1 Peter 1 Verses 1 to 9 Hope That Lives January 8, 2022

1 Peter 1 Verses 1 to 9 Hope That Lives January 8, 2022

Class Presentation Notes AAAA

Background Scripture:

James 1:2-3 (NASB) 2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.

Isaiah 48:10 (NASB) 10 "Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.

Main Idea: Because of Jesus we have help for today and hope for tomorrow.

Teaching Aim: To lead adults to understand that when the Bible uses the word hope, it is speaking of a certainty and not a possibility.

The Life Question: What factors enable me to live with more confidence as a Christian?

Create Interest:

· World crises and personal troubles cause many people to live in fear and uncertainty. Christians are not immune to such feelings when faced with difficulties beyond their control. While some people put their confidence in resources of their own, Christians are able to live with confident hope based on the resources and promises of God.

· Peter wrote to Christians in several Roman provinces of Asia Minor. He emphasized the initiative God took in making them His people in a lost world. He praised God for endowing these children of His with living hope based on Christ’s resurrection. This hope is an inheritance kept for believers. Although they were passing through fiery trials, they could rejoice. The prophets had foretold this good news.[1]

·

· Peter stressed that regardless of their circumstances, believers have a living hope that cannot be taken away, and they have the resources to continue living holy lives.

· Imagine the fear, uncertainty, and insecurity; the wandering about and the searching for a safe place and for a way to earn a living. In some cases, the believers did not even know where their next meal would come from. The church and its dear believers were fleeing for their lives. All the feelings that attack human emotions when a person is being hunted down for brutal slaughter were attacking these believers: fear, concern, restlessness, sleeplessness, anxiety, stress, uncertainty, insecurity, and a pounding heart at the slightest shadow or noise.

· The believers desperately needed strong encouragement. But how?

o How do you shore up and strengthen a person who is suffering and hurting so much?

o How can a person be secure through suffering and persecution?

§ There is one way and only one way: he must know that he is saved and be absolutely sure that he is under the care and love of God.

§ This is the discussion of the first section of First Peter. It clearly tells us how to be secure through suffering.

📷 Our security is this: knowing that we are saved, that we belong to God and are looked after by God[2]

Lesson In Historical Context:

· Peter was an apostle (someone sent out). In the New Testament, this usually refers to someone sent as an authorized agent by Jesus or the Christian community (Matt 10:2; 2 Cor 8:23; Heb 3:1).[3] Peter was sent by Jesus Christ and one of the three named pillars of the early church in Jerusalem. He was the first Christian missionary to the Gentiles, a Christian missionary to the Jews, and a Christian martyr in Rome.

o Simon Peter is one of Jesus’ first disciples and later became the spokesman of the Twelve. Although Jesus gives Simon the name Peter (Petros/Rock) in Matthew 16:18 and Mark 3:16, his ability to live up to it is often in doubt in the Gospel.

· 1 Peter was written to Christians who were encountering persecution. The form of persecution does not seem to have been official government persecution so much as slander and abuse from pagan people. Peter’s letter emphasized two themes—assurance and exhortations.

o The assurancewas needed to help the believers live with confidence.

o The exhortationswere designed to help them live in such a way as to silence the slanders against them.

· Peter wrote to Christians about their need for hope and holiness. Christians are pilgrims of faith on earth because their true home is in heaven.

o Peter’s readers were being persecuted, but they needed to have hope and assurance of their inheritance in heaven.

o Peter told them they should live on earth by the holy standards of heaven, and they should rejoice—even in times of trouble.[4]

· Peter’s expressed purpose in writing his epistle was that his readers would stand firm in the true grace of God (5:12) in the face of escalating persecution and suffering. To that end he……………….

o reminded them of their election and the sure hope of their heavenly inheritance,

o delineated the privileges and blessings of knowing Christ,

o gave them instruction on how to conduct themselves in a hostile world,

o and pointed them to the example of Christ’s suffering.

· Peter wanted his readers to live triumphantly in the midst of hostility without abandoning hope, becoming bitter, losing faith in Christ, or forgetting His second coming.

o When they are obedient to God’s Word despite the world’s antagonism, Christians’ lives will testify to the truth of the gospel (2:12; 3:1, 13–17)[5].

· “Babylon” from which Peter wrote (5:13)” is most likely a cryptic name for Rome, chosen because of the Imperial capital’s debauchery and idolatry (which will characterize the Babylon of the end times; cf. Rev. 17, 18). With persecution looming on the horizon, Peter took care not to endanger the Christians in Rome, who might have faced further difficulties if his letter had been discovered by the Roman authorities. The strong association of Peter with Rome in early tradition further supports the view that the apostle wrote 1 Peter from Rome.

· The most probable date for 1 Peter is just before Nero’s persecution, which followed the great fire that ravaged Rome in the summer of a.d. 64. The absence of any reference to martyrdom makes it less likely that the epistle was written after the persecution began, since numerous Christians would by then have been put to death.

· Nine or ten months after Peter wrote his letter, the persecution against Christians that had been simmering for quite some time came to a full boil. On July 19, A.D. 64, Caesar Nero set fire to the Imperial City of Rome. You see, determined to stamp his image upon a new Rome, Caesar hired arsonists to destroy the old one. Maybe you remember stories of Caesar fiddling while Rome burned. While that may not have happened literally, Caesar was fiddling around very definitely! The ensuing devastation gave him justification to rebuild structures like the Circus Maximus. Seating over one hundred thousand people, the existing Circus Maximus wasn’t big enough for Nero. So, he had it burned along with most of the city and rebuilt it to give three hundred thousand spectators the opportunity to witness sporting events, gladiatorial bouts, and, eventually, Christians being thrown to lions.

o Due to the immediate suspicion that he had a part in the fire, Nero knew he had to quickly find a scapegoat. He conveniently found one in the Christian community. “It’s not I who burned the city,” he said. “It’s these who speak of the unquenchable flames of hell.” Coupled with the absurd misconception that, due to their observance of Communion, Christians were cannibalistic, and combined with the fact that because Christians stressed love and purity, they were a threat to the rampant perversity of the day, the populace was eager to blame Christianity for their crumbling families and charred capital city.

· Consequently, only months after Peter’s Epistle was penned, persecution would come that would result in the annihilation of six million Christians as they were lit as candles or fed to lions. So, Peter addresses this issue as he writes to people who would be understandably vulnerable to confusion and depression as they questioned the reason for their relentless persecution.[6]

Bible Study:

1 Peter 1:1 (NASB) 1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen

· The term “scattered” (diaspora) refers to the voluntary scattering or dispersion of the Jewish people throughout the ancient world. This voluntary departure from the Holy Land began very early. Technically, diaspora is not exile.

o The Babylonians carried the leadership of the nation and many of its people into exile after conquering Jerusalem. Thus, while the Babylonian Exile was a forced deportation, exile became a voluntary residence outside of Palestine when the Persians allowed the exiles to return home, and many chose instead to remain in Babylonia.

o But after the Romans destroyed the Second Temple in A.D. 70 and the last vestiges of independence were removed in A.D. 132–135, the Jews once again regarded themselves as exiles.[7]

· At the time of Peter perhaps a million Jews were living in Palestine and two to four million outsideof it, a significant group in the Empire, to be sure. They were spread in communities over the entire Empire, but they belonged to Palestine and hoped (however vaguely or even formally) eventually to return to Palestine (perhaps when the Messiah came).

· Here in 1 Peter, we find a natural transfer of one of the titles of Israel to the church, as we will frequently later (cf. 2:5, 9).

o The church consists of communities of people living outside their native land, which is not Jerusalem or Palestine but the heavenly city. These people owe their loyalty to that city, from which they expect to receive their king.

o That their life on earth is temporary and that they do not belong is underlined by the use of “sojourners” (also found in 2:11 and Heb. 11:13): they are pilgrims, foreigners, those who belong to heaven (cf. Eph. 2:19; Phil. 3:20. “they pass their time on earth, but belong as citizens to heaven”).

o As V. P. Furnish (author of “The Ministry of Reconciliation” in 1977) puts it,

§ “Christians are the elect (chosen) of God and thus only temporarily resident in the present world.… [This] makes clear their status as “resident aliens” so long as they remain in the world. Their existence receives its definition and direction from the future, not from the present, from God, not from the world.

§ Yet for a time they are in the world and beset by its claims and contingencies, transitory as those are.”

· For people facing persecution it must have been extremely comforting to realize that although they were rejected where they were living, they did belong somewhere; their hope was to travel in that direction.

· The particular Christians to whom Peter is writing are those in Asia Minor north and west of the Taurus Mountains, as the author indicates by mentioning the Roman provinces in that area, “Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia.” Strictly speaking, Pontus and Bithynia were departments of one province, but Peter’s mind may have been journeying around a circle of churches, perhaps the route his messenger would take, which would take him back near his starting point. The course follows known routes traveled by people in that age; for example, in 14 b.c. Herod the Great followed part of this route from Sinope on the Black Sea (in Pontus) via parts of Galatia and Cappadocia to Ephesus (in Asia), accompanying Marcus Agrippa. [8]

1 Peter 1:2 (NASB) 2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.

· According to the foreknowledge of God the Father. The Father is regarded, in the Scriptures, as the Author of the plan of salvation, and as having chosen His people to life, and given them to His Son to redeem and save, John 6:37, 65; 17:2, 6, 11.

· The essential idea here is, that the original choice was on the part of God,and not on their part, and that this choice was founded on what He before knew to be best. He undoubtedly saw good and sufficient reasons why the choice should fall on them.

· Through sanctification of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity. The election that was purposed by the Father was carried into effect by the agency of the Spirit in making them holy. The word rendered sanctification means here the being made holy; and the idea is, that we become in fact the chosen or elect of God by a work of the Spirit on our hearts making us holy; that is, renewing us in the Divine image.

· We are chosen by the Father, but it is necessary that the heart should be renewed and made holy by a work of grace, in order that we may actually become his chosen people.

o Though we are sinners, he proposes to save us; but we are not saved in our sins, nor can we regard ourselves as the children of God until we have evidence that we are born again.

o The purpose of God to save us found us unholy, and we become in fact his friends by being renewed in the temper of our mind.

o A man/person has reason to think that he is one of the elect of God, just so far as he has evidence that he has been renewed by the Holy Spirit, and so far as he has holiness of heart and life.

· This verse expresses the design for which they had been chosen by the Father and renewed by the Spirit.

o On the phrase “to obey Jesus Christ”, it was that they might obey God, and lead holy lives

o The phrase “and sprinkled with His blood” means to cleansing from sin, or to holiness, since it was by the sprinkling of that blood that they were to be made holy.

· “May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure”, notes, Rom. 1:7. The phrase means, ‘may unmerited favor (grace) and (peace), the heavenly peace in their heart, abound,’ or ‘may it be conferred abundantly on you, or be yours in the fullest measure” From this verse we may learn that they who are chosen should be holy as God desired them to be.

o Just in proportion as they have evidence that God has chosen them at all, they have evidence that he has chosen them to be holy; and, in fact, all the evidence which any man canhave that he is among the elect, is that he ispractically a holy man, and desires to become more and more so.

o If anyone, then, wishes to settle the question whether he is among the elect or not, the way is plain. Let him become a true Christian, and the whole matter is determined, for that is all the proof which anyone has that heis chosen to salvation.[9]

Thoughts to Soak On

· The first thing to know about our salvation is this: know that you are the chosen of God.

o They are people who are only pilgrims or foreigners scattered over the earth (v. 1).

o They are people elected, chosen by God (v. 2).

o They are people sanctified—set apart to God—and covered by the blood of Christ (v. 2).

o They are people who obey God (v. 2).

o They are people who experience grace and peace (v. 2).[10]

· This is what Christians are: chosen; set aside; sanctified for obedience; sprinkled with the Messiah’s blood! Already we have much to ponder. Peter doesn’t address these people in terms of their ancestry, their moral background, their social status, their wealth or poverty.

o All those things are part of the old building, and He is sketching out the new one. It is easy to forget our basic identity as Christians, and it is therefore important to be reminded of it on a regular basis[11]

· In these words (1 Peter 1:2) Peter laid the theological foundations for this letter of encouragement.

o “God” the Father in His grace had chosen them, and God the “Spirit” had sanctified them through the atoning blood of God the Son, Jesus Christ. (All three Persons of the Trinity are mentioned in this verse.)

o Thus, Peter greeted his readers with the prayerful wish that they might experience in abundance (fullest measure) God’s grace (charis) and peace (eirēnē, equivalent of the Heb. šālôm; cf. 5:14). The words (lit.) “Grace to you and peace be multiplied” are also used in 2 Peter 1:2.

o God’s grace was dear to Peter, for he referred to it 10 times in this epistle (1 Peter 1:2, 10, 13; 2:19–20.)

§ Note: The concept of grace (charis) is consistently defined in terms of God’s “gracious” act of redemption in Christ. His intervention in history for establishing a new covenant as well as His effort to maintain the new covenant are manifestations of His grace. Grace is simultaneously the cause as well as the effect of the saving work of Christ. The main gifts we receive because of grace are the forgiveness of sins, fellowship with God, and eternal life (see

§ Note: At His atoning death for our sins, we were reconciled to God in spite of our sins. The message of reconciliation is called “the gospel of peace” (Acts 10:36; Ephesians 2:17; 6:15), and the God who has performed this is called “the God of peace” (cf. Romans 5:2–5).

📷 Thus eirēnē as a fruit of the Spirit concerns the heart of the individual. Peace is not only a condition in relation to God and men; it is also a blessed experience in concrete life situations. It affords a good conscience (Luke 7:50; 8:48), and the believer can experience the peace of God.

📷 Still, the peace he feels is something much more than a matter of feelings. The peace of the soul which he/she experiences is grounded on the real declaration of peace with God that has been made through Christ.[12]

1 Peter 1:3 (NASB) 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

· In a doxology of praise to God, Peter encouraged his readers by reminding them that the new birth gave them a living hope in an imperishable future inheritance. The inheritance is sure because believers are shielded by the power of God till it is ready to be revealed.

o Consequently, Christians may rejoice even when they face trials, since trials will prove their faith genuine and thus bring greater glory to Christ.

o Finally, the new birth’s hope is based not only on a future inheritance and present blessings but also on the written Word of God.

· The contemplation of God’s grace caused Peter to praise God, the Author of salvation and the Source of hope.

o The words Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ are identical in 2 Corinthians 1:3.

· The phrase in His great mercy refers to God’s unmerited favor toward sinners in their hopeless condition. He has given us new birth; people can do nothing to merit such a gift. The words “has caused us to be born again” translate anagennēsas, from the verb “beget again” or “cause to be born again.”

o It is used only twice in the New Testament, both times in this chapter (1 Peter 1:3, 23). Peter may have been recalling Jesus’ interview with Nicodemus (John 3:1–21).

o The “new birth” results in a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. The “living hope” is based on the living resurrected Christ (cf. 1 Peter 1:21).

o The Christian’s assurance in Christ is as certain and sure as the fact that Christ is alive! Peter used the word “living” six times (1:3, 23; 2:4–5; 4:5–6).

§ Here “living” means that the believer’s hope is sure, certain, and real, as opposed to the deceptive, empty, false hope the world offers.[13]

1 Peter 1:4 (NASB) 4 to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,

· The focus now switches from the one we hope in, to what we ho pe for. Death is not the end. Beyond it lies an ‘inheritance’—the substance of our hope. And it is truly substantial. The Greek word refers to an inherited property. Peter wants to show us around, and anyone with a living hope should never tire of taking a look.

· Even though the inheritance is difficult to describe, the words just come tumbling out. Much as John struggles to describe the new heaven and the new earth in Revelation, so Peter can only talk of our hope by telling us what isn’t true of it.

o It isn’t perishable. Like God (Rom. 1:23; 1 Tim. 1:17), His word (1 Peter 1:23) and the crowns He awards (1 Cor. 9:25),

o It is not subject to decay. And we’ll be supplied with a body to match, tailor-made for our new home (1 Cor. 15:52). ‘Change and decay in all around I see,’ said the hymnwriter, but Peter (like Paul) is encouraging us to ‘look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen.

§ For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal’ (2 Cor. 4:18).

o Not only will it never perish, but our inheritance isn’t defiled. Israel, sadly, failed to heed the words of Moses (Num. 35:34; Deut. 21:23)and defiled the land (Jer. 2:7) that the Lord had given them for an inheritance (Deut. 4:20–21, 38; 12:9; 15:4; 19:10; 20:16; 21:23; 24:4; 25:19; 26:1).

§ No such fate will befall the inheritance Peter is talking about. It will remain absolutely pure, with not the slightest hint of pollution from sin (just like our Savior, Heb. 7:26). It will be pristine.

o And it isn’t going to fade. It will remain pristine. It won’t be wonderful to start with, only for the magic to wear off with time. We’re used to disappointment in this world. We gradually become accustomed to things and begin to take them for granted. We quickly lose interest in what seemed so exciting at first.

o John Newton wrote, ‘Not so with our inheritance., ‘Fading is the worldling’s pleasure’ and contrasted it with the ‘solid joys and lasting treasure’ that constitute the Christian’s hope. Great masterpieces fade and a huge amount has to be spent on their restoration in order to bring the colors back to life. Our hope is quite different. When we think about our inheritance, we often think of it as a vague, ethereal, shadowy existence, but Peter tells us that nothing could be further from the truth. This world will be the one that is foggy and unreal by comparison. In The Last Battle C. S. Lewis has Aslan referring to what we call real life as ‘the shadowlands’—a dream compared with the reality of glory.

o It isn’t going to be full to capacity, either. As God’s people we will each find that a reservation has been made in our name, with no double bookings. We may sometimes find the wait in this world something of a trial, just as heirs to a fortune may struggle with impatience, but the inheritance is in the safest of hands, being managed until the day when it will become ours.[14]

1 Peter 1:5 (NASB) 5 who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

· The living hope of believers, according to v. 4, is their inheritance, and v. 4 emphasizes that the inheritance is imperishable, beautiful, and reserved for believers. Now in v. 5 Peter considers whether his readers will certainly receive the inheritance.

· Before we consider that theme, we should note that Peter now describes the inheritance in terms of “salvation” (sōtēria). Salvation can be defined as being rescued from God’s judgment or wrath on the last day (1 Pet 4:17; cf. Rom 5:9; 1 Thess 5:9).

o In popular circles salvation is usually conceived of as a past or present possession, and both of these notions are found in the New Testament (cf. Eph 2:8–9; 1 Cor 1:18).

o In the majority of cases, however, salvation refers to the futureglory believers will enjoy, and it is clear that Peter conceived of salvation in future terms here. Two pieces of evidence substantiate this judgment.

§ First, it is clear in the context that “salvation” is another way of describing the believer’s inheritance, and the latter is certainly future.

§ Second, the salvation is “ready to be revealed in the last time.” The passive of the verb “revealed” (apokalyphthēnai) is a divine passive, indicating that God will disclose this salvation on the final day. What is decisive, of course, is that Peter specifically informed his readers that the salvation will not be unveiled until the last day. In other words, it is a future event.

· Peter assured his readers that they will certainly receive this inheritance, that future salvation will be theirs.

o The reason for this confidence is that they “are shielded by God’s power.” The word “shielded” (phrouroumenous) can be translated “guarded” or “protected.”

§ It is used of putting garrisons in a city to protect it from foes (cf. Jdt 3:6; 1 Esdr 4:56; Wis 17:16; 2 Cor 11:32; see also Phil 4:7).

§ How does God protect believers?We know from the following verses that he does not exempt them from persecution or suffering. Believers may suffer agonizing pain, both physical and psychological, because of their faith.

📷 Peter added that believers are protected “through faith” (dia pisteōs). Obtaining the final inheritance therefore does not bypass human beings, as if we are mere automatons in the process.

· We are suggesting that 1 Pet 1:5 contains a glorious promise. God’s power protects us because His power is the means by which our faith is sustained. E. Best rightly discerns that the ultimate reason for our preservation must be God’s gift rather than our faith since otherwise “the reference to God’s power” is “unnecessary and provides no assurance to the believer since what He doubts is his own power to cling to God in trial.”

o We should not use this verse to deny that believers must maintain their faith until the end. Its function is to encourage believers with the truth that God will preserve their faith through sufferings and the changes of life.

o Faith and hope are ultimately gifts of God, and He fortifies believers so that they persist in faith and hope until the day that they obtain the eschatological inheritance.[15]

· The divine shield (Gen. 15:1) will continue to be the believer’s assurance right to the end, until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. The reference to salvation is not to be confined to that of the individual but relates to the fulfillment of the whole divine program for all creation. The end is imminent, ready to be revealed. That reassurance will carry threatened believers through their present anxieties.

What are some lasting truths in 1 Peter 1:1–5?

· Christians are pilgrims on earth; our true citizenship is in heaven.

· When believers trace their salvation to its source, it leads to the loving heart of the eternal God, our Heavenly Father.

· The blood of Christ cleanses believers and calls them to obedient living.

· The Spirit sets believers apart for holy living.

· The basic language of faith is praise to God.

· Christians have a living hope.

· Our hope is based on the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.

· The content of our hope is the inheritance reserved in heaven, and toward that we are guarded by the power of God.

· The goal of believers’ hope is the final stage of the salvation.[16]

1 Peter 1:6 (NASB) 6 In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials,

· The flow of thought in the context makes the combination of rejoicing in hope of the future (vv. 3–5) and suffering grief in the present (vv. 6–7) a very appropriate one here, in which believers have every right to greatly rejoice.

· It is best to understand the word now as referring to the present existence of believers during which for a little while, compared with their enjoyment of eternity, they may have to suffer.[17]

· Peter uses the Greek agalliasthai, a verb not found in secular writings until the fourth century a.d. In the Greek ot(lxx), the word has strong eschatological overtones: a joy “out of this world,” to use modern jargon with much greater precision. Peter will employ agalliasthaiagain in 1:8 (“inexpressible and glorious joy”) and in 4:13(“overjoyed” at the revelation of Christ’s glory at his second coming). The rejoicing, as expressed by the verb in the nt, is always a jubilant and thankful exultation for some divine action.

o It was the early Christians’ vivid awareness of the reality of God in their lives that caused them to rejoice in this profound sense, and it carried them through all manner of privation and persecution in a world that looked askance at their “strange” religion.

o Peter reassures his readers that their joy in Christ is what matters, even though they may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials during their earthly pilgrimage on account of their faith (John 16:33; 1 John 3:13).

· The expression various, referring to trials facing believers, here translates the Greek poikilois, which literally means “many colored.”

· Peter uses the word again in 4:10 to describe God’s grace. The only two occurrences of the Greek word in this letter nicely balance.

o Christians may have to face all kinds of troubles. But in whatever “color” troubles appear, God’s grace will always “match” them and prove perfectly sufficient.

o The phrase various trials should also caution us against looking for any specific kind of persecution or suffering as the historical background for this letter. Since no one kind of trial or testing is in view, Peter’s words have their application to all the trials which Christians experience (cf. Jas 1:2).

o Nevertheless, Peter’s wording implies that the trials that Christians have to meet will sort out those who are full of faith from others whose profession is less than wholehearted.

o Writer and readers were living at a time when pagans maligned Christians as criminals (2:12), and this would be the source of many petty local persecutions, even when there was no organized persecution by the civil authorities.[18]

· The word “trial” is from the word dokimion {dok-im’-ee-on}. It means “that by which something is tried or proved for authenticity or genuineness.” It is a test. In New Testament times it was used of metals that were without alloys or impurities.

· So genuine faith is proved by adversities, especially such as the primitive Christians were obliged to pass through.

o God uses the fire of trials and temptations for a good purpose. He uses them to make us clean and pure and to make us trust Him more and more.[19]

§ James 1:3—Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

§ 2 Corinthians 4:8—We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair.

§ Psalm 119:50—This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me.

§ Psalm 119:143—Trouble and anguish have taken hold on me: yet thy commandments are my delights.

1 Peter 1:7 (NASB) 7 so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

· Peter sees a precious faith developed by the trial. He draws attention to “the proof of your faith” (1:7a). He sees a purging fire devouring in the trial: “that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perishes, though it be tried with fire …” (1:7b). And he sees a priceless find discovered beyond the trial: “that … your faith … might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ” (1:7c–d). Just as the fire melts the gold, so that the refiner can skim away the dross, so persecution enables the Spirit of God to purify and make infinitely more precious the faith of the suffering saint. Things do not happen by chance.

· Faith is a spiritual commodity that is infinitely more precious than mere gold. Gold will one day perish in the judgment fires of the last days (2 Peter 3:12–13), but faith, purified and refined by persecution, will bring its own reward. Peter has his eye on “the appearing of Jesus Christ.” The word is apocalypses, which refers us again to the day of Christ’s unveiling.

· What a day that will be! And we shall be with Him, arrayed in praise, honor, and glory, the reward of a purified faith. The hymn writer has caught the picture:

o The heavens will glow with splendor,

But brighter far than they,

The saints shall shine in glory,

As Christ shall them array;

The beauty of the Savior shall dazzle every eye,

In the crowning day that’s coming, bye and bye.

· We have an expectant hope and an experiential faith, both well suited to hold us fast when “the strong tides lift, and the cables strain.” But there is more[20]……………An expressive love for Him.

1 Peter 1:8 (NASB) 8 and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,

· Our joy stems from our faith in the Lord. Even though we have not seen Him, we love Him. “Love at first sight” is a well-known phrase. Most human love follows the sight of the eyes, but the love Peter refers to is not love at eye-sight, but love at heart-sight. We trust in Him now, even though we do not see Him. Jesus told Thomas, “Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed; blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed (John 20:29).”

· The consequence of this faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is exceeding joy or gladness that is inexpressible. Those without Christ do not understand the great happiness that believers in Christ enjoy. They understand those Christians that are cranky, critical, and caustic because they act just like them many times. They do not, however, understand the depth of peace and joy that Christians have, especially in distressful, difficult, depressing circumstances.

· One day our faith will end. That is an interesting statement. Why will our faith end? The answer is we will be present with the Lord and see Him with our own eyes.Our salvation will finally be complete as we will have our new, glorified bodies. We will receive the end of our faith. The word translated “receiving” means to get something that is promised. God’s promises do not fail. We may have to wait awhile for them, but they will be fulfilled.[21]

1 Peter 1:9 (NASB) 9 obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.

· The “salvation” (sōtērian, deliverance, preservation, wholeness) Peter wrote of is not conversion but the ultimate fullness of redemption. His readers were already receiving a foretaste of this final salvation of their “souls” (psuchōn, whole beings), which is the “end” (telos, goal, culmination) of their faith. It is “the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1:13). This full salvation, which their faith would lead to in the end, actually was theirs all the way to that end, while they appropriated it by faith.[22]

· The final reason we can rejoice in suffering is because the salvation of our souls is guaranteed. God has the power to save us physically through trials, true, but even when our bodies eventually succumb to death, our souls are faithfully delivered as promised.

· Can we really rejoice in the midst of suffering? Peter answers this with a resounding “Yes!” But our rejoicing is not because suffering is great or because we’re out of touch with reality, but because we have a living hope, a permanent inheritance, a divine protection, a developing faith, an unseen Savior, and a guaranteed deliverance.Training ourselves to remember these truths helps to soften life’s sharp edges.[23]

What are the lasting lessons of 1 Peter 1:6–9?

· Christians can rejoice in times of trials.

· Trials test faith and prove whether it is genuine.

· Genuine faith glorifies Christ.

· Joy in troubles should build confidence, not destroy it.[24]

Thoughts in Closing

· Quite a bit of this letter is concerned with the suffering of the early Christians. Here Peter states the theme which he will develop:

o That this suffering is the means by which the quality of the Christians’ faith can shine out all the more, and when Jesus is finally revealed this will result in an explosion of praise.

o Meanwhile, they are to live their lives, to inhabit this great room of the gospel, with love for Jesus in their hearts and ‘a glorified joy’ (verse 8) welling up within them. This is the beginning of the ‘rescue’ which God has accomplished for them.

· As we begin to walk into the room and look around us, there is much to see. But with this new identity, and with the powerful mercy of God keeping us safe, we can go ahead and make the room—this remarkable letter, and its meaning for our lives today—a place where we feel thoroughly at home.[25]

[1]Robert J. Dean, Family Bible Study, Summer 2004, Herschel Hobbs Commentary (LifeWay Christian Resources, 2004), 98–99. [2]Leadership Ministries Worldwide, 1 Peter–Jude, The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible (Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide, 1996), 7. [3] Dan Nässelqvist, “Apostle,”ed. John D. Barry et al., The Lexham Bible Dictionary (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016). [4]Robert J. Dean, Bible Studies for Life, Spring 2011, Herschel Hobbs Commentary (LifeWay Christian Resources, n.d.), 9–10. [5] John F. MacArthur Jr., 1 Peter, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2004), 10. [6] Jon Courson, Jon Courson’s Application Commentary(Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2003), 1543. [7]William R. Stegner, “Diaspora,”ed. Gerald F. Hawthorne, Ralph P. Martin, and Daniel G. Reid, Dictionary of Paul and His Letters(Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993), 211. [8]Peter H. Davids, The First Epistle of Peter, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1990), 46–47. [9]Albert Barnes, Notes on the New Testament: James to Jude, ed. Robert Frew (London: Blackie & Son, 1884–1885), 111–112. [10]Leadership Ministries Worldwide, 1 Peter–Jude, The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible (Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide, 1996), 7. [11] Tom Wright, Early Christian Letters for Everyone: James, Peter, John and Judah, For Everyone Bible Study Guides (London; Louisville, KY: SPCK; Westminster John Knox Press, 2011), 49. [12]Thoralf Gilbrant, “Εἰρήνη,” The New Testament Greek-English Dictionary, The Complete Biblical Library (WORDsearch, 1991). [13]Roger M. Raymer, “1 Peter,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 840–841. [14]Andrew Thomson, Opening Up 1 Peter, Opening Up Commentary (Leominster, England: Day One, 2016), 24–26. [15]Thomas R. Schreiner, 1, 2 Peter, Jude, vol. 37, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2003), 63–65. [16]Robert J. Dean, Bible Studies for Life, Spring 2011, Herschel Hobbs Commentary (LifeWay Christian Resources, n.d.), 14. [17]Wayne A. Grudem, 1 Peter: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 17, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1988), 67. [18]Norman Hillyer, 1 and 2 Peter, Jude, Understanding the Bible Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2011), 32–33. [19] Rod Mattoon, Treasures from First Peter, Treasures from Scripture Series (Springfield, IL: Rod Mattoon, 2011), 41. [20]John Phillips, Exploring the Epistles of Peter: An Expository Commentary, The John Phillips Commentary Series (Kregel Publications; WORDsearch Corp., 2009), 1 Pe 1:7. [21] Rod Mattoon, Treasures from First Peter, Treasures from Scripture Series (Springfield, IL: Rod Mattoon, 2011), 45–46. [22]Ralph W. Harris, ed., Hebrews–Jude, The Complete Biblical Library: Study Bible (World Library Press, 1989), 261. [23]Charles R. Swindoll, Insights on James, 1 & 2 Peter, vol. 13, Swindoll’s Living Insights New Testament Commentar (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2014), 160. [24]Robert J. Dean, Family Bible Study, Summer 2004, Herschel Hobbs Commentary (LifeWay Christian Resources, 2004), 104. [25] Tom Wright, Early Christian Letters for Everyone: James, Peter, John and Judah, For Everyone Bible Study Guides (London; Louisville, KY: SPCK; Westminster John Knox Press, 2011), 51.