The opening verses of the first chapter of 1 Peter are so chock full of theology that I could spend multiple blog posts on them alone. In verse 1, Peter addresses himself as Peter, not Simon, acknowledging Christ’s calling on his life (Matthew 16:18). He also identifies himself as an Apostle, one called and sent by God to do his work and spread his message. Peter then reveals the state of the Christians at that time: exiles (ESV), strangers (KJV), aliens (NASB).
However, before he does that, he identifies the scattered believers with a term that explains why they (and all believers after them) could have the confidence to move on through the trials they were facing. He distinguishes his fellow believers as “elect” (1 Peter 1:1).
The early church was exiled not primarily because it was rejected by the culture. It was exiled because it was chosen by God. John Piper, in a sermon on 1 Peter 1 declared, “The main meaning of your exile is that God chose you out of the world. Not man’s rejection, but God’s election is the main meaning of your life.”
1 Peter is a letter of encouragement to the first century church. At the time it was written, Rome was trying to eradicate this sect that was perceived as dangerous to her emperor. Christians were being martyred on a regular basis, and the church was scattered throughout the world. However, Peter and the other apostles were steadfast in their belief because they walked with Christ, saw him killed, and witnessed his resurrection. They weren’t about to denounce what they knew first hand to be true. And, fueled by the power of the Holy Spirit, they encouraged their fellow believers to act in kind.
As Americans, our prevailing attitude should be one of gratitude, not only for the gifts that God lavishes on us in a constant stream, but also because most of us have no real concept of what it means to be persecuted for the cause of Christ. It is no less true of us that we are exiles, as we, like the early church, do not hold citizenship on earth, but in heaven. However, because of of our abundance and relative safety in the world, we may tend not to fully grasp what the early church endured as a result of their election. Charles Spurgeon, in a sermon on 1 Peter said, “One sure result of divine election is the world’s enmity.”
Reflect
In 1 Peter 1:2, Peter provides an outline of our election. Read the following scriptures and explain:
a. The origin of our election
b. How our election is realized
c. The purpose of our election
1 Peter 1:3-5 are perhaps my favorite verses in the chapter. Remember as you read them that we were once alienated by God (Colossians 1:21). Now we are alienated from the world because God has given us citizenship in heaven!
Read 1 Peter 1:3-5. Write a response to God. Be specific, addressing each major point: mercy, new birth, hope, and the unfathomable description of our inheritance.
The Bible admonishes us to persevere in trial, and in the waiting for our Lord to return. Read 1 Peter 1:6-9, and answer the following:
a. What does the perseverance of the elect look like?
b. What is the outcome of our perseverance?
1 Peter 1:10-12 is fascinating. Salvation through Jesus Christ was spoken of long before it happened through a series of people who never lived to see it. The words they spoke by the “Spirit of Christ in them” (v. 11) all came to pass in the person of Jesus Christ, and were not for their benefit, but for ours.
The prophets longed to know about this Messiah, and looked to a day when he would appear. But tacked on to the end of these verses is a curious statement: “things into which angels long to look.”
Angels? Beings created by God to do his bidding? Those celestial beings who have full access to the throne, and get to worship him unceasingly? With all the benefits of being an angel, they long to look into the things of puny man!
Read the following scriptures. Write a job description of an angel.
Think about God’s relationship with the elect. Humans are privy to what is apparently an even higher calling than being an angel: being made in God’s image!
The remainder of 1 Peter 1 instructs us how to live in the light of what God, in Christ, has done for us. The gruff, impulsive, impetuous fisherman Peter, now empowered by the Holy Spirit, eloquently explains the nature of our ransom, not by “perishable things,” but “with the precious blood of Christ” (v. 19).
He speaks of the foreknowledge of God, our being born again of imperishable seed, and how we, in our flesh, are finite and will fade in obscurity, while God’s word is eternal.
Read the following verses in 1 Peter 1, and write what God expects of his children in response to our ransom, our redemption in Christ.
v. 13
v. 14
v. 15-16
v. 17
v. 22
Pray
Father, thank you that you have chosen us to be ransomed by the precious blood of Jesus Christ. Help us to live in the way you call us to: loving you and others, being sober minded and ready for action, holy in our conduct, and denying ourself. Help us to persevere as we wait for the day when we will see you face to face. Amen.