Eternal Perspective - 1 Peter 1

1:1-5 - One of the things that is both fascinating and frustrating is the differences in writing styles between the different authors. I struggled with Paul for 2 years, then I got through James no problem, and here we are with Peter and it’s just really difficult for me to follow this guy. It’s just his personal writing style that is difficult for me. So I may not be as in depth on this one, perhaps just going over the concepts that he brings up. But the interesting thing here is that Peter discusses some pretty unique and interesting topics in his letters, so we’ll just see how it goes. Peter introduces himself and addresses his letter to “the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,” which the IM tells us is modern day Turkey. He acknowledges that the saints in this area are “elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father,” and who have been sanctified by the Spirit by obedience and the atonement of Jesus Christ. He thanks God for his mercy and for “a lively hope” in the “resurrection,” which is “an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you.” Peter is already pointing the mind of the reader to the eternal perspective by implying a contrast between heavenly concepts and rewards vs the ones found in this mortal life. All of these blessings are “kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.” See, there are so many words put together in one sentence that I can’t really make sense of all of it. 1:6-9 - Peter started off strong in the beginning talking about the “higher” level concepts such as sanctification, resurrection, and atonement that pointed to the eternal perspective because now he addresses the “heaviness through manifold temptations.” But again, he doesn’t take the logical steps because it is human nature to see “trials = bad” but Peter says “that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than gold.” That’s quite a stretch for most people, even “enduring” trials patiently with minimal complaints would be difficult, but to hold difficulties on par with gold? But there is an analogy with the gold in that both faith and gold are “tried with fire” to purify them, and better than gold, purified faith “might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.” The word “appearing” is cross-referenced to mean “revelation,” so if we think about it as purified faith brings up closer to Jesus Christ and gives him honor and praise, then isn’t that more precious than gold? And really, Jesus “whom having not seen, ye love;” We see him now, but believe in him and that belief allows us to “rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.” If we can receive joy and glory because of our belief in someone we can’t even see, then isn’t that more precious than gold? When was the last time gold gave us joy or glory? And that’s even something we can see. And all of this is for us to receive “the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.” We know that we can’t take anything with us to the next life and we know that everyone will die, so ultimately wouldn’t it make more sense to spend our time and energy here and now focusing on what we can do to improve our situation in the next life because anything else we do here won’t come with us afterward. One thing that I think I’m overlooking here is Peter’s knowledge that the saints that he’s addressing here are not going to just be persecuted, but they might even be put to death for their beliefs. The IM comments of enduring trials, “Jesus is our Exemplar in all things- His crown of thorns came first and the His crown of Glory.” This was particularly powerful for me, it just puts so much into the perspective of timeline and the ultimate cost and importance of everything. The IM goes on to quote Neil L. Andersen as teaching, “The Apostle Peter identified something he called a ‘trial of your faith.’ He had experienced it. Remember Jesus’s words: ‘Simon… Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not.’ How do you remain ‘steadfast and immovable’ during a trial of faith? You immerse yourselves in the very things that helped build your core of faith: you exercise faith in Christ, you pray, you ponder the scriptures, you repent, you keep the commandments, and you serve others.” 1:10-16 - There’s a bit here that I don’t understand but it seems to me that peter is saying that “the prophets have inquired and searched diligently” to know about salvation and what it means for everyone. Peter continues to encourage to be “sober, and hope to the end for the grace… of Jesus Christ.” Be obedient and not lustful “in your ignorance,” which is interesting because he doesn’t leave it to general “lusts” like are involved in every aspect of human nature, he specifically mentions lusts “in your ignorance.” I know that this is something that plagues a lot of people who give up a life of sin for the gospel. Even when we didn’t know that they were against the commandments, we did things for certain reasons, drinking, drugs, random sex, rudeness, unkindness, violence, etc. We might have engaged in those acts because we got certain rewards from them like escapism, acceptance, etc. Just because we vow a life that gives up those things doesn’t mean that the need for those pay offs went away. It’s easy to turn back to our old ways to satisfy those “needs” because it’s what we know and it’s what we think worked in the past. Here Peter is encouraging us to look beyond our old ways and “be ye holy in all manner of conversations; because it is written, be ye holy; for I am holy.” The way to get our needs met is to work on becoming “holy,” not to turn back to our old ways. 1:17-25 - Becoming holy means we need to focus on spiritual matters instead of physical ones, as Peter points out we are “not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold… But with the precious blood of Christ.” Again, pointing back to the eternal perspective. And the eternal perspective doesn’t just look forward, it also looks backwards, this is the plan and it always has been. Jesus “was foreordained before the foundation of the world,” and God “raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory.” We are to be “born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God.” Peter now makes reference to Isaiah 40:6-8 which talks about “all flesh is as grass,” which the IM explains, “compares man’s frailties to the withering of vegetation in the hot desert wind. Unlike the withering grass, the world of the Lord ‘abideth for ever;’ it gives life and strength to all who embrace it and are born again.”