Podcast 103, 1st Peter, “Pt 1, Ch 1”

When we think of the four gospels, we naturally think of Matthew, Mark, Luke, & John. When we think of the leadership of the apostles, we naturally think first of Peter and then of James and John, for they were singled out. It was to Peter whom Christ gives the keys of the priesthood.

Matthew 16:18–19

And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Only Christ can give the keys for only Christ holds the keys.

Revelation 1:18

I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

Revelation 3:7

These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth.

In his opening statement, Peter establishes himself as an apostle of Christ. He is writing his Epistle to the new converts of the church.

1 Peter 1:1

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,

Notice the doctrines taught in his opening statement for they are applicable to all Christians:

1 Peter 1:2

Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.

Elect means ‘chosen’ or ‘picked out.’ The children of Israel were referred to as God’s elect.

Isaiah 41:8

But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend.

Isaiah 45:4

For Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel mine elect.

The title of elect has now been transferred to those who become members of Christ’s true church. Peter refers to members of Christ’s church as the elect. Paul also refers to members of Christ’s church as the elect.

Colossians 3:12

Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved...

That is a very significant and bold assertion. Peter speaks of making our “calling and election” sure.

2 Peter 1:10

Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:

It isn’t enough just to be a baptized member of Christ’s church. One must also have one’s calling and election sure. One way to look at that is the principle of “enduring to the end” which is a very common theme in the Holy Bible. In the Book of Revelation, the promises to the Seven Churches were all dependent upon those who endured to the end. The phrase to each church was, “to him that overcometh.”

Peter also speaks of the “foreknowledge of God.” We often attribute the following three attributes to Christ: omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent, all powerful, all knowing, and all present. He knows the past, the present, and the future. An attribute of the ‘elect’ is ‘sanctification of the spirit.’

Paul taught,

2 Thessalonians 2:13

God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:

Sanctification means to be made holy. Synonyms are holiness, consecration, purification, dedication, devotion, spiritual refinement, spiritual cleansing, Godliness. Peter offers two primary conditions of sanctification. First obedience. God cannot sanctify us if we do not strive to obey all of his commandments. To be made holy means to be made free of sin. That, leads to the second criteria: “sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ.” Only through Christ can we be made holy. Only through Christ can we be purified and cleansed of our sins. It is not a one-time event. Enduring to the end means daily repentance, daily striving, daily prayer. Peter, in his apostolic position, says “Grace unto you,” meaning the grace of Christ which can cleanse us, and “peace, be multiplied,” meaning peace of conscience and soul.

Peter, as an apostle, bears witness of Christ.

1 Peter 1:3-5

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

In Peter’s words, it is God the Father who raised Christ from the dead. Now Christ has given us the promise of eternal life with Christ to those elect who endure to the end. Notice the eternal nature of the images above: “lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead”; “inheritance incorruptible”; “that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you”; and “kept by the power of God.”

But first, to have our calling and election sure, we must “endure” the trials of mortality.

1 Peter 1:6-7

Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

Job, the symbol of enduring the trial of his faith, observed.

Job 23:10

That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire...

Speaking through Isaiah the Lord said,

Isaiah 48:10

I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.

In Malachi we read,

Malachi 3:2-3

But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap: And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.

As with Malachi, the last prophet of the Old Testament, Peter also speaks of end-time. That is what he meant when he said, “might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. That refers to the Second Coming of Christ. The apostles lived and communicated with the Savior on a daily basis; however, until the Savior comes again, we must accept him by faith.

1 Peter 1:8

Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:

It is the end game that we must consider. It is the endgame that makes the trial of our faith worth it.

1 Peter 1:9-12

Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.

As we read Peter, we need to keep the word “elect” in our minds because it comes with a great price. It is not a passive phrase. One may lose his or her election through disobedience. Peter cautions.

1 Peter 1:13-16

Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

“Hope to the end” means to ‘endure to the end.’ To ‘gird up our loins’ means to ‘tighten our belt’ ‘to fortify ourselves against opposition,’ ‘to be resolute.’ To be “sober” is to be of sound mind and sense and judgment. Notice that grace comes at the end, at the final judgment, where we are cleansed from all sin so that we can be with Christ in his kingdom, so that we can be invited to the ‘wedding feast.’ Of the ten virgins, only the five wise were allowed into the wedding feast. The other five were good, but they were unprepared. They didn’t endure. They ran out of oil. We must be holy ‘in all manner of conversation.’ That means in our daily lives, in our business dealings, in our communication with our fellow travelers. We can never let our guard down. That is why we must ‘pass the time of our sojourning here in fear.’ Peter teaches us to pray to the Father. We must pray to the Father in the name of Jesus Christ. That is the order of prayer.

1 Peter 1:17

And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:

We are saved by grace but judged for our works. Those who think that works do not matter