To the Elect Exiles...a Trinitarian Blessing
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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.
Background
Background
Author
Author
The author of this book is Peter. The Apostle who was with Jesus during His earthly ministry.
Audience
Audience
This letter was for the elect exiles in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia.
These are believers who are scattered across modern day Turkey.
Date
Date
The date is most likely sometime before 64 AD.
It was written before Nero’s persecution of Christians in Rome.
Location
Location
13 She who is at Babylon, who is likewise chosen, sends you greetings, and so does Mark, my son.
Peter infers that he is writing his letter from Babylon, which all evidence points to Rome. (1 Peter 2:13)
There is no known reason for why Peter calls Rome Babylon, it could be to prevent persecution of the church in Rome.
Central Message
Central Message
This is the central message of this book: stand firm in the face of persecution.
These are the secondary themes:
living triumphantly in hope during a time of outside hostility
Avoiding bitterness in suffering
staying grounded in the faith
not forgetting the second coming of Christ
To those who are Elect Exiles
To those who are Elect Exiles
Peter opens his book with a clear statement of confidence. he is showing hope to these believers, the hope of their secure salvation in Jesus Christ.
To the elect exiles--the Greek word here is ἐκλεκτός
chosen (selected) adj. — selected (by someone) in preference to another (or others).
This is referring to those who were selected into salvation. (Matthew 22:14; 24:22-24; 24:31; Mark 13:20-22,27; Luke 18:7; 23:35; Romans 8:33; Colossians 3:12; 2 Timothy 2:10; Titus 1:1)
I know there are some who disagree on this teaching, so I am going to try to be gentle, but I am going to preach what the Scripture says about this teaching.
This is a term that is describes an intimate relationship with those whom God loves.
I will expound further on this idea in the next section.
As Peter is giving these believers confidence in their standing with God, He continues to build on this confidence by showing the work of the Trinity.
The Trinity in Action
The Trinity in Action
By the Father we are here to understand the first person of the blessed Trinity. There is an order among the three persons, though no superiority; they are equal in power and glory, and there is an agreed economy in their works. Thus, in the affair of man’s redemption, election is by way of eminency ascribed to the Father, as reconciliation is to the Son and sanctification to the Holy Ghost, though in each of these one person is not so entirely interested as to exclude the other two. Hereby the persons of the Trinity are more clearly discovered to us, and we are taught what obligations we are under to each of them distinctly.
Matthew Henry
Verse two is a clear passage on the doctrine of the Trinity. Each aspect and role of the Godhead is shown.
God the Father
God the Father
According to the foreknowledge of God the Father,
The word here is prognosis.
forethought n. — planning or plotting in advance of acting.
The only other time this word is used is in Acts 2:23
22 “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— 23 this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. 24 God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.
Some will argue that this is how God sees into the future for all who would choose Him for salvation.
The problem with this argument is this:
It places man as sovereign over salvation and not God
it gives man credit for his salvation
it assumes that fallen (dead) man can seek after God
Foreknowledge is does not imply that God merely observes the elect or is aware of their existence or has information concerning their lives. Nor does it mean that God simply predicts our conversion or knows about it in advance. Often in Scripture, to know has a meaning that beyond that of mere cognition. It is used in a sense practically synonymous with “to love,” “to set regard upon,” to know with particular interest, delight, affection and action”. Foreknowledge is to forelove. That God foreknew us means that He knew us from eternity past with a sovereign and distinguishing delight. God’s foreknowledge is an active, creative, work of divine love. It is not bare pre-vision that merely recognizes a difference between those who believe and those who do not believe.
Sam Storms
God the Father called believers into salvation in eternity past.
( John 17:6, 20-21; 1 Corinthians 1:27-31; Ephesians 1:4-5; 2 Thessalonians 2:13 )
6 “I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word.
20 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.
13 But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.
The Spirit
The Spirit
in the sanctification of the Spirit
The Holy Spirit is the one who moves believers through sanctification.
sanctification n. — the act of becoming more personally dedicated to God; especially by becoming more distinct, devoted, or morally pure.
Sanctification is an action that is best described as now and not yet.
A believer is sanctified at salvation. (Now) (1 Corinthians 6:11)
11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
A believer is being sanctified as they grow in the faith. (Not Yet) (Romans 7:6; 8:11-13; 15:16; 1 Corinthians 2:13; 2 Thessalonians 2:13)
The presence of the Holy Spirit is an encouragement for the believer, as He the guarantee of God. (2 Corinthians 1:22; 5:5; Ephesians 1:14)
Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ
This is the culmination of the Trinitarian blessing.
They were called according to the foreknowledge of God, to be sanctified in the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ through His blood.
The called will submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ!!
His blood is sufficient to cover sin, He calls us to repentance.
His blood is effective for those who were called by God.
Believers should be encouraged by this passage, Christian, your salvation is not an accident.
It was a work of God from eternity past, it is something that cannot be taken from you, it is from God!
All persons of the Trinity are involved in salvation.
A Blessing
A Blessing
Peter culminates this greeting with the personal blessing.
May grace and peace be multiplied to you.
Peter’s blessing: May grace and peace be increasing in your life.
Remember the purpose of this book is to encourage believers who are about to face persecution.
The first encouragement is to remind these believers that God is Sovereign, even in their salvation.
May we also be encouraged by this, salvation through Christ is not accidental, but a purpose, deliberate act of God.
There is great comfort in knowing your eternity is settled, that it is not based on your work.
MacArthur provides five reasons why this is of great comfort to the Christian:
It humbles man and crushes his pride
It worships God as it gives all Glory to God
It produces ultimate joy. We place our hope in God and not things of earth.
It promises an eternity of spiritual privileges
It encourages us to live Holy out of gratefulness to God for saving us.
When a Christian fully embraces this idea, these five reasons provide a power in Christian’s lives. A power that could not be fully appreciated apart from this understanding.