THE ADDRESSEES, SCATTERED STRANGERS It is such an author who writes this book "To the pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia" (1 Peter 1:1). The ones addressed are strangers in that they no longer lived in their native land. At the time of Peter's writing, the... [ Continue Reading ]
PRAISE GOD! The word "blessed," which is used in 1 Peter 1:3, is not the word translated blessed in the beatitudes, which describes an inner happiness of the spiritual man. Instead, Thayer tells us it means "praised." It comes from the same Greek word from which the word eulogy comes (see also Roma... [ Continue Reading ]
REJOICING DESPITE TRIALS They rejoiced because of all the things listed in verses 3-5. They rejoiced though they were enduring a time of heaviness brought on by the trials they were experiencing. Of course, the apostles, Paul and Silas also rejoiced in trials suffered for the Lord (Acts 5:40-42; Act... [ Continue Reading ]
THE ULTIMATE SOURCE OF REJOICING After "Doubting" Thomas had seen the resurrected Jesus and proclaimed him as Lord, Jesus said, "Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed" (John 20:29). Those words seem to echo in his ears as Peter... [ Continue Reading ]
THE PROPHETS LONGED TO UNDERSTAND SALVATION'S PLAN Jesus may have referred to the prophets' desire to know about God's plan for the salvation of man when he spoke in Matthew 13:16-17 and Luke 10:23-24. These two verses give a unique glimpse of the nature of inspiration. Scripture plainly states that... [ Continue Reading ]
BECAUSE SALVATION HAS ARRIVED Once Peter made it plain how specially favored Christ's followers were to be able to know and participate in salvation's plan, he went on to appeal for those living under that promise to live holy lives. The people of those days would gird up their loins so they could w... [ Continue Reading ]
STRIVING TO BE HOLY, LIKE GOD Christians should try instead to conform to God, who is holy (Hebrews 12:14). The idea is set apart from sinfulness for God's service. This is very similar to the Lord's instruction in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:48). The quote of verse 16 comes from Leviticus 11... [ Continue Reading ]
THE PRICELESS NATURE OF CHRIST'S BLOOD Further, Christians can approach this loving Father because they know He brought them back from sin with the blood of His own Son. Christians were not bought back with some of the perishable things men hoard up, thus they could not think they earned it or bough... [ Continue Reading ]
PURIFIED IN OBEYING THE TRUTH Their souls had been cleansed from sin's defilement, at the very moment they obeyed the truth. The truth is the word of God (John 17:17), which was delivered by the Holy Spirit (John 16:13). To fail to obey that truth is to perish (2 Thessalonians 2:10-13; verse 14 tel... [ Continue Reading ]
THE TEMPORARY MATERIAL WORLD VERSUS THE ABIDING WORD One would never know it by observing the way people live grasping after all they can find in this material world, but all this is temporary. Peter uses a quote which comes from Isaiah 40:6-8. Clearly, Christians are surrounded by things that are... [ Continue Reading ]