Worth More Than Gold

Peter’s Declaration!

From verses 3-12 in the 1st chapter of Peter, these 10 verses is a single and complex sentence in the Greek. This is considered his exordium (a beginning or introduction especially to a discourse or composition).

Peter’s Audience

1 Peter (1:1–12) The opening to 1 Peter identifies this document as a letter for wide distribution (an encyclical or circular letter, often referred to as a “general” or “catholic” letter) and more particularly as a “diaspora letter.” Although Peter’s audience may well have experienced their diasporic status in bleak terms, Peter begins immediately to interpret suffering and ostracism in essentially hopeful terms. They are chosen by God (1:1), he insists, born anew into a living hope (1:3). Throughout this opening section, Peter underscores the theological context of the lives of these “strangers in the world of the diaspora,” directing attention to the aim and work of God in these circumstances. Nor does he deny the validity of the experiences of his audience, as though they were not really experiencing the life of refugees. The issue is not that or what they are suffering, but rather how to make sense of it. Hence, 1 Peter concerns itself from the very beginning with issues of Christian identity and formation, constitution and behavior. This is profound theological work.

Joel B. Green, 1 Peter, The Two Horizons New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2007), 14.

What is “catholic”? Do you know what “diaspora” means?

catholic - of, relating to, or forming the church universal.

diaspora - (Hebraic/Jewish context in light of Peter’s letter) The geographic and cultural spread of the Hebrew people and/or the Jewish religion and culture over time.

Trials and Genuineness

A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd ed. (πειρασμός)

Peirasmos - attempt to learn the nature or character of something.

this is the first of a few critical points that Peter is making specifically in these two verses. Peter is implying that God, in his sovereignty, has allowed the trials of the Jesus communities to occur in order for them to learn the nature and character of their faith.

Gold

A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd ed. (χρυσίον)

gold as raw material, gold (the most highly prized metal in most of the ancient world;

In the Roman Empire, gold signified wealth, prosperity, and the social status of an individual.

Gold was generally used for a couple thousand years solely to create things such as jewelry and idols for worship (Re. the Golden Calf

Since gold was considered the metal of the gods and was believed to have descended from the sun, it was widely used for making ornaments. Amulets called bulla were worn by young boys from birth as a shield against any evil energy.

An amulet, also known as a good luck charm or phylactery, is an object believed to confer protection upon its possessor. Amulets which are said to derive their extraordinary properties and powers from magic or those which impart luck are typically part of folk religion or paganism. Amulets refer to any object which has the power to avert evil influences or ill luck. An amulet is an object that is generally worn for protection and made from a durable material (metal or hard-stone).

“More Precious, Greater Worth”

Gr. Polytimos (Poly - e - timos): very precious,