“Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,” (v1)
The writer
Peter was not just an apostle, but in some respects, he was the leader of the disciples or apostles. Peter became an important man in the early church, until Paul came on the scene, Peter was the one who usually did the speaking. Because of who he was, the first Christians would receive this letter with a sense of importance.
If you have read the Gospels at all, you will have noticed that Peter’s name is mentioned more than anyone except the name of Jesus. No one speaks in the gospels as often as Peter did, and Jesus spoke more to Peter than to any other individual.
Let me remind you of some of the incidents that occurred regarding Peter – he was rebuked by Jesus more than any other disciple, presumably because he spoke out the most, even to the point of daring to rebuke Jesus. He was always ready to speak up for Jesus, boldly and accurately. As well as confessing his Lord, he also, is probably best know for his denial of Jesus at the crucifixion. Jesus praised Peter but also addressed him as Satan. Subsequent to the resurrection after Mary Magdalen had reported to the disciples, it seems that only Peter and John ran to the tomb, Peter being the one who went inside despite John outrunning him. When Jesus came to them walking on the Sea of Galilee, Peter was the one who got out of the boat and walked on the water towards Jesus.
One of his better ones was when asked by Jesus would he go away like others had, he said, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Also, we have come to believe and to know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” He was one of the privileged few who saw Jesus transfigured in glory, together with Moses and Elijah.
Peter was the one who insisted that Jesus would not wash his feet; then he commanded Jesus to wash his whole body. Peter heard Jesus predict that he would deny Him three times (Matthew 26:30-35), and Peter replied, “Even if I have to die with you, I will not deny You!” and the rest of the disciples agreed. He even said he would die in Jesus’ place.
I am sure you will recall that Peter was handy with a sword, displayed when he cut off the right ear of Malchus, the servant of the high priest, when the soldiers came to arrest Jesus. Not bad for a fisherman but that was not what Jesus wanted, and He promptly restored the injured man. Probably the most remembered fact was Peter denying Jesus three times, cursing and swearing that he did not even know “the Man,” refusing to even name the name of Jesus.
Who was this letter written to.
The pilgrims: The idea behind the word pilgrims is of someone who lives as a temporary resident in a foreign land. Pilgrims are sojourners and travellers, and pilgrims live in constant awareness of their true home.
To the pilgrims of the Dispersion: Peter clearly wrote to Gentiles, Christians (see chapter 1:18, 2:10, and 4:3). Yet he called them pilgrims of the Dispersion, which was usually a name applied to the Jews. He called them this because he saw the Christians of his day as sprinkled throughout the world as the Jewish people were in the Dispersion after the fall of Jerusalem when the Babylonians conquered Judah.
In another version Peter begins his letter by calling Christians “aliens,” or residential foreigners to the Roman Empire.
Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia: These were places Christianity had reached in the first decades after the beginning of the church. It was probably the route that the original courier of Peter’s letter followed in distributing the letter. This was not written to any one congregation but to all Christians.
“Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied.” (v2)
Peter described his readers as elect. This means simply that they were chosen by God in a particular and unique sense.
According to the foreknowledge of God: This describes the nature of their election. God’s choosing is not random or uninformed, but according to His foreknowledge, which is an aspect of His omniscience. This foreknowledge includes prior knowledge of our response to the gospel but is not solely dependent on it.
Here we have a problem, one commentator says that Scripture teaches both God’s foreknowledge of all things and the man’s responsibility and these truths are like two parallel train tracks that never intersect. Both are true even if they cannot be resolved by our finite minds.
There are those who believe that God chooses some for salvation and rejects others to damnation. I do not go along with that although I fully believe that our salvation is totally of God. I do not believe that we are robots but that we have to exercise faith in, to receive, Christ. I wonder if do not fully understand the sovereignty of God. Whilst there are verses which seem to say that some of us are elect and Christ died for them, but there are also verses to indicate that Christ died for all, as we shall see later in this book. I do not believe in determinism but, as I have said I am not a theologian, I am a simple man reading Scripture and trying to make it plain to you. It is not for me to try to explain the deep mysteries of God. The sad thing to me is that those who believe they are elect say that they are thankful but don’t understand why they are chosen. Sadly, that is no comfort to those who are not chosen and never will be.
God the Father – not Father in the sense that I am a father to my sons. The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit have existed together throughout eternity, and each is equally God, the trinity. The word ‘trinity’ is not in the bible but the triune God, three in One, and One in three is clear. Father and Son are terms used to describe the relationship between these first two members of the Trinity.
Grace to you and peace be multiplied: Peter brought a greeting that had become common among the Christians, combining elements from Greek culture (Grace) and Jewish culture (peace).
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” (v3-5)
The NIV puts it like this – “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. And into an inheritance that can never perish spoil or fade …. kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.”
One commentator says that when Peter considered the salvation of God, his immediate response was to simply praise Him. This is especially because the motive for God’s work is found in Him, not in us (being according to His abundant mercy). All God’s goodness begins with His mercy.
“No other attribute could have helped us had mercy been refused. As we are by nature, justice condemns us, holiness frowns upon us, power crushes us, truth confirms the threatening of the law, and wrath fulfils it. It is from the mercy of our God that all our hopes begin.” (Spurgeon)
We are born again to a living hope because we have eternal life in a Saviour who has conquered death Himself. The hope lives because it is set upon an inheritance incorruptible that can never fade away because it is reserved in heaven. This is a significant contrast to any inheritance on this earth. Paul said that what he once considered gain, he now counted loss, even garbage.
Notice that it is a living hope because it does not perish because it is founded upon the Living Christ. It is also incorruptible and undefiled because it cannot fade away
It seems that Peter could not describe our inheritance, but he could tell us what it was not, it will not perish, won’t fade away and will not spoil. It was clearly far too great for him to describe for God Himself is our inheritance. We have so much to look forward to and not only so, but it is guaranteed because we are kept by the power of God through faith to the coming of The Lord Jesus. We don’t ave to worry about keeping ourselves, God’s power is our security
It is one thing to be told that our inheritance is reserved in heaven, but we need to have some assurance that we are going to receive it, and we will, because we are kept by the power of God.
“In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.” (v6-9)
Obviously, we greatly rejoice in what has gone before in v3-5, but also when we have trials, really! Peter says we should because the genuineness of our faith may be found to praise, honour and glory of God. He says that our faith is much more precious than gold and we experience God’s keeping power even though tested by fire.
Peter goes on to explain the relationship between suffering and salvation: suffering lasts now, but it proves our faith so that joy and glory can come later.
Some might think that we should be never grieved by trials, but it is not so. We are normal and have feelings and God recognises that and His provision is sufficient even for our grieving. God’s purpose for our testing is to show the quality of our faith.
God has an important purpose in testing out faith – to show that it is true and sincere, and to burn away the dross and purify it. Suffering is an opportunity to prove our faith.
Gold is one of the most durable of metals, but one day it will perish, but that is not like our faith. However, one day our faith will give way to sight when we see Jesus face to face. We face testing until then, but when we see Him, our testings will be over. Peter says here that our faith helps us to love the One we have not seen, but seeing Him on that day, we will not faith, we shall see Hm in reality.
One commentator says that the phrase ‘joy inexpressible’ only appears here in the New Testament and describes a joy so profound as to be beyond the power of words to express.
“Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things which angels desire to look into.” (v10-12)
Peter then refers to this salvation, and it was vital that the New Testament writers explained it that it was foretold by the prophets. This was to encourage these afflicted readers. The prophets had told of the grace that would come, they longed to see it, and they spoke it as fact even though they didn’t live see it, and the apostles confirmed that it was true.
We are truly blessed that we have seen the salvation brought to us by Jesus Christ. It has taken place and is an attributed fact of history. He says here that angels desire to look into it, and they observe our conduct. This should tell us that we must behave well as children of God. Angels are watching us, but more importantly God is. (See 1 Corinthians 4:9, Ephesians 3:10, and 1 Timothy 3:16). Jesus, Himself said in Luke 15:7, 10 where angels are said to rejoice over one repentant sinner.
“Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.” And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear;” (v13-17)
Sounds like an old-fashioned term ‘gird up your loins’ but it simply means ‘roll your sleeves up’, be ready for action.
Therefore, gird up the loins of your mind: Living the way God wants us to means that we must gird up the loins of our mind. The idea in this phrase is to prepare for action, much like the phrase “rolling up your sleeves.” Then we must also be sober, which means the ability to take a serious look at life. To be sober usually might mean not to be under the influence of alcohol or such like, but it means to be free from any loss of self control, and it requires self discipline, which of course, is part of the fruit of the Spirit.
Rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ: Peter has told us a lot about God’s grace. Now he goes further, that grace is to be brought to you when Jesus comes back. The only way we will be able to stand before Jesus on that day is because of the unmerited favor He gives and will give to us. Grace isn’t just for the past. It isn’t only for the present. It is also for the future, when grace will be brought to us. God has only just begun to show us the riches of His grace.
As obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance: God calls us to leave our previous life of sinfulness, which he describes living in ignorance. We knew no better. “But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy”.
Now I’m not suggesting that this is easy, because it isn’t, and that is why we need to come to Him and rely on Him to change our lives into His holiness. We cannot do it alone. We are to call on the Father, The Holy God and seek to please Him in every part of our lives.
Holiness means to be set apart from sin and dedicated to God, for this is His own character and we are to mirror Him in our actions and thoughts. Obeying this verse is not a way to earn salvation for that would be by works. Rather, it should be a natural response to the grace of God given to us and the new life He wants to live through us. Living out this verse involves guarding one’s mind from evil, rejecting old sinful habits, and letting the Holy Spirit guide daily choices and behavior
“Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.” (v18-21)
Why should we live holy lives to please God? Because our redemption was costly. We were redeemed by the precious blood of Christ, not corruptible things like silver and gold. This should cause us to live lives which are pleasing to God, having been redeemed from aimless, empty, useless, futile living. We cannot go on living lives which are rubbish. Some think that Peter was referring to pagan Gentile living, but others recognise that he was writing to Jewish people dispersed and thus, empty Jewish traditions.
We are redeemed by the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or spot. Thus, reminding us of the Old Testament where the people of God were told that any old lamb would not do, it had to be pure, and Jesus was pure and sinless and yet He gave His life for us. If He was not, He could not have given His life and been acceptable to God. The hymn-writer put it – There is a Redeemer, Jesus God’s own Son. Precious lamb of God Messiah. Holy One.
“He indeed, was foreordained before the foundation of the world:” Calvary was no afterthought or a plan developed later, when all else failed, it was foreordained before the foundation of the world even though it was not seen until these last times.
For you who through Him believe in God: our faith in Him has been substantiated by His resurrection. Our faith and hope are in Him and Him alone.
“Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, because “All flesh is as grass, And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, And its flower falls away, But the word of the LORD endures forever.” Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.” (v22-25)
Holy living is lacking if it does not show itself by by love and not just love but love sincerely and fervently and with a pure heart. We can only do this if we have a new life, having been born again through our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the incorruptible seed, and we have the word of God which lives and abides forever. What assurance this gives us! If we are not loving like this, we must question our genuineness as believers.
Peter gives us the contrast between the assurance we have through the word of God and the new life in Christ, with the best the world can offer. Flesh and the glory of man is likened to grass and the flower of the field, although beautiful in their own way. These things are temporal and passing away, even within a day, but the word of the LORD endures forever. Peter shows that he knows the Old Testament by quoting from Isaiah 40:6-8.
We can say with absolute certainty and authority that it has endured. Men have tried to get rid of it, they’ve burned Bibles, so-called clever people have dreamed up ideas and philosophies to try and contradict it, all to no avail. Sadly, some churches have failed to preach it, misinterpreted or even denied it, bit it still endures and will forever. Brother Andrew alias God’s Smuggler often openly took Bibles into countries where they were banned and confiscated. Those countries thought they could eliminate God’s word, but they have all failed, and the Bible is still the world’s best seller even if it is not always read and obeyed.
History tells us that in 303AD the Roman Emperor Diocletian ordered every copy of the Bible should be burned but twenty-five years later another Emperor Constantine commissioned Eusebius to prepare 50 copies of the Bible at government expense.
Times without number people have tried to eliminate it without success, and that’s just the actual book. It still lasts. Even more important, God’s word never changes
We exercise love because we have the unchanging word of God indwelling us.
Therefore, we should love one another and long for the word of God. A theme which is continued in the next chapter.
