"God's faithfulness to His chosen people"

Job was a man of God. After losing everything Job received counsel from his friends. The first friend that gave his 2 cents. Shared this belief with Job 8:2: “How long will you speak these things, and the words of your mouth be like a strong wind? Does God subvert judgment? Or does the Almighty pervert justice? If your sons have sinned against Him, He has cast them away for their transgression. If you would earnestly seek God and make your supplication to the Almighty, if you were pure and upright, surely now He would awake for you and prosper your rightful dwelling place.”

· This thinking is so easy to fall into… As Christians we can buy into the idea that when I suffer it is God’s way of telling me He no longer loves me or wants me.

· Peter writes to the early church who bought into this idea or was tempted to think this way.

o 17x “Suffering”

o 12x “Glory”

o 8x “Holy”

o 5x “Righteous”

o 8x “Grace”

(Read 1:1-2 then pray)

Exposition:

1- Authorship of 1 Peter v. 1a “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,”

A. Peter

a. Who was he

i. Reckless

· Mount of Transfiguration (let’s build a tent)

· “I won’t deny you”

· Cutting the guards ear off

ii. Strong

· John 21:11 (Peter dragging a net with 153 fish soaking wet!)

· Peter was a man’s man!

iii. Passionate

· Jesus asked his disciples what people were saying about Him.

· He then asks them who they think He is.

· Peter says you are the Son of GOD!

B. Apostle of Jesus Christ

Meaning of apostle

- Lit. “One sent for another”

Arguments against Peters authorship

- Too well written (fluent Greek)

- Too deep theologically

Arguments for Peters authorship

- Letter shows a great acquaintance of Jesus’ teachings

- Tradition has overwhelmingly confirmed Peter’s authorship

- Peter identifies himself…

This leaves the burden of proof in the hands of those who might oppose the Petrine authorship.

Frankly there is few to no strong proofs against Peter writing this book.

- Apostle to the Jews

Gal. 2:7 “7 when they saw that the gospel for the uncircumcised had been committed to me, as the gospel for the circumcised was to Peter”

Conclusion:

Peter the follower of Jesus Christ and early church leader wrote the letter of 1 and 2 Peter…

2- Audience of 1 Peter v. 1b “To the pilgrims of the dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,”

A. Pilgrims (sojourners, refugees, or temporary residents)

Christians are temporary residents of earth with a heavenly citizenship

- This alludes to the fact that for believers in Jesus Christ we are temporary residents of earth permanent residents of heaven.

o This is a comfort to those suffering in this world (it is temporary)

o It is reminder for those tempted to become worldly (it is temporary)

Illustration:

(coming into money, you are a wise person and decide to invest your money. A reliable source informs you of a stock that will soon be falling and ultimately die. How wise would you be if you didn’t take this reliable sources advice and you invested in that dying stock?)

- The word Sojourners or Temporary residents is clarified with the full phrase “Pilgrims of the dispersion”

B. Dispersion

Initial Audience:

1 Peter 1:1 “Diaspora” (dispersion) A reference towards Jewish Christians that remain dispersed since the Babylonian captivity, living in the area of “Asia Minor”

“Diaspora” used 3x in the NT:

· John 7:35 – (Dispersion) 35 Then the Jews said among themselves, “Where does He intend to go that we shall not find Him? Does He intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks?

· James (leader of church in Jerusalem) 1:1 – (Scattered Abroad) 1 James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad: Greetings.

Further evidence of primarily Jewish letter:

· Galatians 2:7- 7 when they saw that the gospel for the uncircumcised had been committed to me, as the gospel for the circumcised was to Peter

· John 21:15-17 – Feed my lambs… Tend my sheep… Feed my sheep… (The lost sheep of Israel?)

Proposed evidence against Jewish primary audience

- 1 Peter 2:9-10 (turn and read)

It is proposed that the mention of “not a people but are now the people of God” is a reference to gentiles since the Jews were a nation.

However, Peter is quoting from the book of Hosea if you’ll turn there…

Hosea 1:9;10; (turn and read)

Hosea 2:23 (Read) (cf. Romans 9:25)

- After reading the passage that Peter quotes I think it actually confirms that Peter is writing primarily to Jews who have accepted their Messiah.

C. Asia Minor (modern day turkey)

5 churches are listed:

a. Pontus (cf. Acts 2:9)

b. Galatia

c. Cappadocia (cf. Acts 2:9)

d. Asia (cf. Acts 2:9) Timothy was from Asia Acts 20:4

e. Bithynia (cf. Acts 16:7)

Acts 2:8-10 (Day of Pentecost)

A day where Jews from all around would be gathered in Jerusalem to participate in a special feast.

Acts 2:8-10

8 And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born? 9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes,

3 out of the 5 cities that Peter mentions in 1Peter 1:1 were present on the Day of Pentecost and heard Peter preach the gospel and it says they were “cut to the heart”.

Conclusion:

My conclusion is that folks heard Peter preach that day and were saved… These Jewish believers returned to their homes in Asia Minor. And 1 and 2 Peter are follow up letters to those Jewish Believers.

Transition: So who is the Apostle Peter’s message to these Jewish believers living in Asia Minor?

3- Message of 1 Peter V. 2 elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied.

“Elect” should be connected back to “pilgrims”

So it should read “to the Elect pilgrims”

- To Choose; To Set Apart; To Elect. The picture of picking something up and setting it aside for you to use for an intended purpose

Explanation of different view of election:

1- “Individual Election” God has chosen SPECIFIC individuals to inherit salvation

(Calvinism)

2- “Cooperate Election” God has chosen that ALL who trust Christ will be the ones who inherit salvation

The concept of “election” was not new to the Jewish people… It had the idea of the subjects of saving grace, and corresponds with the OT title of Jehovah’s people…

- Isa. 65:9 I will bring forth descendants from Jacob, and from Judah an heir of My mountains; My elect shall inherit it, And My servants shall dwell there.

- Isa. 65:22 They shall not build and another inhabit; They shall not plant and another eat; For las the days of a tree, so shall be the days of My people, And My elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.

- Ps. 105:43 He brought out His people with joy, His chosen ones with gladness.

Conclusion:

These Jewish believers are a part of the chosen people of God who will inherit salvation.

1 Peter 1:2 gives us insight into how this choosing took place.

“according to the foreknowledge”

- Lit. “To know beforehand” not simply passively knowing but “having regard for” or “Centering one’s attention on”

- Before the foundation of the earth God had regard for the salvation of mankind. And He chose beforehand that those who would trust in Him would inherit salvation and everlasting life.

“In sanctification of the Spirit”

- Becoming a part of the “chosen of God” happens when an individual trusts Christ.

- At the moment of faith, the picture here is the Holy Spirit taking you (spiritually speaking) out of the world and setting you in the hand of God to be used for His special purposes. (idea of Sanctification)

“sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ”

- Speaks of the purification process necessary in setting something apart.

OT passages:

- Lev. 7:14; 14:7, 16, 51; 16:14–15;

NT Passage:

- Heb. 9:13-14

13 For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, 14 how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

Peter finishes his introduction with a common greeting

“Grace to you and peace be multiplied.”

1- What the Jews would have felt reading this letter

· Relief… That the God of their forefathers still extends and arm of grace and mercy to them…

· Excitement… Many of the promises of the OT to Israel are in part being fulfilled to them as believers in their Messiah.

· Hope… This fact gives them hope for their countrymen who God has foretold of the day when all of Israel will accept Jesus as their Messiah.

· Hope… Because their residency outside of Israel is temporary and they as believers in Jesus Christ can lay their expectation upon the hope that their real citizenship is in heaven.

2- What we should feel as we study this letter

· Gratefulness… Our God is one who when He establishes a relationship with someone it is intended to be forever.

· Excitement… God has chosen that we as the Church (predominantly Gentile people) receive most of the Spiritual blessings that were promised to Israel in the OT.

· Hope… No matter what suffering we face, or the hard times we find here on earth. They are temporary and our citizenship it in heaven!

In the first 2 verses of 1 Peter we see:

Homiletical Idea: “God’s Faithfulness to His Chosen People”

Conclusion-

When Ronald Reagan was president there was a horrific terrorist bombing of a Marine barracks in Beirut in 1983… The bombing killed 241 Americans, and 58 French service members as well as 6 civilians.

A few days after the tragedy a survivor’s story emerged:

· Marine Corps Commandant Paul Kelly visited some of the wounded survivors in Frankfurt, Germany at a hospital there.

· Corporal Jeffrey Lee Nashton, was severely wounded in the incident. A witness noted that he had so many tubes running in and out of his body that he looked more like a machine than a man…

(paint picture of the shock and trauma that these marines were facing)

Such an event would surely cause someone to close up and turn inwardly focused. They wouldn’t be concerned with the big picture things, such as their country, or the battle at hand, or how retaliation might be made. But they would be focused on their very survival.

Simply put difficulty would lead them to losing faith in what they held most dear

Such an event would cause them to possibly abandon the very thing they loved.

· However, as Marine Corps Commandant Paul Kelly, visited this man Jeffrey Lee Nashton in his hospital bed.

· Nashton in his bed and filled with pain and struggling to move, motioned for a piece of paper and a pen.

· He wrote on the paper something unbelievable.

· He wrote just two words “Semper Fi” the Latin motto of the Marines meaning “forever faithful”

Imagine the shock of Commandant Kelly, that despite everything that happened this man was faithful…

I think the same shock was felt by the Jewish people that were reading the letter of 1 Peter.

· The nation of Israel was disobedient

· The nation of Israel turned away from their mighty God

· The nation of Israel rejected their Messiah

· But God was communicating to these Jewish believers and to the early church that He is forever faithful!

He is forever faithful to you! If you have trusted Christ for salvation you have a citizenship in heaven, and are a temporary resident here on earth.

So no matter what troubles you or what problems you are facing or will face… GOD is Forever faithful to His chosen people!