventually move on. In like manner, Peter’s readers were all spirit-anointed disciples whose real and permanent home would be in heaven. As invitees to join the 144,000 their life on earth, in a physical body, is but a sojourn. They have become foreigners here. But what of Peter’s non-anointed readers, those who are not invited and have no desire for a heavenly calling? We too are strangers and temporary residents in the world around us. Jesus said that we must be no part of the world. The world does its thing around us. We benefit in some ways. We are required to fund its activities through taxes. We are law-abiding citizens. Nevertheless, we pray for God’s Kingdom to come; we are already its loyal subjects and our entire allegiance is to Jehovah. What does this mean for us for our day-to-day life? Just as Abraham meandered around the Promised Land, knowing that it would one day become his, interacting with its inhabitants as he passed through, yet without involving himself with their affairs, we are in a similar situation. In the next few verses Peter explains what is to be expected of us.
Maintain your conduct fine among the nations, so that when they accuse you of being wrongdoers, they may be eyewitnesses of your fine works and, as a result, glorify God in the day of his inspection.
Whether we view ourselves as ambassadors and envoys, travellers, refugees, pilgrims, we are to represent our home country in a favourable way even though we may be treated as unwelcome guests. We should always maintain fine conduct for Jehovah’s sake and for the sake of our hosts who will hopefully benefit from our fine conduct.
For the Lord’s sake subject yourselves to every human creation, whether to a king as being superior or to governors as sent by him to punish wrongdoers but to praise those who do good. For it is the will of God that by doing good you may silence the ignorant talk of unreasonable men. Be as free people, using your freedom, not as a cover for doing wrong, but as slaves of God. Honour men of all sorts, have love for the whole association of brothers, be in fear of God, honour the king
Respect for authority is out of fashion these days – deservedly so, one might think! Religious leaders, in failing to provide any spiritual direction and whilst preying on them, lost their flocks long ago. Politicians are increasingly seen as corrupt, self-serving, incompetent leaders. Equally so of the commercial world, where many pan-global corporations wield more power than the governments that allegedly regulate their operations. How then can we show honour to the secular authorities, when many are so clearly dishonourable? Indeed, should we? Yes. The key to this is found in Romans 13:1 where Paul tells us that there ‘is no authority except by God’. So where these entities and organisations exist this can only be by the grace of God. If Jehovah permits, who are we to take a stand against them, however undeserving they might be? When this was written the ‘king’ or ‘emperor’ was Nero, he who persecuted and executed so many disciples. Claiming divinity and demanding inappropriate acts of worship from one and all, what would our brothers do? The same as Jesus did in the wilderness in response to Satan’s demand for veneration; go away! ‘it is Jehovah your God you must worship, and it is to him alone you must render sacred service.’ So it was not as though Peter was unaware of the challenge that this poses. Why then this exhortation? Firstly, that we are not punished as criminals, law-breakers. Secondly, that we silence the unreasonable talk of ignorant men who might seek any and every pretext to ‘frame trouble by decree’, and thirdly, as noted previously, we are not citizens of this world that Jehovah allows to exist for the time being. We are alien residents. Guests, and possibly unwanted at that. It is not our role to challenge, protest or fix anything that we might feel is plainly wrong with the way our hosts run their world. Everything in this world is wrong, broken, out of control. As individuals, charities, societies, pressure or protest groups, think-tanks or any other structure we might deem appropriate, there is nothing we can do to repair it. And why would we want to? It would be an utter waste of time that would be better spent doing God’s will. Do we not firmly believe, are we not utterly convinced that Jesus has all authority in heaven and on earth, and that in Jehovah’s due time he will step up and exterminate the whole of Satan’s world order? In the meantime we humour them, pay our taxes and make wise use of the relative freedom that their governance brings to fulfil our commission to preach and teach, and perform worthwhile deeds such as to love our whole association of brothers – not just our local congregation but the international fraternity and the diverse challenges that we collectively face. Natural disasters, warfare, persecution, illness, old age, poverty and famine – the list could be endless. Persevering in prayer for our brothers and sisters is a far wiser use of time. Maybe too, making our time and resources – our freedom - available in whatever way is appropriate to alleviate suffering amongst our association. There are honourable men and women amongst us who are fully worthy of the support that we can, and should, provide.
How then, do we rationalise this with the words of Peter himself, directed to the high priest in Jerusalem, as recorded at Acts 5:29 ‘We must obey God as ruler rather than men.’? The answer is in the same passage of Paul, referred to previously. The power held by human authorities is, according to Romans 13:1, ‘relative’. This means simply that we are to obey these authorities in everything except where there are conflicts of interests. Jesus had absolutely commissioned his disciples to preach the good news of the Kingdom in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the most distant parts of the earth (Acts 1:8). The apostles were filled with holy spirit. They were performing miraculous works. The youthful congregation was flourishing. They had Jesus’s full support and backing. Here though was the Sanhedrin taking a stand against this divine command by ordering, imprisoning and wanting to ‘do away with’ the apostles for their zealous obedience to this command by filling Jerusalem with their teaching. To whom would they give obedience – to their Lord Jesus or to the vile men who had had him executed as a criminal, Annas and Caiaphas? Preach, don’t preach. There was no choice for consideration.
Honour men of all sorts. Here is the fundamental reason why we honour men of all sorts even though so many are thoroughly dishonourable – we are all made in the image of God; we are all God’s handiwork. Sadly we are also, each and every one of us, tarnished and disfigured by the effects of sin. It is just that some people display the damage more than others. Some recognise the impairment and take their spiritual vitamins, so to speak, so as to be reasonable, caring human beings; others, as noted, willingly, gleefully even, go along with their sinful deformities, thoroughly wallowing in their absolute selfishness, to the detriment of all others. Either way, all people deserve respect to some extent. Being a ‘chosen race’ does not permit anyone to elevate themselves above anyone else. We have received mercy. Perhaps others will too. And so we honour men of all sorts as a Divine command.
Here then is our order of precedence, and it is obvious – we show honour to all men in that they are our fellow native occupants and made in God’s image, we love our brothers in word and deed wherever they exist in the world, we fear God, we honour the king - the position of authority as permitted by God - but we do not fear the king.
Let servants be in subjection to their masters with all due fear, not only to the good and reasonable but also to those hard to please. For it is agreeable when someone endures hardship and suffers unjustly because of conscience toward God. For what merit is there if you are beaten for sinning and you endure it? But if you endure suffering because of doing good [deeds], this is an agreeable thing to God.
This exhortation might seem somewhat antiquated in the modern, western world. Slavery does exist but it tends to be confined to the criminal underworld. However most of us have been wage-slaves at some point in our lives – working for some organisation, giving our time in exchange for monetary remuneration with which to pay the bills. The comparison is apt. Whilst employment is heavily regulated, providing some security from otherwise unscrupulous employers, and we are free to resign our posts with suitable notice, we are still expected to be ‘well-doers’ at our place of employment. We work hard, giving a full day’s work for our day’s pay. We are conscientious and honest. We are reliable. We do not steal company property or time. But neither do we engage in dishonest, questionable activities on behalf of the employer. Nor do we put corporate or financial considerations ahead of our theocratic responsibilities. This is unlikely to lead to a beating, but it could result in dismissal or general unpleasantness. The consequential suffering and hardship because of conscience is agreeable to Jehovah; not that he relishes our suffering but that he sees that we really are putting His interests first in our lives.
In fact, to this course you were called, because even Christ suffered for you, leaving a model for you to follow his steps closely. He committed no sin, nor was deception found in his mouth. When he was being insulted, he did not insult in return. When he was suffering, he did not threaten, but he entrusted himself to the One who judges righteously. He himself bore our sins in his own body on the stake, so that we might die to sins and live to righteousness. And ‘by his wounds you were healed.’ For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the shepherd and overseer of your souls.
There are so many ways in which we might wish to imitate Jesus. Whilst we are unable to raise the dead, cure the sick and feed multitudes with a few sandwiches, we might desire to be as effective as him in our teaching or in scripture knowledge, or in some other amazing aspect of his life and works on earth. But Peter does not mention any of these. What does he focus on instead? Jesus’s suffering! That is the model we follow: suffering. In this passage he is addressing servants, particularly those with masters ‘hard to please’, those not ‘good and reasonable’. Note how Peter, in his quote from Isaiah 53:5, quickly switches to the second person; ‘you were healed’. In addressing these brothers with cruel masters, those who may be inclined to administer the rod, he reminded them of the scourging their master Jesus had taken for us at the order of Pilate. His wounds healed their own weals and stripes of sin, injuries far more painful than any physical thrashing administered by an unreasoning owner.
Shepherd and overseer of your souls. As we are all sheep prone to going astray the metaphor of Jesus being our shepherd is thoroughly apt. Indeed this is Jesus’s own illustration taken from John 10 where he describes himself as the fine shepherd caring devotedly for his sheep. But what about ‘overseer’? KJV et al. translate this as ‘Bishop of your souls’. The Greek word is episkopos and the etymological derivation is clear. This word combines the preposition epi ‘on’ with skopos ‘look intently’. The English language derivational is ‘scope’, an instrument used to see something with greater clarity – a microscope, a telescope or a sighting device on a firearm would all be examples. The epi intensifies this; literally, the episkopos keeps his eye on the flock. He provides personalised care and protection. Of course Peter is here referring to Jesus himself as the overseer of his own flock whose sins he bore in his own body. Alas, in the human version of this role, bishop and overseer have become titles. Note this comment from HELPS Word-studies: ‘Though in some contexts 1985 (episkopos) has been regarded traditionally as a position of authority, in reality the focus is upon the responsibility for caring for others’. Anyone in the congregation today who accepts the role of overseer must understand this; he accepts not a title but a duty of care to Christ’s sheep. That is the model for the overseer to follow closely.
Personally I am not keen on the term ‘overseer’. Although it does justice to the original language word it still gives the impression of looking down on, looking over, even overlooking the sheep from on high. I am reminded of the factory floor overseen by supervisors and managers from behind silvered glass windows. These kommandants survey the workforce looking for signs of malpractice, dishonesty and slothfulness in a simmering atmosphere of distrust between the working classes. This may be commonplace in Satan’s world but must never be so amongst spiritual brothers. The human overseer is also a sheep of the same flock. He is amongst his brothers and it is from this lowly position that his caring, pastoral duties should be performed. Being one of us he likely will share and experience the same sufferings and from this situation he can truly provide the personalised care and protection we all need. Any urge to elevate himself above the flock must be resisted! Only Jesus can look down on his sheep and he does so in a spirit of love and unity looking for the good in everyone. Like his father he examines every heart carefully searching for something virtuous to reward.
In the same way, you wives, be in subjection to your husbands, so that if any are not obedient to the word, they may be won without a word through the conduct of their wives, because of having been eyewitnesses of your chaste conduct together with deep respect. Do not let your adornment be external—the braiding of hair and the wearing of gold ornaments or fine clothing— but let it be the secret person of the heart in the incorruptible adornment of the quiet and mild spirit, which is of great value in the eyes of God. For this is how the holy women of the past who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, subjecting themselves to their husbands, just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you have become her children, provided you continue doing good and do not give in to fear.
In the same way as what or whom? In the same way that servants are in subjection to their masters is the obvious parallel, but note well that it should ultimately be in the same way that Jesus was in subjection to his father and was completely obedient to his will. This is the model to follow. In a marriage there is no place for deception, insults and threats.
Of course, Jehovah and Jesus are both perfect and this makes their relationship perfect in a way that cannot be experienced by two imperfect humans bound in a covenant of marriage. Differences of opinion and arguments are things that we cannot conceive as occurring in heaven, between Jehovah and his son! Alas, in marriages between two flawed people this is often a reality. Where both partners are ‘in the Lord’ there is a common objective and an agreed baseline for standards of behaviour. This really helps. But Peter here accepts that this idealism is not always the case.
‘If any [husbands] are not obedient to the word…’ Every believing wife wants her husband to accept the truth and share the non-fading glory that is on offer to Jesus’s followers. Nagging and constantly preaching at them is one way. Experience suggests that this is usually counter-productive. So what does Peter advise? Chaste conduct, deep respect, a quiet and mild spirit – qualities that cannot fail to soften even the hardest of hearts. There are many scriptural examples of loyal God-fearing wives – Peter chooses Sarah because of the admirable relationship she had with her husband. She was the mother of the nation of fleshly Israelites by natural descent. Peter’s readers, although gentile by birth, had the potential privilege of also being her children, spiritual Israel, as long as they continued behaving in a manner worthy of the good news.
It is also worth mentioning the concept of adornment. Husbands love to see their wives looking beautiful. It makes us proud to see our ladies looking lovely, wearing an elegant dress, with a hair-do to match, set off with some pretty jewellery and discrete makeup. There is nothing wrong with this. But it is corruptible; during an evening of pleasure an earring gets lost, the dress gets soiled, the makeup and hairstyle are ruined in the pouring rain. When all that external adornment is gone, what is left? Ah yes - the incorruptible inner person, the loving wife, the beautiful personality. These are the qualities that are not put on for an evening out but are part of the everyday, the inner person that cannot be spotted (made unclean) and blemished (damaged) - (1 Peter 1:19, 2 Peter 2:13). See also
Luxurious Living - 2 Peter 2:13
You husbands, in the same way, continue dwelling with them according to knowledge. Assign them honour as to a weaker vessel, the feminine one, since they are also heirs with you of the undeserved favour of life, in order for your prayers not to be hindered.
Alas we live in a world where women feel inferior, abused, mistreated and under-valued. This has lead to women’s lib movements, demands for equality, me too! When it comes to being heirs of the kingdom they are absolutely equal, where there is ‘neither male nor female’ (Gal 3:28), just loyal, obedient servants of Jehovah. Whilst in the flesh here on Earth, however, men and women are not equal. Peter notes that generally women are weaker than their male counterparts. Women cannot be equal to men for so many reasons. Neither can men be equal to women. Females are so much better than men in so many ways. Think of the inestimable privilege they have in being host to new life – a baby, a unique individual, a fully functioning human, growing in the womb and the close, intimate relationship the mother has with her child – these are matters that men can never experience and can but wonder at. Why would any woman want equality? Peter gives us a clue. Historically men and husbands heve not assigned women honour. Women have been used and abused, mistreated and exploited. This cannot be the way in the congregation. Any man who dishonours his wife (or any other sister) cannot expect an audience with Jehovah. His prayers will be hindered. When a man and wife behave toward each other as designed, as Eve was a complement of Adam, the two becoming one flesh making up the whole, the idea of equality should never come up into the heart. It is an absurd concept.
Finally, all of you have unity of mind, fellow feeling, brotherly affection, tender compassion, and humility
Having addressed specific groups of people, Peter now offers general advice, applicable to all - our duty to have a good effect on the unbelieving world. Five words, the first three of which appear nowhere else in the Greek text. The third of these is philadelphoi - brotherly affection. That we refer to each other and brother and sister is no formality. We are family in Christ. We belong to each other. We are there for each other. Always, despite any tiffs that might erupt from time to time!
This ‘finally’ section takes us through to 4:11.
Do not pay back injury for injury or insult for insult. Instead, repay with a blessing, for you were called to this course, so that you might inherit a blessing.
Here Peter asks us to do something else that does not come naturally, indeed is really difficult.
As for the first part, as difficult as turning the other cheek can sometimes be, we are reminded of the apostle Paul's quote from Deuteronomy 32: '”Vengeance is mine; I will repay”, says Jehovah'. The urge to retaliate can be powerful – you insult me and I'll insult you. Kick me, I'll kick you. We can train ourselves to walk away, to not rise to the occasion, to allow Jehovah to carry the burden. The times that he promises to care for the lowly, the meek, the oppressed, those facing injustice, is innumerable. We must rely upon His promises. Nevertheless, Peter is here asking us to go even further. We have been abused, insulted, reviled, wounded and yet, not only are we asked to walk away, but then to return with a blessing for the one who has treated us so poorly. This exhortation follows immediately from the counsel to wives and husbands. Wives are to be in subjection, live with chaste conduct and treat their husbands with deep respect. This is especially important if the husband is an unbeliever. He needs to be won over. Husbands are to assign their wives honour as the weaker vessel. These are absolute, unconditional commands. Jesus did not insult and revile. Servants are required to be in subjection to their masters – even harsh ones. We are all required to be in subjection to the superior authorities and to abstain from fleshly desires so that the nations will, as a result, glorify God.
In the next few verses Peter explains why all the above is so important.
For ‘whoever would love life and see good days must guard his tongue from bad and his lips from speaking deception. Let him turn away from what is bad and do what is good; let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of Jehovah are on the righteous, and his ears listen to their supplication, but the face of Jehovah is against those doing bad things.’
By way of a quote from Psalm 34:12-16 we are told to seek peace and pursue it. Achieving peace takes effort, whether that is peace with Jehovah, peace with our brothers, peace with our neighbours. We must search for it, dig for it, leave no stone unturned, no dark corner unlit. But then, having found it we will discover that it is fleet of foot. It will take flight. Never allow that! Pursue it with all your effort and might. It will otherwise escape and that must never be allowed to happen. We love life and want to enjoy many good days. But more importantly it affects our relationship with Jehovah. We want his eyes of favour directed towards us, and his perceiving ears listening out for our supplications.
Indeed, who will harm you if you become zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are happy. However, do not fear what they fear, nor be disturbed. But sanctify the Christ as Lord in your hearts, always ready to make a defence before everyone who demands of you a reason for the hope you have, but doing so with a mild temper and deep respect. Maintain a good conscience, so that in whatever way you are spoken against, those who speak against you may be put to shame because of your good conduct as followers of Christ. For it is better to suffer because you are doing good, if it is God’s will to allow it, than because you are doing evil.
There is an inference in that question. Yes, ‘who will harm you’ infers that there is no such person who can do us lasting harm. It is true that we may suffer verbal and even physical abuse but we are happy because we understand why these things happen. Even if we are killed, we still have a right to life, a title that only Jehovah can revoke. And so we do not fear what is common to men – death. If we die faithful, with a clean conscience we are assured of divine approval. Nevertheless we do not have a death-wish. If there is an opportunity to make a defence we should be ready. We do so mildly and respectfully. We give no excuse to our opponents to treat us harshly by being contemptuous or insubordinate. In such a case they may feel justified in harming us and then we will be suffering, not for the sake of righteousness, but because of our own foolishness. But patiently and calmly bearing the trial displays an inner strength, one borne of divine pleasure, that can impress even the harshest of opponent and then may shame them for their unjustified attacks. One cannot fail to recall Stephen and the serene manner in which he faced martyrdom.
He was put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit. And in this state he went and preached to the spirits in prison, who had formerly been disobedient when God was patiently waiting in Noah’s day, while the ark was being constructed, in which a few people, that is, eight souls, were carried safely through the water.
Firstly we do need to accept that Jesus was actually dead, non-existent, for parts of three days. Was this not the entire purpose of his earthly sojourn? Adam wasted a perfect human life and Jesus came to repay that life – no more, no less: propitiation. But it's a concept that Trinitarians cannot cope with. If Jesus is God and was actually dead then this means that God is mortal, that it is unlikely that a mortal can resurrect himself, and that means – well, you can start to see the problems. The whole episode would have been a farce and a smoke-and-mirrors illusion, the one that the trinity doctrine attempts to clarify and confound all at the same time. So let's analyse this statement.
He was put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit. Jesus, the fleshly, mortal, son of man died. He was nailed to a stake on 14th Nisan, was dead before sunset but was resurrected to spirit, immortal life on 16th Nisan, sometime before Mary and Salome arrived at his tomb early that morning. No longer a son of man but the tried, tested and worthy only-begotten Son of God he was alive as a spirit – invisible to humankind and no longer dependent on physical necessities to sustain life. His many appearances were in materialised bodies for the benefit and reassurance of his, initially heartbroken, but now ecstatic followers.
And in this state – as a resurrected spirit being.
He went – Peter wrote this letter around the year 64 CE and is using the past tense. Jesus's ascension to heaven (final?) occurred 40 days after the Passover. The Gospel accounts reveal very little about what Jesus did during that time. The writers recorded what they saw and that was a limited number of appearances to various individuals and groups of differing sizes. In commissioning his disciples to 'Go, therefore, and make disciples of people of all the nations...' he prefaced that command with the statement 'All authority has been given me in heaven and on earth'. When did he receive this authority? Probably it was upon his resurrection; and having received it he had every right to visit whomsoever he chose.
and preached - Was this the same kind of preaching of good news that he commissioned his followers to carry out? The Greek word is εκήρυξεν (ekeryxen) Strong's 2784 – to proclaim, herald, preach - especially divine truth. One can preach good news but also divine judgements. Whether a person receives everlasting life as a sheep or everlasting cutting-off as a goat, both outcomes are preached as divine truths.
to the spirits..., who had formerly been disobedient – and then Peter mentions the antediluvian world where they had been disobedient and in which 'man's wickedness was great on the earth'. This evil had been greatly facilitated by materialised spirit beings who found the daughters of men irresistible. These were perfect sons of God. Unlike us they did not carry the burden of, or have the excuse of, Adamic sin. Their rebellion was wanton and deliberate. There is no good news for these beings. This preaching had to be that of judgement.
in prison – in human experience this would suggest a physical location designed to incarcerate and restrict the activity of criminals. Spirit creatures cannot be constrained by physical walls, as evidenced by Jesus entering locked rooms after his resurrection. But can spirit creatures be restrained in some spiritual way? The answer has to be 'yes'. Jehovah would not create something that he himself could not control. There has to be such a thing as a spiritual prison – a place, or state, of restricted movement and activity. In his second letter Peter mentions Tartarus, a place of dense darkness and judgement, and Jude likewise mentions 'eternal bonds in dense darkness' for angels who forsook their proper dwelling place. Revelation records that Satan and his demons were cast out of heaven and confined to the vicinity of the earth. The thing is, we don't really know what this prison, or prison-like state is. We don't need to know. What we have been told is sufficient for us to imagine a spiritual state in human terms. Jesus knew where they were, went there, and judged adversely those dwelling there. This must have been a severe blow to Satan. Having succeeded in having the only-begotten Son of God killed, suddenly here he was again, not as a mere mortal, but as a powerful and immortal spirit being with 'all authority'. The only question is – were these spirits already in prison, or did Jesus preach and then imprison them so that they were now in prison at the time of Peter's writing? As alluded to, John saw in vision Satan and his demon hordes having their sphere of activity restricted, no longer allowed access to heaven.
who had formerly been disobedient when God was patiently waiting in Noah’s day, while the ark was being constructed, in which a few people, that is, eight souls, were carried safely through the water. – this is a reference to the account in Genesis 6 of the sons of God who noticed that the daughters of men were desirable and so fathered a race of hybrid, and violent, supermen. No doubt this substantially contributed to the great wickedness that preceded the flood.
Baptism, which corresponds to this, is also now saving you (not by the removing of the filth of the flesh, but by the request to God for a good conscience), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Corresponds to what? 'This' could refer either to the ark or to the water that bore the ark. Logically it has to be the ark. This vessel was God's means of salvation. It was faith that motivated Noah and his family to build, furnish, populate and enter the ark and thus survive a global inundation. Although it was carried by the water, the water itself was God's means of destruction and judgement. Today, it is faith in Jesus ransom sacrifice that leads to salvation and demonstrating this by dedication and water baptism is the equivalent of being in the ark when the rains came. Just as Noah had to remain in the ark until it was safe to disembark so too baptism is just a first step. Ultimately it is those who endure to the end who are saved. Baptism itself does not guarantee salvation.
He is at God’s right hand, for he went to heaven, and angels and authorities and powers were made subject to him.
Given what has gone before regarding spirits in prison, what does Peter mean when he says that all these powerful beings were made subject to him? Lit. having been subdued. ὑποταγέντων (hypotagenton) from hupotasso - to place or rank under, to subject: to obey as the young Jesus to his parents (Luke 2:51): to be subject as wives to their husbands (Colossians 3:18). So when we read in Revelation 12:9 that Satan and his demons were 'hurled down to the earth' following war in heaven, we are inclined to ask when that war took place and whether the confinement to the earth is the equivalent of imprisonment? I have long argued that this heavenly war did not take place in 1914, as commonly believed. This explanation simply does not fit the history books. So when did it happen? We cannot say with any certainty. However, Peter's use of language is interesting and concurs with all the other statements regarding Jesus' authority.
Firstly – he is at God's right hand. Present tense, date of writing 64 CE
Secondly – he went to heaven. Past perfect. It would seem logical to accept that Peter is here referring to the event recorded at Acts 1:9, forty days after Jesus' resurrection and so ten days before Pentecost.
Thirdly – were made subject. Past perfect. The contiguous structure of this sentence suggests that the arrival in heaven and the subjecting were all part of a single episode.
What other verses record this promotion?
Matthew 28:18 'All authority has been given me in heaven and on the earth'.
Ephesians 1:20-21 'which he exercised toward Christ when he raised him up from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above every government and authority and power and lordship and every name that is named, not only in this system of things but also in that to come.'
Philippians 1:9-11 'For this very reason, God exalted him to a superior position and kindly gave him the name that is above every other name, so that in the name of Jesus every knee should bend—of those in heaven and those on earth and those under the ground— and every tongue should openly acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.'
Colossians 2:15 'Stripping the governments and the authorities bare, he exhibited them in open public as conquered, leading them in a triumphal procession by means of it.'
Now if Satan had full access to heaven, rampaging to his heart's content, not in subjection and not obedient, could it really be said that Jesus had 'all authority' in heaven and on earth?
The next question that arises therefore is what Jesus was doing for forty days following his resurrection? He appeared a number of times on 16th Nisan. Eight days later was for Thomas's benefit. There was the beach breakfast in Galilee, a mass gathering also in Galilee, a visit to his half-brother James, and his final ascension from the Mount of Olives. Peter additionally records this prison visit but that still leaves most of that time unaccounted. Is this when the war in heaven took place?
A potential fly in the ointment is Psalm 110:1 which says:
The utterance of Jehovah to my Lord is: 'Sit at my right hand until I place your enemies as a stool for your feet'.
This is possibly the most frequently alluded-to Hebrew text in the Greek Scriptures. The epistle writers all accept that the sitting at God's right hand was a clear and present situation but that having his enemies as a footstool would be a future event. What does that expression mean? There is a cross-reference to Joshua 10:24 where Joshua told the Israelite commanders to 'put [their] feet on the backs of the necks of these [five] kings'. They had been completely subjected and were about to be executed. It seems that this placing of the foot on the neck of one's vanquished enemy was a common practice in those days. It signalled complete victory. Who are Jesus's enemies? He has many. This obviously includes Satan and his demons but it also includes the last enemy, death. The two are very much linked in Paul's discussion in 1 Corinthians 15:24-26. The victory over death is immediately prior to Jesus handing back all things to Jehovah. It therefore follows that Jesus having enemies in the first century, now, and far into the future does not annul his having 'all authority'. These enemies are all under his authority in that nothing they do can prevent God's will taking place. Yes, Satan is still out there behaving 'like a roaring lion' and generally causing havoc. The three horsemen are still reaping human lives for Hades to gather up. It seems awful but it is all futile activity. Jesus is king and in full control.
I cautiously state therefore that the war in heaven took place in the first century, possibly immediately following Jesus's resurrection. This is why so little of Jesus's activity during those forty days is recorded – he was incredibly busy and it was all entirely invisible to human eyes. Satan was cast from heaven and confined to the vicinity of the earth. Ten days before Pentecost Jesus was able to ascend to heaven and sit at God's right hand knowing that all he had to was bide his time. Nothing could now prevent him from implementing God's will. This admittedly requires a reworking of the rest of Revelation chapter 12 – the woman giving birth, the ravenous dragon and the wilderness. Nevertheless this chapter seems to be discrete. There is no obvious chronological sequence with chapters 11 and 13.
Since Christ suffered in the flesh, you too arm yourselves with the same mental disposition; because the person who has suffered in the flesh has desisted from sins, so that he may live the remainder of his time in the flesh, no more for the desires of men, but for God’s will.
Here we have a really interesting sentence to analyse. It would be easy to start reading it thus - Since Christ suffered (died) in the flesh… the person who has suffered (died) has desisted from sins… that is, because he is dead. But that is not what it says. Peter tells us that the person who has suffered in the flesh as Christ did (you too) is continuing to live in the flesh. The suffering therefore is not corporeal death. Additionally there is a slightly uncomfortable implication that Christ also desisted from sins. How can that be seeing that our Lord was a perfect man and did not sin?
Firstly, in NWT we appear to have a slight mistranslation. According to Strong, the word here translated as ‘sins’ is actually in the singular – sin. Does that make a difference? Possibly. A word can mean various things depending on usage and context. As a noun, a sin is a transgression, a failure to reach the perfect standard. In the plural, sins are a collection of such acts. The verb to sin is the action of sinning, misbehaving, offending, transgressing. But sin, without an article and used adjectivally, describes a state, condition or quality. The world as we know it is the result of sin, irrespective of who sinned and how and why they sinned. Sin and death entered the world through the actions of one man and we therefore inherited sin regardless of our personal actions. Each and every one of us suffers in the flesh as a result of sin, irrespective of whether we engage, knowingly or otherwise, in the acts of sinning. We can apply that to Jesus. His entire sojourn here on earth was the result of sin, not his own but originally that of Adam. He was born to sinful parents, raised in humble surroundings, saw his adoptive father die, suffered the failings of his closest friends, was betrayed by one of them, and put to death as a criminal having only ever done good deeds for every one with whom he came into contact. So when Jesus died he desisted, ceased from, was done with sin. The sacrifice had been made, the ransom paid and all humans thereafter could equally desist from sin, through the exercising of faith in that ransom sacrifice. It seems that we can say that Christ suffered in the flesh because of sin, and died. We too suffer in the flesh because of sin but then we come to know the Christ, reform our lives, nail the old personality to the stake and desist to sin. We are still subject to sin and will inevitably fail at times, unlike the effects of Christ’s suffering, but our whole way of life is elevated to a higher plane. In case that there is any doubt as to what manner of sinfulness we need to leave behind, Peter gives us a list in v3 – ‘living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry’ (Berean Study Bible). We die to this lifestyle in order to perform God’s will. A similar argument is propounded by the apostle Paul in Romans 6.
They (the nations) are puzzled that you do not continue running with them in the same decadent course of debauchery, so they speak abusively of you.
Well, isn’t decadent debauchery what life is all about? Work hard, play hard, live life to the full, one life – live it! If that is the case why would people be so offended that we do not join in with their debauched lifestyle? It is a free world is it not? Perhaps such a lifestyle offends the natural urgings of the conscience. Undoubtedly! So what does one do about it? Well, one could cease these actions and choose to live a morally upright and virtuous life. For the man or woman who has not cultivated a spirituality and come to know the Christ that would leave a terrible void in life. So if everyone can be persuaded to embrace such a lifestyle the conscience is assuaged by such activity being considered ‘normal’ – everyone is doing it and that makes it fine! That is until they are faced with a paragon of godly morality and suddenly there is a clear demonstration of how life should be lived and they become uncomfortable. Their debauchery is made manifest and they turn abusive toward the one who is pure and righteous. This attitude has become prevalent today with respect to sexuality outside traditionally accepted practices and values. Homosexuality has been performed by the human race for thousands of years. Such acts were proscribed in the Mosaic Law some 1,500 years or so BC. It was practised by the neighbouring Canaanites and Egyptians, was unacceptable to Jehovah and so had to be legislated against, just in case there was any doubt. Generally, however, it has been viewed as something shameful and perverted as the disgusting, sterile business that it is. Indeed it was treated as criminal activity until fairly recently in many countries. Yet it has lately become something to celebrate. Pride, seems to be the associated word. Very rapidly it has gone from being criminal, to being tolerated, to being accepted, to being applauded. Same-sex couples have gone from furtively creeping around the back passages in the dark of night to openly living together to participating in civil partnerships and now to actually getting married: husband and husband, wife and wife. It seems that Sodomites and lesbians are the only people getting married these days. These ones demand tolerance of their perverted lifestyles whilst themselves refusing to tolerate anyone who might in the slightest way criticise, openly disagree with, or not accept what they do. And should anyone even dare to reference the morality so clearly stated in the Bible…! They speak abusively of anyone who accepts traditional moral values and in so doing oblige acceptance of these alternatives as harmless, acceptable and praiseworthy.
For the record, although this is slightly off subject:
But these people will render an account to the one who is ready to judge those living and those dead. In fact, this is why the good news was declared also to the dead, so that although they are judged in the flesh from the standpoint of men, they might live in harmony with the spirit from God’s standpoint.
Yes indeed, it is God who is uniquely qualified to judge. Our role is to live by his moral standards and so demonstrate to the World his requirements, even if we do stand out like the proverbial sore thumb and receive abuse for so doing.
Who are the ‘living’ and the ‘dead’ here spoken of? The first sentence gives the impression of some judgement day yet to come, but if Peter is talking about those actually dead how, in the second sentence, can they be preached to and then be vitalised in order to live in harmony with God? Does Peter switch from the physical to the metaphorical in two sentences? It seems unlikely. Those who died prior to the death of Jesus were, and are, in Hades where the inhabitants are ‘conscious of nothing at all’ (Ecclesiastes 9:5). Their judgement has already occurred. ‘The wages sin pays is death’ writes the apostle Paul at Romans 6:23. The act of dying expiates all sin. The resurrection is an opportunity, an invitation, to start afresh; past deeds are forgotten. There are individuals who may not receive a resurrection – those who have grieved the spirit in some way. They too have already been judged and are not offered this second chance. It would seem that the number of people in this category is limited. But for the vast majority of mankind, those who are alive but dead in their trespasses, they can respond to the good news and start to live in harmony with God’s spirit here and now.
But the end of all things has drawn close. Therefore, be sound in mind, and be vigilant with a view to prayers. Above all things, have intense love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. To the extent that each one has received a gift, use it in ministering to one another as fine stewards of God’s undeserved kindness that is expressed in various ways. If anyone speaks, let him do so as speaking pronouncements from God; if anyone ministers, let him do so as depending on the strength that God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. The glory and the might are his forever and ever. Amen.
End of all things. The immediate question that springs to mind is what things did Peter have in mind that were about to end? The adjective ‘all’ suggests that Peter was expecting more than what actually occurred. Was it a relative ‘all’ or an absolute ‘all’ that he had in mind? There are a number of possibilities. This letter was written in 64 CE and therefore shortly before the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 CE. Could Peter have known about this coming trauma? Certainly! Not only was he present when Jesus prophesied these events but Judea, at the time of writing, was a very turbulent place, rife with bandits, terrorists and rioters creating the disorder that prevailed in the early 60’s, and that so vexed the ruling power. Roman tolerance finally snapped in 66 CE following the humiliation of Cestus Gallus and the Twelfth Legion by Jewish guerrilla fighters. Vespasian entered Galilee in the spring of 67 CE and from that point it was but a matter of time. All things Jewish did effectively end in 70 CE. It was the end of their state, their religion, their genealogies, their inheritances, everything! However, whilst being deeply concerned, this may not have been a direct concern for his readers in Asia. Is this then a continuation of the thought in v5 in which he expects the living and the dead to be judged? Is this the end of all things for which we are all awaiting – the Great Tribulation and Armageddon? Or is this a reference to the ‘one eventuality’ to which we are all ordinarily destined? It is hard to say. Whatever Peter had in mind this imminence makes it urgent that we do our utmost to be in an appropriate condition before the Lord. The end of all things will undoubtedly mean an end to the shameful attitudes and activities mentioned in v3. At a personal level the end of all things is always close. Just as life can end in a moment, perhaps due to time and unforeseen occurrence, so too can Armageddon arrive. Are we ready for that event? To help us in this regard, Peter gives us some practical advice. We must be:
Sound in mind – calm, restrained, thoughtful. This knowledge of imminent events should not lead to excitement and the neglect of common duties. Did Peter’s readers become over-excited, as did the Thessalonians? One thinks of his comment written a few months later that a day and a thousand years are synonymous with Jehovah (2 Peter 3:8). He who exists outside of time regards everything as being close at hand. This leaves us with a tricky balancing act to perform. We must live every day as if it is to be our last in this system, while yet planning for the end to not come in our lifetime. Sadly, we cannot immediately resign our jobs, neglect out mortgage payments and generally fail to care for our familial responsibilities.
Vigilant –literally sober, abstinence from strong liquor. Temperance assists wakefulness. Both assist us to be vigilant. Poor Peter! He who failed to stay awake in the garden of Gethsemane knew all about the difficulties of remaining vigilant. It had been a long day. It was possibly after midnight. They were all tired. They had had a fine meal accompanied by a number of glasses of wine. Of course they were tired. So what advice does Peter offer? Prayer!
With a view to prayers – Jesus told his disciples to stay awake and pray continually. Three times he returned and found them asleep. The second time he didn’t bother to awaken them. What is the lesson? Persevere lest we fall into indifference, apathy or over-confidence. These are the last days. Whilst Jesus gave a sign, events that would mark the last days as being obvious he quite notably did not announce the day and hour. He wants us to be vigilant with a view to prayers. Keep on the watch, he commanded. Do not fall asleep. In addition to prayer, what activities must we engage in that will keep us keen and alert? Our main commission is to go and preach the good news of God’s Kingdom. Explaining events to come not only invigorates our listener, but renews within us the hope we hold dear. Spiritual goals help us avoid stagnation. More personal study, more Bible reading, commenting more at meetings; there are so many activities to engage in. By making every activity a matter of prayer we are motivated, inspired, invigorated by holy spirit. Would the disciples have slept had they been encouraging each other with animated conversation? At Hebrews 10 we are commanded to meet together in order to incite one other to fine works. We make our presentations positive and practical. We listen to those presentations with avid interest. We offer well-prepared comments when appropriate. We listen to those too. We thank the participants. We leave the meeting fortified, reinforced, encouraged and refreshed. Those meetings, opened and closed with prayer, are an evidence of the holy spirit.
Above all things have intense love (agape) for one another – love never fails (1 Corinthians 13:8). Never forget the identifying mark of Jesus’s true followers. Covering the sins of others entitles us to forgiveness through divine mercy. Too many translations use the word charity. Charity is not love. Charity is kindness, benevolence, generosity, compassion. Charity has become a socially acceptable activity that salves the conscience and generates feelings of satisfaction, contentment and gratification. Whether raising or donating money achieves anything worthy is irrelevant. The funds have been made available so that someone else can do the good that we, perhaps, would rather avoid. Nobody wants to receive charity. It can be demeaning relying on the gestures of goodwill from those better off so that we can have or do as they do without assistance. Charity fills a need in this unequal world in which we all dwell but it is not love. Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous, arrogant, indecent, selfish, vexed or injurious. There is no place for schadenfreude; love rejoices with the truth. It bears, believes, hopes and endures all things. Love never fails.
Covers a multitude of sins (Proverbs 10:12) – not exposing the weaknesses and failings of others but covering them over, hiding them, even asking, through prayer, that God also covers the sins of others.
Be hospitable, without grumbling – we frequently think of hospitality as inviting our friends over for an evening of fun and frolics along with a banquet of fine dishes. This is certainly a wonderful thing to do but is it hospitality? The original word encapsulates the idea of a love of strangers. Now that puts a completely different complexion on matters. Hospitality costs money; sometimes quite a lot! If we are nicely well-to-do that is as may be but does struggling to make ends meet provide an excuse to turn away a person, even a brother, in greater need? It may be a fellow brother passing through, on a journey, and not wanting to frequent the inns, hostels, brothels and other seedy establishments offering accommodation, where temptations abound. One night might be acceptable to most but what about the person, along with his family, who has found himself in hard times. We cannot help but think of the exhortation to flee Jerusalem when the Roman ‘disgusting thing’ arrived. Where would they go? Who would feed and shelter them? Whether this proved to be solely in the mountainous region of Pella or even further afield, in places such as Pontus and Galatia, the counsel was timely. There was no welfare state to provide food and shelter. Providing practical assistance in helping each other stay warm and well fed can stretch our resources to the limit. Even so, we must not grumble – audibly or otherwise. Jehovah is aware of our every thought and every inclination of our heart! When Jesus encouraged us to not to be anxious about our daily needs ‘because your father knows you need these things’, is not the association of brothers often the means Jehovah uses to supply our daily needs? When we generously share our last meal will not He repay with a generous measure, pressed down, shaken together and overflowing? Remember the widow of Zarephath who baked a small round loaf for Elijah with her last remaining flour and oil, yet neither ran out. Faith, courage and generosity all combine to provide hospitality without grumbling.
Each one has received a gift – Each and every one in the congregation has received a gift of the holy spirit. The gift each person receives is unique, tailored to his or her own personality. For some, these are spiritual gifts; for others they are temporal. This one is a charismatic (Greek - charisma, gift) speaker, that one a sympathetic listener. The former is a very public gift: the latter private and personal. Another person is generous with his belongings and yet another is generous with his time and practical abilities. All gifts are equally valid. Every gift is generously donated to us so that we can use it, not for our own benefit, but in order to minister to one another. We are stewards, custodians of these gifts for this very purpose – that by ministering to one another we become expressions of God’s undeserved kindness (Greek – charitos, charity). Think upon that. The gift you have received is so that you can be instrumental in dispensing God’s undeserved kindness to those in need. You might be thinking ‘I don’t have a gift’ but you do! It might take some time to recognise your gift. That might happen only when someone benefits from your gift, but when it does, and it will, you will know about it and be full of wonderment. Perhaps some already know what your gift is and are currently benefiting from it. You see, everyone’s trial is different. There is a kaleidoscopic array of trials besetting us in Satan’s world. Jehovah supplies a kaleidoscopic array of gifts, each one perfectly matching the trial, so that whatever Satan throws at us there is a perfect antidote. God’s undeserved kindness expressed in various ways.
There is a warning however. If our gift is of speaking we must restrict the usage of our gift to speaking God’s thoughts. And if we are ministering we must recognise that it is Jehovah who gives us the strength to do so. We must be humble so that in everything we do we bring glory to Jehovah through his son Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 3:8 Finally... 1 Peter 4:11 …Amen.
This would appear to have been the original conclusion and end of the letter. Something caused Peter to have second thoughts and to add a codicil dealing with fiery trials, roaring lions and how to cope with anxiety.
Peter's second conclusion contrasts the nature of Jehovah and Satan. Jehovah loves those who are humble. He relishes the opportunity to exalt the lowly and those burdened down with anxieties and worries. He invites them to throw said anxieties towards him; he will catch them and carry them. He cares for those who are harassed, abused, especially those who cannot defend themselves. By contrast Satan is looking to devour someone: anyone. He does not care. He is likened to a roaring lion. Facing up to such an animal might seem to be the height of futility. Could Peter have been thinking of the young lad David in using this illustration of the lion and the flock, who in justifying to Saul why he should be allowed to tackle the Philistine, explained how he had pursued and killed not just a lion but also a bear, in protecting his father’s flock? According to David’s own account he rescued the sheep from the jaws of these predators before grabbing them by the beard and striking them down. No creeping up from behind! Peter encourages us to do just the same: stand firm! Face him down. Yes we will suffer somewhat but only a little – a flesh wound, a gnawed limb, a bite. The thing is that ultimately Satan is a coward. James assures us that if we oppose him he will flee from us! Will a real lion flee from a human? It seems improbable to me but what do I know? Satan however will flee. We take a stand and he'll run away. What is it that gives us the courage to take a stand? It is faith; firm faith in Jehovah’s willingness, nay, yearning, to protect us. Another source of encouragement is the assurance that, as alone and vulnerable as we may feel, we are not. The whole association of brothers is by our side, facing the same threats and intimidation. Amongst that great crowd are the elders. Carefully watching the flock is not a passive activity. David was courageous in defending his flock and rescuing those unfortunates. Why had those particular sheep been picked off? Had they strayed from the flock? Were they vulnerable due to distractions and inattention? That is highly probable. The warning given by Peter is ‘Keep your senses, be watchful!’ Clearly this is a danger of which we all must be aware. Did David shrug the shoulders and blame the individual for his problems? Maybe it was self-inflicted foolishness but still he faced life-threatening danger to rescue these precious members of the flock. Is the congregation today any different? No! In watching the flock elders are looking for signs of straying so that the individual can be assured and redirected back to the centre of the flock before that false step is taken (Gal 6:1). And if a sheep is lost, these elders may even endanger their own lives in making the rescue. One is reminded of Paul’s anxiety for the congregation rushing in on him every day (1 Cor 9:28). This is Jehovah’s flock over whom they have been entrusted.
Beloved ones, do not be surprised about the fiery trials that you are experiencing, as though something strange were happening to you. On the contrary, go on rejoicing over the extent to which you are sharers in the sufferings of the Christ, so that you may rejoice and be overjoyed also during the revelation of his glory. If you are being reproached for the name of Christ, you are happy, because the spirit of glory, yes, the spirit of God, is resting upon you.
Beloved ones – here is advice from a friend who truly loves us and wishes nothing than our advantage. What was that advice? We will be persecuted and so must be prepared for that fiery persecution. It is noteworthy that this is written in the present tense – trials that you are experiencing. Our brothers and sisters, in 64 CE were suffering greatly. These are fiery trials; the same word is used by John at Revelation 18:9 and 18 which describes the burning of Babylon the Great. That organisation deserves the most severe of punishments. There can be no mercy. This is how terrible the trials seemed. Maybe some thought that this was strange (lit. to feel like people in a strange country, lost and bewildered). Peter reminds us that this is exactly what we signed up to. We share in the sufferings of the Christ. We share his reproaches. And yes, we are overjoyed to do so. Rejoicing is the very opposite of being bewildered and lost. We are happy because this is just as our Lord himself explained in his great sermon at recorded at Matthew 5:11-12. Although Peter uses the word ‘if’ in reality he means ‘when’. His readers were being reproached and we will be reproached too. There is no greater honour than to die for our beliefs. Whilst not seeking martyrdom we rejoice and are overjoyed to be in union with our Lord and eagerly await the revealing of his magnificent glory.
However, let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or a wrongdoer or a busybody in other people’s matters. But if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not feel ashamed, but let him keep on glorifying God while bearing this name.
Suffering for wrongs committed is deserved and something of which to be ashamed. A murderer will suffer the penalty prescribed by the law of the land – including corporal punishment. A thief, when apprehended, will be required to repay his debt in some way. General wrongdoing and meddling in things that do not concern us are all causes of shame. The Greek word translated ‘busybody’ is allotrioepiskopos, overseer or bishop of what is another’s, meddler, busybody, prying, self-important:
‘one who takes upon himself the duty of minding and correcting other people’s matters, the one who imprudently thrusts himself into other people’s affairs.’—Lexicon Graecum Novi Testamenti, Paris, 1961, col. 70.
But suffering as a Christian? Well, that is different! Suffering due to following closely in Jesus’s footsteps is something that of which we can all be proud. Our Lord suffered; we too will suffer.
For it is the appointed time for the judgement to start with the house of God. Now if it starts first with us, what will the outcome be for those who are not obedient to the good news of God? ’And if the righteous man is being saved with difficulty, what will happen to the ungodly man and the sinner?’ So, then, let those who are suffering in harmony with the will of God keep on entrusting themselves to a faithful Creator while they are doing good [deeds].
At this point Peter further develops his thoughts in verse 7 – the end of all things has drawn near, and in verse 5 – the judgement of the living and the dead. Eschatology is the branch of theology that is concerned with the end of the world, the second coming or parousia, and the last judgement. Peter was with Jesus on the Mount of Olives and wanted to know exactly when his second presence would be. Jesus was unable to give a date or fixed time period because, as he said in Matthew 24:36, he did not know. But he did say that there would be great tribulation, immediately after which the sign of the Son of Man would appear in heaven. Some would beat themselves in grief yet the ‘chosen ones’ would be gathered together. It is worth noting that the tribulation brought upon Jerusalem in 70 CE was described by Josephus: ‘The war of the Jews against the Romans was the greatest of our time; greater too, perhaps, than any recorded struggle whether between cities or nations… This upheaval, as I said, was the greatest of all time;’ —The Jewish War, preface, trans. G. A. Williamson. If his recorded number of casualties, given as 1,100,000, is to be believed then as far as I can ascertain only the World War II siege of Leningrad had a higher death toll. And the Jews claimed to be the house of God. But Jesus added ‘no, nor will occur again’. The only reference to 'the great tribulation’ is found in Revelation 7:14, written a quarter of a century after the destruction of Jerusalem. So although the Bible writers seemed to be expecting the end times to be imminent (see shortly), clearly Jesus had something else in mind.
Now, if we turn our attention to 2 Thessalonians 2, Paul writes about an apostate ‘man of lawlessness’ who sits down in the temple of God, exalting himself as a god and who issues inspired messages, statements and letters regarding the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the day of Jehovah. Jesus’s presence cannot begin until the apostasy comes, the restraint is removed, and the man of lawlessness is revealed. Whilst there are many competing interpretations of this passage, we have to keep our minds open to a yet future fulfilment. The comment ‘…that they all may be judged…’ (v12) is very much linked to the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ, knowledge of which is very much not in our jurisdiction (Acts 1:7). According to Peter, judgement starts with the house of God, and according to Paul, with those who are acting as a god in the temple of God. We are suddenly reminded of that prophecy in Ezekiel chapter nine which seems very relevant at this point. In vision, he saw six armed men and a seventh man with an inkhorn. Those ‘sighing and groaning’ were to be marked in the forehead whilst everyone else was to be killed off. ‘“You should start from my sanctuary.” So they started with the elders who were in front of the house.’ (Ezekiel 9:6).
Regardless of how we personally may interpret these passages, we cannot escape the fact that everyone will be judged, whoever they claim to be. ‘Now if it starts with us…’ suggests that this is to be lengthy process. Then Peter quotes from Proverbs 11:31 ‘If, indeed, the righteous one on earth is rewarded, How much more the wicked one and the sinner!’ If the righteous man is being saved with difficulty, the implication is that the ungodly man will not be saved. We will all receive our own personal reward for good or ill. To gain salvation we must determine the will of God, put our full trust in him, obey him and do good deeds. What sort of deeds? The next verse begins with ‘Therefore…’; the chapter break sadly disrupts the argument.
Therefore, as a fellow elder, a witness of the sufferings of the Christ and a sharer of the glory that is to be revealed, I make this appeal to the elders among you:
There is no hint of superiority and primacy here. Peter is just one of many elders in the congregations who have the weighty responsibility of caring for the flock of God. He does not command or impose authority upon his fellow workers just because he personally knew Jesus. He appeals; he is part of the team. They are to work together, suffer together and be glorified together in a common cause.
Shepherd the flock of God under your care, serving as overseers, not under compulsion, but willingly before God; not for love of dishonest gain, but eagerly; not lording it over those who are God’s inheritance, but becoming examples to the flock. And when the chief shepherd has been made manifest, you will receive the unfading [sic] crown of glory.
Such kind and necessary exhortation to the elders among Jehovah's people; shepherd His flock with which you have been entrusted. In NWT it reads 'serving as overseers' but with a footnote 'carefully watching over it'. This gives a considerably gentler tone. An overseer can oversee anything without having any concern for the overseen, be that people or processes, or for the outcome beyond his own personal responsibility or gain. Carefully watching over is more intimate, more caring, more personally involved. Peter then presents these elders with three contrasting pairs of attitudes:
In the same way, you younger men, be in subjection to the older men. But all of you clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God opposes the haughty ones, but he gives undeserved kindness to the humble ones. Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time,
But all of you clothe yourselves with humility…
or gird yourselves with a slave’s apron. What could Peter have been thinking of in writing this? Taking a towel he girded himself… (John 13:5). Who girded himself? Was it not Jesus himself? And who was too proud to have his feet washed by his Lord? Was that one of those embarrassing moments that made Peter blush every time he thought about it? We don’t know, yet Peter had certainly learned the importance of humility. But did you notice to whom humility should be shown? Toward one another. In comparison with Jehovah or Jesus we know we’re inferior. Who of us would claim equality or superiority in this situation? But what about that brother who is so nervous on the platform? And that sister who won’t stop talking? The family who are always late for the meeting? All those whose weaknesses and frailties are open and obvious to all. That‘s a different matter. I’m never late, I’m a polished speaker and my wife speaks only pearls of wisdom. Stop! Toward one another. Jehovah is opposing you! You have become haughty. What a calamity it would be to find oneself arrayed in opposition to the Creator himself. These humble ones are equally qualified to receive Jehovah’s undeserved kindness. They have gifts that Jehovah is pleased to use. We might just need to be more thorough in perceiving those concealed abilities. Look for the good in others and commend. Nevertheless, we may genuinely have an outstanding talent or gift, maybe as a public speaker and teacher. Should we be in denial? Must we flagellate ourselves, wear the hair shirt and the sackcloth, and wallow in the ashes? Cast your eyes back to 4:10 ‘To the extent that each one has received a gift…’. What is the purpose of our gift? To minister to one another (4:11). Our competence is something to rejoice in. Who doesn’t benefit from a well-constructed talk, superbly presented? We are part of Jehovah’s toolbox. And so is that brother, so nervous and ill at ease in front of an audience. But have you seen him in a one-to-one situation? In the field ministry? When shepherding? That’s his gift; he is caring, comforting, kind, calm, soothing. You may never see those qualities. His gift is every bit as good as yours! ‘With humility consider others superior to you,’ wrote Paul to the Philippians. Isn’t being exalted by God (5:6) preferable to self-aggrandisement? In due time, of course: God’s time. Patience is another quality we may wish to work upon.
Yes, Jehovah is exceedingly generous. A crown of glory that never fades awaits those who please him well and care for each and every one of his precious sheep in a willing and eager manner. Interestingly the Greek word used here and at 1:4 for ‘unfading’ (NWT) is amaranto. Firstly, I am not sure that something can unfade. That suggests that this crown of glory has faded and somehow restores itself. Unfadable, non-fading, that never fades, seem better translations. The Reference Bible (NWT) inconsistently uses ‘unfading’ and ‘unfadable’. Back to the amaranth. This is a plant that flourishes in tropical regions of the world, particularly in the Americas where the seeds are used either whole or ground into flour. It has bright-red flowers that fade very quickly! Some botanist with knowledge of Greek was having a moment of amusement, methinks.
Look at the reward. Everlasting glory in union with Jesus Christ! Along with the reminder that none of us are yet the finished article. We are all a work in progress. Jesus is training us all and will eventually complete that task whilst making us firm and strong to cope with the trials of the here and now.
while you throw all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you.
The thought here seems to be taken directly from Psalm 55:22 ‘Throw your burden on Jehovah, and he will sustain you.’ This is an act that requires faith in two dimensions. The act of throwing is a very definite action. It requires that we let go of each anxiety that we cast before him. It requires confidence that he will catch them. We may lack the power and energy to throw. It might be that we can just about manage to roll the anxiety towards him. Still we must let go. Why? This is the only way that we prove that we fully trust in God’s providence. Do we believe that by holding on we might manage better ourselves? The idea is absurd but we all do it! Which anxieties are these? All of them: personal, family, here and now, tomorrow, our brothers, the congregation.
Keep your senses, be watchful! Your adversary, the Devil, walks about like a roaring lion, seeking to devour someone.
Keep your senses; literally be sober and vigilant. This is the third time Peter employs this illustration of insobriety. 1:13 ‘keep your senses’ and 4:7 ‘be vigilant’. Being drowsy is not a good state in which to exist; in fact it is highly dangerous. The devil is prowling seeking victims. Of course he has always been prowling but the warning is that he is especially doing so now! And he views all Jehovah’s people to see which he can devour, any that seem distracted, dopey, and feeling secure. It is, of course, a false sense of security. We are all in immediate danger and Peter knew that only too well from personal experience. ‘Get behind me Satan’ was Jesus’s blunt retort to Peter’s well-meant advice. Satan will use any and every opportunity to consume one of Christ’s sheep.
But take your stand against him, firm in the faith, knowing that the same kind of sufferings are being experienced by the entire association of your brothers in the world.
Have you ever felt totally alone in your suffering? Nobody else is suffering as I am. They don’t understand. It’s all right for those overtaken by headline disaster. Their town is inundated by floodwater, blown away by a hurricane, levelled by an earthquake. We feel deep compassion but, we justify, they are all in it together. The Disaster Relief Committee is on the case. A thousand volunteers, festooned with power tools, just materialise. Eight million brothers and sisters are praying for them. But as for me and this legal injustice: this financial hardship: this desertion of the children – well nobody knows about that. I talk to Jehovah about it every single day but there seems no relief. Years pass. Yes, I am suffering more than every one else. But read the verse again – same kind of sufferings… entire association of your brothers in the world. My private sufferings are just that: private. But what private suffering is my brother experiencing? I don’t know. And that’s the point of this verse; we are all in it together. They are praying for me and I should be praying for them. Granted, we cannot be specific about things of which we unaware, but prayer nevertheless is a powerful force because Jehovah knows everyone’s suffering and he suffers along with us. Peter is simply reiterating the truth of Paul’s statement at 1 Corinthians 10:13 ‘No temptation has come upon you except what is common to men.’ Yes, we really are in it together.
But after you have suffered a little while, the God of all undeserved kindness, who called you to his everlasting glory in union with Christ, will himself finish your training. He will make you firm, he will make you strong, he will firmly ground you.
The expression ‘will finish your training’ comes from a Greek verb, katartizo, which means ‘to complete, prepare’. According to the Theological Lexicon of the New Testament, it basically means ‘to make an object fit for its purpose, prepare it and adapt it to its usage.’ It is the same word used in the gospels for when James and John, Andrew and Peter were repairing their nets. Our suffering seems interminable. But a little while is in reality a relatively short time compared to eternity. It is all part of our training. We might feel that we don’t want this kind of training but Jehovah always knows best. He knows what we really need to make us fit for His purpose. When we are basking in everlasting glory, will we remember any of this pain? We will be eternally grateful that our Father took the trouble to train and strengthen us when we needed it most. We suffered, we prayed, we conquered. He suffered, He heard, He empowered.
5:11 To him be the might forever. Amen. Yes, Amen.
12 Through Silvanus, whom I regard as a faithful brother, I have written you in few words in order to encourage you and to give an earnest witness that this is the true undeserved kindness of God. Stand firm in it. 13 She who is in Babylon, a chosen one like you, sends you her greetings, and so does Mark, my son. 14 Greet one another with a kiss of love.
May all of you who are in union with Christ have peace.
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This book, Peter’s first epistle, expounds upon our glorious salvation, its mystery (pondered by angels and Old Testament prophets), its vehicle (the Word of God), its method (the shed blood of Christ), and its recipients (a royal priesthood of believers). Peter also explains the purpose of suffering as related to this salvation, pointing to Jesus as the perfect example. The apostle concludes by exhorting both elders and the 'flock of God' alike to be prayerful and watchful, awaiting the return of the chief shepherd.
Bottom Line Summary
This New Testament book is the Old Testament book of Job.
Key Individuals
Key Places
Unique Features
Comparison with Other Bible Books
Titles for and Types of Jesus
THE BIBLE AT A GLANCEFirst Peter at a Glance - H. L. Willmington - ed. Paul Smith
SOME SOUND ADVICE TO SOME SUFFERING CHRISTIANS!
Facts Regarding the Author of this Book
1. Who? Peter. He was a former fisherman (Luke 5:1-9) and brother of Andrew (John 1:40), who would become the unofficial spokesman for the twelve apostles. He authored the two epistles that bear his name.
2. What?
The books of 1 and 2 Peter.
3. When and where?
a. 1 Peter 64 A.D., from Babylon.
b. 2 Peter 65 A.D., from (?) Babylon.
4. Why?
a. 1 Peter: to comfort suffering Christians.
b. 2 Peter: to warn and challenge Christians concerning the future.
5. To whom?
a. 1 Peter: scattered Christians.
b. 2 Peter: scattered Christians.
Key Events
1. Facts about our glorious salvation
2. Our relationship to Christ and society
3. Our relationship to Christ and family members
4. How to respond in time of suffering
5. Advice to congregation elders and congregation members
1. Peter, brother of Andrew, former fisherman, apostle of Jesus, and author of 1 and 2 Peter
2. Sarah, wife of Abraham, mother of Isaac, mentioned here to illustrate the desired characteristics of a godly woman
1. Prison house of some spirits: place visited by Jesus during the time after his resurrection
2. Right hand of God: a place of highest honour and the present location of the ascended Christ
3. Babylon: ancient city capital of the Babylonian Empire and probable place where Peter wrote his first epistle
1. Of the original 12 apostles, three were chosen to write inspired New Testament books or epistles. The three are Matthew, John, and Peter.
2. This epistle is the final fulfilment of a two-fold commission given to Peter by Christ. Both were issued at the Sea of Galilee.
• The first part—’Catch fish’ (Luke 5:10). This Peter did, through the spoken word at Pentecost (Acts 2:14).
• The second part—’Feed sheep’ (John 21:15-17). This Peter does, through the written word at Babylon (1 Peter 2:2; 5:13).
3. Peter’s name appears 210 times in the New Testament. Paul’s name is found 162 times. The names of the remaining 11 apostles combined appear 142 times.
4. Peter has been called ‘the apostle of hope’ (see 1:3, 12, 21; 3:15). Paul could thus be classified as the apostle of faith, and John the apostle of love.
5. A key word in this epistle is ‘suffering.’ It, or its equivalent is used 16 times. Six times it speaks of Christ’s suffering and ten times that of believers. Another important word is ‘grace,’ which appears eight times.
6. It is indeed ironic that—
• The saved man who had once rebuked Jesus after the Saviour predicted He would soon ‘suffer many things’ (Matt 16:21, 22), now writes so extensively on the subject!
• That the same man who was on that occasion influenced by Satan (Matt 16:23) now warns his readers concerning this identical thing (5:8)!
7. In fact Simon Peter was the only believer to rebuke Jesus (Matt 16:22), deny him (Matt 26:34, 72), and curse him (Matt 26:74).
8. Peter was the only known married writer of a New Testament book (Matt 8:14, 15; 1 Cor 9:5).
9. He was a privileged member of the inner three (Matt 17:1-5; Mark 5:37; Matt 26:36-46).
10. The letter was probably written at the end of his life. It is thought that after this epistle he was arrested and tried. Between his trial and execution he wrote 2 Peter (2 Peter 1:13-21).
11. It must have been written around A.D. 64 on the eve of the outbreak of persecution by Nero. Nero died in A.D. 68.
12. In 5:13 he identifies the place of writing as Babylon. There are two main theories concerning the location of Babylon.
• It is literal Babylon on the Euphrates River: This would seem to be the natural interpretation of the passage. Furthermore, the list of countries in 1 Pet. 1:1 is from east to west, which suggests that the writer was in the east at the time of writing. J. Vernon McGee writes: ‘There was at this time a large colony of Jews in ancient Babylon who had fled Rome due to severe persecution under Claudius and at the time of writing bloody Nero was on the throne’ (Through the Bible, p. 256). In addition to this, the descendants of those Jews taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar were still living in and around Babylon.
• It is Rome: Charles Ryrie writes: ‘The place of the writing was Babylon (5:13), a symbolic name for Rome much used by writers who wished to avoid trouble with Roman authorities… Peter was in Rome during the last decade of his life and wrote this epistle about A.D. 63, just before the outbreak of Nero’s persecution in 64. Peter was martyred about 67’ (The Ryrie Study Bible, p. 425). Furthermore, it is argued that Peter states Mark (5:13) was with him at the time the epistle was written. However, just prior to this, Paul had written Timothy to bring Mark to Rome with him (2 Tim. 4:11).
13. The church apparently was affected by worldliness in the congregation (2:11) and materialism amongst the elders (5:1-3).
14. Chapter 3 can be considered the marriage chapter (vv. 1-12) because of the advice Peter gives to both husbands and wives. (Compare with Eph 5:22-33.)
15. In a remarkable passage (3:18-22) Peter explains the activities of Christ after his resurrection.
16. This passage, along with 4:6 is among the most controversial ones in the entire New Testament.
17. Peter’s rhetorical style in the letter is similar to that of his speeches in Acts.
18. For its length, 1 Peter contains more Old Testament quotations than any other New Testament book.
19. The book of 1 Peter provides the final of three descriptive phrases concerning the shepherding ministry of Christ.
• Jesus said he was the fine shepherd (John 10:11)
• Hebrews said he is the great shepherd (Heb 13:20)
• Peter says he is the chief shepherd (1 Peter 5:4)
20. Satan is referred to as a roaring lion in this epistle (5:8).
21. Peter has much to say about the Word of God. He says it is incorruptible (1:23), endures forever (1:25), and is, to the believer, as wholesome, unadulterated, milk (2:2).
22. Peter develops the doctrine of Christ in a remarkable way in this short epistle. He discusses:
• The incarnation of Christ (1:20)
• The names for Christ
a. A spotless lamb (1:19)
b. A precious foundation cornerstone—His relationship to the Scriptures (2:6)
c. The precious chief cornerstone—His relationship to believers (2:7)
d. The stumbling stone—His relationship to unbelievers (2:8)
e. The overseer of our souls (2:25)
f. The chief shepherd (5:4)
• His sinless life (1:19; 2:22)
• His suffering and death (1:11; 2:23-24; 3:18; 4:1, 13; 5:1)
• His resurrection (3:21-22)
• His ascension (3:22)
• His presence at God’s right hand (3:22)
• His revelation, manifestation (1:7, 13, 4:13; 5:1, 4)
23. He also offers a number of titles that describe believers. Perhaps in no other New Testament book are so many given. We are referred to as:
• Obedient children (1:14)
• Newborn infants (2:2)
• Living stones (2:5)
• A chosen race (2:9)
• A royal priesthood (2:9)
• A holy nation (2:9)
• A special possession (2:9)
• Foreigners and temporary residents (2:11)
• Christians (4:16)
• The righteous (4:18)
• The elect of God (1:2)
• The people of God (2:10)
• The pronouncements from God (4:11)
• The flock of God (5:2)
24. Harold Willmington (1932 – 2018) was a Baptist. They accept the unscriptural teaching of the trinity – a Godhead of three in one. In 1:2 he sees an affirmation of this belief. He is wrong. I heartily encourage anyone reading this to review this spurious doctrine for themselves. He had a zeal for the Bible 'but not according to accurate knowledge.' (Rom 10:2)
25. It answers a two-fold question in regards to this salvation.
• What did the Old Testament prophets know about it? (1:10, 11, 12a). See also Matt 13:17.
• What do the holy angels know about it? (1:12b). See also Dan 12:5, 6; Eph 3:10.
26. This epistle recounts the last of three instances where believers are called Christians.
• Acts 11:26 (as used by the unbelievers at Antioch)
• Acts 26:28 (as used by King Agrippa)
• 1 Peter 4:16 (as used by Peter)
27. The book of 1 Peter can be compared to Colossians.
• For its size, Colossians has more to say about the Person of Christ than any other New Testament book.
• For its size, 1 Peter has more to say about the work of Christ than any other New Testament book.
28. This epistle contains the final of three New Testament passages commanding believers to be good citizens.
• Romans 13:1-7
• 1 Timothy 2:1-4
• 1 Peter 2:13-17
29. Peter and John are the only two New Testament authors to refer to Christ as a Lamb (John 1:29, 36; Rev 5:6; 1 Peter 1:19).
30. A careful reading of 1 Peter and Ephesians shows more than 100 parallels in teaching and wording.
31. Peter was also familiar with the book of Romans, and perhaps other epistles from Paul (see 2 Pet. 3:15-16).
32. This epistle lists the final of five crowns as described in the Bible.
• Crown of righteousness (2 Tim 4:8)
• Crown of rejoicing (Phil 4:1; 1 Thess 2:19)
• Crown of life (James 1:12; Rev 2:10; 3:11)
• Incorruptible crown (1 Cor 9:25)
• Crown of glory (1 Pet. 5:4)
33. First Peter 1:11 provides scripture’s greatest single verse overviewing the sufferings and subsequent glory of Jesus Christ!
• The earthly sojourn, ‘the sufferings of Christ’
• The revelation, ‘the glory that should follow’
34. Peter’s first letter also records five of the seven New Testament references depicting Jesus as a rock, or stone. Thus:
• A spiritual rock (1 Cor 10:4)
• A crushing stone (Matt 21:44)
• A living stone (1 Peter 2:4a)
• A rejected stone (2:4b)
• A chosen and precious stone (2:4)
• The chief cornerstone (2:6)
• A stumbling stone (2:8)
1. 2 Corinthians:
• Both deal extensively with suffering: 2 Corinthians concerning the sufferings of Paul; 1 Peter concerning the sufferings of Christians generally.
2. James:
• Both were addressed to Christians scattered abroad by persecution, and both are intensely practical.
1. Jesus Christ (1:1)
2. Lord Jesus Christ (1:3)
3. Living stone (2:4)
4. A stone of stumbling (2:8)
5. Chief shepherd (5:4)
6. Christ Jesus (5:10)
GENESIS - REVELATION
H. L. Willmington