God’s Purpose and Our Lives

Introduction:

In Part 1 of this study, we learned as Peter gave his audience three imperatives designed to stress the consequences of having hope.

In this study, we will think about the obedience and holiness that are to define our lifestyles from the perspective of God’s intention.

Peter establishes a few important “call backs.”

Starting with 1 Peter 1:15, he makes three consecutive statements about “lifestyle or conduct.”

1 Peter 1:17.

1 Peter 1:18.

1 Peter 1:17 uses τῆς παροικίας ὑμῶν.

This calls back to 1 Peter 1:1-2 and 1 Peter 1:6: foreigners and temporary.

We are to understand the big picture.

Liberation

Peter now frames what he has taught from the perspective of what his audience already knows.

The immediate paragraph, esp. 1 Peter 1:13-17, should be understood from the perspective of things the audience already knows.

Peter is not teaching them something new.

Instead, he expects them to take what they already know about redeeming sacrifice of Jesus and apply it to the current line of thought/instruction/paraenesis.

“Redeemed” refers to liberation from slavery.

This was “from your empty inherited lifestyle.”

πατροπαράδοτος could have relevance for either Jews or non-Jews.

This lifestyle contrasts, then, with that which Peter has emphasized in the previous two statements (see above).

The redemption was not with “decaying”/ “tarnished” things like silver or gold.

He may wish for his readers to think of Ex. 30:12-16, Ex. 13:12-13, Num. 3:44-51, Num. 18:15:17.

The redemption WAS with the valuable blood of Messiah.

This blood is compared with the blood of a blemish, stain-free lamb. Hence, the connections with the previous verses (see i above).

Introduction: Part 2

What Peter teaches expects a high degree of familiarity with the Scriptures.

He frames the present life from the perspective of the future and from the past.

We know from the letter that his recipients face suffering, so Peter aids them to understand what suffering for conscience sake is and how to process it when it occurs.

This section makes it plain to see.

He presents everything from the perspective of God’s plan revealed through the prophets and fulfilled in the incarnation of Christ.

We are not afterthoughts. We are the immediate beneficiaries.

Our behavior, however, is also not an afterthought with God.

Intention

In the letter, thus far, Peter has stressed God’s intentionality.

Look back at 1 Peter 1:5-12.

Now, that intentionality comes back in importance for framing the present lifestyle.

Peter expands upon the Messiah utilizing contrast.

“On the one hand, having been foreknown πρὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου.”

“On the other hand, having been made manifest (revealed) at the last of times.”

The last of times begins with, at least, the incarnation of Jesus.

This calls back to initial main body paragraph (1 Pet. 1:5-12).

“Because of you all” keeps this personal.

That latter phrase now becomes the focal point:

You all are “the believers in God through him.”

What we are part of is not accidental…notice the above sections.

God is “the one who raised him from the dead and who gave glory to him.”

The purpose clause brings everything back to the big picture.

All of this was so that our faith and hope might be in God. 1 Peter 1:20 seems to bring the point back around to connect to 1 Peter 1:17. Namely, as Peter explains why the Messiah has been revealed in the last of days because of “you all,” he says that it is so that “your faith and hope might be in God.”

This seems to help us frame or understand the initial conditional in 1 Peter 1:17. If we trust the Father, then we will conduct ourselves in accordance with His holiness understanding that we are accountable to Him. Furthermore, it is trusting the Father that was the entire point of the incarnation, hence, it was also the point for us to trust God and thus live holy lifestyles as His children.

How are we to understand what has happened, and indeed, what will happen? How are we to understand everything else in between? Peter brings the weight of everything past, present, and future on his readers to get them to understand how they are to spend their time until the fulfilled last days.

Practice

Peter explains to his audience what all of this means in practical terms.

He expands beyond the individual. God’s plan included more than just the individual reconciliation.

Biblical Christianity, true spirituality, must be practiced beyond the self.

“Having purified/consecrated your souls/lives/selves in obedience of the truth for genuine brotherly love, love one another constantly (stretched out) from a pure heart not having been reborn from seed of corruption but rather of incorruption through (the) word of the living and remaining God.”

The nature of our birth is what calls us to love one another.

Note how much this sounds like Lev. 19.

This is a basic understanding of what it means to live as a believer in the present.