The Word Made Fresh
1From Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
To the exiles of the Dispersion who are in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2and who have been chosen and predestined by God the Father and blessed by the Holy Spirit to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with his blood. May grace and peace be plentifully yours.
3Praise to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his abundant mercy he has made us to be born anew into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 4and into an everlasting, pure and unfading inheritance that has been kept for you in heaven. 5God’s power is protecting you through faith for a salvation to be made known in the last days. 6This is reason to rejoice, even if for a little while you have had to endure various trials 7so that your faith may prove to be genuine. Faith is more precious than gold, which is perishable but is tested by fire to make it more precious, and your faith will result in praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8Even though you haven’t seen him you love him. Even though you don’t see him now your faith in him makes you rejoice with an indefinable and glorious joy, 9because you are receiving the results of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
10The prophets who spoke of the grace that is to be yours carefully searched and asked about this salvation. 11They wanted to know all about the Spirit of Christ within them that had testified in advance about the sufferings Christ would have to endure and the glory that would arise afterward. 12They were made aware that they were serving you, not themselves, regarding the things that you have now been told through those who brought you good news, things the angels longed to see, through the Holy Spirit sent from heaven.
13So, get ready for work. Be disciplined, and place all your hope on the blessings that Jesus Christ will bring when he is made known. 14Be like obedient children. Don’t be shaped by the ignorant desires you used to have. 15Strive to be as holy in everything you do as the One who called you is holy, 16as it is written, “You shall be holy because I am holy.”
17Since you call the one who impartially judges everyone your Father, be reverent and respectful during your time in exile here on earth. 18You are surely aware that you have been ransomed from the pointless ways you inherited from your forebearers; not bought with temporary things like silver and gold, 19but with the precious blood of Christ, as a lamb without defect or blemish. 20He was chosen before the world was formed, but was revealed at the end of the age for your sake. 21Through him you have learned to trust in God, who raised him up from the dead and bestowed him with glory, so that your faith and hope are set on God.
22Now that you are made pure through your obedience to the truth, and have genuine mutual love for one another, continue to love one another deeply from the heart. 23You have been reborn, this time through the undying life of the true and enduring word of God. 24After all, “All lives are like grass, and are as glorious as the flowers of the field. But though the grass withers and the flowers fall, the word of the Lord remains forever.” And that word is the good news proclaimed to you.
Commentary
1-2: As with James and Hebrews, the identity of the author of 1 Peter is uncertain. There is little internal evidence: he identifies himself as an apostle in the first verse, and as an elder in the church and as one who witnessed the crucifixion (5:1). He has a close relationship with Silvanus (Silas) and Mark, as did Paul. In ancient times it was thought that the author was Simon Peter the disciple. In more recent times the popular view is that it was written around 67-68 A.D. following the first persecution of Christians in Rome. Both 1 Peter and James are addressed to believers “in the Dispersion,” James to “the twelve tribes” and 1 Peter to “the exiles.” 1 Peter is however specifically addressed to those who live in five regions in the Roman provinces of Asia Minor north of the Taurus Mountain range. It was a common thing for early Christian communities to style themselves after some period of Jewish history; thus, we have the “twelve tribes” in James and the “exiles” here. The “Dispersion” was the term used in reference to the scattering of the Jews following Assyrian and Babylonian conquests, but here (and in James) probably simply refers to those Christian communities scattered about the Empire.
3-9: He wastes no time laying out the basic teachings of the faith: the resurrection of Christ gives us new birth; the outcome of our faith is the salvation of our souls; God preserves believers for a future yet to be revealed; faith is that attitude of the soul that enables us to believe even when we have not seen.
10-12: Peter refers to the prophets who foresaw the coming of Christ and his suffering and death for our salvation (see, for example, Isaiah 52:3-9) and avers that they knew their prophesies were for future generations — that is, for the people to whom Peter is writing.
13-16: So, he says, live for the future when Christ will be revealed (when he returns to rule). Prepare for it by living holy lives, striving to be like him (the quote is from Leviticus 19:2).
17-21: Three important ideas are contained here: first, the “time of exile” refers to the time from the resurrection of Christ until his return. Peter, along with all the New Testament writers, believed the return of Christ was imminent. Second, the ransom theory of Christ’s suffering and death (that Christ paid for our freedom from the law of sin and death with his own blood) is put forward. Third, Christ’s work on our behalf was determined “before the foundation of the world.” This is an important and rather controversial idea because it means that God knew every prior attempt to save humankind would fail.
22-25: Given all the above, he tells them their task is to learn to love one another because they are of one family — those who have been born anew through the gospel (the quote in verse 24 is from Isaiah 40:6-8).
Takeaway
The task of the followers of Jesus Christ today is the same as it was for the original followers of Christ – the disciples and others like Paul, Timothy, Titus, etc. First, to be a witness to the resurrection of Christ; second, to share the teachings of Jesus to believers; and third, to be examples of God’s love for us by loving one another.