1 Peter

Overview

Although we should resist the temptation to rank the various books of the Bible, as each is equally inspired and profitable for Christian living, it is easy to understand why 1 Peter is a favorite of so many. From its focus on future blessings at Christ’s return to its encouragement for those who are presently suffering for their faith, 1 Peter speaks to the needs, anxieties, hopes, and all-too-common fears of Christian men and women everywhere.

The major themes encountered in this letter range from the Christian’s identity as a stranger and alien on the earth to the concrete ethical responsibilities we face from day to day, as well as to how we are to conduct ourselves in relation to other believers in the life of the local church. From beginning to end Peter directs our attention to who we are in Christ and how we got there. Simply put, it is all of grace, that glorious and undeserved generosity and saving mercy of God that energizes our obedience and sustains us under the pressure of persecution and pain. It is this latter emphasis on the urgency of faithfulness in the face of hostile opposition that will occupy much of Peter’s pastoral energy. As much as some may prefer it to be otherwise, suffering is to be expected in this life. Christians should not be surprised when they encounter slander and reproach from a hostile, unbelieving society. But it is all of God, even the pain, through which he aims to refine our faith and prepare us for the final inheritance that is sure to come when Christ returns.

Author

We must begin with 1 Peter 1:1, where the author identifies himself as “Peter” and later claims to have been an eyewitness of the sufferings of Jesus (1 Pet. 5:1). The author of 2 Peter states that it is the “second letter” he has written (2 Pet. 3:1). The reference to Rome in 1 Peter 5:13 is also consistent with Peter’s later life in that city.

The external evidence in support of Peter’s authorship is considerable. Donald Guthrie speaks for most evangelical scholars when he concludes, “The primitive church, as far back as any evidence exists, regarded it as a genuine Epistle of Peter, and thus any discussion of objections to Petrine authorship must sufficiently take account of this fact.”¹

Daniel Wallace has categorized the objections to Petrine authorship as linguistic, historical, and doctrinal.² As for the objection based on linguistics, the Greek of 1 Peter, so it is said, is too sophisticated and polished to be the product of an “uneducated” (Acts 4:13) Galilean fisherman.³ We should remember, however, that this description in Acts likely means that Peter was not formally trained as a rabbi, not that he was illiterate or altogether uneducated. Furthermore, some thirty years passed between the time Peter first met Jesus and the writing of this letter. Is it beyond reason to think that his proficiency in Greek and his literary skills might have greatly improved during those three decades?

Wallace believes that the solution is found in 1 Peter 5:12, where Silvanus (cf. 2 Cor. 1:19; 1 Thess. 1:1; 2 Thess. 1:1) is mentioned as the one “through” whom the letter was written (cf. comment on 1 Pet. 5:12). While some argue this indicates only that Silvanus delivered the letter to its recipients, Wallace contends that Silvanus was Peter’s amanuensis and that the exceptional Greek prose of the letter reflects more his linguistic skill than that of Peter himself. Ancient secretaries were often given considerable latitude in composing the thoughts of their masters. Thus, whereas Peter would have been the ultimate author of the letter, Silvanus (Silas) was its writer. Or, if not Silvanus, some other anonymous companion of the apostle could have been responsible for its superior Greek.

This theory also has its problems. If Silvanus was the amanuensis, some argue, why is there no greeting directly from him, as we find in the case of Tertius, Paul’s scribe in writing Romans (cf. Rom. 16:22)? Guthrie believes that if Silvanus was the amanuensis, 1 Peter 5:12 “would stand as a rather obnoxious piece of self-commendation, unless in fact Peter himself added this conclusion. It is further difficult to imagine that the direct appeal of verse 1ff. could have been the indirect work of a secretary. The personal authority is so real that it would be necessary to maintain that for this part of the letter the apostle had dictated.”⁴

Another historically grounded objection to Petrine authorship is the difficulty in reconciling the letter’s portrayal of suffering with what we know to be true in the empire during Peter’s lifetime. Further, there is no indication that the persecution imposed by Nero subsequently spread into the provinces where Peter’s audience resided. Peter, of course, would not have known this, and he surely assumed that persecution of some sort was the inevitable experience of most followers of Jesus in the first century. More probable still is the theory that the sort of persecution in view in this letter was standard wherever Christians resided.

A closer look indicates that the suffering these churches endured was largely, if not exclusively, verbal slander, reproach, and false accusations (cf. 1 Pet. 1:6; 2:12, 15; 3:9, 16; 4:12, 16). The situation appears to reflect a time in which the threat against Christians had not yet escalated to the point that believers were losing their lives. Followers of Jesus must expect their devotion to him as Lord and their distinctive lifestyle to provoke opposition and reproach by private individuals who are afraid of and offended by the Christian faith (cf. 2:12 and 4:4). Guthrie is most likely correct in stating, “There is little distinctive about the ‘persecutions’ in 1 Peter which would not apply to the opposition that Christians had to endure from the inception of the Church.”⁵

The persecutions mentioned here were likely sporadic and unorganized, not state-sponsored. “Peter describes the suffering, and hence the persecution that caused it, as worldwide (5:9), suggesting a type of persecution that potentially threatens all Christians as Christians, and not the execution of official Roman policy in any one place.”⁶

A significant doctrinal objection to Petrine authorship is the consistent pattern throughout the letter of what appears to be dependence upon the Pauline letters. But as Jobes points out, “First Peter contains no references to Paul or to his letters, and the similarities between the two are based on similarities in terms and themes that can be plausibly explained as both authors drawing on common Christian tradition, perhaps particularly the Christian tradition of Rome.”⁷

Date and Occasion

The theme of suffering is important in determining the condition of the letter’s recipients at the time of writing, as well as determining when the letter was written (cf. 1 Pet. 1:6; 3:9, 14; 4:1, 12, 16, 19; 5:9–10). As already noted, if Peter was writing from Rome, he may well have anticipated the spread of anti-Christian sentiment. Greg Forbes has suggested, “The positive references to the state in 2:11–17 make it less likely that state oppression is the issue.”⁸ Thomas Schreiner reminds us that there is no indication that anyone died under the persecution of those to whom Peter wrote, and thus, “The letter could easily have been written during Nero’s reign, when opposition to the Christian movement was localized.”⁹ It is thus likely that Peter wrote in the mid-sixties AD. Schreiner dates the letter to around AD 62–63, before the onset of the Neronian persecution.¹⁰

Destination and Situation of the Readers

The reference to Babylon in 1 Peter 5:13 is probably a cryptic reference to Rome, indicating that Peter was living there when he wrote. Although some have pointed to historic Babylon as the referent, there is no evidence that Peter, Silvanus, or Mark were ever there, much less simultaneously.

The letter is addressed to believers spread throughout “Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia” (1 Pet. 1:1). This would include Christians living in the northwest quadrant of Asia Minor, on the Black Sea.

One of the more disputed issues relating to 1 Peter is whether his readers were primarily Jews or Gentiles. Given the frequency with which he refers to or cites the OT (1:16, 24–25; 2:3, 6–10, 22; 3:10–12; 4:18; 5:5), Peter clearly assumes they would have been familiar with it. He mentions Sarah and Abraham (3:6) and Noah (3:20) as well.

However, this evidence has not been sufficient to convince most evangelical scholars that Peter’s first readers were Jewish. Two factors in particular lead to the conclusion that he wrote to a predominantly Gentile audience: (1) The description in 1:14 of the letter’s recipients as having lived in “ignorance” points to an idolatrous and pagan past. (2) According to 1:18 (cf. 4:3), these readers had been “ransomed from the futile ways inherited from [their] forefathers.” As Jobes points out, many argue that “Diaspora Jews of the first century could never have been described in such spiritually bankrupt terms and . . . the ways of Judaism would never have been described as a ‘useless way of life.’”¹¹

None of this should be taken as suggesting that the churches in Asia Minor were exclusively Gentile, but they were predominantly so. One objection has been raised based on the conclusion that Peter had been “assigned” the task of reaching the Jews with the gospel, with Paul being assigned to the Gentiles (cf. Gal. 2:6–10). But this should not be taken to mean that both men were locked into a particular missionary strategy for the duration of their ministries. Peter appears among Gentiles in Antioch (Gal. 2:11), and Paul often preached in Jewish synagogues. The following is perhaps the most balanced summation of the issue:

It seems that the writer is concerned neither with Jews nor Gentiles as such, but with those who in Christ have become the people of God. We need not doubt that most who came from the provinces named were Gentiles, although there would have been some Jewish converts. But the emphasis is on what they have become, not on what they were originally.¹²

Genre and Literary Structure

Karen Jobes rightly describes the genre of 1 Peter as that of “personal correspondence.”¹³ Paul Achtemeier concurs, concluding that there is “little reason to question the identification of 1 Peter as a circular letter addressed to Christian communities scattered over the northern half of Asia Minor.”¹⁴ A few have tried to identify 1 Peter as a baptismal document. However, water baptism is mentioned only in 1 Peter 3:21, although advocates of this view are inclined to find allusions to the rite in a number of other texts. Thus I concur with Grudem that “The thesis that 1 Peter was originally a liturgy or perhaps a sermon at a baptism remains unconvincing and provides an unsatisfactory setting for the composition of the letter. It is far better to understand the letter as written by Peter to distant Christians in genuine need of its teaching and encouragement.”¹⁵

Only the most critical of scholars believe the letter to be a patchwork effort. Some have argued that the doxology in 4:11 signals the end of main letter, with the remainder of the letter constituting an entirely different treatise, based on the idea that the latter portrays an intensified persecution. However, “The weight of scholarship today understands 1 Peter to be a unified text written by one author for one purpose at one time.”¹⁶

Theology of 1 Peter

This letter is richly theological, but four themes merit special attention.

Jesus Christ

First Peter is thoroughly Christocentric. The letter is meaningless apart from the person and saving work of Christ. The Christian is saved and set apart “for obedience to Jesus Christ” (1 Pet. 1:2), who, together with the Father, is “blessed” (1:3). We have hope only because of “the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1:3). Our faith, refined by the fire of daily trials, will be on display when the “revelation of Jesus Christ” (1:7, 13) occurs at the close of history. In advance of that day, we “love him” and “believe in him” (1:8) even though we “do not now see him” (1:8).

The centrality of the saving life, death, and resurrection of Jesus is seen nowhere better than in the fact that “the prophets” of the old covenant predicted his “sufferings” and “subsequent glories” (1:11).

We rejoice in the knowledge that our redemption can be traced to the shedding of the “precious blood of Christ” (1:19), through whom we are now “believers in God” (1:21). Jesus is the “living stone” (2:4) on whom the church is being built and through whom our “spiritual sacrifices” (2:5) are deemed acceptable to God. All mankind is divided based on their response to this Jesus: some believe in him and will not be put to shame (2:6), while others do not believe but stumble over him, to their own destruction (2:7–8).

When we are suffering unjustly at the hands of an unbelieving world, Jesus Christ provides us with the only pattern of response (2:21–25).

Our sins are forgiven for only one reason: “he himself bore [them] in his body” on the cross (2:24).

Because of who Jesus is and what he has done for hell-deserving sinners, we are always to be prepared to give an account for our hope in him (3:15). The only reason we are brought “to God” is that Jesus has “suffered once” for our “sins” (3:18). And we can confidently face all opposition knowing that he has conquered death and proclaimed his victory over the demonic powers who are now subject to his sovereign rule (3:19–22).

Our battle with sin is rooted in Christ’s victory over it (4:1–2). Our ability to rejoice in suffering comes from knowing that his glory will be revealed in us now and especially at his return (4:12–14). Elders serve the church under Christ’s authority as the chief Shepherd of souls (5:1–4). It is into his “eternal glory” that we have been called (5:10) and through him alone that we have the joy and comfort of inexpressible “peace” (5:14).

Eschatology

In keeping with the Christological focus of the letter, we repeatedly see Peter grounding his ethical exhortations in the consummation of Christ’s second coming and the grace and glory that will accompany his return. The certainty of this return and the expectation it generates is never for Peter a reason to speculate or an excuse to sin or become slothful. Christ’s coming serves always and only to motivate the believer to heartfelt and passionate obedience.

Christians are being guarded for a salvation “ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Pet. 1:5). It is “at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1:7) that our faith will be seen as having been purified by trials (1:7). Christ’s return is the “hope” (1:13) on which we are to fix our minds. The “day of visitation” (2:12) will be an opportunity for God to be glorified through our good deeds. Indeed, “The end of all things is at hand” (4:7), calling for self-control and sober-minded prayer. When Christ’s “glory is revealed” (4:13), we will rejoice for having shared in his sufferings. Peter himself exhorts the elders of the church as one who with them will soon be a “partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed” (5:1). Elders must never grow weary in well-doing as they look to the unfading crown of glory they will receive “when the chief Shepherd appears” (5:4).

Suffering

The primary appeal Peter makes to his readers is to remain steadfast in faith in spite of the suffering they must endure. Trials, though grievous, are temporary and are thus actually an occasion for joy as they serve to refine our faith (1 Pet. 1:6–7). God is especially pleased when his people bear up under undeserved suffering, for this is precisely how the glory of Christ himself was made known (2:19–25). Suffering for righteousness’ sake brings blessing (3:14) and is a gateway to a reasoned defense and explanation for why our hope is in Christ (3:15–16).

For the Christian, suffering is inevitable. Endurance now leads to joy at the revelation of Christ’s glory (4:13). The promise of God is that an extraordinary infusion of strength from the Spirit comes to those who bear up under insult and slander (4:14). God is glorified when one is persecuted for no other reason than that he or she is a “Christian” (4:16).

Peter could not be clearer when he says that suffering abuse for being a Christian is “according to God’s will” (4:19). Contrary to those who insist that godly and faithful living will insulate the believer from hardship, Peter promises persecution. But God will prove to be a “faithful Creator” (4:19) to those who cherish his favor more than they do release from pain.

Finally, there is strength and endurance to be found in knowing that one does not suffer alone. The “brotherhood throughout the world” (5:9) is likewise being subjected to the “same kinds of suffering” (5:9). And we must never forget that, however burdensome our suffering may be, it is only for a “little while” (5:10). Through it all God has promised to “restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish” us (5:10).

Sojourners and Strangers

Much more will be noted in the commentary that follows, but here we take brief note of the recurring theme that Christians are not merely citizens of an earthly state but are to live as “elect exiles” throughout the earth (1 Pet. 1:1). The “time” of our “exile” (1:17) calls for godly fear and reverent behavior. It is precisely because we are “sojourners and exiles” (2:11) that we are to abstain from passions of the flesh rooted in this fallen earthly theater.

Relationship to the Rest of the Bible and to Christ

On no fewer than twenty occasions does Peter cite the OT Scriptures, and yet, as D. A. Carson notes, “The quotations tell only a small part of the story, for 1 Peter is also laced with allusions to the OT.”¹⁷ One author identifies as many as forty-one allusions, whereas if “echoes” were included, “scarcely a verse in this epistle would be exempt.”¹⁸

Perhaps the most important feature to note in this regard is how Peter cites the OT in its portrayal of Israel as the people of God and applies these titles, privileges, and descriptive phrases to the NT church (1 Pet. 2:9–10). As far as Peter is concerned, there is only one people of God, the elect, who now together, regardless of ethnicity, constitute the church of Jesus Christ.

This element of continuity is seen most clearly in the way that Peter speaks of Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of countless OT prophetic promises and types. In numerous OT texts both the “sufferings” and the “subsequent glories” (1:11) of Christ were prefigured, typified, prophesied, and symbolized. The “precious blood of Christ” is the fulfillment of the shed blood of the Passover lamb (1:19), which alone can ransom souls from bondage to sin. The “cornerstone” laid in Zion was Christ (2:6), and the suffering servant of Isaiah 53 is now openly identified as Jesus, by whose “wounds” we have been “healed” (1 Pet. 2:24).

Peter also reminds us that whatever was prophesied during the time of the old covenant concerning the Messiah was inspired and sustained by the Holy Spirit, who is “the Spirit of Christ” himself (1:11). Thus, “by showing how the Christian gospel forms continuity with the Old Testament prophetic message, Peter provides an apology for the cross and a foundation for his exhortations to his readers.”¹⁹ Jobes’s summary is helpful:

Peter’s hermeneutic sees the Christian gospel as the full flowering of Israel’s religion. Therefore, he is free to appropriate the language and moral vision of the Old Testament for his Christian readers, whether they are converts from Judaism or Gentiles. . . . There could be no greater unity drawn between the Old Testament’s religion and Christianity than the integral involvement of Christ in both. It was the preexistent Spirit of Christ, of this crucified Messiah, who inspired Israel’s ancient prophets. And it is the Holy Spirit of God who preaches the Christian gospel through evangelists. Christian belief is not a new religion prompted by a new spirit, but of one piece with God’s redemptive work begun through the chosen people, Israel.²⁰

Preaching from 1 Peter

Preaching from 1 Peter is a pastor’s delight! Whether one chooses to work verse by verse through the letter or opts to speak more topically, 1 Peter is an almost endless reservoir of theological, ethical, and pastoral riches that will nourish God’s people until Christ returns. Peter’s richly variegated imagery will reach many people more easily than straightforward prose would. For example, he describes our future inheritance as “imperishable, undefiled, and unfading” (1 Pet. 1:4) and our faith as being purified of dross like gold is purified by fire (1:7). Christ is like a “lamb without blemish or spot” (1:19). Our new birth is by means of the implanting of an imperishable “seed,” which is the “living and abiding word of God” (1:23). God tastes good (2:3)! The “pure spiritual milk” of the Word enables us to grow up into salvation (2:2).

Peter’s imagery in chapter 2 is especially vivid, bringing alive the truth of our identity as God’s people: we are like “living stones” in a “spiritual house” (2:5), “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation” (2:9). Jesus is himself the “Shepherd and Overseer” of our souls (2:25). Numerous other examples could be cited.

The letter also contains an abundance of short, pithy statements that could stand alone as topics for instruction: “You believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory” (1:8); “You shall be holy, for I am holy” (1:16); “Your faith and hope are in God” (1:21); “If indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good” (2:3); we exist to “proclaim the excellencies of him who called [us] out of darkness into his marvelous light” (2:9); we are to “honor everyone” and “love the brotherhood” and “fear God” and “honor the emperor” (2:17). Such densely packed theological declarations continue throughout the letter.

Interpretive Challenges

There are numerous perplexing passages in 1 Peter, but none quite like what we encounter in 1 Peter 3:18–22. This notoriously difficult text requires careful analysis of grammar and syntax, its relationship to the OT, and our theology of death and the afterlife. Because of its complexity and the theological disputes that arise out of it, more space will be devoted to its exposition and interpretation than to any other paragraph in the letter.

Outline

1. I. Opening Salutation (1:1–2)
   1. A. The Author (1:1a)
   2. B. The Recipients (1:1b–2)
2. II. The Identity of the People of God (1:3–2:10)
   1. A. God’s Mercy and Our Salvation (1:3–12)
      1. 1. Salvation Brings Hope (1:3–5)
      2. 2. Salvation Brings Joy (1:6–9)
      3. 3. Salvation Brings Privilege (1:10–12)
   2. B. Holiness as Our Way of Life (1:13–2:3)
      1. 1. Imitating God (1:13–16)
      2. 2. Fearing God (1:17–21)
      3. 3. Loving One Another (1:22–25)
      4. 4. Nourished by the Word (2:1–3)
   3. C. A Holy Priesthood (2:4–10)
      1. 1. Offering Spiritual Sacrifices (2:4–5)
      2. 2. Centered in Christ (2:6–8)
      3. 3. Chosen to Proclaim God’s Excellencies (2:9–10)
3. III. The Spiritual and Moral Life of the People of God (2:11–4:11)
   1. A. Abstaining from the Passions of the Flesh (2:11–12)
      1. 1. Negatively Stated (2:11)
      2. 2. Positively Stated (2:12)
   2. B. Submission to Authority as a Way of Life (2:13–3:12)
      1. 1. Submission of All to the Governing Authorities (2:13–17)
      2. 2. Submission of Servants to Their Masters (2:18–25)
         1. a. The Admonition (2:18–20)
         2. b. The Example (2:21–25)
      3. 3. Submission of Wives to Their Husbands (3:1–6)
         1. a. The Admonition (3:1–4)
         2. b. The Example (3:5–6)
      4. 4. The Honoring of Wives by Their Husbands (3:7)
      5. 5. Mutual Respect and Love for All (3:8–12)
   3. C. Being Zealous for Good in All Things and the Promised Vindication (3:13–4:6)
      1. 1. Suffering for Doing Good (3:13–17)
      2. 2. The Victory and Vindication of Christ (3:18–22)
      3. 3. The Victory and Vindication of Christians (4:1–6)
         1. a. The Example of Christ (4:1–2)
         2. b. Your Former Lifestyle (4:3)
         3. c. The Future Judgment (4:4–6)
   4. D. Love, Hospitality, and Service (4:7–11)
      1. 1. Pray for One Another (4:7)
      2. 2. Love One Another (4:8)
      3. 3. Be Hospitable to One Another (4:9)
      4. 4. Serve One Another (4:10–11)
4. IV. Enduring Trials for the Glory of God (4:12–19)
   1. A. Blessed to Suffer for the Glory of God (4:12–14)
   2. B. Suffering as a Christian and Not as a Sinner (4:15–19)
5. V. The Responsibilities of the Church in the Midst of Trials (5:1–11)
   1. A. The Responsibility of Elders for the Flock of God (5:1–4)
   2. B. The Responsibility of the Flock of God (5:5–9)
      1. 1. Be Humble (5:5–7)
      2. 2. Resist the Devil (5:8–9)
   3. C. The Promise of God and the Praise of God (5:10–11)
      1. 1. The Promise of God (5:10)
      2. 2. The Praise of God (5:11)
6. VI. Concluding Remarks (5:12–14)
   1. A. The Purpose of the Letter (5:12)
   2. B. Final Greetings (5:13–14)