1^st Peter, the People of God's Grace, Lesson 2

I. Introduction: 1:1-2

a. Author of this letter

b. Recipients of the letter

c. They are the Recipients of grace

II. Their relationship to God

a. They are Exiles 1:1-2

b. They are Heirs 1:3-13

c. They are Children 1: 14-2:3

d. They are Priest 2: 4-8

e. They are a Nation. 2: 9-10

INTRODUCTION: 1:1-2

1)Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen

1. The author of the epistle.

a. Peter: see notes on lesson 1 for a biographical sketch of his life.

b. An Apostle of Jesus Christ: Greek "apostolos"

(1) Thayer: "1. delegate, messenger, one sent forth with orders....Jn. 13:16; 2 Cor. 8:23; Phil. 2:25; Heb. 3:1...2. Specially applied to twelve disciples whom Christ selected...With these apostles Paul claimed equality...2 Cor. 12:12...3. In a broader sense the name is transferred to other eminent Christian teachers; a Barnabas, Acts 14:14 and perhaps also Timothy & Silas, 1 Th. 2:7."

(2) Gingrich-Danker: "ambassador, delegate, messenger...1. In the N.T. can also mean delegate, envoy, messenger...Jn. 13:16. Of Epaphroditus, messenger of the Philippians, Phil. 2:25...2. esp. of God's messengers with the prophets Lk. 11:49; Rev. 18:20; Eph. 3:5...3. But our lit. uses a predom. for the apostles, a group of highly honored believers who had a special function.

2. The Recipients of the Letter

a. Geographical Location: Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithinia (Modern Turkey).

(1) Paul had established the church in Galatia and Asia Minor (Acts 16: 1-10; 18: 19-20:38; I Cor. 16:1).

(2) Paul was forbidden to enter Bithinia (Acts 16:7) and thus some one else took the gospel there.

(3) Jew from Pontus and Cappadocia were present at Peter's sermon on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:9) and thus these Jewish converts may have taken the gospel to these provinces, or some of Paul's converts in Asia and Galatia.

b. Nationality: see introduction in Lesson 1 for a complete discussion on this subject.

(1) Jewish Christians only: some scholars favor this theory on the literal interpretation of "aliens" or "strangers" ("foreigners") of 1st Peter 1:1. However, I reject on the basis of the reasons listed below.

a. Peter's readers had formerly not been the "People of God" in 1st Peter 2:9-10; this could not have been said if they were solely from the Jews. Therefore, Gentiles are included.

b. 1st Peter 2:9-10 is a quotation of Hos. 1:10 and 2:23. Paul quotes these verses in Rom. 9:24-26 and applies them to the Gentile converts in Christ; therefore Peter must also interpret these expressions from Hosea to include Gentile converts.

c. The congregations in the geographical areas mentioned in verse 1 were predominately Gentile congregations; a letter to predominately Gentile congregations addressed only to Jews does not make much sense. Although Peter once sinned in excluding the Gentiles ( Gal. 2:11-15), I doubt that he repeated the same mistake.

d. As will be seen in the discussion below, the

context of 1st Peter favors a "figurative" interpretation of "aliens" or "foreigners" which would apply to all Christians irrespective of race. Throughout 1st Peter, both Jew and Gentiles are referred to under spiritual figures of the former nation: "exiles," "heirs," "children," "house of God," " royal priesthood", "holy nation,"" God's possession," " elect race," etc.

I. They Were Aliens

1. Greek word: parepidemois

Gingrich-Danker: "staying for a while in a strange place, sojourning....stranger, exile, sojourner, resident alien of the Christians, who are not at home on this world...1st Peter 1:1; 2:11...Heb. 11:13.

2. O.T. Sojourners or Aliens.

a. Heb. 11:13---"All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seem and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth." See also Heb. 11:10, 14-16; 13:14.

b. Abraham: " I am a stranger and a sojourner among you; give me a burial site among you, that I may bury my dead out of sight." Gen. 23:4 (See Heb. 11:8-10).

c. David: "For we are sojourners before you, and tenants, as all our fathers were; our days on earth are like a shadow..."(1st Chron. 29:15) "I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever" (Psa. 23:6).

d. God to Israel: "The land, moreover, shall not be sold permanently, for the land is mine; for you are but aliens and sojourners with me." Lev. 25:23.

e. Heb. 11:10..."for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God."

f. Heb. 11: 15-16..."and indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had an opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them."

3. N.T. Sojourners

a. Heb. 13:14...."for here we don not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come."

b. 2 Peter 3:13...."But according to his promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells." (Isa. 65: 17; 66: 22.)

c. Phil. 3:20..."for our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

d. Jn. 17:14 ...."they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world."

e. Jn. 18:36..."My kingdom is not of this world."

f. 1st Peter 1:1...."to those who reside as aliens, ....chosen according to the foreknowledge of God....."

g. 1st Peter 2:11..."I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lust, which wage war against the soul. Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles. "

II. "Scattered" Aliens

1. Greek Word: Diasporas---nom. case diaspora.

2. Gingrich-Danker definition: "dispersion...LXX---of the Jews among the Gentiles, Deut. 28:25; 30:4; Jer. 41:17...1. of those who are dispersed...among the Gentiles. Jn. 7:35...2. the place in which the dispersed are found...Fig. of Christians who live in the dispersion in the world, far. their heavenly home....1st Peter. 1:1."

3. Thayer's definition: "a scattering, dispersion....in the Sept. used of the Israelites dispersed among foreign nations...esp. of thier Babylonian exile....Isa. 49:6...transfered to Christians (Jewish Christians) Scattered among the Gentiles...Jas. 1:1; 1st Peter 1:1.

4. Ted's Observation: In keeping with Peter's statement in 1 Peter 2:10 that his readers had not formerly been God's chosen people, this dispersion must include Gentile Christians, who with the Jewish Christians, comprised the elect people of God scattered over the world. Jesus Christ will gather his scattered elect from all over the world at his second coming: 2 Thess. 2:1; 1st Thess. 4:15-17.

III. "CHOSEN" Aliens. 1st Peter 1:1-2.

1. Chosen or elect: to be God's saved people who have been

sprinkled by the blood (1st Peter 1:2), who have been born again (1st Peter 1:3) to receive heavenly inheritance (1st Peter 1:4), etc.

a. Israel as God's chosen people:

(1) Deut. 4:37---"Because He loved your fathers, therefore He chose their descendants after them."

(2) Deut. 7:6f. --"the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but because the Lord loved you and kept the oath which He swore to your forefathers....."

b. Christians (the Church) as the Chosen or elect of God.

(1) Eph. 1:4 ---"just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world."

(2) 2 Thess. 2:13-14----"God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in truth. All of this was done when He called you through our gospel so that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ."

IV. Four Aspects of God's Election

a. The Father's part in Election. "according to the foreknowledge of God."

(1) God wants all men to be saved. 1st Tim. 2:4; 2nd Peter 3:9.

(2) God calls all men to salvation through the gospel. 2nd Thess. 2:14.

(3) Many are called (through the gospel) but few are chosen. Matt. 22:14.

(4) God purposed before the foundation of the world that only those who believed the gospel and obeyed it were to be saved and become His children (Mark 16:15-16; 2 Tim. 1:9; 2nd Thess. 2:13-14. Thus God planned before hand to save only those who would enter his son, Jesus (Eph. 1:4).

(5) God foreknow this plan to save those who trusted in His son before He predestined them to salvation (Rom.8:29-30). Thus, God's foreknowledge was in front of His predestination. God was not

Calvinist. He did not predestine certain ones to be saved or lost before He knew they were disposed to accept His son by faith. The wording is very plain. "For those He foreknew, He also predestined."

God's choice or election was based on the acceptance or rejection of the gospel of Christ (Rom. 10: 9-15).

b. The Spirit's Work in Election: "sanctifying work" (sanctification," in this case through the Holy Spirit's work of revealing Christ through the apostolic word, which convicts men of faith in Jesus and obedience to the gospel.

(1) Jn. 17:17---"Sanctify them in truth; Thy word is truth."

(2) 2nd Thess. 2:13-14---"God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through the sanctification by the Spirit and faith in truth."

(3) Jn. 16:13---"when He, the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth."

(4) 1st Cor. 2:13----"which things we also speak, not in words taught in human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit...."

(5) 1st Peter 1:12---"those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven."

(6) 2nd Thess. 2:14---"He called you through our gospel.

c. The Christian's Part in Election---"that you may obey Jesus Christ" (unto obedience).

(1) The Gospel the Holy Spirit reveals must be believed before one can be chosen. 2nd Thess. 2:14.

(2) The Gospel must be obeyed before one can be chosen. 2nd Thess. 2:13-14. Mark 16:16; 2nd Thess. 1;8; Heb. 5:9; Rom. 6:17. This includes: faith (Acts 16: 30-31); confession (Jn. 12:42) Rom. 10: 9-10); repentance (Acts 2:38); and baptism (Jn. 3:5); Acts 2:38; 22;16).

d. Jesus Christ Part in the election: "sprinkling of the blood."

(1) Christ's blood is an essential part of God's plan of salvation. Matt. 26:28; Eph. 1:7; Rev. 1:5; 7:14. The blood of Christ is the only agent that will remove sin from the soul of man.

(2) Sprinkling: The nation of Israel became consecrated to God

when Moses sprinkled the "blood" of an animal on the people. This sprinkling signified that Israel was now God's people and ought to be

subject to covenant laws He made with them. Thus, it was called the "blood of the covenant" Exodus 24: 7-8. Christ sprinkles His people with His blood when they obey the gospel and come under His new covenant., thus the "blood of the covenant" (Matt. 26:28).

(3) Sprinkling of the blood ought not be confused with water". Heb. 10:22 says" having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed (immersed); hearts are sprinkled. Christ's blood sprinkles the heart when our bodies are washed through immersion n water, when we are baptized in our obedience to the gospel (Mark 16:16; 1st Peter 3:21).

e. Grace and Peace for the aliens " May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure" (1st Peter 1:2)

1. Grace: "unmerited favor," the very basis for our salvation in Christ (1st Peter 5:12).

2. Peace: a state of harmony but in this context, the enmity between God and man is gone.

3. Fullest measure---an interesting statement. Both grace and peace can be experienced in different degrees. (2 Peter 3: 18)

By Lane Rogers