1 Peter

The first epistle of Peter.

1. Living Hope in Christ

1:

4: What is the inheritance imperishable?

7: Compare with other passages that discuss gold passing through the fire.

10-12: We have what prophets and angels longed to understand in ancient times. These guys had magic powers basically, could do signs and wonders, and we have something greater and clearer than they had.

Here, as with elsewhere in scripture, angels are paralleled with teachers, pastors, and prophets.

17: We must fear God and please him by obeying the law of love.

18: We were rescued from futile ways like idolatry and ritual sacrifices and law keeping -- now we simply need to believe in Christ and obey the law of love.

22: Obeying the law of love is how we purify our souls.

2. The Holy Priesthood

2: What does it mean to mature in salvation?

5: Elsewhere in the Bible we are referred to as a new temple?

4-8: What are the passages this is referencing?

9-10: God makes a new people out of believers. In politically tumultuous times, Christians should make sure not to favor any political or tribal identity over the holy nation that they have been called into. Nations and empires come and go. A new people -- an ethnogenesis founded on hope of eternal life.

12: What does honorable conduct look ilke?

13-14: Obey the government. The government is one way God exercises his will one arth. There can be all kinds of corruption and sin in it, but we just need to be patient. God removes governments and appoints new ones, and whichever is in power at the moment is the instrument he wants to praise good and punish evil in a particular way.

17: Christians are called to outdo one another in honor and do not live up to this task nearly enough.

18-23: Sometimes we are slaves to bad masters or bad governments, but we are called to still do good while we suffer.

24-25: What does it mean that Jesus bore our sins?

By his wounds we are healed? Why does it work that way?

3. Suffering for Righteousness’ Sake

1: Very often, women get married off to men who are terrible husbands. They have to endure that faithfully just like we have to endure being under a faithless government.

3-5: External adornments are worldly and passing away. Women should focus on the inner beauty of gentleness which lasts forever in the sight of God. (And is also very lovely and precious to everyone else.)

6: Many women are ruled by fear. But you are commanded by God and the apostles not to fear, but to focus on gentleness and doing good.

7: If men treat their wives foolishly or dishonor them, their prayers will be hindered. God does not want to listen to a man who is not even able to study and love the woman who is right next to him all the time. He listens to those who love their neighbor.

8: Everyone should seek love and like mindedness. This can't happen if we are proud and hard hearted. Having a humble mind means that we don't set our sights too high only to come crashing down in disappointment, but allow God to place us as high as he pleases.

9-12: We must focus on controlling our tongues if we want God to listen to us. We cannot speak malice or lies.

19-20: What are the spirits in prison?

4. Christ’s Suffering and Our Suffering

1: Whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin? In what way?

5: Everyone will be judged who did nothing but party and please themselves and wasted their life on idolatry and useless passions. They should have been loving God, their neighbor, and living humbly.

6: Peter seems to teach that Christ delivered the gospel to the spirits of the dead so that they could hope in resurrection. Is that what this means?

7: The end of all things is at hand -- the end of the world? But it's two thousand years later. Should we interpret this as discussing the swiftly coming end of Jerusalem and the temple world order?

13: Sharing in Christ's sufferings will make us even more glorious when his glory is revealed.

5. Shepherd God’s Flock Humbly

Peter's commands to elders are similar to the commands the other apostles gave to teachers and authorities in the church.

2-4: Pastors and teachers are not supposed to be controlling other Christians, but being good examples of love and holiness.

exercising oversight not under compulsion? (the elder or the flock?)

6: Leaders in the church must be very humble.

14: Greet one another with the kiss of love! The kiss is not just romantic.