Todd Konkel June 19, 2016
July 64 AD: Great Fire of Rome Nero was accused of being responsible Responded by blaming the Christians Persecution spread throughout empire, including Asia Minor Peter wrote epistle to strengthen and encourage Christians suffering persecution 1:1 Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, Bithynia
To sum up: finally; introduces new section; or recap of guidance for godly treatment of others given in 1:22-3:7 8: How we are to treat everyone (esp. fellow Christians) harmonious, like-minded (Rom 12:16) sympathetic (Rom 12:15; 1 Cor 12:26) brotherly in love (1 Thess 4:9-10) kindhearted, compassionate (Matt 11:29) humble in spirit (Philippians 2:6-8)
9: How we are to live in a hostile pagan world Do not retaliate (Matt 5:38-42) Give a blessing to our enemies bless (eulogeó): eulogize, speak well of; compare 3:16, 4:4 We should pray for those who are hostile to us Proverbs 25:21-22 10-12: Quotation from Psalm 34:12-16 to encourage righteous living in hostile environment
Greek word for suffer (paschó) occurs 42 times in NT 12 times in 1 Peter more than any other book undergo evils, be afflicted, feel intense emotion origin of word passion Peter s main emphasis in this letter is on Christian conduct amid persecution
13: It is uncommon (even in our sinful world) for people to mistreat those who do good 14a: But it does, of course, happen. And when it does, it comes with a blessing blessed (makarios): happy, fortunate (Matt 5:3-10) 14b: We are not to be afraid of or anxious about suffering for our faith Isaiah 8:12-13 Psalm 118:6-7
15a: Sanctify Christ as Lord in our hearts sanctify (hagiazó): to make holy, consecrate, set apart from things profane Christ is already holy (John 10:36) We are to set Christ apart as Lord in our hearts; we do this by living only to please Him and glorify Him Matthew 6:33: Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness
15b: We are to be ready to defend our hope in Christ ready (hetoimos): prepared defense (apologia) apologetics We are to be knowledgeable about the basis of our faith and able to explain our beliefs to others. This kind of preparation requires study Josh McDowell: Evidence That Demands a Verdict Lee Strobel: The Case for Christ, The Case for Faith 15c: We are to do so gently, humbly, respectfully (in awe of God), thoughtfully, reasonably, and biblically
16: We are to maintain a good conscience slander: a false spoken statement that harms a person s reputation Our behavior should stand up against those who falsely accuse us of wrongdoing (2:12) When we do (inevitably) sin, we must clear our conscience by confessing our sin
Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Scriptures or by clear reason I am bound by the Scriptures I have quoted and my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and will not recant anything, since it is neither safe nor right to go against conscience. Martin Luther (Diet of Worms, 1521)
17: It is better to suffer (unjustly) for godly living than to suffer (justly) for sinful living (2:20; 4:15-16) Good example: Dietrich Bonhoeffer German pastor, theologian imprisoned by Nazis executed on April 9, 1945 18: Better (best!) example: Jesus Christ substitutionary atonement (Heb 7:26-27)
To whom did Christ proclaim? spirits : not souls not the unsaved; could be fallen angels (demons) who were permanently bound because of heinous wickedness (2:4; Jude 6) When did this take place? now in prison, who once were disobedient in the days of Noah What did He proclaim? proclamation : not Greek word used for preaching the Gospel (1:12, 4:6)
To whom? When? What? Noah s contemporaries Noah s sinful generation Disobedient spirits (fallen angels) Between crucifixion and resurrection Time of Noah (through Noah) 1) Between crucifixion and resurrection 2) During His ascension 1) Offer of salvation 2) Condemnation of unbelievers 3) Good tidings to those who had already been saved Message of repentance and righteousness through Him Victory on the cross Augustine, Piper; MacArthur, Wiersbe, Expositor s Bible Commentary (Blum)
Just as Noah and his family were saved by the ark, Jesus is the ark of our salvation Believer s baptism like the Flood is symbolic of death, burial, and resurrection (Rom 6:4) But Peter is not talking about physical baptism which does not save us from sin but spiritual baptism, in which the blood of Christ cleanses our souls, giving us a clear conscience before God (Acts 11:16)
arm yourselves: hoplizó, from hoplon (weapon) Peter is telling us to prepare for spiritual battle 2:11: fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul 2 Corinthians 10:3-4 We are to be armed with the thought that we can be triumphant in suffering, even death, for death permanently frees us from sin
sensuality: wantonness, lewdness, licentiousness, lasciviousness lusts: passionate longing, intense desires (especially for what is forbidden) drunkenness: excess of wine (only occurrence in NT) carousing: reveling, riotous parties, letting loose drinking parties: drinking bouts, binges (only occurrence in NT) abominable idolatries: unlawful/illicit/unrighteous worship of false gods Such sinful behaviors should be a thing of the past.
surprised (xenizó): think it strange run together (suntrechó): like a mob (Mark 6:33; Acts 3:11)
excesses: outpouring, overflow dissipation: wantonness, profligacy, wastefulness (Eph 5:18, Titus 1:6) malign: blaspheme, speak profanely of sacred things (not same as slander in 3:16) Lon Solomon has spoken about how his friends mocked him when he became a Christian in college
give account: pay back (as a debt) All the unsaved will face judgment before Christ The judgment of believers was transferred to Christ on the cross the gospel preached to those who are dead Believers who were dead at the time of this letter No second chance at salvation for the unsaved dead
Seek unity with other believers through love Love our enemies, not retaliating for wrongs done to us Rejoice if we suffer for righteousness Set apart Christ as Lord, glorifying Him in life Be prepared to explain our faith to nonbelievers Maintain a clear conscience by being above reproach Wage war against sin, turning from our past ways