The first letter of Peter. His name was Shimon or Simon when he first became a follower of Jesus and he was part of the inner circle of the twelve disciples. When he made his confession that Jesus was the Messiah, Jesus changed his name to Kephas which is Aramaic for rock which was later translated into Greek as Petros or Peter.
Jesus promised that he would become a leader among the apostles to guide the Messianic community in Jerusalem through its earliest years and that's what happened. happened. Remember the early chapters of the book of Acts.
Eventually, Peter was called to carry the good news of Jesus beyond the borders of Israel, however, and this letter was written decades into that mission in the wider Roman world. We discover at the conclusion of this letter that Peter is in Rome, which he calls Babylon, and we learn that while Peter commissioned the letter, it was actually composed by a man named Silvanus, who was a co-worker of Peter. This was a circular letter sent to multiple church communities in the Roman province of Asia Minor. which is in modern-day Turkey.
And Peter learned that these mostly non-Jewish Christians were persecuted. They were facing hostility and harassment from their Greek and Roman neighbors. And so Peter wrote to encourage them in the midst of their suffering.
And this helps explain the letter's design and its main themes. It opens with a greeting and then it moves into a poetic song of praise to God, which introduces the key themes that are explored in the main body of the letter. where he first affirms the new family identity of these persecuted Christians, which will help them see their suffering as a way to bear witness to Jesus. This has a way of focusing their future hopes on the return of Jesus.
Let's dive in. You will just see how all the pieces work together. Peter opens by greeting these churches as the chosen people of God who are exiled around the world. Peter makes clear throughout the letter that these Christians he is writing to are Gentiles. But here he describes them with phrases from the Old Testament that describe how God chose the people of Israel, the family of Abraham, who was himself an exile and wanderer.
This is a key strategy that Peter repeats through the whole letter. He wants these suffering non-Jewish Christians to see that through Jesus they now belong to the family of Abraham. And so they're wandering exiles just like him, misunderstood, they're mistreated, and they're looking for their true home in the Promised Land. Peter continues this idea in the opening song.
He praises God for causing people to be born again into a living hope through Jesus'resurrection and the power of the Spirit. God is inviting all people into a new family centered around Jesus. A family that has a new identity as God's beloved children and who have a new hope of a world reborn by God's love when Jesus returns as King. And for people who have this hope, suffering and persecution is actually a strange gift. because it burns away false hopes and distractions like a purifying fire.
And it reminds us of our true home and hope. And so paradoxically, life's hardships actually deepen our faith. They make it more genuine. From here, Peter is going to move on into the body of the letter, but he is going to explore all these ideas in greater depth.
So he first develops the theme about the new family identity of God's people. He takes even more memorable Old Testament images about the family of Israel. and then he applies them to these Gentile Christians.
So, like the Israelites who left Egypt, they too are to gird up their loins and leave behind their former way of life on the way to a new future. So they are the holy people of God now who are journeying through the wilderness. They are the people of the new Exodus who have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus who is the ultimate Passover lamb.
They are the people of the new covenant who have God's word buried deep inside them, restoring their hearts. and renewing their minds. They are the new temple built on the foundation of Jesus himself.
And they are the new kingdom of priests who are serving God as his representatives to the nations. By applying all of these amazing images to these persecuted Gentile Christians, Peter is placing their suffering within a brand new story. This leads into the next section. Their persecution can actually help bring clarity to their mission in the world, to bear witness to God's mercy among the nations. So Peter first encourages them to submit to Roman rule, even if it's oppressive.
Yes, he acknowledges, their persecution, their suffering is unjust. But violent resistance solves nothing, not to mention that it betrays the teachings of Jesus who loved his enemies instead of killing them. Peter then specifically highlights the very difficult situation that Christian slaves and wives faced when they lived in Roman households where the patriarch did not follow Jesus.
The problem was that it was expensive. that everyone in the household would submit to and worship the patriarchs, gods. And so Peter is aware that giving allegiance to Jesus will generate suspicion.
So Peter says, it's true, all Christians including Roman wives and slaves have been fully liberated by Jesus. But they are to demonstrate that freedom, not. through rebellion, but by resisting evil the same way Jesus did, through showing love and generosity to your enemies. And in homes where the husband is also a Christian, it's a different story. They are to treat their wives totally different from their Roman neighbors, regarding them as equals before God who are worthy of honor and respect.
And Peter is hopeful that this imitation of Jesus'love and upside-down kingdom will give power to their words as they bear witness to God's mercy and show people the beautiful truth about the way of Jesus. But Peter is also a realist. He knows that Christians will continue to be persecuted and so he reminds them of their future vindication. He recalls how Jesus himself was unfairly persecuted and murdered by corrupt human powers.
But in reality, he was dying for the sins of his enemies. And afterward, he was vindicated and given resurrection life by the Spirit. Now Jesus is exalted as king over all human and spiritual powers.
Then Peter shows how baptism points to the vindication of Jesus'followers. Like Noah, they have been saved through the waters, not as a magic ritual, but as a sacred symbol that shows their change of heart, their desire to be joined to Jesus in his death and his resurrection. So now, even if they are murdered for following Jesus, their hope is in future vindication and exaltation alongside their king.
Which leads Peter into the final movement. He recalls Jesus'words that his disciples should consider it an honor and joy to be persecuted just like he was. Peter then calls on church leaders to care for these suffering Christians and to show the same kind of servant leadership that Jesus did to his followers.
And finally, Peter reminds these Christians about the real enemy that they are facing. This hostility isn't simply cultural or even political. There are dark forces of spiritual evil at work inspiring hatred. and violence and they are to resist this evil by staying faithful to Jesus and his teachings and by anticipating his return and ultimate victory over such evil.
Peter concludes with a prayer for divine strength and he sends a greeting from the church in Rome which he calls Babylon. Now this is cool. Peter's adopting here the tradition of the Old Testament prophets for whom the name Babylon became an archetype for any and every corrupt nation.
And so Rome has become the new Babylon. and its empire is where God's people are now exiled from their true home in the renewed creation. Peter's first letter is a powerful reminder of Christian hope in the midst of suffering. God's people have been a misunderstood minority from the very beginning, and they should expect to face hostility because they've chosen to live under the rule of a different king, Jesus. However, persecution can become a strange gift to the church because it offers a chance to show others the support of God.
...prizing generosity and love of Jesus, which is fueled by the hope of his return. And that's what 1 Peter is all about.