1 Peter 1:1

Peter

(Πετρος). Greek form for the Aramaic (Chaldaic) Χηφας, the nickname given Simon by Jesus when he first saw him (John 1:42) and reaffirmed in the Greek form on his great confession (Matthew 16:18), with an allusion to πετρα, another form for a rock, ledge, or cliff. In 2 Peter 1:1 we have both Σιμων and Πετρος. Paul in his Epistles always terms himself Paul, not Saul. So Peter uses this name, not Cephas or Simon, because he is writing to Christians scattered over Asia Minor. The nominative absolute occurs here as in James 1:1, but without χαιρειν as there, the usual form of greeting in letters (Acts 23:26) so common in the papyri.An apostle of Jesus Christ

(αποστολος Ιησου Χριστου). This is his official title, but in 2 Peter 1:1 δουλος is added, which occurs alone in James 1:1. In II and III John we have only ο πρεσβυτερος (the elder), as Peter terms himself συνπρεσβυτερος in 1 Peter 5:1. Paul's usage varies greatly: only the names in I and II Thessalonians, the title αποστολος added and defended in Galatians and Romans as also in I and II Corinthians and Colossians and Ephesians and II Timothy with "by the will of God" added, and in I Timothy with the addition of "according to the command of God." In Philippians Paul has only " δουλος (slave) Χριστου Ιησου," like James and Jude. In Romans and Titus Paul has both δουλος and αποστολος, like II Peter, while in Philemon he uses only δεσμιος (prisoner) Ιησου Χριστου.To the elect

(εκλεκτοις). Without article (with the article in Matthew 24:22; Matthew 24:24; Matthew 24:31) and dative case, "to elect persons" (viewed as a group). Bigg takes εκλεκτοις (old, but rare verbal adjective from εκλεγω, to pick out, to select) as an adjective describing the next word, "to elect sojourners." That is possible and is like γενος εκλεκτον in 1 Peter 2:9. See the distinction between κλητο (called) and εκλεκτο (chosen) in Matthew 22:14.Who are sojourners

(παρεπιδημοις). Late double compound adjective (παρα, επιδημουντες, Acts 2:10, to sojourn by the side of natives), strangers sojourning for a while in a particular place. So in Polybius, papyri, in LXX only twice (Genesis 23:4; 38 or 39 12), in N.T. only here, 1 Peter 2:11; Hebrews 11:13. The picture in the metaphor here is that heaven is our native country and we are only temporary sojourners here on earth.Of the Dispersion

(διασπορας). See John 7:35 for literal sense of the word for scattered (from διασπειρω, to scatter abroad, Acts 8:1) Jews outside of Palestine, and James 1:1 for the sense here to Jewish Christians, including Gentile Christians (only N T. examples). Note absence of the article, though a definite conception (of the Dispersion). The Christian is a pilgrim on his way to the homeland. These five Roman provinces include what we call Asia Minor north and west of the Taurus mountain range (Hort). Hort suggests that the order here suggests that Silvanus (bearer of the Epistle) was to land in Pontus from the Euxine Sea, proceed through Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, to Bithynia, where he would re-embark for Rome. This, he holds, explains the separation of Pontus and Bithynia, though the same province. Only Galatia and Asia are mentioned elsewhere in the N.T. as having Christian converts, but the N.T. by no means gives a full account of the spread of the Gospel, as can be judged from Colossians 1:6; Colossians 1:23.