For Obedience and .....Blood Sprinkles? (1 Pt 1:1-2)

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Why 1 Peter?

On 1 Peter

This excellent Epistle (full of evangelical doctrine and apostolical authority) is a brief, and yet very clear summary both of the consolations and instructions needful for the encouragement and direction of a Christian in his journey to Heaven, elevating his thoughts and desires to that happiness, and strengthening him against all opposition in the way, both that of corruption within, and temptations and afflictions from without.

The heads of doctrine contained in it are many, but the main that are most insisted on, are these three, faith, obedience, and patience; to establish them in believing, to direct them in doing and to comfort them in suffering.

Wayne A. Grudem, 1 Peter: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 17, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1988), 40.

Who was Peter?

Peter's Transformation: Peter's journey from being an impulsive, sometimes fearful disciple to a bold, faithful apostle demonstrates the power of God's grace and transformation. Christians can find hope in the fact that Peter, who denied Jesus three times, was later restored and used mightily by God. This encourages believers that failure isn't final and that God can work through our weaknesses.

Personal Experience of Suffering and Persecution: Peter faced persecution for his faith, and his letter is written to Christians who are also suffering. Knowing that Peter himself endured trials for following Christ adds authenticity and empathy to his words. His encouragement to endure suffering with faith and hope comes from someone who lived it, making his advice more relatable and powerful.

Peter's Leadership: As a key leader in the early church, Peter had a deep understanding of what it meant to follow Christ in challenging times. His letter offers practical and spiritual guidance on how to live out the Christian faith in the face of adversity. His words on humility, submission, and steadfastness are grounded in his own growth and leadership.

Peter’s Relationship with Jesus: Peter had a close relationship with Jesus during His earthly ministry. He was an eyewitness to Jesus' miracles, teachings, and resurrection. This personal connection gives Peter’s writings weight, as he shares not just abstract theological concepts but firsthand insights about the Savior.

Encouragement for Growth: Peter's exhortation to grow in holiness and resist the devil resonates more when we remember his own struggles and growth. He went from misunderstanding Jesus’ mission to being a pillar of the faith. This can inspire Christians to strive for spiritual maturity, trusting that God is patient and willing to grow them just as He did Peter.

Understanding Peter’s background and his transformation as a follower of Christ adds richness to reading 1 Peter, offering encouragement that God’s grace can work powerfully in anyone’s life.

Arguements against Petrine Authorship

Arguments against Petrine authorship:

Very polished Greek (best in NT)

OT quotes from the Septuagint (LXX)

No mention of Historical Jesus

Dates of persecutions

Counter Arguments:

Possibly wrote with a secretray (1 Pt 5:12)

Quotes the bible his audaince would have known

He speaks about the common faith and instruction

The primary weakness of this objection is a failure to give due weight to the difference between a gospel and a brief letter. Peter was writing not to recall many details of Jesus’ earthly life, but rather to give instruction to his hearers regarding specific situations which they faced. With regard to the situation of persecution, Peter does certainly employ the example of Christ (2:21–23; 3:18; 4:1–2, 13; 5:1). Such repeated reminders of Christ’s sufferings appropriately and specifically applied to the situation of the readers; further detail was unnecessary, especially if Peter could assume that the elements of the gospel stories were well known.

Wayne A. Grudem, 1 Peter: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 17, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1988), 33.)

Scattered persecutions, not empire wide

On Roma:

The goddess Roma was the visible representation of the ‘order,’ the ‘rule of law,’ the ‘peace’ and ‘stability’ brought by imperial manifestation.… The imperial cult thus also reinforced the belief that Rome was divinely chosen to rule the world, to subdue all nations, and to lead them into a golden age of lasting peace and well-being, united under her banner.

Paul A. Himes, 1 Peter, ed. Douglas Mangum, Elizabeth Vince, and Abigail Salinger, Lexham Research Commentaries (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2017).

Application Overview

Like most epistolary introductions, 1 Peter 1:1 encourages the churches to think of themselves as a special group in God’s eyes: They are the recipients of God’s grace and goodness. Beyond that, however, as 1 Peter 1:2 indicates, the audience’s situation did not come about as a surprise to God. Rather, it exists in accordance with his foreknowledge, occurs by means of the Spirit’s sanctification, and is calling us into obedience and fellowship with Jesus. Thus, whatever circumstances believers find themselves in, they can look to the Triune God and meditate on his involvement.

Furthermore, the expression “resident alien” provides an excellent paradigm for the Christian life—one that has been sadly neglected. J. D. Greer (drawing from Tim Keller) provides an excellent description of the issue when he notes that “when people live in a country that is not their own, they can assume one of several identities.” The first such identity, “immigrant,” means that such people are attempting to “become citizens of their host country, even though it is not their original home.” Yet when Christians act in such a way, they allow their concerns over making a comfortable life in the world supersede their representation as agents the God’s kingdom. On the other hand, some Christians act like “tourists” on earth and “never really get involved.… They stick with their group, stay in Western hotels and keep their eyes peeled for the closest Starbucks.” Christians with that mentality fail to interact with the world on behalf of God their king and thus have no long-lasting spiritual impact (Greer 2012, 239).

In contrast to those choices, 1 Peter gives us the proper perspective: to live as resident aliens. Unlike both immigrants and tourists, “Sojourners plant their lives in a new country but retain the character of their original home” (Greer 2012, 239–40). This allows believers to engage missionally with the world, but to do so as people who are “in the world, but not of the world”

Paul A. Himes, 1 Peter, ed. Douglas Mangum, Elizabeth Vince, and Abigail Salinger, Lexham Research Commentaries (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2017).

On Blood sprinkles

Sprinkled blood in the Old Testament was a visual reminder to God and to his people that a life had been given, a sacrifice had been paid. But in most Old Testament sacrifices the blood was sprinkled on the altar or on the mercy seat (Lev. 4:17; 5:9; 16:14, 15, 19; Num. 19:4). In only three cases was blood ceremonially sprinkled on the people themselves: (1) in the covenant initiation ceremony at Mt. Sinai when Moses sprinkled half the blood from the sacrificial oxen on all the people (Exod. 24:5–8; Heb. 9:19; and perhaps Isa. 52:15 [Aquila, cf. Theodotian]); (2) in the ceremony of ordination for Aaron and his sons as priests (Exod. 29:21; probably also Heb. 10:22); and (3) in the purification ceremony for a leper who had been healed from leprosy (Lev. 14:6–7).

Wayne A. Grudem, 1 Peter: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 17, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1988), 56.