Get Ready
Have you ever purchased tickets or made plans for an exciting event in the future – and then had to wait for the actual event to happen? How did you deal with the waiting? Did you go over the details often? Did you talk about the event with other participants? Did you think about not going?
The Word
1Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ.
To the exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 who have been chosen and destined by God the Father and sanctified by the Spirit to be obedient to Jesus Christ and to be sprinkled with his blood:
May grace and peace be yours in abundance.
A Living Hope
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice, even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials, 7 so that the genuineness of your faith—being more precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
8 Although you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that was to be yours made careful search and inquiry, 11 inquiring about the person or time that the Spirit of Christ within them indicated when it testified in advance to the sufferings destined for Christ and the subsequent glory. 12 It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in regard to the things that have now been announced to you through those who brought you good news by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things into which angels long to look!
A call to Holy Living
13 Therefore prepare your minds for action; discipline yourselves; set all your hope on the grace that Jesus Christ will bring you when he is revealed. 14 Like obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires that you formerly had in ignorance.
15 Instead, as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your conduct; 16 for it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
17 If you invoke as Father the one who judges all people impartially according to their deeds, live in reverent fear during the time of your exile. 18 You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish. 20 He was destined before the foundation of the 21 world, but was revealed at the end of the ages for your sake. Through him you have come to trust in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are set on God.
22 Now that you have purified your souls by your obedience to the truth so that you have genuine mutual love, love one another deeply from the heart.
23 You have been born anew, not of perishable but of imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God. 24 For “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass.
The grass withers,
and the flower falls,
25 but the word of the Lord endures forever.”
That word is the good news that was announced to you. NRSV
Get into the Word
1. How does Peter present himself? Who is he writing to? How does he describe his audience? Who organized this group?
2. What does Peter talk about first? How does he introduce this subject? How does he describe it? Who is responsible for this? How does Peter expect his readers to respond? What is the result when they do respond?
3. How does Peter explain the development of this gift? Who is involved in its history? How did they learn about it? What did they learn about it? Who revealed these things to them?
4. What does Peter tell his readers to do as a result of this gift? Who does he compare them with? Who does he say is the model for this kind of behavior? How should believers live according to Peter? What does he remind them about their former situation? What about their current lives as followers of Jesus?
5. What is the result of Christ’s resurrection? How does this affect Peter’s readers? How should they relate to one another? How does Peter distinguish this new life from the former?
Get Personal
What is your confidence level that God raised Christ? Does it vary from time to time? How does God help you live as a “new creation”? How does this affect your relationships with other Jesus-followers?
Notes . . .
1:1. Apostle – a Greek word for “one who is sent on behalf of”
Exiles of the dispersion – by this time Christians were living throughout the Roman Empire. The countries named are all part of modern Turkey.
1:2. Chosen – Peter involves the father and Holy Spirit as well as Jesus Christ in the process of identifying his readers.
1:3. New birth – Salvation is such a radical change in a believer’s life that Peter uses this phrase to include all aspects of their lives.
1:6. Various trials – even thought the Roman Empire did not prohibit Christianity (or Judaism), believers were targeted by others, including the local Jewish leaders. And because believers did not support idol worship they were cut off from much of the local economic activity, especially if they openly opposed idol worship.
1:7. Tested by fire – precious metals are refined or purified using fire to remove the impurities. Peter us uses this metaphor to
describe strengthening one’s faith by persevering through suffering.1:10. Prophets – Peter reminds his readers that Judaism is the story of God’s actions with his people, leading up to Jesus. Christianity is not a new religion; it is the culmination of God’s promise to Abraham almost 2,000 years earlier [Genesis 17].
1:15. Holy – Peter repeats God’s commandment to the Israelites: I am the Lord who brought you up from the land of Egypt, to be your God; you shall be holy, for I am holy, [Lev 11:45].
1:17. Without defect or blemish – the Old Testament sacrificial system required the offering to be without blemish [Lev 22:17-25]. Jesus was the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” [John 1:29].
1:22. Love one another – Jesus’ single command to the disciples: This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you, [John 15:1].
1:24. All flesh . . . Peter quotes Isaiah 40:6-8.
Memory Verse
For all flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord endures forever, [1 Peter 1:24]
Next Lesson
The living stone and a chosen people – 1 Peter 2
