1 PETER 1
"Scripture quotes taken from the NASB" unless otherwise indicated.
1 Peter 1:1 "Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen
1 Peter 1:2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure."
Before going very far into this chapter, it's worth noting the locations of the disciples Peter is writing to. From what I have read, Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia are located clockwise in a circular route with Pontus being the northernmost point. Perhaps this letter was originally delivered by someone to those cities in that order.
More importantly, the mention of Galatia is significant, because we know that Paul had earlier presided over the Galatian church. Many commentators believe that both Paul and Peter were executed within a year, perhaps in 64 a.d. and 65 a.d., respectively. Peter probably wrote both of his letters to the Galatians shortly after Paul's death.
I'm not sure what is meant by listing Asia as one of the destinations of the letter. I'm not aware of any city called Asia, so perhaps it refers to the easternmost point where the letter was circulated.
Verse 1 says the letter's recipients have been scattered like aliens throughout these areas. Recall from Acts 8 that a great persecution arose against the church immediately after the death of Stephen, and many Christians left Jerusalem. Those who persecuted the Christians in Jerusalem, including Paul, prior to his conversion, probably assumed this dispersion would put an end to what they regarded as a heretical Jewish sect. But as Christians, we see the sovereign hand of God scattering Christians through the nations, so that the gospel might spread throughout all mankind.
Verse 2 menitons all three members of the trinity, indicating that Christians are chosen by the foreknowledge of God the Father, sprinkled by the blood of Jesus Christ and sanctified by the work of the Holy Spirit, so we might obey Jesus Christ. We had no foreknowledge of God's plan, we could not redeem ourselves, we cannot sanctify ourselves or work for God's approval, so the grace and peace Peter wishes for these disciples, and by implication, for us, is entirely independent of our merit and our efforts. Though there are things we are asked to do after we know God, we do nothing to initiate the relationship, just as a radio receiver does nothing to initiate the transmission it receives.
1 Peter 1:3 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
1 Peter 1:4 to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,
1 Peter 1:5 who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
1 Peter 1:6 In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials,
1 Peter 1:7 so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
1 Peter 1:8 and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,
1 Peter 1:9 obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.
Though Peter doesn't explicitly say this, the living hope he speaks of in verse 3 is that we will someday share in the resurrection of Jesus, becoming like him in a glorified body.
Romans 6:5 (NIV): "For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection,"
Unless we are born again and we share in Christ's resurrection, we have no hope beyond this life, brief, difficult and uncertain as it is. We haven't yet received the resurrection we hope for, but it is kept for us, as an inheritance in heaven. Our living hope is Jesus himself, and that we will be made like him, and in this hope, both verses 6 and 8 say we rejoice greatly.
We not only hope for what we haven't yet seen, we also love Jesus, whom we have not seen, because of his work of redemption on our behalf, which gives us access to God and to a living, imperishable and unfading hope, which will be physically manifested at the end of time.
Much of the Bible teaches us by contrasts, particularly the contrast between righteousness and sin. But in this letter, Peter speaks mostly about the contrast between the salvation we will receive when Christ is revealed to all mankind and the sufferings of the present age. Suffering was part of Christ's way of life on earth, not only on the cross, but when he fasted for forty days and was tempted, and when he patiently endured the insults and constant threats on his life throughout his ministry. If we had been there to observe it, we might well have concluded that his willingness to suffer is just as great a proof of his deity as the miracles he performed and the things he taught. When Paul sought to prove to the Corinthians that he was a true apostle, he wrote the following passage, pointing out the things he endured for Christ's sake:
2 Corinthians 11:23 "Are they servants of Christ?--I speak as if insane--I more so; in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death.
2 Corinthians 11:24 Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes.
2 Corinthians 11:25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep.
2 Corinthians 11:26 I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren;
2 Corinthians 11:27 I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.
Paul also speaks of himself in this way:
1 Corinthians 4:9 "For, I think, God has exhibited us apostles last of all, as men condemned to death; because we have become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men.
1 Corinthians 4:10 We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are prudent in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong; you are distinguished, but we are without honor.
1 Corinthians 4:11 To this present hour we are both hungry and thirsty, and are poorly clothed, and are roughly treated, and are homeless;
1 Corinthians 4:12 and we toil, working with our own hands; when we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure;
1 Corinthians 4:13 when we are slandered, we try to conciliate; we have become as the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, even until now."
So what do we as Christians prove by suffering for Christ? We show both to others and to ourselves our faith, our reliance on God, our patience with others, our willingness to give up the temporary pleasures of sin and that we are willing to forego the comforts of this life in favor of the blessings of eternal life. It is reasonable to assume that the greatness of Paul's suffering will be repaid by the greatness of his reward.
1 Peter 1:10 "As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries,
1 Peter 1:11 seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow.
1 Peter 1:12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven--things into which angels long to look."
The main point here is that prophets and righteous men from previous generations have searched for an understanding of the plan of salvation which has now been revealed to Christians. But the precise meaning of the end of verse 12 is uncertain. It may be that all of God's angels had to choose at some point in time whether they would serve God and remain in his presence, or they would join Satan in his rebellion and be cast out of heaven. After that time, it appears that neither angels nor demons make individual moment by moment choices as we do. They only serve whom they have chosen to serve, and the angels who serve God apparently cannot respond to the gospel in the way we can, even though their obedience to God is perfect, complete and continuous. Nevertheless, it seems odd to me that angels who live in God's presence would long for the opportunity to open a Bible and be renewed by it, as we can be.
1 Peter 1:13 "Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 1:14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance,
1 Peter 1:15 but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior;
1 Peter 1:16 because it is written, "YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY."
1 Peter 1:17 If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth;
1 Peter 1:18knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers,
1 Peter 1:19 but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.
1 Peter 1:20 For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you
1 Peter 1:21 who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God."
Actually, I like the NKJV translation of verse 13 better than the NASB version. It reads as follows:
1 Peter 1:13 "Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;"
The translators who worked on the NASB probably decided against this language, because the idea of girding up our minds sounds rather odd. As I understand it, the idea here is to be like the Jews who waited for the Passover in the land of Egypt. We know a time will come when Christ returns and changes our redemption from a well-grounded faith into a physical reality which will be clearly seen by all mankind. So verse 13 is asking us to be ready for our redemption at any time. This implies that there is much about our lives on earth which is analogous to the unjust experiences of the Hebrews in Egypt. Yet, rather than being discouraged by the difficulties, we ought to rejoice in the knowledge that Christ's return is certain and better things are waiting for us, provided we continue in the faith.
The appeal for holiness in verses 14-21 is based on three things. Verse 14 tells us we once lived in ignorance. If we continue as Christians to live the way we did prior to salvation, we will not have ignorance as an excuse, and we will be even more guilty than those who do not know God, and therefore, subject to greater wrath. Verse 17 actually tells us to conduct ourselves in fear during the time of our pilgrimage, both fear of the consequences of disobedience and God's power to punish us, but also out of reverence for God's nature, character and mercy, which will be given to us in abundance, provided we continue to obey him.
Verse 16 quotes Leviticus 11:44-45, which indicates that this is not a new commandment. It was a requirement the Jews were supposed to live by, and the Old Testament is filled with examples of the consequences of their failures, both as the nation of Israel, and the failures of the patriarchs of the faith. For example, David lost a child and briefly lost the kingdom because of disobedience, and disobedience would certainly have consequences for us too.
Verses 18 and 19 remind us that we have not been redeemed by silver and gold, but by the blood of Christ. Silver and gold are valuable to men, but blood has very little value, except within our own bodies and at blood banks. From God's perspective, though, the blood of Christ has great value. There is an old hymn which says, "There is power, power, wonder working power in the blood of the Lamb." Christ's blood enables God to forgive our sins, because it ratifies and establishes the new covenant, which is a legal agreement between God and man, which we should not dare to violate. Everything provided by God for us in the new covenant was purchased by Christ's blood.
Luke 22:19 "And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me."
Luke 22:20 And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, "This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood."
Silver and gold are lightly esteemed in heaven. But if we don't live holy lives as Christians, we are disregarding the cost of our redemption and bringing judgment on ourselves, as the passage in 1 Corinthians 11:17-34 says.
I won't quote it here, but I suggest reading Isaiah 53 while studying this chapter, because it helps make the point that God values what the world casually rejects. The world is very focused on material wealth, but God has a much higher regard for spiritual and moral wealth. Consequently, though I don't want to get very far from the obvious message of this passage, we should heed the advice Jesus gave us in Matthew 6:19-21 to lay up treasure for ourselves in heaven, rather than treasure on earth, since we know which type of treasure God is most pleased with.
There is one other thing which we ought to consider about holiness. The third person of the trinity is explicitly called the Holy Spirit. God could have chosen to make him known to us as the Loving Spirit, the Joyful Spirit, the Peaceful Spirit, etc., and he is all of those things. But holiness is the only attribute of God which is mentioned every time we name the persons of the trinity. So if it's that much a part of God's character and we want to grow up in all ways into Christ and become like him, we must consider how scripture's appeal for personal holiness should affect our behavior.
1 Peter 1:22 "Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart,
1 Peter 1:23 for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.
1 Peter 1:24 For, "ALL FLESH IS LIKE GRASS, AND ALL ITS GLORY LIKE THE FLOWER OF GRASS. THE GRASS WITHERS, AND THE FLOWER FALLS OFF,
1 Peter 1:25 BUT THE WORD OF THE LORD ENDURES FOREVER."
And this is the word which was preached to you.
From the appeal for holiness, Peter goes on to appeal to the disciples to love their brethren fervently, a message which sounds very much like John's writing, based on what Jesus said during the last supper. The Old Testament quote in verses 24-25 is from Isaiah:
Isaiah 40:6 "A voice says, "Call out."
Then he answered, "What shall I call out?"
All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field.
Isaiah 40:7 The grass withers, the flower fades, When the breath of the LORD blows upon it; Surely the people are grass.
Isaiah 40:8 The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever."
The point here would be to remind us of our mortality. All of our earthly pursuits will come to an end, and the only things which will matter throughout eternity are those things we have done in response to the word of God, including his commandments to be holy and to love our fellow Christians.
1 Peter 1:1 "Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen
1 Peter 1:2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure."
Before going very far into this chapter, it's worth noting the locations of the disciples Peter is writing to. From what I have read, Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia are located clockwise in a circular route with Pontus being the northernmost point. Perhaps this letter was originally delivered by someone to those cities in that order.
More importantly, the mention of Galatia is significant, because we know that Paul had earlier presided over the Galatian church. Many commentators believe that both Paul and Peter were executed within a year, perhaps in 64 a.d. and 65 a.d., respectively. Peter probably wrote both of his letters to the Galatians shortly after Paul's death.
I'm not sure what is meant by listing Asia as one of the destinations of the letter. I'm not aware of any city called Asia, so perhaps it refers to the easternmost point where the letter was circulated.
Verse 1 says the letter's recipients have been scattered like aliens throughout these areas. Recall from Acts 8 that a great persecution arose against the church immediately after the death of Stephen, and many Christians left Jerusalem. Those who persecuted the Christians in Jerusalem, including Paul, prior to his conversion, probably assumed this dispersion would put an end to what they regarded as a heretical Jewish sect. But as Christians, we see the sovereign hand of God scattering Christians through the nations, so that the gospel might spread throughout all mankind.
Verse 2 menitons all three members of the trinity, indicating that Christians are chosen by the foreknowledge of God the Father, sprinkled by the blood of Jesus Christ and sanctified by the work of the Holy Spirit, so we might obey Jesus Christ. We had no foreknowledge of God's plan, we could not redeem ourselves, we cannot sanctify ourselves or work for God's approval, so the grace and peace Peter wishes for these disciples, and by implication, for us, is entirely independent of our merit and our efforts. Though there are things we are asked to do after we know God, we do nothing to initiate the relationship, just as a radio receiver does nothing to initiate the transmission it receives.
1 Peter 1:3 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
1 Peter 1:4 to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,
1 Peter 1:5 who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
1 Peter 1:6 In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials,
1 Peter 1:7 so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
1 Peter 1:8 and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,
1 Peter 1:9 obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.
Though Peter doesn't explicitly say this, the living hope he speaks of in verse 3 is that we will someday share in the resurrection of Jesus, becoming like him in a glorified body.
Romans 6:5 (NIV): "For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection,"
Unless we are born again and we share in Christ's resurrection, we have no hope beyond this life, brief, difficult and uncertain as it is. We haven't yet received the resurrection we hope for, but it is kept for us, as an inheritance in heaven. Our living hope is Jesus himself, and that we will be made like him, and in this hope, both verses 6 and 8 say we rejoice greatly.
We not only hope for what we haven't yet seen, we also love Jesus, whom we have not seen, because of his work of redemption on our behalf, which gives us access to God and to a living, imperishable and unfading hope, which will be physically manifested at the end of time.
Much of the Bible teaches us by contrasts, particularly the contrast between righteousness and sin. But in this letter, Peter speaks mostly about the contrast between the salvation we will receive when Christ is revealed to all mankind and the sufferings of the present age. Suffering was part of Christ's way of life on earth, not only on the cross, but when he fasted for forty days and was tempted, and when he patiently endured the insults and constant threats on his life throughout his ministry. If we had been there to observe it, we might well have concluded that his willingness to suffer is just as great a proof of his deity as the miracles he performed and the things he taught. When Paul sought to prove to the Corinthians that he was a true apostle, he wrote the following passage, pointing out the things he endured for Christ's sake:
2 Corinthians 11:23 "Are they servants of Christ?--I speak as if insane--I more so; in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death.
2 Corinthians 11:24 Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes.
2 Corinthians 11:25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep.
2 Corinthians 11:26 I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren;
2 Corinthians 11:27 I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.
Paul also speaks of himself in this way:
1 Corinthians 4:9 "For, I think, God has exhibited us apostles last of all, as men condemned to death; because we have become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men.
1 Corinthians 4:10 We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are prudent in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong; you are distinguished, but we are without honor.
1 Corinthians 4:11 To this present hour we are both hungry and thirsty, and are poorly clothed, and are roughly treated, and are homeless;
1 Corinthians 4:12 and we toil, working with our own hands; when we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure;
1 Corinthians 4:13 when we are slandered, we try to conciliate; we have become as the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, even until now."
So what do we as Christians prove by suffering for Christ? We show both to others and to ourselves our faith, our reliance on God, our patience with others, our willingness to give up the temporary pleasures of sin and that we are willing to forego the comforts of this life in favor of the blessings of eternal life. It is reasonable to assume that the greatness of Paul's suffering will be repaid by the greatness of his reward.
1 Peter 1:10 "As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries,
1 Peter 1:11 seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow.
1 Peter 1:12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven--things into which angels long to look."
The main point here is that prophets and righteous men from previous generations have searched for an understanding of the plan of salvation which has now been revealed to Christians. But the precise meaning of the end of verse 12 is uncertain. It may be that all of God's angels had to choose at some point in time whether they would serve God and remain in his presence, or they would join Satan in his rebellion and be cast out of heaven. After that time, it appears that neither angels nor demons make individual moment by moment choices as we do. They only serve whom they have chosen to serve, and the angels who serve God apparently cannot respond to the gospel in the way we can, even though their obedience to God is perfect, complete and continuous. Nevertheless, it seems odd to me that angels who live in God's presence would long for the opportunity to open a Bible and be renewed by it, as we can be.
1 Peter 1:13 "Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 1:14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance,
1 Peter 1:15 but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior;
1 Peter 1:16 because it is written, "YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY."
1 Peter 1:17 If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth;
1 Peter 1:18knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers,
1 Peter 1:19 but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.
1 Peter 1:20 For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you
1 Peter 1:21 who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God."
Actually, I like the NKJV translation of verse 13 better than the NASB version. It reads as follows:
1 Peter 1:13 "Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;"
The translators who worked on the NASB probably decided against this language, because the idea of girding up our minds sounds rather odd. As I understand it, the idea here is to be like the Jews who waited for the Passover in the land of Egypt. We know a time will come when Christ returns and changes our redemption from a well-grounded faith into a physical reality which will be clearly seen by all mankind. So verse 13 is asking us to be ready for our redemption at any time. This implies that there is much about our lives on earth which is analogous to the unjust experiences of the Hebrews in Egypt. Yet, rather than being discouraged by the difficulties, we ought to rejoice in the knowledge that Christ's return is certain and better things are waiting for us, provided we continue in the faith.
The appeal for holiness in verses 14-21 is based on three things. Verse 14 tells us we once lived in ignorance. If we continue as Christians to live the way we did prior to salvation, we will not have ignorance as an excuse, and we will be even more guilty than those who do not know God, and therefore, subject to greater wrath. Verse 17 actually tells us to conduct ourselves in fear during the time of our pilgrimage, both fear of the consequences of disobedience and God's power to punish us, but also out of reverence for God's nature, character and mercy, which will be given to us in abundance, provided we continue to obey him.
Verse 16 quotes Leviticus 11:44-45, which indicates that this is not a new commandment. It was a requirement the Jews were supposed to live by, and the Old Testament is filled with examples of the consequences of their failures, both as the nation of Israel, and the failures of the patriarchs of the faith. For example, David lost a child and briefly lost the kingdom because of disobedience, and disobedience would certainly have consequences for us too.
Verses 18 and 19 remind us that we have not been redeemed by silver and gold, but by the blood of Christ. Silver and gold are valuable to men, but blood has very little value, except within our own bodies and at blood banks. From God's perspective, though, the blood of Christ has great value. There is an old hymn which says, "There is power, power, wonder working power in the blood of the Lamb." Christ's blood enables God to forgive our sins, because it ratifies and establishes the new covenant, which is a legal agreement between God and man, which we should not dare to violate. Everything provided by God for us in the new covenant was purchased by Christ's blood.
Luke 22:19 "And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me."
Luke 22:20 And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, "This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood."
Silver and gold are lightly esteemed in heaven. But if we don't live holy lives as Christians, we are disregarding the cost of our redemption and bringing judgment on ourselves, as the passage in 1 Corinthians 11:17-34 says.
I won't quote it here, but I suggest reading Isaiah 53 while studying this chapter, because it helps make the point that God values what the world casually rejects. The world is very focused on material wealth, but God has a much higher regard for spiritual and moral wealth. Consequently, though I don't want to get very far from the obvious message of this passage, we should heed the advice Jesus gave us in Matthew 6:19-21 to lay up treasure for ourselves in heaven, rather than treasure on earth, since we know which type of treasure God is most pleased with.
There is one other thing which we ought to consider about holiness. The third person of the trinity is explicitly called the Holy Spirit. God could have chosen to make him known to us as the Loving Spirit, the Joyful Spirit, the Peaceful Spirit, etc., and he is all of those things. But holiness is the only attribute of God which is mentioned every time we name the persons of the trinity. So if it's that much a part of God's character and we want to grow up in all ways into Christ and become like him, we must consider how scripture's appeal for personal holiness should affect our behavior.
1 Peter 1:22 "Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart,
1 Peter 1:23 for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.
1 Peter 1:24 For, "ALL FLESH IS LIKE GRASS, AND ALL ITS GLORY LIKE THE FLOWER OF GRASS. THE GRASS WITHERS, AND THE FLOWER FALLS OFF,
1 Peter 1:25 BUT THE WORD OF THE LORD ENDURES FOREVER."
And this is the word which was preached to you.
From the appeal for holiness, Peter goes on to appeal to the disciples to love their brethren fervently, a message which sounds very much like John's writing, based on what Jesus said during the last supper. The Old Testament quote in verses 24-25 is from Isaiah:
Isaiah 40:6 "A voice says, "Call out."
Then he answered, "What shall I call out?"
All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field.
Isaiah 40:7 The grass withers, the flower fades, When the breath of the LORD blows upon it; Surely the people are grass.
Isaiah 40:8 The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever."
The point here would be to remind us of our mortality. All of our earthly pursuits will come to an end, and the only things which will matter throughout eternity are those things we have done in response to the word of God, including his commandments to be holy and to love our fellow Christians.
posted by TAPIOCA at 8/18/2007 12:34:00 PM
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