First Epistle of Peter
INTRODUCTION
"The First Epistle of Peter is an epistle about struggle and spiritual warfare. It is also the Epistle of hope in the midst of suffering. Seven words for suffering occur in it. The Apostle represents suffering as in the will of God (4:19); he reminds his readers of the sufferings of Christ (1:11; 2:21, 23; 5:1) and holds Him up as an example to the believers in this respect (2:21; 4:1, 2). Peter admonishes them to expect suffering (4:12) and not to be troubled by it (3:14), but to bear it patiently (2:23; 3:9); to rejoice in suffering (4:13), knowing that their brethren elsewhere suffer the same things (5:9). He points out the value of sufferings (1:6, 7; 2:19, 20; 3:14; 4:14) and warns against suffering as an evil doer (2:20; 4:15). The Epistle is predominantly practical and not doctrinal" (Thiessen).
It is also about relationships, treating family, social, political, and spiritual relationships.
Some of the Epistle is of a controversial nature. These controversial sections have not been stressed, but, neither have they been neglected. Various views are occasionally stated, and it's unlikely that every reader-every student-will agree with us in every instance. However, if, because of this material, someone "digs deeper" into God's Word, then the effort will have been a success, for each of us are obligated, individually, to study and learn the Word of God. Through serious study and love for God, it is possible for each of us to understand God's Holy Word and to live by His will. We need only the Bible to tell us God's plan for our salvation and how to live a Christian life.
We pray this material will not only be easy reading and interesting, but useful and helpful to students of God's Word. Unless noted, the King James Version Bible translation is used.
General plan of the Epistle:
Salutation, 1:1, 2
(1) The Certainty of Future Inheritance, 1:3-12
(2) A Befitting Personal Life, 1:13-2:10
(3) A Befitting Social and Domestic Life, 2:11-3:12
(4) A Befitting Faith and Conduct in the Midst of Persecution, 3:13-4:6
(5) A Befitting Conduce and Attitude in Light of the End, 4:7-19
(6) A Befitting Relationship Between Elders and the Congregation, 5:1-11
Conclusion, 5:12-14
An effort has been made to arrange this study of The First Epistle of Peter as a ready reference work for the busy student, teacher or preacher who seeks help in preparation. By reading over the Index titles, various subjects can be readily found. To assist those desiring to refer to the comments on any particular Scripture, the chapter and verse under consideration is placed in parenthesis below and at the beginning of each lesson.
The Gospels and Acts have made us well acquainted with this apostle and his characteristics. His strong, aggressive, actional traits made him a natural leader of men. He was the chief figure during the time that Jerusalem was the center of Christian activities, before Antioch became the center and Paul the leading figure. Peter is not mentioned in the Acts after the council of Jerusalem (50 a.d.). Paul speaks of his visit to Antioch (Gal. 2:11).
That Peter spent twenty-five years in Rome, as held by some, is impossible, while it is not unlikely that his last years were spent there. It was there that he and Paul suffered martyrdom.
The place of the writing of this epistle was Babylon or Rome. The former is the more probably. If "Babylon" (5:13) is to be taken literally, that city was the scene of his labors during some part of the interval between the time he visited Antioch and his coming to Rome.
The date of writing is uncertain. It is more likely that it was written after Paul's release from imprisonment (62-63), than before that time. It was addressed to Christians in Asia Minor, probably about the beginning of the Neronian persecution. It is designed to strengthen, encourage and comfort in the midst of the "fiery trial" they shall endure, and to hold out to them their great hope.
The Fiery Trial
From the ascension of Christ and the advent of the Holy Spirit to the burning of Rome in 64 a.d., was a brief period, but within that time the Church was established in many parts. According to some Roman writers, Christians had not only become very numerous, but many of them held influential positions in the State. The pure spiritual principles of Christianity stood forth in striking contrast to the gross immoralities of paganism. It met the deep needs and answered to the yearnings of the soul and thousands were turning to the Gospel of Christ. Paganism was being undermined.
For six days Rome burned and half of the city was consumed. To Nero some attribute this fiendish act. He laid the blame on the Christians and instituted a persecution that was unspeakably horrible, but quite in keeping with his character. Clothed with the skins of animals they were hunted to death with dogs. Others were cast into the arena to be torn to pieces by wild animals for the entertainment of thousands of spectators. Some were crucified. Some were covered with inflammable materials and at night were set on fire to illuminate the gardens of Nero "where this diabolical monster exhibited the agonies of his victims to the public and gloated over them."
Under other emperors, following the time of Domitian, persecution of the Christians took on a more organized and systematic form and continued for many decades. Every attempt on the part of the mighty power of Rome was made to exterminate Christianity, but "the blood of the martyrs was the seed of the Church," and at last, under Constantine the Great, Christianity triumphed. But during these many years the Church passed through its "fiery trial" for the sake of Him who purchased them with His own blood.
It was a time when the hearts of men were tried, when faith needed to be strengthened and Christ should become dearer to them than life itself. To give these believers this consolation and encouragement Peter wrote them this epistle. The storm of persecution was breaking about them and for many decades mighty Rome was to exert her power and adopt every measure in the attempt to exterminate Christianity by putting to death the followers of Christ. Would they suffer martyrdom rather than renounce their Lord, or would they deny Him rather than suffer torture and death, were vital questions in that day of the early Church.
The Spirits in Prison
"Because Christ also suffered for sins once, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God; being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; in which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison, that aforetime were dis-obedient, when the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing" (1 Pet. 3:18-20).
While it is not the design of these introductory notes to be exegetical, still, this passage has created a great deal of interest, has been variously interpreted and we treat it as an outstanding fact of this epistle. It gives rise to the following questions: (1) Who are the people specified? (2) Where were they? (3) When did this preaching take place, and who was the preacher – Noah or Christ? (4) What was proclaimed?
The people were those of Noah's time while the ark was being built for the preservation of Noah and his family. This is generally admitted.
There is not general agreement as to where they were and when the preaching occurred. Some interpreters tell us they were the people of Noah's time while they were alive and while the ark was being prepared; that the preaching was done at that time by Noah, but it was Christ who, by means of the Holy Spirit, preached through Noah.
The mistaken translation of the Authorized Version is, perhaps, partly responsible for this interpretation – that he went "by the Spirit," signifying the Holy Spirit. What Peter actually says is quite different. He did not go "by" in the sense of agency, but "in" signifying mode or manner. Again, the words in the spirit are antithetical to the preceding statement in the flesh, that Christ who was put to death in the flesh, the same Christ in the spirit, His own spirit, went and preached, etc. These words signify His spiritual incorporeal life as distinct from the flesh in which He was put to death. This clearly shows that the Holy Spirit is not intended by these words, and that the proper rendering of the Greek precludes such a misunderstanding.
There is absolutely nothing to suggest the theory that Christ by means of the Holy Spirit through Noah preached to those people prior to the flood. It was during the time Christ was in the grave that He, in His own spirit, went and preached, and that is the manner in which the earliest Christian writers understood the passage. This interpretation is strengthened by the expression who once were disobedient (R.V. aforetime), thus the Syriac Version is "the spirits shut up in Sheol," which fixes the time.
The theory of Grotius that the spirits in prison are men held in bondage by Satan, that the antediluvians are mentioned merely as specimens of such sinners, and that the preaching was done by the apostles and others animated by the spirit of Christ, is a complete ignoring of the precise statements of Peter.
There is wide difference of opinion as to what the preaching proclaimed. It is declared by some that the fact that He preached signifies that He proclaimed the Gospel and that this would be the New Testament sense of the expression. If by proclaiming the Gospel is meant to evangelize, to afford the opportunity of accepting the Gospel, the question is naturally raised, why to that particular class and not to others?
The word used by Peter signifies to herald, to proclaim. When he says "And this is the word of good tidings which was preached unto you" (2:25), he uses an altogether different word which means to bring good tidings, to proclaim the Gospel, to evangelize, and from which the word evangelize is derived (Luke 1:19; 4:18; 9:6; Acts 14:7; Rom. 1:15; 1 Pet. 2:25). If this were used to define the preaching of Christ to the antediluvians we would infer that He proclaimed to them the Gospel of good tidings. And we may rightly assume that if this is what Peter intended to declare, that is the word he would have used and not the word that expresses the more general thought of heralding, proclaiming. What was Jesus proclaimed we do not know.
Outline of the First Epistle of Peter
1. The Inheritance and Hope of Believers (Chapter 1) – The resurrection of Christ the ground of faith and hope; Strength for trial; The salvation foretold is now a fact and is declared; Such an inheritance and hope should make for holy living
2. The Grace of Patient Enduring and Resignation (Chapter 2) – Submissive in the midst of trial and adversity; In such circumstances Christ is their example
3. The Expression of True Christian Character (Chapters 3-4) – As it appears in domestic relations; In Christian fellowship; In renouncing sin and in holy living in Christ; The ministry of trial
4. Closing Exhortations (Chapter 5) – Those exhorted [the elders and the young]; Things admonished [humility, sobriety, watchfulness]
