Biblical Theology LVI: 1 Peter

The First Epistle of Peter is written to encourage Christians in Asia Minor, who are going through suffering, that their suffering is normative for the Christians life, and that the true grace of God is evidenced in their leading holy lives in the midst of suffering, and not in using it as an excuse to return to a life of sin.

Theology: Peter focuses the attention of the Christians in Asia Minor on the eschatological hope that is to come, and away from the desire to minimize suffering and to be happy in this life. Peter argues that joy comes to the Christian when he focuses on what God has done, is doing through suffering, and will do for him when Christ is revealed. God’s judgment of Christians is now instead of with the world later. Hence, the fiery trials they are undergoing are for the purpose of purification and a testing of their faith.

Ethics: Peter argues that, in light of Christ’s suffering, Christians are to be priests in the world who display Christ through their suffering. Their suffering is not an excuse to live in ungodliness, but rather than means of their growth in godliness. They are to be holy as God is holy, and their holiness is manifest in how they deal with unjust treatment from those in authority over them. This sets up his argument that Christians must submit to all governing authorities, even if tyrannical, and even if they are afraid of losing their possibility for happiness in this life, because Christ did the same. Through their suffering, they live out His ministry in the world as His priests, and gain opportunities to proclaim Him to those who are disobedient and lost.

He argues that being priests also means not partaking in the wickedness of the world, or its criminal behavior that throws off and disrespects government, but rather to take upon the name “Christian” only if one suffers in submission for the sake of Christ. The former behavior of the Christian when he was a pagan was due to desires that were fed by ignorance of everything the Scriptures proclaim. Christians have been ransomed from their former way of life, not with perishable money, but the imperishable blood of Christ. Their lives here are temporal, but God has secured an eternal life in Christ for them that cannot be tampered with by an earthly power.

In this regard, Peter presents two roads of happiness, one against which he is implicitly arguing, and one for which he explicitly champions. The one road is that of seeking happiness here and now in one’s current situation. This road will lead to rebellion against God and man when one thinks he has been unfairly treated. The second road is one that seeks the happiness of the kingdom to come, which in turn seeks the joy of being a suffering priest in the world now. It is not that one finds joy in suffering, but rather that one finds joy in proclaiming Christ through his suffering, and when given opportunities by their unbelieving masters, to proclaim him with their words as well. Since Christ’s path was one of submission and not rebellion, even when cruelly treated by authorities, the Christian’s path is one of submission and not rebellion. The trials themselves are God’s temporary judgment upon believers that saves them.

This is possible only because Christians focus on the future hope they have been given in the promises of God to His people according to the Scriptures. Hence, it is through craving the proclaimed word that they as newborn infants will grow up to salvation, i.e., becoming like Christ in the world. As a result, they display Christ’s value to the world, a kingdom of priests, a temple in which His glory dwells, and is on display before the world that now hates Christians, but will glorify God because you them when He appears. Hence, Christians are not to see themselves as the rest of the world, but as strangers and foreigners in a land that is not yet their own.