1 Peter 1

1 Peter 1:1–2 ESV

1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you.

Were going to getting into our new series exiles and aliens.before some of you get to excited were not going down a conspiracy rabbit hole were taking about what does it mean to exist in a contrast community.

Elect

This is a term that gets thrown around used a lot in the Christian world.

The Lexham Bible Dictionary Election

God’s choice of a person or people group for a specific purpose, mission, or salvation

We see this concept through out the whole of scripture. God chooses people for purposes

Exodus 19:5–6 ESV

5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; 6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”

Calling of the people to his own

God of the universe chooses people to be his own and achieve his purposes

call to be holy. Elect as are defined by their holiness

Diaspora

term diaspora which means dispersion, there is a question and debate around the nature of dispersion.

The term could also simply be referencing the Jewish converts in the community living outside of Palestine.

Irrespective of the exact meaning, it is accepted that it refers to people who do not fit within the culture at large because of their Christian identity.

Exiles

The next term Peter identifies is the Greek term transliterated to Parepidēmos.

This term is unique and is used only in 1 Peter and the Book of Hebrews.

It translates to strangers or exiles. The term stranger and alien are both used to describe a person who does not belong within their context.

The concept of Exiles would be familiar to these people

there is good reason to believe that peter is writing to a mixed community of both Jewish and Gentile converts

This community is thousands of KM from Rome and thousands from Jerusalem

Acts 11:19 ESV

19 Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews.

The Jewish people began persecuting the Jews who would have converted to christianity and no longer see them as Jews and their own family’s would turn on them and even persecute them.

Gentile converts didn’t have it much easier as they were also hated by the broader community and the Jews

so these people could very well be exiles in a physical sense being Jewish decent away from Palestine. however in all these cases we are seeing people who do not fit in within the culture at large do the their faith in Jesus.

What we are seeing with this term of Alien or exile is a people who are

chosen by God

called by God

Loved by God

But completely different in their posture and attitude to the the surrounding community

All of these people who suffer as exiles are now part of the elect group

Election Continued

The book of first Peter serves as a letter of encouragement for these churches living as these aliens in a foreign lands. these churches were spread across the eastern edge of the roman world and had varying sizes of christians populations.

All of these churches very facing varying levels of persecution. In Rome where peter is writing from the heat is being turned up on the church where the physical persecution is increasing. however the regions that the letters the threat of persecution was not a violent one however it was one that people as we already mentioned were being alienated and publicly excluded and ridiculed for their faith the whole day long.

The reason for this persecution is because of their status as people called by God.

Through out the whole story of scripture the elect are called to a higher standard of life.

God calls his people to Be holy

Lev 19:6, Ex 19, 1 Pet 1:16 have the same call to the people, Be holy as I am holy.

Gods purpose through out the whole of history is to bless creation through elect

Genesis 12:1–2 ESV

1 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.

Gods purposes in Abraham was to bless him and make him a blessing to his people

Exodus 19:6 ESV

6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”

Exodus the people are called to serve a priestly roll which in turn is a blessing for all humanity

1 Peter 2:9 ESV

9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

two fold nature of the elect

Blessed

to be chosen by God is a blessing for those of us who claim Jesus as lord and saviour belong to what is called the elect.

These people have access to the king of kings and lord of lords. They can approach Jesus our great high preist in assurance and confidence that He will hear your cry and pray

Additionally the blessing comes with the assurance of a promised salvation in the end of days.

no water what may befall you here on earth those who are in christ can have a full assurance of a salvation and peace when they face Jesus face to face.

Be a blessing

The people who are elect dont just serve to exist in relationship to God and live insularly lives but rather to live as we mentioned earlier as a blessing to the nations.

to invite other people into to relationship with God to live a life of Holy ness

Hated

Because of this call to be holy and lives that invite other people into relationship they will be hated, slandered and persecuted. Jesus promised that

John 15:18 ESV

18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.

The people in first peter knew God. They were loved by God and were called to live out as aliens meaning people who did not belong so that Gods purposes could be continued

misunderstood and mistreated for their belief in Jesus

The promise

1 Peter 1:3–7 ESV

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Who cause?

God in his great mercy has called his people to be born again

God chose you!

no by foreseeing of any desirableness or merit on our part, nothing special or good quantity on us. God chose you out of his abundant mercy to be born again

Born again

this is new life with Jesus where we have died to self and are alive in him

This is a new life a holiness and belonging to Jesus.

Living hope is a present reality that Jesus is alive

not only in something the come

but in Jesus who is a live

this hope grow

an Eager confident expectation of life with Jesus in this life and in the one to come

Inheritance

1 Peter: An Introduction and Commentary 1. Joy in Future Heavenly Reward (1:3–5)

The contrast is striking: the readers have been born anew, not to obtain a family inheritance in the earthly land of Canaan, but to obtain an inheritance in the eternal city of God (away from which they now live as sojourners, v. 1). The ‘inheritance’ is thus their portion in the new creation and all its blessings.

These people are displace and lost famly ties for the same of the Gospel they now receive an inherence far greater then the ones given by earthly fathers

The inheritance is the same one we receive ourselves

imperishable: this will never decay or waste away like the things of this earth.

undefiled: this inheritance is not bound by sin and will never know the curse of sin there is nothing impure about it

unfading: this will never fade or loose its beauty for all of eternity

Kept in heaven: this is safely stored. God the father is storing this inheritance for his children safely guarding it in heaven where nothing can corupt or take away from its Goodness. this will never be denied for the one that it has set it aside for

Conclusion

We see in this text a people that are

Elect: chosen by God loved by God set apart by God for his purposes

Exiles: People who are literally and metaphorically away cast away from the culture

Diaspora: living as a minority in a culture that is against them for who they are and what they believe

Vancouver we are in this situation

some from across the world

however the same call to be a blessing falls to us

we are all aliens in a forgive land

1 Peter 5:6–10 ESV

6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.