1 Peter, lesson 2

Lesson 2

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, we pray for Your presence in our journey into the general epistle of 1 Peter. We pray for the presence and anointing of the Holy Spirit to help us rightly divide the truth of Your Word, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

1 Peter 1: 1-25, salutation, living hope, the heavenly inheritance, be holy, enduring Word

VV 1-2, 1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To the pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ, Grace to you and peace be multiplied.

Peter spelled out his credential as an apostle of Jesus Christ. Peter was initially a disciple of John the Baptist. Jesus called him out from a Galilean fisherman into a fisher of the souls of men. The recipients of his epistle were the diasporic Jewish Christians dispersed from Jerusalem to the Romans provinces of Asia Minor, Pontius, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, due to Romans persecutions. God, the Father elected them according to divine predestination and foreknowledge. The Holy Spirit sanctified them. Christ redeemed them by His blood. All three persons of the Godhead, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, played a role in divine election. Peter pronounced a blessing of grace and peace to his audience. The result of salvation and justification by grace through faith in Jesus Christ is peace and reconciliation with God.

VV 3-5, 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Greek for blessed is “eulogos”, which means to speak well of someone. Greek for begotten is “annagennao”, which means born again. Christians are born again into a living hope to receive an eternal inheritance through Christ’s resurrection from the dead, John 3:3 and 3:5. . Our heavenly inheritance is incorruptible, undefiled, divinely reserved, and preserved for us until Christ’s second coming.

John 3:3, Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

John 3:5, Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

VV 6-9, 6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, 8 whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 receiving the end of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Peter encouraged his audience to rejoice in the face of trials because these are the tests of faith. Faith tested by fire is more precious than gold. If they persevere, they will receive salvation, praise, honour, glory, and the inexpressible joy of seeing Christ at His second coming.

VV 10-12, 10 Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, 11 searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. 12 To them it was revealed that not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things which angels desire to look into.

the Holy Spirit revealed Christ’s first and second coming to the Old Testament prophets. Christ’s first coming was fulfilled but His second coming is still a future event. Even angels desire to know these events.

VV 13-15, 13 Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 14 as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; 15 but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy”, Leviticus 19:2.

Peter encouraged his audience to be mentally prepared, clear-minded, and rest in the living hope of Christ’s second coming. They should behave like obedient children free from lust and ignorance. They should be holy because God is holy, quoting Leviticus 19:2.

Leviticus 19:2, “Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them, You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy”.

VV 17-21, 17 And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; 18 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. 20 He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world but was manifest in these last times for you 21 who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

Peter reminded his audience that they were redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus, Lamb of God, pre-existent, self-existent, eternal, and foreordained before time. Christ manifested in human flesh through the incarnation, rose from the dead through resurrection, ascended, glorified, and exalted to heaven by God for those who believe in Him by faith.

VV 22-25, 22 Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, 23 having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, 24 because “All flesh is as grass and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers and its flower falls away, 25 But the word of the Lord endures forever.” Now, this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.

Peter reminded his audience that they were sanctified by the Holy Spirit to obey the truth. They should love one another with a sincere motive. They were born again by the Holy Spirit through the incorruptible seed, the eternal Word of God. Peter quoted Isaiah 40:7-8. People are nothing more than perishable grass and flowers but the Word of God is eternal and remains forever.

Isaiah 40:7-8, “The grass withers, the flower fades because the breath of the Lord blows upon it. Surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.”

Application:

We are born again by the Holy Spirit through the incorruptible seed of God’s Word into a living hope to receive an eternal inheritance through Christ’s resurrection from the dead.

We rejoice in the face of sufferings, tribulations, afflictions, and trials because these are these tests of faith are more precious than gold.

Sufferings produce perseverance, perseverance produces character and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint. We should be mentally prepared, clear-minded, and rest in the living hope of Christ. Our lives should be holy because God is holy. We are redeemed by the precious blood of Christ.

Romans 5:3-5, “And not only that but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us”.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank You for regenerating us by the Holy Spirit through the incorruptible seed of Your living Word. We are like grass and flowers which are transient and perishable, but Your Word is eternal and remains forever, in Jesus’ name, Amen.