1 peter intro for bible study

8/13/2019 1 Peter Intro for Bible Study

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Christians who do

not experience the

oy of hope often do

not understand that

which they are to

hope for.

There is such a thing as a Christian hope. Yet this hope has often been

forgotten as the centuries of Christendom have plodded on. The ultimate

Christian hope has often been made into something like this: Jesus willcome back. All the bad people will go to hell. All the Christians will live in

heaven with Jesus. The assumptions laden in that statement are too many

to count, assumptions regarding Jesus 2ndcoming, the subject of hell itself,

and the nature of the eternal heaven. Theres no time to unpack all of those

here, but let it be known: the ultimate Christian hope, which we find in the

New Testament, is markedly different from the statement above. The

ultimate Christian hope is a hope that, when embraced, gives strength to

weak limbs and sustenance to wearied hearts. When we read the letters ofthe New Testament and find that it speaks of a joy directly correlated to

hope, we often become confused: We have hope. Why dont we have joy? I

believe part of the answer may lie in the nature of hope itself; if we hope for

that which is a mere caricature, or parody, of the genuine Christian hope

and if we hope for what evangelicalism has called the ultimate Christian

hope, namely just going to heaven when we die

then hope-inspired joy can easily become

nonexistent. The reason many Christians do notexperience joy in hope is because theyre hoping

for the wrong things, or perhaps not even hoping

at all! In 1 Peter we find the Christian hope

illuminated again and again, often in refreshing

and invigorating ways. Thus 1 Peter is all about

hope, and it is likewise all about eschatology,

within which the Christian hope is framed.

Inaugurated Eschatology

A wordbrief as it may beshould be said regarding eschatology. Christian

eschatologythe understanding of what God has done, is doing, and will do

in cosmic historyis drawn from two sources:

(a) first-century Jewish eschatology and

(b) the resurrection of Jesus.


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First-century Jewish eschatology can be diagrammed (shown below) as

a straight line. Jewish eschatology anticipated whats known as The Day ofthe Lord, the day when God would do many things: recreate the heavens

and the earth, judge the pagan nations oppressing his people, Israel, and it

also involved the exaltation of Gods people over their oppressors. Following

the Day of the Lord, the world would know a new day and age, when Israel

would rule over the world and when peace, prosperity, and justice would

flood the entire cosmos. Built into this eschatology was the coming of

Messiah, the Anointed One, who would do several things, not least take

center-stage with God in dealing with all the worlds problems. Messiahwould also rebuild the Jewish temple (which had been destroyed by the

Babylonians centuries before but remained yet to be rebuilt in all its

extravagance and splendor) and lead the Israelites in military victory against

the pagan nations, a victory empowered and ensured by God, a victory would

usher in the recreation of the cosmos. This extremely brief synopsis of

Jewish eschatology could be mapped like this:

Think it through

The Day of the LORD in Jewish thought incorporated a variety of events:

(a)_________________________(b)_________________________(c)_________________________

Following The Day of the LORD, the cosmos would enter a new day

characterized by _____________________, and the _________________ would rule

over it as Gods co-rulers.


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The coming Messiah factored into this Day of the LORD, and he would do

many things, not just taking center-stage in Gods dealing with the worlds

problems. The activities attributed to Messiah included:(a)_________________________(b)_________________________(c)_________________________

Christian eschatology is different than Jewish eschatology, but not because

the early Christians decided to throw out Jewish eschatology for their own

version. Christian eschatology is a reworking of Jewish eschatology. Thisreworking came about due to one thing: the resurrection of Jesus of

Nazareth. Jesus is Messiah, as the Christian declaration goes, but he didnt

do what the Jews had expected him to do; or, rather, he didnt do it in the

way they expected him to do it. All the promises attached to Messiah either

came true or are coming true.

Did Messiah defeat the oppressive pagan nations? Yes, but not through

the violence of the sword but through the paradoxical victory of suffering

followed by a cruel death, and then resurrection; the pagan nations havebeen judged, the powers and principalities at work among them have been

defeated, and Messiah rules over them, whether they admit it or not. And

while the ultimate enemy in Jewish eschatology took the form of oppressive

pagan nations (such as the Romans), the New Testament tells us that the

greatest enemy, of which pagan nations are mere pawns, is evil, an enemy

marked by sin and death, an enemy defeated in Christs death and

resurrection.

Did Messiah rebuild the temple? Yes, but not the physical temple inJerusalem: the Jerusalem temple served as a foreshadowing or echo of what

was to come, and while the Jerusalem temple reached its destruction (for a

second time!) in A.D. 70 under the Roman armies, the function of the

templenamely forgiveness of sins and reconciliation with Godwas located

in Messiah; thus Messiah became the temple, and because all those who

belong to Messiah are incorporated into him, the church became the temple.

Did Messiah exalt Gods people? Yes and nothe Christians who

survived the destruction of Jerusalem experienced a sort of exaltation, butfinal exaltation of all Christians across the board has yet to take place.


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Did Messiah come to rule over the world? Yesfrom heaven, and his

reign will not be complete until he has crushed all his enemies under his

feet.Thus we find that Jewish eschatology, with a clear divide between

Epoch A and Epoch B, differs significantly from Christian eschatology, which

embraces a two-part eschatology: first there is the resurrection of Jesus, and

then there will be the resurrection of all Gods people at Christs parousia, or

2ndComing. The one-stage Jewish eschatology became a two-stage Christian

eschatology. New creation, the over-arching theme of eschatology, takes

place in two stages: new creationthe remaking of the heavens and the

earthwas inaugurated at Jesus resurrection, but it will not beconsummated until Jesus returns. Christian eschatology may be mapped

like this:

Think it through

The Christian reworking of Jewish eschatology is centered on which

historical event within history? ____________________________________________

How has Jesus defeated the oppressive enemies of humanity? ______________

___________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

How has Jesus rebuilt the Temple? _______________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________


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How is the exaltation/vindication of Gods people present within history

(hint: A.D. 70) and yet remains a future reality? ____________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

How does Jesus rule over the world? And what role do Christians have in

that? _____________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Jewish eschatology is a one-part scheme, but Christian eschatology is a two-

part scheme. How is Christian eschatology divided into two parts (the past

and the future)? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

Now but not yet is a recent term depicting current and future history in

light of the New Testament. The kingdom of Godthat is, Gods rule on

earthhas been inaugurated through the death and resurrection of Jesus.

The kingdom has been inaugurated but remains to be completed, a futureevent which will take place at Jesus 2ndComing. What happened at Easter

(inauguration) will be completed in the future (Consummation).

In the meantime, Christians live in the present evil age, or the last

days, or the end timesall terms that depict the time period between

Easter and Consummation, none of which give a clue as to how long this

time period will last. When Jesus returns, new creation will be completed,

and those things for which the Jews longed for (and for what Christians now

long for) will take place: the exaltation of Gods people, the complete andtotal overthrow of the pagans, the full realization of Gods kingdom, and the

establishment of peace, prosperity, and justice.

Eschatology is a two-stage process, and Christians find themselves

living in the in-between times. This interim period has been called limbo by

some, but that word carries the idea that this present time is more or less a

waiting stage, where Christians wait for Consummation. This interim period

is very important, because God has decided in his wisdom to have such a

period, so that (a) more people will come to him and (b) the church can beinstrumental in the coming of Gods kingdom (noting, of course, that it will

be God, and not the church, who will have the last word). Now: entire


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volumes could be written on this subject, so let us take a breath and answer

the question, Why is this pertinent to our reading of 1 Peter? Two reasons:

(1) St. Peter addresses the Christians in Asia Minor as exiles. It hasbeen suggested that Peter is addressing them as such because, due

to the persecution theyve experienced, theyve been ostracized from

the larger community. While this may be true, this probably isnt all

that Peter means. The very identity of exiles from a Jewish point-of-

view carries with it all sorts of baggage, and Peterwell aware of

thischooses this title carefully. He is saying that the Christians are

exiles in the sense that this world is not their home. Christiansbelong, as St. Paul says in Philippians, to heaven, which isnt

simply the place where Christians go when they die but the state of

the world when God completely remakes it through Messiah.

Christians are new creations, and as such they belong to the future

(when God will complete new creation) even though they live in the

present world, a world marked with death and decay. This current

physical world will not be destroyed, as some suppose, but will be

made new, in all its glorious physicality. Christians belong to thisfuture world, and thus they are exiles in the sense that they are living

in a world that is not their home, a world marked by decay and

death; their true home is a brave new world free of death and decay.

(2)This now but not yet theology is resplendent throughout 1 Peter.Peter consistently points backwards to Easter (and to the sufferings

of Messiah) and forward to the future unveiling of Messiah. He

locates Christians between these two events in history: they belong tothe future because of the past, but they live as exiles in the present.

Living in the present is EEXXIILLIICCLLIIVVIINNGG, a living which is contextualized

between the past and the future. Christian living is comprised of

understanding the past and the future (as well as the present) and

living in accordance with all that.

Think it through


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Wedged between Easter & Consummation, between the Past & the Future

elements of Christian eschatology, is the interim period. What phrases are

used in the New Testament to describe this time period? ______________________________________________________________________________________________

Called the present evil age, this interim period is characterized by both (a)

the advance of Gods rule and (b) _________________________, a characteristic

which will be dealt with at Consummation.

Why might God have decided to embrace a two-part schematic rather than

what the Jews already had in mind? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In light of Christian eschatology, in what sense are Christians exiles? _____

___________________________________________________________________________

Peter locates Christians between Easter & Consummation, living in the

present evil age. Living in the present thus becomes _______ _______.

Jeremiah 29: A Roadmap

Jeremiah 29 is one of the most Christian Old Testament texts. In this

portion of scripture, we find the prophet Jeremiah writing a letter to Jews

who have been deported to Babylon and who are now living, as exiles and

captives, in Babylon. In verses 1-14, Jeremiah instructs the exiles on how

they should live during the duration of their exile. When we compare 1 Peter

and Jeremiah 29.1-14, we find many similarities:

(1) Both are addressed to exiles. Jeremiah writes to the Jews who areexiled in faraway Babylon, separated from their home in Israel. St.

Peter writes to Christians who are exiled in the present evil age,

separated from their true home in the future restoration of the

cosmos. Jeremiahs letter is written to those in geographical exile;

Peters letter is written to those in an eschatological exile.


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(2) Both are written to instruct the exiles in appropriate living duringtheir exile. Jeremiah instructs the Jews to be obedient to their

Babylonian captors and to settle in the land. This went against theteaching of the false prophets who declared that the exiles should rise

up in arms against their captors. St. Peter instructs Christians on

how to live in the midst of exile, dipping into some of the same

themes found in Jeremiahs letter: as Jeremiah taught that the Jews

should settle down and have families, so Peter instructs Christians

how to live as families; and as Jeremiah instructs the exiles to live in

obedience to their captors, so Peter instructs the exiles to live in

obedience to the ruling power (Rome).

(3) Both Jeremiah and Peter frame their instructions in light of thefuture. The future hope for the Israelites is their restoration to

geographical Israel. The future hope for Christians is their exaltation

and glorification when Christ appears and consummates Gods

kingdom, and the restoration not merely of a geographical stretch of

land but the entire cosmos. For both Jeremiah and St. Peter,

appropriate living is informed by the future hope.

(4) Both identify exilic living as living in Babylonian exile. Jeremiahwrites to those who are literally exiled in the ancient nation of

Babylon. Peter writes from Babylon (1 Peter 5.13), a statement

which works on several different levels, not least as an echo of the

Babylonian exile.

The question may be asked, Why is this important? Throughout the NewTestament are many echoes and allusions to classic Jewish stories, one of

the most prominent being the Exodus (St. Peter echoes the Exodus narrative

as well as the Flood narrative in this letter).

While we may not catch on to these echoes because of the great

cultural distance between us and the letters, that doesnt mean we cant be

informed by them. One of the greatest treasures of recent biblical

scholarship has been the tuning in to these echoes and allowing these

echoes to inform how we understand the biblical texts. Peters echo ofJeremiah 29 gives us a glimpse into the nature of the letter: its a letter

written to instruct exiles in both their hope and in living in light of that hope.


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It isnt just a compendium of Christian ethics, nor simply an encouragement

to suffering Christians. It, like Jeremiah 29, demands a reorientation of the

exiles mindsets resulting in a reorientation of life and practice. How webehave is integral to how we perceive reality; and perceiving reality as Peter

demands enables us to think properly about God, ourselves, and the wider

world, with the result that the manner in which we live our lives finds itself

transformed.

Peters perception of reality is rooted in eschatology, and this is

refreshing, since most western Christian worldviews are dualistic in nature:

the physical world exists, Jesus will return, the physical world will be

destroyed, and then well exist in a nonmaterial, super-spiritual heaven. NewTestament eschatology, understood in its original contexts and within the

lens of its mother (Jewish eschatology), provides a wildly different

framework, which well see uncovered throughout the letter. Christians differ

on how to interpret the current life: some perceive it as hell on earth, a vale

of tears; others perceive it as a sort of purgatory, a cleansing for our sins;

others perceive it as heaven on earth. Peter perceives it differently, and as

we will see, his understanding of the present life informs present behaviors.

Think it through

What are the similarities given between 1 Peter & Jeremiah 29?

(a)____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

(b)____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

(c) ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

(d)____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


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1 Peter isnt some handbook on Christian ethics, nor even simply an

encouragement to suffering Christians. Peter seeks to reorient the

Christians minds around eschatology, so that they can be strengthened andencouraged with the looming threat of persecution and, possibly,

martyrdom.

Part Two: Authorship & DateAuthor: St. Peter (maybe)

When it comes to the authorship of 1 Peter, biblical scholars tend to be

divided on the reliability of the letters claim to be from St. Peter (1 Peter 1.1).

Those who wish to discredit St. Peters authorship move on several different

fronts. One of the classic arguments focuses on the Greek style of the letter.

The Book of Acts calls Peter an untrained or unlearned Jew (Acts 4.13),

and thus the sophisticated Greek of 1 Peter comes across as quite the

surprise. Whoever wrote 1 Peter knew the ins

and outs of Greek sophistry, and we find in 1

Peter words found nowhere else in the entire

New Testament. Also, the Old Testament

quotations are from the Septuagint, the

Greek Old Testament, which Jews outside

Palestine used. Peter grew up in Palestine, so

one would assume his Greek would be

unsophisticated, the rhetoric warranting no

special attention, and his quotations to be

from the Targum (the Aramaic translation of

the Hebrew bible, since Aramaic had been

the popular language of Palestine), or from the Hebrew bible itself.

If Peter isnt the author, why, then, would the letter claim to be from

him? Perhaps the author attached Peters name to it as a tool to grant it

authority amongst the churches where the letter would be read; Peter (as we

shall see) was a big-wig in the early church, commanding respect and

The Septuagint: also

known as the LXX,

this was the Greek

Old Testament used

by Jews living outside

Palestine


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obedience. Or, some speculate, Peters name may be attached to the letter in

memory of his death, thus serving as a rhetorical tool to encourage the

readers to hold fast to their Christian faith as Peter did in his martyrdomunder the tyrannical Nero. A third suggestion: the name couldve been

attached to the letter in the second century so that it would be added to the

canon (the list of authoritative Christian writings, the backbone of our

modern-day New Testament).

Liberal scholars have a heyday regarding the authorship of the letter,

and speculation runs wild. Dont imagine that the conservatives are holed up

in a bunker somewhere, dying out as they cry themselves to sleep each

night. Many serious and educated scholars believe St. Peter to be the trueauthor, and they can answer the objections made by the liberals.

The sophisticated Greek of the letter can be attributed to the use of a

scribe or secretary; the use of such scribes was common in the ancient

Greco-Roman world, and several letters of the New Testament were dictated

by the authors and then written down by scribes or secretaries.

Conservatives often point to Silvanus, Pauls traveling companion,

mentioned in 1 Peter 5.12 (in some translations, Silas is used instead of

Silvanus, Silas being a shorthand), as the possible scribe.Peter may have quoted the Septuagint because Jewish addressees

wouldnt have been from Palestine but belonged to the Diaspora (Jews living

outside the Promised Land), and they wouldve been familiar with the

Septuagint.

Historys testimony gives weight to the conservative perspective.

Polycarps Epistle to the Philippians (written ca A.D. 130) echoes bits and

pieces of 1 Peter. Irenaeus (from the late 2ndcentury) cites the letter as being

written by Peter; and following Irenaeus statement, the letter becamewidespread. Papias of Hierapolis (ca A.D. 160-220) agreed that St. Peter

wrote the letter, as did Tertullian in Roman Northern Africa (ca A.D. 160-

220) and Clement of Alexandria in Egypt (ca A.D. 150-215). Origen of

Alexandria (ca A.D. 185-254) believed 1 Peter to be from St. Peters hand, but

questioned the authorship of 2 Peter.

So who wrote 1 Peter? In the end, the evidence on both sides is

compelling, and readers are invited to make up their own minds. The

arguments can be exhausting, and we must remember that the lettersvalidity isnt called intoquestion if Peter didnt write it, nor does it really gain


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anything if Peter really didwrite it. The value of the letter is in its content

and in the remarkable way it locates history within history.

Think it Through

What arguments are put forward for St. Peter not being the real author of

the letter? ______________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

If St. Peter didnt really write 1 Peter, then why might his name be attached

to it? ______________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

How do conservative scholars answer the objections raised by their liberal

friends and colleagues? ____________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Date: *Unknown*

Liberal scholars tend to locate the authorship of 1 Peter late in the first

century A.D., pointing out similarities between 1 Peter and James, Hebrews,and the non-canonical 1 Clement. These similarities, they say, are due to one

of two things: either (a) they drew upon a common tradition (most likely oral)

or that (b) James, Hebrews, and 1 Clement were already widespread enough

for the author to know of them and thus to use them. Its more likely that

the similarities between James, Hebrews, and 1 Peter are due to the Jewish

influences on their writing; and 1 Clement, written later, wouldve had access

to such works. Liberals also point out that the tone of 1 Peter is

reminiscent of those found in St. Pauls pastoral letters; and because thepastoral letters are placed at a date later than the Christian persecutions

under Emperor Nero, then Peterwho was allegedly martyred in the midst


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1 Peter: written by the Apostle Peter amidst persecution, from

Rome, sometime prior to his death in A.D. 64

Neros madnesscouldnt have written it. Liberals will also point to 1 Peter

5.13, where the author uses Babylon as a codename for Rome, similar to

how Revelation uses Babylon in this manner (see Revelation 14.18, amongothers). This suggests a post-A.D.70 authorship: after the fall of Jerusalem

to the Romans, the codename Babylon for Rome became widespread, since

Rome destroyed Jerusalem just as Babylon did centuries prior. In the same

breath, however, we must recognize that Babylon could easily refer to

Rome even prior to the fall of Jerusalem, because the Jewish people

perceived Rome as an oppressor akin to the Babylonian regime that had

lorded over them centuries before.

A final note rang by those wanting a later date for the writing of 1 Peteris the use of the word Christian in the text. 1 Peter is addressed to

Christians in Asia Minor, and the letter addresses them specifically as

Christians in 1 Peter 4.16. The term, originally coined in Antioch (Acts

11.26), mustve had enough time to spread throughout Asia Minor. All of

these arguments, liberals say, demand a late date for the letter. However,

even they acknowledge the date cant be too late, because there remains a

vibrant and domineering expectation of Jesus unveiling (4.7, 17), and the

letter would need to be written early enough to be familiar to Polycarp, whoquoted 1 Peter around A.D. 130.

If the letter iswritten by St. Peter (or at least by a scribe to whom Peter

dictated), then the dateat the mostwould be around A.D. 64, when St.

Peter was (as legend holds) martyred. There were three reigns of

persecution during the days of the early church. The first came under Nero,

beginning after the Great Fire of Rome in A.D. 64. The second came under

the reign of Emperor Domitian in the late first century, followed by the third

under Emperor Trajan in the early 2nd

-century A.D. If St. Peter didwrite 1Peter (as I like to think he did), then its placement is to be found sometime

during the persecutions under Nero, within the three-month period between


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the actual fire and his martyrdom. This study will take the approach that 1

Peter was written by Peter in the midst of persecution, from Rome (1 Peter

5.13), sometime prior to his death in A.D. 64.

Think it Through

Why would some Jews and even Christians call Rome Babylon? ___________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

What is the latest possible date for the writing of 1 Peter, and why? _________

___________________________________________________________________________

How many Christian persecutions were there during the days of the early

church? Who enforced them? ______________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

Part Three:The Story Behind the Letter

The letters of the New Testament were written for a wide variety of reasons.

No book or letter in the New Testament was penned to simply pour forth

doctrinal teachings. Theres no book or letter written just so that the author

could expound upon God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, or about basic Christian

teachings. We sure find a lot of that all throughout, but its always in the

context of what is called the rhetorical situation: the reason the document

was written. Were so used to books and sermons that are about God, or

Jesus, or about theology that the idea of the New Testament not being a

systematic theology or a dispensation of Christian beliefs may seem odd. But

this doesnt change the fact that the authors of the New Testamentfolks

like St. Paul and St. Peterdidnt write to give information but to bring about


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Atheists! Cannibals! Incestuous perverts!

(somepeople didnt like Christians)

changes in the thoughts and behaviors of the people to whom the document

was written.

When reading 1 Peter, we shouldnt ask ourselves What theology isPeter presenting? but Why is Peter presenting the theology in the first

place? What goals does Peter have in mind when he infuses theology (and

especially here, eschatology) into his letter? The goals are always concrete

and practical. To understand these goals, and thus to understand why Peter

uses theology the way he does, we need to understand why the letter was

written in the first place (and we go full-circle back to the rhetorical

situation).

The Situation: Persecution Looms

Around A.D. 64, a vicious fire ravaged Rome, though it quite suspiciously left

Neros own estates untouched, along with the estates of his friend Tigellinus.

Suspicions ran high that Emperor Nero stood behind the fire, so he devised a

plan: find a scapegoat for the inferno to turn peoples anger away from him.

He chose the new religion of Christianity, a brilliantalbeit sadistic andcorruptstrategy.

The populous

perceived

Christianity as a

radical, fanatical

form of Judaism.

Most Romans

despised the Jews,calling them lazy (due to their practice of the Sabbath) and irreverent (due to

their refusal to embrace the polytheistic Greco-Roman religion). Yet many

peoplethough certainly not the majorityfavored the Jews, or were at least

sympathetic towards them; and Neros own mistress, Poppaea Sabina, is

renowned for being a supporter of Jewish causes. This, coupled with the

sheer issue of numbers (thousands upon thousands of Jews lived in the

Empire), made making Judaism the scapegoat a foolish move. Though anti-

Semitism (a hatred for anything Jewish) was rampant within the Empire,there was even more hatred and hostility towards Christians.


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Pagans viewed Christians as atheists (because they, like the Jews,

didnt worship the Greco-Roman gods), cannibals (because they partook of

the Lords Supper in which they drank the blood and ate the body ofJesus), and incestuous (because they referred to one another as brother

and sister and married within the church family). The slanderous titles for

Christians makes it clear that they werent the most favored mushrooming

religious sect; yet one must ask, Why did the pagans hate Christians so

much? Answering the question is complicated, but two observations should

be made:

(1) Christianity didnt flourish as a private, personal religion whichemphasized a pietist spirituality. While many sects and practices ofChristianity today focus solely upon ones personal relationship with

God, the emergence of Christianity came with what could be

considered a political agenda. While Greeks and Romans emphasized

faith (that is, loyalty) to Caesar, Christians proclaimed faith (again,

loyalty) to Jesus Christ. While the Roman emperors exalted themselves

as the sons of God, Christians preached only one Son of God: Jesus the

Messiah. And while the Caesars identified themselves as the Lords andSaviors of the world, Christians said Jesus was the worlds true and

only Lord and Savior. Many of the titles for JesusSon of God,

Lord, and Savior, which we find herewerent simply religious

words. They were politicalwords, and when Christians preached Jesus

Christ, they preached what would be understood as a political

message. Truly, they did preach a political message, but not one

steeped in political revolt or anarchy. Nevertheless, citizens of the

Roman Empire wouldnt be deaf to what Christians were saying, andbecause the punishment for treason came at the tip of the sword or the

sharp edge of an axe, many people distanced themselves from the

Christians and set themselves against them in order to ensure their

self-preservation over against this political group.

(2) At the heart of all persecutionwhether that be persecution induced bythe authorities, such as we find with Nero, or persecution which takes

up the mantle of mockery, slander, disdain, and prejudicethere is aconflict of worldviews. People persecute those whom they perceive to be

a threat, not just for the self-preservation of their physical selves (see


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Point 1) but also for the self-preservation of their worldviews.

Christianity introduced an entirely new worldview, a Jewish worldview

tweaked and centered upon a crucified and risen Jewish prophet. TheChristian worldview clashed with the predominant Greco-Roman

worldviews, and persecution came about as a result of the friction.

When new worldviews are introduced, along with new habits and

behaviors in accordance with these worldviews, the response from

those on the outside is always one of three: (a) indifference, (b) awe

and curiosity, or (c) fear. The idea of tolerance demands indifference;

the concept of open-mindedness demands awe and curiosity; and fear

produces feelings of endangerment, and this fear generates either flightor persecution. There were many who were indifferent to the

Christians; there were many who were curious regarding the

Christians, not least those with philosophical bents; and then there

were those who feared the Christiansboth Jews and Greeksand

these folks persecuted them.

Because the populous loathed Christians far more than they loathed Jews,

and because there were far fewer Christians than Jews, Nero focused theblame of the fire upon the Christians and began a massive Christian

persecution throughout the capital city.

Think it Through

When did the great fire in Rome take place, and why was Nero suspected of

being behind it? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Why did Emperor Nero need to find a scapegoat for the fire? ________________

_________________________________________________________________________

How did most Roman citizens perceive the Jews? What names did they call

them and why? __________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


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...Nero would even burn

Christians as torches to light his

palace gardens

What reasons are given for Nero not choosing the Jews as the scapegoat?

Whom did he choose to blame instead?_____________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

There are two reasons given for the persecution of Christians in the Roman

Empire. What are they?____________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

What accusations did pagans lodge against Christians and why? ___________

___________________________________________________________________________

The sufferings Nero enacted upon the Christians in the capital city of Rome

were horrific, to say the least. Christians would be covered with wild beast

skins and thrown into the arenas to be torn apart by lions. Some would be

crucified. The second-century historian Tacitus, who openly admitted to

being extremely anti-Christian, reported that Nero would even burn

Christians as torches to light his palace gardens during parties and

banquets. The masss hostility towards Christians soon turned into pity asthey witnessed the madness of Nero manifested in his persecutions against

them. How long the persecutions

lasted is unknown, but what is

known is that by the time of his

death, Nero was hated by virtually

everyone within the empire.

Think it Through

What were some of the tortures used on Christians during Neros era of

persecution? ______________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Do you think these persecutions hindered or advanced the gospel? Why?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


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It must be noted that St. Peters circular letter (that is, a letter sent to

various places to be read by the churches there) was sent to the churches ofAsia Minor. Neros persecutions probably didnt branch far from the capital

city, so the exact nature of the persecutions in the outlying regions of the

empire is unknown. It seems, however, that the persecutions Peter speaks of

presently werent due to the Roman government (1 Peter 2.13 would be an

awkward statement if such were the case), but rather the persecutions were

physical and verbal in nature and from hostile neighbors rather than from a

hostile government (1 Peter 2.12, 15, 19-20; 3.9, 16; 4.4, 14). The Christians

in Asia Minor were suffering persecution, but whether this suffering involvedmartyrdom is unknown. Its presumable that if the persecutions in Asia

Minor werent yet mortal, St. Peter anticipated the deadly persecution in

Rome to eventually travel outwards to Asia Minor. Thus his letter serves to

strengthen the Christians in the midst of their current minor persecutions

and to prepare their minds for the anticipated mortal persecution looming on

the horizon.

Think it Through

How is 1 Peter a circular letter? ________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

What persecutions might the Christians in Asia Minor be experiencing if not

suffering martyrdom? Does the fact that ones life isnt taken mean that

persecution is happening? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How is persecution different from merely suffering? _____________________

___________________________________________________________________________

What two reasons did St. Peter have in mind when writing this letter? ______

___________________________________________________________________________


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Part 4:The Man Behind The Letter

Most of what we know about Peter, outside tradition, is from the gospels and

Acts. The gospels tell us that Peter was one of the first disciples Jesus called

to follow him; at this point his name was Simon, but Jesus changed it to

Peter. Prior to being Jesus disciple, Peter worked as a fisherman in the town

of Bethsaida. He was probably married, since he has a mother-in-law in

Capernaum, and in 1 Cor 9.5, Paul presents Peter as an example of aChristian with a believing wife. Following Jesus death, Peter returned to his

fishing trade, perceiving the crucifixion of Jesus as the dashing of his

Messianic expectations: Peters confession of Jesus as the Jewish Messiah is

the first recorded of its kind (Matthew 16.13-20). It was at this point that

Jesus began referring to Simon as Peter, an uncommon name which meant

rock, the point being that Peter would hold a privileged position in the early

church, being a cornerstone for the advance of the gospel following Jesus

resurrection. And while Peters hopes had been demolished by Jesuscrucifixion, he was back on board following Jesus resurrection. Peter is also

known well for the story of him denying Jesus three times the night prior to

his death; what is lesser known is that Peters denial of Jesus fits into the

framework of allthe disciples being tested and challenged, and following his

denial and subsequent repentance, Peter would serve as glue holding the

disciples together.

Think it Through

What did Peter do for a living prior to following Jesus (and for a bit after

Jesus death)? ____________________________________________________________

What evidence is there that St. Peter was married? _________________________

What symbolism did Peters name The Rock entail? __________________________________________________________________________________________________


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Peter denied Jesus three times; what was his role following all this? ________

___________________________________________________________________________

The Acts narrative is a window into Peters role in the early church. He

delivers the first sermon at Pentecost, and he takes the lead in choosing

Judas Iscariots apostolic replacement. His timidity at Jesus crucifixion

turns around with a radical and surprising boldness; while he had denied

knowing Jesus to a little servant girl, we find him boldly defying the

Sanhedrin not once but twice. While for the most part he remained in

Jerusalem, working with the church there and being foundational for itsestablishment, he did take a missionary journey to Lydda, Joppa and

Caesarea, and through this he became a key element in the decision to take

the gospel to the Gentiles. The second half of Acts turns its attention away

from Jerusalem and focuses on the missionary journeys of St. Paul as he

carries the gospel all the way to the ancient city of Rome; the rest that we

know of St. Peter comes from Pauls letters and tradition. We find in

Galatians that Peter was present at the Council of Jerusalem, when leaders

of the early churchalong with St. Paulgathered together and decided toembrace Gentile converts. Peter opposed those Jewish Christians who

demanded that Gentile converts be circumcised and adhere to the works of

the law, but at the same time, Peter isnt without his flaws: hes sco lded by

St. Paul in Antioch for drifting back into enforcing old Jewish ways by

ostracizing Gentile Christians in favor of associating with Jewish Christians.

Think it Through

How did St. Peters boldness change following Jesus resurrection? _________

___________________________________________________________________________

What role did Peter play in the Jerusalem church, and also in the decision to

carry the gospel to the Gentiles? ___________________________________________

How does what we all know in our own livesthat is, inconsistencybecomeapparent in St. Peters life (in Antioch)? ____________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________


23/24

Not much is known about St. Peters death, andall that we do know comesfrom legend. The only mention of his death in the New Testament is found in

the cryptic speech of Jesus as he foretells Peters end in John 21: Jesus tells

him that he will stretch out his hands, someone else will dress him, and that

hell be led to a place he doesnt want to go. The author of this gospel is

clear: this predicts the manner in which Peter will die. How this fleshes itself

out is evident in the early churchs tradition. Legend states that Emperor

Nero killed Peter sometime in late A.D. 64, three months after the Great Fire,

and that he was crucified upside-down during the commemoration of Nerosenthronement, the dies imperii, ten years after Neros ascent to the throne.

The account may breed skepticism, but we know from the ancient historian

Josephus that sometimes Roman soldiers would crucify criminals in

different positions, if not only to break the boredom of regular crucifixions (a

common Roman punishment). I date the writing of 1 Peter sometime between

the Great Fire and Peters martyrdom, within a three-month window.

Think it Through

Where in the New Testament is Peters death foretold? What does this tell us

about the manner in which he will die? ____________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

According to legend, when was St. Peter killed, and who killed him? ________

___________________________________________________________________________

Also according to legend, howdid St. Peter die? ____________________________

How does early church tradition help us narrow down the date of

composition for 1 Peter? ___________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________


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Part 5: An Outline of 1 Peter

There are many outlines to 1 Peter. The original Greek manuscripts dont

include headers or footers, or even chapter breaks for that matter. Thus the

interpreter is left to his own devices to figure out the general flow-of-thought

to the letter. Ones perspective on 1 Peter guides the outline, and our

perspective of 1 Peter as a handbook written to exiles can give us a

framework by which we can understand the letter. The framework is as

follows:

1.1-2: Greetings

1.3-12: The Christian Hope

1.13-3.12: Exilic Living in light of the Christian Hope

1.13-1.21: Exilic Living, Part I: The Christian Modus Vivendi

1.22-2.3: Exilic Living, Part II: Regeneration & New Identity

2.4-10: Exilic Living, Part III: Gods People Re:worked

2.11-3.7: Exilic Living, Part IV: Relationships

2.12: Among Neighbors2.13-17: Among Government

2.18-25: A Word for Bondservants

3.1-6: A Word for Wives

3.7: A Word for Husbands

3.8-12: Exilic Living, Part III: The Church

3.13-22: Encouragement In the Midst of Persecution

4.1-19: Get Ready: Persecution is on the Doorstep

5.1-5: A Message to the Church Leadership5.6-11: Final Exhortation

5.12-14: Benediction

Throughout our study on 1 Peter, this is the framework well be using. Take

a few moments to go over the outline, and then read through 1 Peter once or

twice, getting a feel for how the letter fits into this outline. And so, without

further ado, we launch into the text...

1 peter intro for bible study

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