We do not know exactly where Peter was when he wrote 1st and 2nd Peter. He could have been in Rome (another name for Babylon) or the actual Babylon. His purpose in writing these letters was to encourage the Christians who were undergoing persecution and they were to be circulated among many churches. We will find out which churches in particular in the opening verse of 1st Peter. Note: Bible commentators often call Peter the apostle of hope
“Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.”
Let’s unpack these verses. And as we do, look for the following key words: apostle, elect, exiles, foreknowledge, sanctifying, obedient, grace, peace, mercy, new birth, living hope, inheritance, shielded.
Verse 1 – “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia,”
The author is Peter, although he had help from Silas. Remember that Peter was a fisherman by trade and most likely did not have a great command of the Greek language. He also identifies himself as one of the original apostles and obviously an eye witness to events of the ministry of Jesus. Being an apostle means that he could speak with authority on behalf of Jesus.
Who is he writing this letter to? The answer is the Christians who were in exile in what is today modern Turkey. They were perhaps exiled by the Jewish authorities thereby fleeing to the various aforementioned provinces.
Imagine how these exiled Christians must have felt living in a foreign land and being followers of Jesus. Perhaps we can identify with them on a smaller scale by considering ourselves as exiles living in a foreign land.
Regarding the words elect and foreknowledge, they are open to interpretation. They will be discussed in detail Sunday.
Verse 2 – “who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.”
Here is where Peter offers a word of encouragement and also an admonition. Peter reminded them that God was in control by creating a plan whereby they had the opportunity to become part of His family and they were becoming more like Christ (sanctification) through the help of the Holy Spirit.
However, he mentions that there is an obedient component that ultimately provides abundant peace.
Think about times when you have walked your dog. Have there been occasions when your dog pulled so hard on the leash that you could hear it gasping for breath. And did your dog veer to the left or the right? Or how about the times when your dog walked quietly beside you? The point is that when we have abundant peace when we walk WITH the Lord.
Verse 3 – “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,”
This is our focal verse. First Peter acknowledges that our living hope comes from God through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. But, what is a living hope? It’s one thing to hope we will be saved, to yearn for life after death. Jesus proved that this hope is not a fantasy. He died, then showed Himself alive to many witnesses. Our faith is not a wish for a better world. The reason for our hope in an eternity with the Father is that our Lord is alive. Because He lives, we who believe in Him will also be resurrected.
Why then did Peter mention ‘living hope?’
Remember, Peter was speaking to Christians who were suffering persecution in Asia Minor. His words were meant to encourage them in their troubles. Indeed, their future was secure because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And as previously mentioned, their hope was in His victory over death and His resurrection life. Whatever the persecuted believers would face in this world could not compare to the blessings of the future resurrection and the life to come in eternity.
Verses 4 and 5 – The object of our living hope is described as “an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade….kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.”
We have an inheritance that will never be touched by death, stained by evil, or faded with time; it is death-proof, sin-proof, and age-proof. This inheritance is also fail-proof because God guards and preserves it in heaven for us. It is wholly secure. Absolutely nothing can undermine the certainty of our future inheritance.
By the way, most of us are not anxious to read a legal document. However, if pertains to an inheritance………….that is usually a different story.
Concluding Remarks and Application
People cannot survive long without hope. Hope keeps us going through painful experiences and fear of what the future may hold. In a fallen world where people face poverty, disease, hunger, injustice, disaster, war, and terrorism, we need a living hope. The Bible tells us in Ephesians 2:12 that those who don’t have Jesus Christ do not have hope. As Believers, we are blessed with real and substantial hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. By the power of God’s Word and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, this living hope changes our thoughts, words, and actions. Once dead in our sins, we now live with the hope of our own resurrection.
Living hope enables us to live without despair as we encounter suffering and trials in this present life: “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:16–18).
Our living hope is solid and secure: “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.” (Hebrews 6:19–20). Jesus Christ is our Savior, our salvation, our Living Hope.