1 Peter 1:1 - Greeting

Introduction

Every epistle is a little different in their greeting

Galatians 1:1 Paul’s authority and source of the gospel, right off the bat!

1 Thess. 1:1 To the point

1 John 1:1 No greeting at all

Some say a lot about the author, some hardly anything. Some say quite a bit about their readers, some not much at all.

When you read 1 Peter - clear that they are suffering

What would you write to a suffering people?

Establish your authority immediately?!

Lots of kind words about your readers?!

We can learn quite a bit from how Peter opens his epistle

First, about what he thinks about himself

Second, about what he thinks about his readers

Read 1 Peter 1:1

Author: what Peter says about himself

How do you introduce yourself in a letter to suffering people, when…?

You know they will benefit from your teaching—in other words, you have authority to speak

You know they should trust what you say—in other words, you can relate to their suffering

Neither self-absorbed: no details of his authority

Peter had many credentials

Sat under Jesus’ teaching

Chosen as a disciple (only 12!)

Given a special commission from Jesus after his resurrection

Thousands saved from his first preaching

Peter doesn’t use any of them

Nor self-abasing: no details of his relatability

Peter had many reasons we can relate to him

Simple fisherman, uneducated

Denied Jesus (fails like us)

Imprisoned earlier on (suffers like us)

Peter in a special position: apostle. No one he was writing to could claim that. He may have felt the urge to make sure they knew he could relate to them in their suffering so they wouldn’t think his apostleship made him immune

Peter doesn’t use any of them

Simple and perfect: an apostle of Jesus Christ

Authority, from Christ

Relatability, I am what I am because of Christ

Right tone for suffering readers

Peter’s tone is a good example to us in how we approach those who are suffering

When we suffer, we’re in a tender position

We don’t need authoritative correction so much as camaraderie that points us authoritatively to Christ

We don’t need someone who can relate to “exactly how we feel” so much as someone who knows their own suffering and can comfort

Peter avoids both of these traps by his simple introduction

Audience: what Peter says about them

Peter identifies three things about his audience

Chosen

Chosen can be hard to understand exactly.

Parable of the wedding feast: Matthew 22:1–14

Called: everyone

Chosen: those who heeded the king’s call

They came for a wedding feast

The man thrown out: did not truly heed the call (for wedding feast), came on his own terms

Are you among the chosen? Have you heeded the call to come to Christ, on His terms? If so, then yes.

Sojourners

Definition of a sojourner Hebrews 11:13-16

Someone who is looking for the coming promises, seeking a homeland.

Think for a minute about what kind of consequences this has for your day-to-day mindset

Two things (at least):

Ultimate fulfillment is not in this life, so you don’t seek it here

This is not our ultimate home, don’t seek belonging here

Effect of being a sojourner

Encouraging

Hebrews 11:16, a better place than this

Parenting is such a teaching tool here. A lesson I’ve learned is to remember that the tough times are temporary. You baby will sleep at night eventually. Your toddler will eat well eventually. Your sons will play together without fighting, eventually. Phases pass, if you are persistent, and a “better land” is ahead. So, be encouraged and endure.

Challenging

1 Peter 2:11, plenty of ways to make this our “home” which we sometimes have to deny

Of course some things in the world we simply have to deny - they are evil

But God pronounced all of his creation good and we must remember that

Abraham was rich, but was willing to let Lot have the better land

Moses was a prince, but was willing to give it up for God’s people

Being a sojourner is primarily a mental discipline: wealth and things are not so much the problem as allowing wealth and things to mentally tie us to this world and remove our focus from our heavenly citizenship

Dispersed

I like the NASB, “scattered throughout”, like salt on a meal. Root of the word means to sow, as in seed.

Two purposes

Of course, identifies who the letter should go to

More than that: reminds them they are scattered, but not alone

Suffering can have the effect of isolating us

Others are not suffering, so it’s hard to relate

Our suffering feels unique, who can understand ours?

This was the encouragement that Elijah needed: 1 Kings 19:10,18

Three descriptions, why?

So, Peter describes his readers in these three ways. Why?

All positional truths--

Chosen - spiritually, they are saved, the chosen of God because they have heeded His call to salvation

Sojourners - mentally, living temporarily in this world, there is a better land to come

Dispersed - physically, scattered throughout the world, but not alone, many believers all around and anywhere they would go

Encouragement for sufferers - to know where they stand, despite the suffering, nothing has changed these positional truths.

Conclusion

Only one verse, but packed with Peter’s intentions and approach to the letter

We learn

What Peter says about himself

What Peter says about his readers

All aimed to encourage suffering believers and call them to stand firm