WHO WROTE IT?: The Apostle Peter
WHY WAS IT WRITTEN?: To offer encouragement to persecuted Christians.
WHEN WAS IT WRITTEN?: Approximately AD 62-64; possibly from Rome.
WHO WAS IT FOR?: Jewish Christians driven out of Jerusalem & scattered throughout Asia Minor.
Peter was probably in Rome when the great persecution under Emperor Nero began. (Eventually Peter was executed during this persecution.) Throughout the Roman Empire, Christians were being tortured & killed for their faith, & the church in Jerusalem was being scattered.
Peter, who was experiencing persecution as well, wrote this letter to comfort his readers with the hope of eternal life, challenging them to continue to live holy lives, set apart for God’s use. Whoever suffers for being a Christian becomes a partner with Christ in his suffering. As our suffering takes place we need to remember that Christ is not only our hope in the midst of the suffering, but our example of how to endure our suffering faithfully. Because we are human, we may not be wired to handle severe suffering graciously, but with the Lord watching over us and the Holy Spirit within us, we are able to deflect our pain by focusing on Jesus himself and what life will be like when we are spending eternity with him.
That may sound impossible to do in the midst of the suffering, but we serve a miracle working God; there is absolutely NOTHING he cannot do or enable US to do.
We do not live in a perfect world ... far from it. Because God gave mankind a free will to do as we please, those who reject God can become tools for the devil to use. We were all given a free will because God doesn’t want followers who are FORCED to follow. He wants followers who WANT to follow of their own volition.
Evil exists because God allows it, otherwise it wouldn’t exist. To force all peoples to serve God would be tyrannical in nature. Therefore, Satan’s influence on those who have no interest in serving their creator has the potential to bring about some very evil, sadistic, satanic events. They’ve been happening overtly all around the world for the last 3 years (and covertly for centuries). People who stand for their faith become a joke to those who have been persuaded to oppose them. Lies can and often do give birth to radical behavior that has the sole mission of destroying all that impinge on their perceived liberty. The devil has talked them into believing that following Christ is restrictive and dull.
When we suffer gracefully with God’s help, we become a light in this world of darkness. Suffering for the sake of our faith doesn’t sound like a pleasant option but knowing that God never takes his eyes off of any of his children should give us a sense of peace. You see, the Lord knows what we can take and what our breaking point is. It can be a way to see how strong our faith is and at the same time bolster our faith as we endure more than we imagined were possible.
During Peter’s 1st letter he used several images that were very special to him because Jesus had used them when he had revealed certain truths to Peter. His name, which means “rock”, had been given to Peter by Jesus. Peter’s plan for the church, a spiritual house composed of living stones built upon Christ as the foundation, had come from Christ. Jesus had encouraged Peter to care for the church as a shepherd would care for his flock. For that reason it isn’t surprising that Peter used the terms “living stones” and “shepherds” and “sheep” when describing the church.
Next we will take a look at the Mega Themes from Peter’s 1st correspondence. Until then, walk with the King and be a blessing.
In His Name & for His Glory,
Richard Keller
Bread of Life Ministries
Source: The Life Application Study Bible.
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