Reference: Peter, First Epistle Of
Easton
This epistle is addressed to "the strangers scattered abroad", i.e., to the Jews of the Dispersion (the Diaspora).
Its object is to confirm its readers in the doctrines they had been already taught. Peter has been called "the apostle of hope," because this epistle abounds with words of comfort and encouragement fitted to sustain a "lively hope." It contains about thirty-five references to the Old Testament.
It was written from Babylon, on the Euphrates, which was at this time one of the chief seats of Jewish learning, and a fitting centre for labour among the Jews. It has been noticed that in the beginning of his epistle Peter names the provinces of Asia Minor in the order in which they would naturally occur to one writing from Babylon. He counsels (1) to steadfastness and perseverance under persecution (1-2:10); (2) to the practical duties of a holy life (2:11-3:13); (3) he adduces the example of Christ and other motives to patience and holiness (3:14-4:19); and (4) concludes with counsels to pastors and people (ch. 5).
Hastings
No Epistle of the NT has caught more of the spirit of Jesus than 1Peter . Imbued with a strong love for the risen Christ, and a profound conviction of the truth of the gospel as established in the world by the life, death, and resurrection of the Messiah, the author delineates a rich Christian life on the basis of these evangelical facts.
1. Contents.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of goodness! the Realm of heaven is theirs. Blessed are you when men denounce you and persecute you and utter all manner of evil against you for my sake;
So your light is to shine before men, that they may see the good you do and glorify your Father in heaven.
Therefore I tell you, do not trouble about what you are to eat or drink in life, nor about what you are to put on your body; surely life means more than food, surely the body means more than clothes!
When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "My son, your sins are forgiven." Now there were some scribes sitting there who argued in their hearts, read more. "What does the man mean by talking like this? It is blasphemy! Who can forgive sins, who but God alone?" Conscious at once that they were arguing to themselves in this way, Jesus asked them, "Why do you argue thus in your hearts? Which is the easier thing, to tell the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to tell him, 'Rise, lift your pallet, and go away'? But to let you see the Son of man has power on earth to forgive sins" ??he said to the paralytic,
Then he proceeded to address them in parables. "A man planted a vineyard, fenced it round, dug a trough for the winepress, and built a tower; then he leased it to vinedressers and went abroad. When the season came round he sent a servant to the vine dressers to collect from the vine dressers some of the produce of the vineyard, read more. but they took and flogged him and sent him off with nothing. Once more he sent them another servant; him they knocked on the head and insulted. He sent another, but they killed him. And so they treated many others; some they flogged and some they killed. He had still one left, a beloved son; he sent him to them last, saying, 'They will respect my son.' But these vinedressers said to themselves, 'Here is the heir; come on, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be our own.' So they took and killed him, and threw him outside the vineyard. Now what will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the vinedressers, and he will give the vineyard to others. Have you not even read this scripture? ??The stone that the builders rejected is the chief stone now of the corner: this is the doing of the Lord, and a wonder to our eyes." Then they tried to get hold of him, but they were afraid of the multitude. They knew he had meant the parable for them. So they left him and went away.
this Jesus, betrayed in the predestined course of God's deliberate purpose, you got wicked men to nail to the cross and murder;
Uplifted then by God's right hand, and receiving from the Father the long-promised holy Spirit, he has poured on us what you now see and hear.)
Repent then, and turn to have your sins blotted out, so that a breathing-space may be vouchsafed you, and that the Lord may send Jesus your long-decreed Christ, read more. who must be kept in heaven till the period of the great Restoration. Ages ago God spoke of this by the lips of his holy prophets;
The God of our fathers raised Jesus whom you murdered by hanging him on a gibbet. God lifted him up to his right hand as our pioneer and saviour, in order to grant repentance and remission of sins to Israel.
when he enjoined us to preach to the People, testifying that this was he whom God has appointed to be judge of the living and of the dead. All the prophets testify that everyone who believes in him is to receive remission of sins through his Name."
As indeed he says in Hosea, Those who were no people of mine, I will call 'my People,' and her 'beloved' who was not beloved;
And why? Simply because Israel has relied not on faith but on what they could do. They have stumbled over the stone that makes men stumble ??33 as it is written, Here I lay a stone in Sion that will make men stumble, even a rock to trip them up; but he who believes in Him will never be disappointed.
And why? Simply because Israel has relied not on faith but on what they could do. They have stumbled over the stone that makes men stumble ??33 as it is written, Here I lay a stone in Sion that will make men stumble, even a rock to trip them up; but he who believes in Him will never be disappointed.
Well then, my brothers, I appeal to you by all the mercy of God to dedicate your bodies as a living sacrifice, consecrated and acceptable to God; that is your cult, a spiritual rite. Instead of being moulded to this world, have your mind renewed, and so be transformed in nature, able to make out what the will of God is, namely, what is good and acceptable to him and perfect. read more. In virtue of my office, I tell everyone of your number who is self-important, that he is not to think more of himself than he ought to think; he must take a sane view of himself, corresponding to the degree of faith which God has assigned to each.
Our talents differ with the grace that is given us; if the talent is that of prophecy, let us employ it in proportion to our faith;
Let your love be a real thing, with a loathing for evil and a bent for what is good.
Keep in harmony with one another; instead of being ambitious, associate with humble folk; never be self-conceited.
Every subject must obey the government-authorities, for no authority exists apart from God; the existing authorities have been constituted by God.
the magistrate is God's servant for your benefit. But if you do wrong, you may well be alarmed; a magistrate does not wield the power of the sword for nothing, he is God's servant for the infliction of divine vengeance upon evil-doers.
Pay them all their respective dues, tribute to one, taxes to another, respect to this man, honour to that. Be in debt to no man ??apart from the debt of love one to another. He who loves his fellow-man has fulfilled the law.
and when they recognized the grace I had been given, then the so-called 'pillars' of the church, James and Cephas and John, gave myself and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship. Our sphere was to be the Gentiles, theirs the circumcised.
But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face. The man stood self-condemned.
but since we know a man is justified simply by faith in Jesus Christ and not by doing what the Law commands, we ourselves have believed in Christ Jesus so as to get justified by faith in Christ and not by doing what the Law commands ??for by doing what the Law commands no person shall be justified. If it is discovered that in our quest for justification in Christ we are 'sinners' as well as the Gentiles, does that make Christ an agent of sin? Never!
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who in Christ has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly sphere! He chose us in him ere the world was founded, to be consecrated and unblemished in his sight, read more. destining us in love to be his sons through Jesus Christ. Such was the purpose of his will, redounding to the praise of his glorious grace bestowed on us in the Beloved, in whom we enjoy our redemption, the forgiveness of our trespasses, by the blood he shed. So richly has God lavished his grace upon us! He has granted us complete insight and understanding of the open secret of his will, showing us how it was the purpose of his design so to order it in the fulness of the ages that all things in heaven and earth alike should be gathered up in Christ ??11 in the Christ in whom we have had our heritage allotted us (as was decreed in the design of him who carries out everything according to the counsel of his will),
to make us redound to the praise of his glory by being the first to put our hope in Christ. You also have heard the message of the truth, the gospel of your salvation, and in him you also by your faith have been stamped with the seal of the long-promised holy Spirit read more. which is the pledge and instalment of our common heritage, that we may obtain our divine possession and so redound to the praise of his glory.
which he exerted in raising Christ from the dead and seating him at his right hand in the heavenly sphere, above all the angelic Rulers, Authorities, Powers, and Lords, above every Name that is to be named not only in this age but in the age to come ??22 he has put everything under his feet and set him as head over everything for the church,
for it is through him that we both enjoy our access to the Father in one Spirit. Thus you are strangers and foreigners no longer, you share the membership of the saints, you belong to God's own household, read more. you are a building that rests on the apostles and prophets as its foundation, with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone; in him the whole structure is welded together and rises into a sacred temple in the Lord, and in him you are yourselves built into this to form a habitation for God in the Spirit.
which was not disclosed to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his sacred apostles and prophets by the Spirit),
Thus it is said, When he ascended on high he led a host captive and granted gifts to men. What does he ascended mean, except that he first descended to the nether regions of the earth? read more. He who descended is he who ascended above all the heavens to fill the universe; he granted some men to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, some to shepherd and teach, for the equipment of the saints, for the business of the ministry, for the upbuilding of the Body of Christ, till we should all attain the unity of the faith and knowledge of God's Son, reaching maturity, reaching the full measure of development which belongs to the fulness of Christ ??14 instead of remaining immature, blown from our course and swayed by every passing wind of doctrine, by the adroitness of men who are dexterous in devising error;
we are to hold by the truth, and by our love to grow up wholly into Him. For He, Christ, is the head, and under him, as the entire Body is welded together and compacted by every joint with which it is supplied, the due activity of each part enables the Body to grow and build itself up in love. read more. Now in the Lord I insist and protest that you must give up living like pagans; for their purposes are futile, their intelligence is darkened, they are estranged from the life of God by the ignorance which their dulness of heart has produced in them ??19 men who have recklessly abandoned themselves to sensuality, with a lust for the business of impurity in every shape and form.
Wives, be subject to your husbands as to the Lord, for the husband is the head of the wife as Christ also (though he is the saviour of the Body) is the head of the church; read more. as the church is subject to Christ, so wives are to be subject to their husbands in every respect. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to consecrate her by cleansing her in the bath of baptism as she utters her confession, in order to have the church as his very own, standing before him in all her glory, with never a spot or wrinkle or any such flaw, but consecrated and unblemished. So ought husbands to love their wives ??to love them as their own bodies (he who loves his wife loves himself). For no one ever hates his flesh; no, he nourishes and cherishes it (just as Christ does the church for we are members of his Body). Therefore shall a man leave father and mother and cleave to his wife, and the pair shall be one flesh. This is a profound symbol, I mean as regards Christ and the church. However, let every man of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife reverence her husband.
Servants, be obedient to those who are your masters here below with reverence and trembling, with singleness of heart as to Christ himself;
considering obloquy with the messiah to be richer wealth than all Egypt's treasures ??for he had an eye to the Reward.
Therefore, with all this host of witnesses encircling us, we must strip off every handicap, strip off sin with its clinging folds, to run our appointed course steadily, our eyes fixed upon Jesus as the pioneer and the perfection of faith ??upon Jesus who, in order to reach his own appointed joy, steadily endured the cross, thinking nothing of its shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God. read more. Compare him who steadily endured all that hostility from sinful men, so as to keep your own hearts from fainting and failing.
Let us go to him outside the camp, then, bearing his obloquy
furnish you with everything for the doing of his will, creating in your lives by Jesus Christ what is acceptable in his own sight! To him be glory for ever and ever: Amen.
furnish you with everything for the doing of his will, creating in your lives by Jesus Christ what is acceptable in his own sight! To him be glory for ever and ever: Amen.
James, a servant of God and the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: greeting. Greet it as pure joy, my brothers, when you come across any sort of trial,
Blessed is he who endures under trial; for when he has stood the test, he will gain the crown of life which is promised to all who love Him. Let no one who is tried by temptation say, 'My temptation comes from God'; God is incapable of being tempted by evil and he tempts no one. read more. Everyone is tempted as he is beguiled and allured by his own desire; then Desire conceives and breeds Sin, while Sin matures and gives birth to Death. Make no mistake about this, my beloved brothers: all we are given is good, and all our endowments are faultless, descending from above, from the Father of the heavenly lights, who knows no change of rising and setting, who casts no shadow on the earth. It was his own will that we should be born by the Word of the truth, to be a kind of firstfruits among his creatures. Be sure of that, my beloved brothers. Let everyone be quick to listen, slow to talk, slow to be angry ??20 for human anger does not promote divine righteousness;
so clear away all the foul rank growth of malice, and make a soil of modesty for the Word which roots itself inwardly with power to save your souls. Act on the Word, instead of merely listening to it and deluding yourselves.
Yet he gives grace more and more: thus it is said, The haughty God opposes, but to the humble he gives grace.
humble yourselves before the Lord, and then he will raise you up.
Peter an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, whom God the Father has predestined and chosen, by the consecration of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with his blood: may grace and peace be multiplied to you.
whom God the Father has predestined and chosen, by the consecration of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with his blood: may grace and peace be multiplied to you.
whom God the Father has predestined and chosen, by the consecration of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with his blood: may grace and peace be multiplied to you. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy we have been born anew to a life of hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy we have been born anew to a life of hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy we have been born anew to a life of hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy we have been born anew to a life of hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, born to an unscathed, inviolate, unfading inheritance; it is kept in heaven for you,
born to an unscathed, inviolate, unfading inheritance; it is kept in heaven for you,
born to an unscathed, inviolate, unfading inheritance; it is kept in heaven for you, and the power of God protects you by faith till you do inherit the salvation which is all ready to be revealed at the last hour.
and the power of God protects you by faith till you do inherit the salvation which is all ready to be revealed at the last hour.
and the power of God protects you by faith till you do inherit the salvation which is all ready to be revealed at the last hour.
and the power of God protects you by faith till you do inherit the salvation which is all ready to be revealed at the last hour. You will rejoice then, though for the passing moment you may need to suffer various trials;
You will rejoice then, though for the passing moment you may need to suffer various trials;
You will rejoice then, though for the passing moment you may need to suffer various trials; that is only to prove your faith is sterling (far more precious than gold which is perishable and yet is tested by fire), and it redounds to your praise and glory and honour at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
that is only to prove your faith is sterling (far more precious than gold which is perishable and yet is tested by fire), and it redounds to your praise and glory and honour at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
that is only to prove your faith is sterling (far more precious than gold which is perishable and yet is tested by fire), and it redounds to your praise and glory and honour at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
that is only to prove your faith is sterling (far more precious than gold which is perishable and yet is tested by fire), and it redounds to your praise and glory and honour at the revelation of Jesus Christ. You never knew him, but you love him; for the moment you do not see him, but you believe in him, and you will thrill with an unspeakable and glorious joy
You never knew him, but you love him; for the moment you do not see him, but you believe in him, and you will thrill with an unspeakable and glorious joy
You never knew him, but you love him; for the moment you do not see him, but you believe in him, and you will thrill with an unspeakable and glorious joy
You never knew him, but you love him; for the moment you do not see him, but you believe in him, and you will thrill with an unspeakable and glorious joy
You never knew him, but you love him; for the moment you do not see him, but you believe in him, and you will thrill with an unspeakable and glorious joy to obtain the outcome of your faith in the salvation of your souls.
to obtain the outcome of your faith in the salvation of your souls.
to obtain the outcome of your faith in the salvation of your souls.
to obtain the outcome of your faith in the salvation of your souls. Even prophets have searched and inquired about that salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that was meant for you;
Even prophets have searched and inquired about that salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that was meant for you;
Even prophets have searched and inquired about that salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that was meant for you; the Spirit of messiah within them foretold all the suffering of messiah and his after-glory, and they pondered when or how this was to come;
the Spirit of messiah within them foretold all the suffering of messiah and his after-glory, and they pondered when or how this was to come;
the Spirit of messiah within them foretold all the suffering of messiah and his after-glory, and they pondered when or how this was to come;
the Spirit of messiah within them foretold all the suffering of messiah and his after-glory, and they pondered when or how this was to come; to them it was revealed that they got this intelligence not for themselves but for you, regarding all that has now been disclosed to you by those who preached the gospel to you through the holy Spirit sent from heaven. The very angels long to get a glimpse of this!
to them it was revealed that they got this intelligence not for themselves but for you, regarding all that has now been disclosed to you by those who preached the gospel to you through the holy Spirit sent from heaven. The very angels long to get a glimpse of this!
to them it was revealed that they got this intelligence not for themselves but for you, regarding all that has now been disclosed to you by those who preached the gospel to you through the holy Spirit sent from heaven. The very angels long to get a glimpse of this!
to them it was revealed that they got this intelligence not for themselves but for you, regarding all that has now been disclosed to you by those who preached the gospel to you through the holy Spirit sent from heaven. The very angels long to get a glimpse of this!
to them it was revealed that they got this intelligence not for themselves but for you, regarding all that has now been disclosed to you by those who preached the gospel to you through the holy Spirit sent from heaven. The very angels long to get a glimpse of this! Brace up your minds, then, keep cool, and put your hope for good and all in the grace that is coming to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Brace up your minds, then, keep cool, and put your hope for good and all in the grace that is coming to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Brace up your minds, then, keep cool, and put your hope for good and all in the grace that is coming to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Be obedient children, instead of moulding yourselves to the passions that once ruled the days of your ignorance;
Be obedient children, instead of moulding yourselves to the passions that once ruled the days of your ignorance; as He who called you is holy, so you must be holy too in all your conduct ??16 for it is written, You shall be holy because I am holy.
And as you call upon a Father who judges everyone impartially by what he has done, be reverent in your conduct while you sojourn here below;
And as you call upon a Father who judges everyone impartially by what he has done, be reverent in your conduct while you sojourn here below; you know it was not by perishable silver or gold that you were ransomed from the futile traditions of your past,
you know it was not by perishable silver or gold that you were ransomed from the futile traditions of your past,
you know it was not by perishable silver or gold that you were ransomed from the futile traditions of your past,
you know it was not by perishable silver or gold that you were ransomed from the futile traditions of your past,
you know it was not by perishable silver or gold that you were ransomed from the futile traditions of your past,
you know it was not by perishable silver or gold that you were ransomed from the futile traditions of your past, but by the precious blood of Christ, a lamb unblemished and unstained.
but by the precious blood of Christ, a lamb unblemished and unstained.
but by the precious blood of Christ, a lamb unblemished and unstained.
but by the precious blood of Christ, a lamb unblemished and unstained. He was predestined before the foundation of the world and has appeared at the end of the ages for your sake;
He was predestined before the foundation of the world and has appeared at the end of the ages for your sake;
He was predestined before the foundation of the world and has appeared at the end of the ages for your sake;
He was predestined before the foundation of the world and has appeared at the end of the ages for your sake; it is by him that you believe in God who raised him from the dead and gave him glory; and thus your faith means hope in God.
it is by him that you believe in God who raised him from the dead and gave him glory; and thus your faith means hope in God. Now that your obedience to the Truth has purified your souls for a brotherly love that is sincere, love one another heartily and steadily. read more. You are born anew of immortal, not of mortal seed, by the living, lasting word of God;
You are born anew of immortal, not of mortal seed, by the living, lasting word of God;
So off with all malice, all guile and insincerity and envy and slander of every kind!
For thus it stands in the scripture: Here I lay a Stone in Sion, a choice, a precious cornerstone: he who believes in him will never be disappointed.
For thus it stands in the scripture: Here I lay a Stone in Sion, a choice, a precious cornerstone: he who believes in him will never be disappointed.
a stone over which men stumble and a rock of offence; they stumble over it in their disobedience to God's word. Such is their appointed doom.
Beloved, as sojourners and exiles I appeal to you to abstain from the passions of the flesh that wage war upon the soul.
Beloved, as sojourners and exiles I appeal to you to abstain from the passions of the flesh that wage war upon the soul. Conduct yourselves properly before pagans; so that for all their slander of you as bad characters, they may come to glorify God when you are put upon your trial, by what they see of your good deeds.
Conduct yourselves properly before pagans; so that for all their slander of you as bad characters, they may come to glorify God when you are put upon your trial, by what they see of your good deeds.
Conduct yourselves properly before pagans; so that for all their slander of you as bad characters, they may come to glorify God when you are put upon your trial, by what they see of your good deeds.
Conduct yourselves properly before pagans; so that for all their slander of you as bad characters, they may come to glorify God when you are put upon your trial, by what they see of your good deeds. Submit for the Lord's sake to any human authority; submit to the emperor as supreme,
Submit for the Lord's sake to any human authority; submit to the emperor as supreme, and to governors as deputed by him for the punishment of wrongdoers and the encouragement of honest people ??15 for it is the will of God that by your honest lives you should silence the ignorant charges of foolish persons.
and to governors as deputed by him for the punishment of wrongdoers and the encouragement of honest people ??15 for it is the will of God that by your honest lives you should silence the ignorant charges of foolish persons.
Live like free men, only do not make your freedom a pretext for misconduct; live like servants of God.
Live like free men, only do not make your freedom a pretext for misconduct; live like servants of God. Do honour to all, love the brotherhood, reverence God, honour the emperor.
Do honour to all, love the brotherhood, reverence God, honour the emperor. Servants, be submissive to your masters with perfect respect, not simply to those who are kind and reasonable but to the surly as well ??19 for it is a merit when from a sense of God one bears the pain of unjust suffering.
Where is the credit in standing punishment for having done wrong? No, if you stand suffering for having done right, that is what God counts a merit. It is your vocation; for when Christ suffered for you, he left you an example, and you must follow his footsteps. read more. He committed no sin, no guile was ever found upon his lips;
He committed no sin, no guile was ever found upon his lips; he was reviled and made no retort, he suffered and never threatened, but left everything to Him who judges justly;
he was reviled and made no retort, he suffered and never threatened, but left everything to Him who judges justly; he bore our sins in his own body on the gibbet, that we might break with sin and live for righteousness; and by his wounds you have been healed.
he bore our sins in his own body on the gibbet, that we might break with sin and live for righteousness; and by his wounds you have been healed. You were astray like sheep, but you have come back now to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.
In the same way, you wives must be submissive to your husbands, so that even those who will not believe the Word may be won over without a word by the behaviour of their wives, when they see how chaste and reverent you are. read more. You are not to adorn yourselves on the outside with braids of hair and ornaments of gold and changes of dress, but inside, in the heart, with the immortal beauty of a gentle and modest spirit, which in the sight of God is of rare value. It was in this way long ago that the holy women who hoped in God adorned themselves. They were submissive to their husbands. Thus Sara obeyed Abraham by calling him 'lord'. And you are daughters of Sara if you do what is right and yield to no panic. In the same way you husbands must be considerate in living with your wives, since they are the weaker sex; you must honour them as heirs equally with yourselves of the grace of Life, so that your prayers may not be hindered. Lastly, you must all be united, you must have sympathy, brotherly love, compassion, and humility, never paying back evil for evil, never reviling when you are reviled, but on the contrary blessing. For this is your vocation, to bless and to inherit blessing; he who would love Life and enjoy good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking guile:
he who would love Life and enjoy good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking guile:
he who would love Life and enjoy good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking guile: let him shun wrong and do right, let him seek peace and make peace his aim. read more. For the eyes of the Lord are on the upright, and his ears are open to their cry; but the face of the Lord is set against wrongdoers.
For the eyes of the Lord are on the upright, and his ears are open to their cry; but the face of the Lord is set against wrongdoers. Yet who will wrong you if you have a passion for goodness?
Yet who will wrong you if you have a passion for goodness?
Yet who will wrong you if you have a passion for goodness?
Yet who will wrong you if you have a passion for goodness? Even supposing you have to suffer for the sake of what is right, still you are blessed. Have no fear of their threats, do not let that trouble you,
Even supposing you have to suffer for the sake of what is right, still you are blessed. Have no fear of their threats, do not let that trouble you,
Even supposing you have to suffer for the sake of what is right, still you are blessed. Have no fear of their threats, do not let that trouble you, but reverence Christ as Lord in your own hearts. Always be ready with a reply for anyone who calls you to account for the hope you cherish, but answer gently and with a sense of reverence;
but reverence Christ as Lord in your own hearts. Always be ready with a reply for anyone who calls you to account for the hope you cherish, but answer gently and with a sense of reverence; see that you have a clean conscience, so that, for all their slander of you, these libellers of your good Christian behaviour may be ashamed.
see that you have a clean conscience, so that, for all their slander of you, these libellers of your good Christian behaviour may be ashamed.
see that you have a clean conscience, so that, for all their slander of you, these libellers of your good Christian behaviour may be ashamed. For it is better to suffer for doing right (if that should be the will of God) than for doing wrong.
For it is better to suffer for doing right (if that should be the will of God) than for doing wrong. Christ himself died for sins, once for all, a just man for unjust men, that he might bring us near to God; in the flesh he was put to death but he came to life in the Spirit.
Christ himself died for sins, once for all, a just man for unjust men, that he might bring us near to God; in the flesh he was put to death but he came to life in the Spirit.
Christ himself died for sins, once for all, a just man for unjust men, that he might bring us near to God; in the flesh he was put to death but he came to life in the Spirit. (It was in the Spirit that Enoch also went and preached to the imprisoned spirits
(It was in the Spirit that Enoch also went and preached to the imprisoned spirits who had disobeyed at the time when God's patience held out during the construction of the ark in the days of Noah ??the ark by which only a few souls, eight in all, were brought safely through the water.)
who had disobeyed at the time when God's patience held out during the construction of the ark in the days of Noah ??the ark by which only a few souls, eight in all, were brought safely through the water.)
who had disobeyed at the time when God's patience held out during the construction of the ark in the days of Noah ??the ark by which only a few souls, eight in all, were brought safely through the water.) Baptism, the counterpart of that, saves you to-day (not the mere washing of dirt from the flesh but the prayer for a clean conscience before God) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ read more. who is at God's right hand ??for he went to heaven after angels, authorities, and powers celestial had been made subject to him.)
who is at God's right hand ??for he went to heaven after angels, authorities, and powers celestial had been made subject to him.)
Well, as Christ has suffered for us in the flesh, let this very conviction that he who has suffered in the flesh gets quit of sin,
Well, as Christ has suffered for us in the flesh, let this very conviction that he who has suffered in the flesh gets quit of sin, nerve you to spend the rest of your time in the flesh for the will of God and no longer for human passions.
nerve you to spend the rest of your time in the flesh for the will of God and no longer for human passions. It is quite enough to have done as pagans choose to do, during the time gone by! You used to lead lives of sensuality, lust, carousing, revelry, dissipation and illicit idolatry,
It is quite enough to have done as pagans choose to do, during the time gone by! You used to lead lives of sensuality, lust, carousing, revelry, dissipation and illicit idolatry, and it astonishes them that you will not plunge with them still into the same flood of profligacy. They abuse you,
and it astonishes them that you will not plunge with them still into the same flood of profligacy. They abuse you, but they will have to answer for that to Him who is prepared to judge the living and the dead read more. (for this was why the gospel was preached to the dead as well, that while they are judged in the flesh as men, they may live as God lives in the spirit). Now the end of all is near. Steady then, keep cool and pray!
Now the end of all is near. Steady then, keep cool and pray!
Now the end of all is near. Steady then, keep cool and pray! Above all, be keen to love one another, for love hides a host of sins. read more. Be hospitable to each other, and do not grudge it. You must serve one another, each with the talent he has received, as efficient stewards of God's varied grace. If anyone preaches, he must preach as one who utters the words of God; if anyone renders some service, it must be as one who is supplied by God with power, so that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. The glory and the dominion are his for ever and ever: Amen. Beloved, do not be surprised at the ordeal that has come to test you, as though some foreign experience befell you.
Beloved, do not be surprised at the ordeal that has come to test you, as though some foreign experience befell you. You are sharing what Christ suffered; so rejoice in it, that you may also rejoice and exult when his glory is revealed. read more. If you are denounced for the sake of Christ, you are blessed; for then the Spirit of glory and power, the Spirit of God himself, is resting on you.
If you are denounced for the sake of Christ, you are blessed; for then the Spirit of glory and power, the Spirit of God himself, is resting on you.
If you are denounced for the sake of Christ, you are blessed; for then the Spirit of glory and power, the Spirit of God himself, is resting on you.
If you are denounced for the sake of Christ, you are blessed; for then the Spirit of glory and power, the Spirit of God himself, is resting on you. None of you must suffer as a murderer or a thief or a bad character or a revolutionary;
None of you must suffer as a murderer or a thief or a bad character or a revolutionary;
None of you must suffer as a murderer or a thief or a bad character or a revolutionary; but if a man suffers for being a Christian, he must not be ashamed, he must rather glorify God for that.
but if a man suffers for being a Christian, he must not be ashamed, he must rather glorify God for that. It is time for the Judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the fate of those who refuse obedience to God's gospel? read more. If the just man is scarcely saved, what will become of the impious and sinful? So let those who are suffering by the will of God trust their souls to him, their faithful Creator, as they continue to do right.
So let those who are suffering by the will of God trust their souls to him, their faithful Creator, as they continue to do right.
So let those who are suffering by the will of God trust their souls to him, their faithful Creator, as they continue to do right.
So let those who are suffering by the will of God trust their souls to him, their faithful Creator, as they continue to do right.
Now I make this appeal to your presbyters (for I am a presbyter myself, I was a witness of what Christ suffered and I am to share the glory that will be revealed),
Now I make this appeal to your presbyters (for I am a presbyter myself, I was a witness of what Christ suffered and I am to share the glory that will be revealed), be shepherds to your flock of God; take charge of them willingly instead of being pressed to it, not to make a base profit from it but freely, read more. not by way of lording it over your charges but proving a pattern to the flock. Then you will receive the unfading crown of glory, when the chief Shepherd makes his appearance. You younger men must also submit to the presbyters. Indeed you must all put on the apron of humility to serve one another, for the haughty God opposes, but to the humble he gives grace.
You younger men must also submit to the presbyters. Indeed you must all put on the apron of humility to serve one another, for the haughty God opposes, but to the humble he gives grace. Humble yourselves under the strong hand of God, then, so that when it is time, he may raise you;
Humble yourselves under the strong hand of God, then, so that when it is time, he may raise you;
Humble yourselves under the strong hand of God, then, so that when it is time, he may raise you;
Humble yourselves under the strong hand of God, then, so that when it is time, he may raise you;
Humble yourselves under the strong hand of God, then, so that when it is time, he may raise you; let all your anxieties fall upon him, for his interest is in you.
let all your anxieties fall upon him, for his interest is in you. Keep cool, keep awake. Your enemy the devil prowls like a roaring lion, looking out for someone to devour.
Keep cool, keep awake. Your enemy the devil prowls like a roaring lion, looking out for someone to devour.
Keep cool, keep awake. Your enemy the devil prowls like a roaring lion, looking out for someone to devour. Resist him; keep your foothold in the faith, and learn to pay the same tax of suffering as the rest of your brotherhood throughout the world.
Resist him; keep your foothold in the faith, and learn to pay the same tax of suffering as the rest of your brotherhood throughout the world.
Resist him; keep your foothold in the faith, and learn to pay the same tax of suffering as the rest of your brotherhood throughout the world.
Resist him; keep your foothold in the faith, and learn to pay the same tax of suffering as the rest of your brotherhood throughout the world. Once you have suffered for a little, the God of all grace who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will repair and recruit and strengthen you.
Once you have suffered for a little, the God of all grace who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will repair and recruit and strengthen you.
Once you have suffered for a little, the God of all grace who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will repair and recruit and strengthen you. The dominion is his for ever and ever: Amen.
The dominion is his for ever and ever: Amen. By the hand of Silvanus, a faithful brother (in my opinion), I have written you these few lines of encouragement, to testify that this is what the true grace of God means. Stand in that grace. read more. Your sister-church in Babylon, elect like yourselves, salutes you. So does my son Mark. Salute one another with a kiss of love. Peace be to you all who are in Christ [Jesus].
Morish
This was addressed to believing Jews dispersed in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. It was apparently sent from Babylon on the Euphrates, where many Jews were located. There is nothing in the epistle itself that fixes its date: but it is generally dated A.D. 60 to 63. The teaching of the epistle is based upon a living hope by the resurrection of Christ, in contrast to the portion of the Jews on earth. Believers are contemplated as strangers and pilgrims, salvation being regarded in its completeness as future, soul salvation being the point of consequence in the present, in contrast to temporal deliverances. The thought of a 'spiritual house' composed of living stones, in 1 Peter 2 connects the epistle with the revelation given to Peter in Matt. 16
Smith
Peter, First Epistle of,
The external evidence of authenticity of this epistle is of the strongest kind and the internal is equally strong. It was addressed to the churches of Asia Minor which had for the most part been founded by Paul and his companions, Supposing it to have been written at Babylon,
it ia a probable conjecture that Silvanus, By whom it was transmitted to those churches, had joined Peter after a tour of visitation, and that his account of the condition of the Christians in those districts determined the apostle to write the epistle. (On the question of this epistle having been written at Babylon commentators differ. "Some refer it to the famous Babylon in Asia, which after its destruction was still inhabited by a Jewish colony; others refer it to Babylon in Egypt, now called Old Cairo; still others understand it mystically of heathen Rome, in which sense 'Babylon' is certainly used in the Apocalypse of John." --Schaff.) The objects of the epistle were --
1. To comfort and strengthen the Christians in a season of severe trial.
2. To enforce the practical and spiritual duties involved in their calling
3. To warn them against special temptations attached to their position.
4. To remove all doubt as to the soundness and completeness of the religious system which they had already received. Such an attestation was especially needed by the Hebrew Christians, who were to appeal from Paul's authority to that of the elder apostles, and above all to that of Peter. The last, which is perhaps the very principal object, is kept in view throughout the epistle, and is distinctly stated
The harmony of such teaching with that of Paul is sufficiently obvious. Peter belongs to the school, or to speak more correctly, is the leader of the school, which at once vindicates the unity of the law and the gospel, and puts the superiority of the latter on its true basis-that of spiritual development. The date of this epistle is uncertain, but Alford believes it to have been written between A.D. 63 and 67.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
By the hand of Silvanus, a faithful brother (in my opinion), I have written you these few lines of encouragement, to testify that this is what the true grace of God means. Stand in that grace. Your sister-church in Babylon, elect like yourselves, salutes you. So does my son Mark.