In 1 Peter 1, Peter introduced his letter by reminding his readers of who they were supposed to be as the nation Israel as well as who they were in Christ. In so doing, he began to call them to action.
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In 1 Peter 1, Peter introduced his letter by reminding his readers of who they were supposed to be as the nation Israel as well as who they were in Christ. In so doing, he began to call them to action.
Stay engaged with new and up-to-date content, including newsletters, articles, podcasts, etc. Download the Teach Me the Bible App from any app store or Apple TV/Roku device.
You're listening to Teach Me the Bible podcast, where we unpack the meaning of books, passages and themes from Scripture. Join us each week as Dr David Klingler walks us through God's Word and teaches the Bible. Each episode has a study guide available in the show notes. This is Teach Me the Bible podcast.
Speaker 2:Well, david, today, as we start Peter's letter, we're in chapter one and, as we've said, you know it really messes up the conversation when we have these chapters. But we've done the overview of Peter and now, as we're walking into this, what's his focus? Where's he going?
Speaker 3:with this. Yeah, so just by way of reminder, and anytime we're talking about an epistle, authors write to address the situation, and so as you read this letter, we're kind of the third person on the phone, so to speak. I mean, you're kind of hearing this discussion.
Speaker 3:Well, the group line yeah on the group yeah, Peter's talking to these first century believers and we've got to try to figure out what he's talking about. And, reading the letter, he knows what he's talking about. They know what he's talking about, but we've got to figure this out. And so, apparently, as we read this letter, there are these Jewish believers and the reason why we say there are Jewish believers there's just, and there's debate about that. Some people say no, these are Gentiles because of some of the language. But I think that that's probably not the way to go and we'll talk about that as we go through this letter. But the Christ has come. Some of the Jews have believed and one of the things that I found interesting when I was looking at this years ago was that the list of things right here in verse one Peter and Apostle of Christ Jesus to those who reside as aliens, scattered that's the first word that we run into. That's the diaspora word. It's the Deuteronomy 28,. If you're obedient, I will bless you, but if you're disobedient, I will disperse you among the nations. And that's what's happened. Israel has not been regathered. When they repent, when Israel repents, when they believe in the Lord, they will be restored from captivity and he will have compassion upon them and that hasn't happened. And so these Jews have believed, yet they're still scattered. And they're scattered throughout Pontius, galatia, Cappadocia, asia, bethany, who are chosen. That chosen language is Israel's language, and I remember when I was looking at Acts, chapter one, and into chapter two. This is the, these men. It was the day of Pentecost and there were Jews who were in Jerusalem this is in chapter two, acts, chapter two, verse five devout men from every nation under heaven. And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together and they were bewildered and they were all hearing in their own language, and they were amazed and marveled, saying are not these men who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that each one hears in his own language? And here's the list Parthians, medes, elamites, those who reside in Mesopotamia, judea, cappadocia, Pontius, asia. It's a lot of the same list. And this is where Israel was dispersed. They were dispersed among the nations.
Speaker 3:And so Peter's writing to these Jews who have believed but were scattered. And so, and this was all he says in verse two, according to the foreknowledge of God, the Father, this plan has been revealed and there will be a remnant. And there these are Jewish believers who are part of the remnant. And so he's going to encourage them, as part of the remnant, by the sanctifying work of the spirit that you may obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with his blood. May grace and peace be yours in the fullest. And so he's writing to Jewish believers who are dispersed and they are being persecuted.
Speaker 3:Now there's some verses that people will say well, you know there's. The gentiles are in view here. And this is like in chapter two, verse 12, keep your behavior excellent among the gentiles, so that, in the thing that they slander you as evil doers, they may, on account of your good deeds as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation. And we're going to talk about this next time when we get into chapter two. But just by way of interpreting chapter one keep your and behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you and the question is, who's the they? Is it the Gentiles or is it someone else? Well, in the near reading you think, well, it's Gentiles. But when you broaden out and you say no, wait a second.
Speaker 3:What was going on during this time? As the Gentiles have believed in Christ, they're being brought into the assembly, and so now the Jews are hanging out with Gentiles, uncircumcised Gentiles, who the unbelieving Jew would call unclean, and of course the purpose for Israel always was to be a light to the Gentiles. And now these Jewish believers are actually being a light to the Gentiles, and it's because of this reason they're hanging out with the Gentiles. They're being rejected by their fellow brethren, the fellow Jew, and so they're persecuting them, and so the Christians in the congregation are being persecuted. I think about Paul and Paul going from place to place, and he wasn't persecuting first Baptist church, he was going from synagogue to synagogue and trying to clean out the those folks who first yeah?
Speaker 3:And we also get indication that the Jews in Jerusalem are under persecution from Paul's writings. He's taking, he's going around throughout Mesopotamia, nakea, taking up a collection to take it back to the Jewish believers who are in Jerusalem. And so that leads us to this last. You know, in chapter five, she who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, greet you. One of our my used to be former students, now fellow professors and teachers at the seminary, caleb Foley, was writing his dissertation in this area and I think he's right that what he's saying is that Babylon here is a type, and it's referring to Rome, that that that are not not Rome, jerusalem, it refers to Jerusalem, that that Jerusalem has become like Babylon. They joined forces with the evil side, on the wrong side of it. And so so, in writing from Jerusalem and say she is in Babylon, greet you. You know it's saying look, you have identified with, as Paul would say in Galatians, with the Jerusalem from above, not with the Jerusalem below, not the Jerusalem of this day, which is rebellious. And so so all that to say the Jews are being persecuted and the Jewish believers throughout the kingdom, the Roman Empire, being persecuted, and and Peter's writing to encourage them. And so he says in verse three blessed be God, father of our Lord, jesus Christ, who, according to his great mercy, has caused us to be begotten from above to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. That is a big verse. What's going on here? Well, this whole born again or forgotten from above language, jesus is talking about this back in John, chapter three, is the discussion of Ezekiel 36. And in Ezekiel 36, in the Hebrew, it reads this way Ezekiel is prophesying to the mountains of Israel, of the land, and he says I will cause this is in the Hebrew I will cause my people, israel, to walk upon you again. In the Greek it reads a little differently. It says I will cause my people, israel, to be begotten upon you again, that they will be begotten again. If you do not, if you're not begotten again, if you're not begotten from above, you will not see the kingdom right.
Speaker 3:And so the first indication so you have been these believers, these Jewish believers, have been begotten from above or begotten again, begotten from above to a living hope. Their hope is a living hope because Christ is their hope and he's living, because he's raised right. And so, because he was raised, they will be raised. And so there's their. Their hope is a living hope, and that their identity is in Christ, for the purpose of obtaining an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven. For you, now, christ is reserved in heaven. The new Jerusalem is being created in heaven and it's coming down, and so, he says, who are protected by the power of God through faith and for salvation, ready to be revealed in the last day. And so Christ is going to return, their inheritance is going to be revealed, and in this they greatly rejoice. He says, in this you greatly rejoice, though now, for a little while, if necessary, have been distressed by various trials, by various temptations, by various trials, so that the proof of your faith being more precious than gold, which is perishable even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Christ. And though you have not seen him, you love him. So, having not seen him, you, you love him. You don't see him now, and, in fact, those who were scattered throughout Pontius, colatia, capodotia, asia, who are? They probably never saw him when he lived Right, and so so they had heard of this one who was coming, who was proclaimed by the prophets, and we're gonna get to that here in just just a minute. But they've never seen him and they don't see him now. But but they love him and though you do not to see him now, you believe in him. You greatly rejoice with joy and expressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith salvation of your souls. And so this is the salvation. He's going to say this in verse 10. This is the salvation that the prophets prophesied it, this, this promise. One is the one who was looked forward to.
Speaker 3:The whole Old Testament says as to this salvation, as to list deliverance, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come To you made careful search and inquiry, seeking to know what person or time the spirit of Christ was within them, was indicating, as he predicted, the sufferings of Christ and the glory to come, and, and so it was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in other words, they were. They were looking forward to this time when Christ would, would appear, and, and this Christ would suffer, and then he would be glorified, he would be raised, and, and so all of this was revealed. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, that the Christ was not going to come at their time, but a future time. But you, in these things which you have have now been announced to you Through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit, sent from heaven things which angels long to see. Therefore, gird your mind for action. In other words, he's, he's, writing to them, reminding of them that this is the, the promised and revealed will of God. Christ would come, christ would suffer, christ would be glorified, but he would be the firstborn from the dead, and and you'd have to endure. Right, there was a remnant that was going to believe that, and he's going to turn to this in chapter 2. You know what you think.
Speaker 3:Okay, what verse Would someone who knew the Old Testament summon to encourage them? Well, it would be the, the builder, the, the, the stone that the builders rejected, has become the chief cornerstone, and, and so, throughout Isaiah, the remnant has believed. They're the remnant, but Israel has rejected, and so you're going to have to endure, right? So gird your mind for action, be sober, fix your hope completely on the grace which is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. So many times we, we hear that you come to Jesus, he's gonna fix all your problems, and it's just, that's just not Ever promised. Yeah, I wish it were. I wish believe in Jesus and all the sudden it goes great right, but but that's not it. Yeah, you believe in in Christ and and the world is following Satan and and now they're gonna. You know the world hates God, the world hates Christ, and now the world hates you and you've aligned yourself.
Speaker 3:Yes, you're in line and so what is what? Why do you endure? How do you endure? You need to be encouraged, because Christ is raised. That reality is is absolutely our encouragement. He has been raised, yeah, and he seated at the right hand of the father, and we don't see him. We haven't seen him. We don't see him now, and so it's easy to lose heart. But this reality of the promised resurrected Christ who is returning Is the means by which you, they were and we are to gird our mind for action.
Speaker 3:Fix your hope completely on the grace which is to be, fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfect of our faith, that's Hebrews. Or or keep your mind on, on on heavenly things, not on earthly thing, because, because Christ is in heaven, but he's coming to all of this is this is the same. So, as obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts, which were yours in ignorance. Now, what's he talking about there? Israel rejected the Lord, they went over and they joined the nations and they followed in the lust of the nations, but now they have believed in the Christ. But, like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior, for it is written, you shall be holy, for I am holy. This is several times. It shows up there in Leviticus. The Lord is saying I am set apart from the nations, or set apart from the gods of the nations. So you, israel, to be set apart from the peoples. So what does it look like for the first century Jewish believer to be set apart? What looks like being a follower of Christ? And that means you're sign for suffering. And so if you address as Father the one who impartially judges according to each man's work, can you instruct yourself in fear during the time of your stay, during your time on earth, knowing that you are not redeemed with perishable things like gold and silver? This comes right.
Speaker 3:This is Isaiah, chapter 52. For you are in your feudal way of life you inherited of your forefathers. You know that you've not been redeemed with gold and silver. You've been redeemed with the precious blood of the Lamb, unblemished, spotless blood of Christ, verse 20. For he was foreknown before the foundation of the world but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you this is what the prophets were talking about back in chapter 1, verses 10 and 11, and so forth who, through him, are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. So don't be confused. You've got the right God, you've got the right Messiah, you've got the right faith.
Speaker 3:Endure, since you have an obedience to the truth, purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart, the love of the brethren, and I think this is going to tie into what he's saying in chapter 2.
Speaker 3:Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles so that into the thing that they slander you, the ones who are slandering you, the ones who are saying all sorts of evil about you, the Gentiles, they're the Jews who reject Christ. And so it is for the love of the brethren that you endure that you, not only your fellow believer, but your brother, who is the rejecter. Paul's going to say it this way while we were enemies, he went over there and the Jews went over there and aligned themselves against God and became his enemy. He says and while we were enemies, christ died for us. The Jews went and rejected and put themselves against God. Now the Gentiles were already enemies, but the Jews became enemies. And so Paul's desire and we see this all through his work, I think of Romans. In particular, he wishes that he was accursed for the sake of his brethren, his fellow Jew who's a non-believer?
Speaker 2:So you're saying the brethren is the nation of Israel? Yeah, I think that the night brothers in Christ.
Speaker 3:Yeah, in other words the very ones who are persecuting him and persecuting them for the sake of the brethren. This is the whole story. Israel, the remnant, believes, israel as a whole rejects. The gospel goes to the Gentiles. Mercy is given to the Gentiles for the purpose of bringing the Jews back in. And so you know. And so, therefore, since you have, in obedience to the truth, purified your souls with the sincere love of the brethren, firmly love one another from the heart now. So so they. They have this love for the unbeliever. But the love of the brethren is, you know, from the heart. Love one another From the heart. For you have been born again, not of the seed, which is perishable, but imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God. And so so the, the love of the brethren is not simply the love of the fellow believer, but I think what drives Peter and James and John is the love of the unbelieving one as well, and I think that should drive us as well too.
Speaker 2:I mean we're gonna see in the the example of suffering of Christ absolutely for the sake of his brothers to be brought near to God Absolutely, yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 3:In the submitting to authority. And so, yeah, that that's exactly right. So, in the midst of the suffering, as the unbeliever observes the suffering, he says what are you doing? Well, there's your chance.
Speaker 2:There's your opportunity, yeah and so.
Speaker 3:So for all. Flesh is like grass and its glory is flower. Like the grass, the grass withers, the flower Falls off, but the word of the Lord abides forever. That's out of Isaiah, chapter 40. I mean, this is right in the. You know, comfort, comfort my people, israel, and this is the word which was preached to you. And so this word, this message, has come to these Jews. They have believed it. They've never seen the Christ, but the prophets were talking of this one, and so so Peter is saying okay, so it is, it's time to to walk now in chapter 2. We're gonna, we're gonna get into this next time, but but it's, there's this. This whole message is just steeped in Isaiah talk, and we're gonna pick that up, which is as you said he's writing to Jewish believers, men scattered abroad.
Speaker 2:This should be making a lot of sense. Oh yeah, yeah, this language, yeah right.
Speaker 3:Yeah, they, they, they need to know this, they need to hear this. And so next time, as we pick it up in chapter 2, he's gonna continue right down this trail of explaining Israel's rejected. They've rejected the stumbling the, the, the, the building stone and chief, yeah, the chief cornerstone, and they've stumbled over it. And he's gonna quote right out of Isaiah and but you, because you have believed her, a holy priesthood, so endure, right, hang in there. This is all according to the plan, right, and so be encouraged. And so that'll be next time in chapter, chapter 2.
Speaker 2:Well, thank you, david, looking forward to it and, as always, just want to encourage our our people are listeners, viewers, pastors to stay connected. The local body, believers Continue and learning to understand God's word, which is our goal here, and and also to encourage them, encourage the leadership of the church, I think the pastors being a pastor, it gets so well. There's so many distractions. Sure, this is, this is a great reminder. What you're enduring through it's, as always has been, this is the call.
Speaker 1:So thank you, david. Thanks for listening to teach me the Bible podcast. Our desire is to use the power of God's word to change lives. For more information, download our app. Join us next week for another episode of teach me the Bible.