Aug 12 2020 - Introduction to 1 Peter

Who wrote this letter?

The letter opens with a simple assertion of authorship by "Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ" (1:1).  But many have suggested that the very fine quality of the Greek in which it was written could not have come from a Jewish fisherman. 

Peter did not write this letter on his own; Silvanus acted as his amanuensis or secretary (5:12). This Silvanus is the same man who is named in 1 Thess 1:1 and 2 Thess 1:1 as joint author with the Apostle Paul and Timothy of these two Epistles; he is also the Silas who is mentioned in Acts." Silas/Silvanus was an able minister of the word (Acts 15:32) and, after having worked with Paul in Corinth may have gone on to work in Asia Minor, perhaps alongside Peter. It seems likely that Silvanus played an active role in writing this letter rather than simply following Peter's dictation. The Greek vocabulary and style probably reflect that of Silvanus rather than Peter.  

Nevertheless the mark of Peter's influence and authorship is clear. Many of the themes of this letter reflect those of Peter's speeches recorded in the opening chapters of Acts: The age of fulfilment, the Messianic age, has begun. This has been inaugurated through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus who has fulfilled the prophecies of the Jewish scriptures; all this came to pass by God's "determinate counsel and foreknowledge". By virtue of his resurrection, Jesus has been exalted to God's right hand, as Messianic head of his people, the new Israel. The Holy Spirit in the Church is the sign of Christ's present power and glory, and the proof that the hope of Israel is now being realised. This hope will shortly reach its consummation in the return of Christ in glory, and the judgement of the living and dead. These facts are made the basis of an appeal to repentance, an offer of forgiveness, the gift of the Holy Spirit, and a promise of eternal life to those who trust in the crucified and risen Messiah.  

Who was Peter writing to?

The letter is addressed to Christians living in the northeast of Asia Minor, bordering the Black Sea, an area that Luke reports Paul had not been allowed to evangelise (Acts 16:6-10). We have no knowledge of how these churches came into being, but it would not be surprising "for a Christian leader to desire to communicate his support and encouragement to a suffering group of Christians, even if they were otherwise unknown to him " (Peter Davids).

The churches to which this letter was written probably consisted of both Jewish and Gentile Christians. Much debate has centred on whether the churches were predominantly Jewish or Gentile, with strong views being expressed on either side. 1 Peter 1:18 would seem to favour the view that the recipients were predominantly Gentile converts. Whatever the case, all are addressed in terms borrowed from Old Testament descriptions of Israel: it is those who are in Christ, whether Jew or Gentile, who are heirs to the prophecies and promises of the OT.

When was it written?

The letter was probably written from Rome some time between 64 and 68 AD – i.e. between the martyrdom of Paul and that of Peter.

What is Peter's message to these Christians?

The persecution suffered by Christians is viewed as a crisis like Noah's flood. Davids comments, "Peter looks at the persecution of the believers as an eschatological crisis from which they have fled to the 'ark' of salvation in Christ and which will break upon the world in final judgment and the revelation of Christ from heaven in the near future."

In the face of such a crisis, believers are called to a life of personal, corporate and social holiness. This is not, however, a 'grim' holiness but is motivated and empowered by a living hope and a joyful anticipation of seeing Christ, a hope rooted in the reality of Jesus' resurrection from the dead (1:3). It is by virtue of Jesus' death and resurrection that these believers have been redeemed from the emptiness of their former lives and have been made 'the people of God' (2:10). 

Above all, Peter wants to encourage Christians facing a time of trial to go on following Christ in the assurance that they will be brought safely through all manner of trials to glory.

Peter Misselbrook