1 Peter - introduction

1 Peter

Matthew 16 verses 13 to 20 Acts 4 verses 1 to 22


Why 1 Peter? It is short, simple and it speaks to us today. Leighton, says Peter has three things he aims at in this letter: Faith, to establish them in believing; obedience, to direct them in doing; Patience, to comfort them in suffering. Peter wrote to scattered believers encouraging them to stay steadfast in difficult circumstances. Hope is the commodity in short supply, then and now in the church and without.

Who wrote this letter?

Verse 1 Peter the apostle of Jesus Christ. We know more about Peter than any other writer in the Bible
a) What do we know about Peter?
(i) He was called Simon; he was brought to Christ by his brother Andrew.
(ii) He came from Galilee – he was a fisherman. Galileans had a reputation for independence.
(iii) He was married – he was accompanied by his wife later (he was not celibate as the Roman Catholics claim).
(iv) He was renamed Cephas or Peter by Jesus, this means mass of rock cut from the living rock, implying stability, as he was in later life.
(v) He made a great statement of faith in Matthew 16.
(vi) He was with the Lord on the Mount of Transfiguration, at the last supper etc. He also denied Christ.
(vii) Jesus reinstated him.
(viii) He preached at Pentecost.
(ix) He went before the Sanhedrin
(x) He went to Samaria
(xi) He went to see to see Cornelius in Joppa
(xii) He was at the Council in Jerusalem
(xiii) He was reprimanded by Paul in Antioch
(xiv) Some think he went to Turkey and wrote letters from there.
(xv) Some say he was crucified upside down in Rome.
(xvi) After that nothing is known for certain.
Here is a man who was an eye witness to every word spoken and action of Jesus. He was the leader of the disciples and he had a deep and wonderful understanding of the Gospel.
He was made a stable person by the grace of Christ.
b) He was an apostle. This name means ‘from’ and ‘to send’ – the old English word ‘postle’ comes from it which means sermon. We derive the word postman from it. The apostle delivers the gospel. He wrote with inspiration.
An apostle is the highest office of the church, they are chosen by Christ and confirmed by miracles. The apostles high office ended when scriptures ended. Today the gospel is taken by ordinary believers, we are the only ones he has to take it.

To who is it written?

1 Peter is written to ‘strangers in the world’. They were ‘expatriates’. They hadn’t moved physically but had spiritually. It is a general letter. The 9 general letters are from Hebrews to Revelations were sent to a general geographical areas. They were written by James, Peter and John – the pillars of the church. 1 Peter was written to Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia and Bithynia – all in modern day Turkey. It is a tough society today and it was so then. The converts had been made under Paul or Peter. They were of mixed race and religion – Jews, Gauls, Greeks etc. The believers had been dispersed as life got difficult for them – see Acts 8, they preached the word wherever they went. It may have been difficult for them to have a church fellowship, they were a united fellowship. Peter knew they were faithful. They were the light of the world. We are where God wants us to be. We must bloom where we are planted by God. We must be fragrant. We are scattered but gather to meet.
We have a different set of values from those around us. They hadn’t moved physically but they had spiritually, they had embraced the gospel and had a new king, they had a new allegiance in the town, school and work place. Our citizenship is in Heaven. We wait for a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ. We are in but not of the world. We do not compromise with the world. We are faithful to what God wants us to do. It is hard to swim against the tide but we have the grace of God to help us. The world heaps abuse on us as a result of us being different.
He writes to strangers or foreigners or aliens in the world. Peter is writing to temporary residents of the world. That’s true of us all, we are all passing through, we are mortal, some will have a long journey, others a short one. We are all governed by time and heading for eternity. Christianity is often mocked for being ‘pie in the sky when we die’ it is not true, we live for God now. Years ago death was a reminder of the shortness of life and the need to prepare for eternity. We may live longer but we still have to face death. Are we ready to meet the Lord? Do we have heaven to look forward to?

When was it written?
Peter is writing some 30 years after the death and ascension of Jesus, just prior to Nero’s persecution. They were turbulent and terrifying times. Nero was the emperor of the world, he was about to initiate the greatest ever persecution of Christians in the world. He probably caused the great fire of Rome and blamed Christians for it. Christians suffered terribly. It was all recorded by Tacitus who witnessed it all. Peter wrote to prepare people for this persecution.

Where was it sent from?
Chapter 4 verse l3 says Babylon, was it really from there? Or was it spoken of figuratively? There is no evidence Peter went to the real Babylon but he did get to Rome in AD 63. Just after Paul was first released.

What kind of letter is it?
It was an encyclical letter intended to read aloud in the various Christian assemblies. It was possibly written as a catechism.

What support has the letter?
The genuineness of this letter is evident both internally and externally.

Why was it written?
a) It was written during political, social and personal uncertainty. There was social change and personal persecution. Nero was on the throne. He was a young man – only 32 when he died. He was unfitted to be emperor. Opposition to Christ was spreading. Christians were very different, they were not immoral, neither did they burn incense or worship the emperor. People misunderstood and feared them and what you fear and don’t understand you attack. It is so today. There were many gods, local and national ones. Christians said Jesus is Lord and worshipping idols is wrong. People of the age were tolerant of all religions except those who say Jesus is Lord. Christian unions in colleges are being denied permission to meet on campus. Because of this it was the best of times, they had a great living saviour, it was the worst of times – they were being persecuted.
b) It was written when Christians were being persecuted. We do not face first century Rome and its barbaric emperor. We have democracy and freedom but we still suffer temptation and difficulties in the World. Hardship is met all over the world. We suffer in our bodies. We need hope in a hostile world. Peter maintained hope in a hostile world. First Peter is a message to people under pressure to give up.