Studies in 1 Peter

1. Studies in 1 Peter Presentation 02

2. The Structure of the Book 1v1-2 Salvation: grounded in the Godhead 1v3-5 Salvation: accomplished in their hearts 1v6-9 Salvation: confirmed by their suffering 1v10-12 Salvation: anticipated through history 1v13-21 Salvation: outworked in their lives 1v22-2v3 Salvation: and the Word of Truth 2v4-12 Living Stones - Chosen People 2v13-17 Submission to the State 2v18-25 Submission to Superiors 3v1-7 Wives and Husbands 3v8-17 The Believer and Suffering 3v17-22 Christ’s Victory 4v1-6 Responding to Christ’s Victory 4v7-11 Living for God 4v12-19 Suffering for Christ 5v1-11 Elders and Young Men 5v12-14 Final Greetings

3. Salvation: Confirmed by their Suffering Chap 1v6-9

4. Salvation: Confirmed by their Suffering In these verses Peter moves on to his reader's present experience of suffering, reminding them they have certain hope to hold onto in the midst of a world of shattered hopes. As we undergo trial and suffering it is important to remind ourselves that they will last 'a little while' v6. Peter’s readers must have asked, 'will this suffering never end?’ The psalmist captures the limited nature of suffering beautifully in Ps.23v4... Note the ‘valley of the shadow of death’ is something the believer passes through! Secondly, we are helped to see that our trials are of short duration by comparing two time scales: time with eternity. This is precisely what Paul does in 2 Cor.4.17.......

5. Salvation: Confirmed by their Suffering The question that the Christian most frequently asks under trial is not, 'Why this?' but 'Why me?' Peter answers in three parts. First, trials remove the dross from our lives that would prevent Jesus from shining through. Peter uses the illustration of a goldsmith refining metal. As the metal is heated in the crucible all the hidden impurities rise to the surface and can be easily removed. Trials cause the impurities that are mixed with genuine faith to rise to the surface. We find things floating around which have been preventing Jesus from shining out of our lives. Things we did not dream were there. We are then able, with God's help, to deal with them and have them removed.

6. Salvation: Confirmed by their Suffering Secondly, the trial of the crucible was a way of authenticating the gold in one’s possession [this was before precious metals were marked by seals of authenticity]. The test showed it the metal was genuinely gold or gold plated. Similarly, the genuineness of a person's faith is not always obvious when everything is going well and there are no pressures. But under trial, in the fire of the crucible, that is a different matter. CfMatt 13.v18-33 The trial is a proof to others, ourselves, and to God, that we do indeed possess genuine faith.

7. Salvation: Confirmed by their Suffering Thirdly, trials will result in praise, glory and honour at the coming of Christ. God does not forget the trials we endure cf. Ps.56.8 ‘put my/ our tears in your bottle’. Present suffering produces future glory cf. 1Pet.5.4... note that praise, glory and honour at the return of Jesus goes beyond personal reward. God receives praise as a result of our proven faith. cf. Rev.4.10. Our attitude towards suffering changes as we see that it brings honour to Christ. Louis XIV sent Huguenot Christians to be chained to the oars of galley ship’s until the day they died. A replica oar commemorating their great trial has inscribed upon it these words, 'My chains are the chains of Christ’s love'.

8. Salvation: Confirmed by their Suffering Peter seems overwhelmed that his readers, who had not seen Jesus, were prepared to suffer for him? Did Peter remember his own early denial and his struggle to suffer or not for his master? The love of other Christians for Jesus, be they new converts, or third world converts with little teaching or those who do not even have the scriptures in their own language, can often put older more mature western Christians to shame. How can we love him without seeing him? 2 Cor. 5.5-7... ‘we live by faith not by sight’.

9. Salvation: Confirmed by their Suffering Not only did these Christians trust Jesus in the furnace of affliction, they were ‘filled with inexpressible and glorious joy’ v8 . They knew the assuring work of the Spirit in their hearts. They were assured that they belonged to Jesus and would one day be with him and be like him and the wonder of that almost caused them to explode. They were presently experiencing the power of the age to come, as ought we all! We do not need to wait for the appearing of Jesus for that joy to flood our hearts. We live in a future realm that is already present because of the activity of the Holy Spirit in our hearts.

10. Salvation: Confirmed by their Suffering The Puritan scholars of the 17thC made a great deal of this text in v8-9 and of what they described as ‘the sealing work of the Holy Spirit’ [cf. Eph. 1.13]. In the ancient world the seal, impressed upon a letter, assured the recipient of the authentic nature of its contents. The Puritans bemoaned the fact that so many Christians were living far short of their privileges. They grieved over the fact that the seal of assurance, which produced this inexpressible joy of which Peter speaks, was absent from the lives of so many Christians. Why was it absent? Their disobedient lifestyle hampered the Holy Spirit from bringing to the hearts of God's people a heightened sense of assurance that they belonged to the Father.

11. Salvation: Anticipated through History Chap 1v10-12

12. 2000 BC 1500 1000 500 0 Salvation: Anticipated through History The salvation theme is developed in v10-12, where Peter shows that the plan of salvation has been a part of God's eternal purpose throughout history. It is not a new thing nor some emergency measure thrown together at the last moment. Salvation is like a golden thread that runs all the way through the O.T. We need to stand back and view what God has done throughout history and marvel that we are caught up in this great drama of redemption. Gen. 3:15 protoevangeleum. The Deliverer promised. 2 Sam. 7 12-16 He is the King of Righteousness Dan. 7v18ff The Son of Man – the Judge Deut. 18.15-19 A Prophet - Lawgiver Gen. 12:3b He will be a blessing to all the world Zech. 3.8 The priestly function of Messiah Isa. 53 Suffering servant

13. Salvation: Anticipated through History The salvation spoken of by the O.T. prophets is described in terms of grace. Some want to drive a wedge between the O.T. and N.T. claiming that in the O.T. is characterised by law, while in the N.T. is characterised by grace. [cf this heretical teaching of Marcion in the second century still influences some teachers today]. Notice that Ex 20.1ff ... makes it clear that the law was given to a redeemed people, who were brought into a covenant relationship with God. Having tasted God's redemptive grace they are called upon to display the family likeness by keeping the commandments which reflect the character of God. Grace is the common denominator in God’s dealings with both his OT. and NT. church.

14. Salvation: Anticipated through History The terminus of the O.T. Scripture is stated in v11 to be, 'the sufferings of Christ and the glory which follows.‘ This is a word of encouragement to suffering Christians, whose life is patterned upon the experience of Christ. cf. 2Tim.2.12, 'If we suffer with him we shall reign with him.' Jesus suffered first and then entered his glory. This pattern, predicted by the O.T. Prophets, was one that Peter had tried to upset years before. cf. Matt 16.22.... cf. also Lk.24.25-27.... It was from the risen Lord that the disciples learned how his sufferings and glory fulfilled the scriptures. Nb. the continuity between the instruction of the O.T. prophets and apostolic preaching. cf. Acts 17.3

15. Salvation: Anticipated through History The glory associated with the New Covenant stands is contrasted with the fading glory experienced by the people of God in the O.T. [2 Cor 3.7-18]. Even the glory of God that filled Solomon's temple did not remain. Israel's sin caused its withdrawal cfEzekiel 10.4-5, 18-19, 11.22-23. These pictures of fading glory and withdrawal are interim pictures. The prophets describe a glorious renewal - not one that seeks to recover the past but - which looks forward to a new age. This new age of glory will gather in the Gentile nations cfIsa. 2.2-4. And so not just Israel but Egypt and Assyria will be called the ‘people of God’. Is.19. 23-25 66.19-21. And the fortunes of nations like Iran will be restored. Jer 49.39

16. Salvation: Anticipated through History The message of the O.T. teaches that this incredible glory will come upon the earth only because the God of Glory himself first came down to earth. [cfJn. 1.14]. The OT. Promised that God would appear in order to save his people and renew his creation cf. Is 40.9-11. In order to do so God the Son will come as a suffering servant. cf. The Messianic Psalm Ps.22.1-21. The nature of this suffering was to be sacrificial and substitutionary Is.52.13-53.12. Christ is viewed by Peter as the terminus of all OT. prophecy and as the watershed of human history.

17. Salvation: Anticipated through History Jesus is much more than one example among many of suffering that leads to glory. That said, his suffering is unique and totally distinctive from that of his followers. Only his suffering brings salvation and his glory is the focus of the new creation. Peter may also be recalling the events on the Mount of Transfiguration [Lk.9.28-31] where the subject of the conversation Jesus had with Moses and Elijah was ‘Christ’s sufferings’ - his departure – literally, his ‘exodus’. The glory that the disciples saw at Christ's transfiguration was a foretaste of the glory to which he would be restored after his death. [Jn. 17.5]

18. Salvation: Anticipated through History The prophets were excited by their own message and longed for a fuller revelation v10. They inquired into the time, when God's great salvation would come. It remained a puzzle to them! Daniel was encouraged to preserve the revelation he was given concerning future historical events. At the same time, he too had to live with unanswered questions cf. Dan.12v4,8-9. The full meaning of the messianic prophecies were not clear until Christ appeared. Peter is neither, saying that the prophets had no ministry to the people of their day nor, that they spoke in inspired riddles that made no sense to them.

19. Salvation: Anticipated through History The fact that the prophets were diligent in their enquiries shows that their prophecies challenged and intrigued them. Now it is over against the prophet’s limited understanding that Peter points out that the least disciple of Christ is better placed to understand the O.T. revelation than the greatest O.T. Prophets. Why? He stands on a different side of the cross Read Matt.11.11. Do you see that the privilege, experience and understanding of the Christian transcends the great O.T. prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel and even that of the forerunner of Jesus, John the Baptist.

20. Salvation: Anticipated through History Not only do these suffering Christians have an advantage over the prophets but also over the angels. The verb used, describes the angels on tiptoe, 'straining to see' the mysteries of salvation, which are revealed by the Spirit to those who are redeemed by Christ. We have a picture of them peering over the battlements of heaven! There are some things that angels have a better understanding of than we do but the glory of salvation with its focus upon the person of Christ, who is at work in our hearts by his Holy Spirit is something that the angels strain to understand.

21. Salvation: Anticipated through History Do you know how these angels come to a clearer understanding of God's glorious plan of salvation? The answer is found in Eph. 3v10-11 - it is through the church that the angels come to understand more of God's purposes of grace Not only do we, with the Spirit’s help have a clearer understanding of what salvation is about than both the O.T. prophets and angels BUT God has entrusted us with the task of being instructors! As the angels observe the church, they come to a fuller appreciation and understanding of what God has done for us in Christ! Can we rejoice as we see what God has done and how he has made himself known to us?