Another Bible Commentary: 1 Peter

Pete the fisherman wrote this with the help of Paul’s frequent coworker Silas (1 Peter 5:12) in around 62 AD. This letter provides encouragement to the persecuted; Nero’s persecution of Christians was about to escalate and result in Peter’s death. Per Galatians 2:8-12, Peter’s primary ministry was to the Jews, but he worked among some Gentiles as well. Paul started out in the synagogues, inevitably got rejected, and offered salvation to the Gentiles (Acts 13:46). Peter and Paul parallel each other. 1 Peter 1:1-2 suggests an audience of a predominantly Jewish background. Some verses (1 Peter 1:14, 1 Peter 1:18, 1 Peter 2:9-10, 1 Peter 4:3, etc.) suggest Gentile behaviors, but the Old Testament Jews engaged in lots of idolatry and compromised with occupying nations. The first “pope” quoted Exodus 19:6 to say that we’re all priests, as does John in Revelation. 1 Corinthians 3:21-22 says that Pete is still useful to read even for Gentile believers, but remember Acts 21:20,25. The Romans were worried that foreign religions would wreck their hierarchical society, encourage sedition and household insubordination especially among slaves and women, cause adultery and (by their standards) other immorality, etc. Much like in Titus 2:10, Peter encouraged Christians to make the faith look good by being well-behaved with regard to the aforementioned avenues of criticism.

1:1 Exiles had few/no rights. Heaven is our home (Psalm 119:19). Justice comes with the arrival of the World to Come. Another perspective on “exiles” is Jews “living as foreigners” or according to the Noahide pre-Sinai code as Peter was free to do with a side of some bacon (Galatians 2:12, Acts 10), whether he did or not.

1:2 Pete wrote to the “chosen” people who had “foreknowledge” of God the Father, meaning the Jews who had been in a closer relationship with God for longer than the Gentiles had. The “obedient” hear the call, bend the knee, acknowledge Jesus as the Lord and Messiah, etc per John 6:28-29. All who call on Him are saved (Romans 10:13). The Spirit sanctifies/sets apart/makes holy/cleans us up. I haven’t pointed this out in a while, but even in the non-Gentile letters we get grace and shalom (a peace and contentment that is not only the absence of strife but well-being, health, safety, prosperity, and all-around wholeness) in abundance on the front end because of what Jesus Christ has done for us.

1:3 Boundless mercy and new birth are ours through the Resurrection. Welcome back, “Pauline” theology; how I have missed thee.

1:4 You’re not losing rewards. The reward is an inheritance. You don’t earn an inheritance; you get it when someone dies. Jesus died and bequeathed everything to us. It’s safe in Heaven where we can’t mess it up. See Psalm 37:18, Ephesians 1:14, and Colossians 1:5. What’s that, you wandered off? See 2 Kings 8:6 and Luke 15:11-32.

1:5 “through faith are shielded” Trust HIm.

1:6 “may have” The ride has bumps, but not every ride is equally bumpy.

1:7 Similar to Zechariah 13:9. Passing tests brings glory to Him who works within you, but faith alone saves (verses 5 and 9).

1:8-9 Christians are definitely receiving the result of faith, which is salvation. It feels good.

1:10-12 like Luke 10:23-24.

1:13 “Therefore” After an introduction dripping with eternal security, Peter pivots to performance like Pete’s parallel, Paul. “You’re saved; act like it” has been a recurring theme in our journey through the Epistles.

1:14 “as obedient children” Notice that acting more godly in light of our new identity as righteous children of God is the point, not earning more forgiveness. Like begets like.

1:15-16 See Leviticus 11:44-45, Leviticus 19:2, and Matthew 5:48. Jesus taught Judaism to Jews (Galatians 4:4-7) as a Messiah proof (Isaiah 51:4), but we’re not under the Law of Moses (Romans 6:14, Romans 7:4, Romans 10:4, Galatians 3:24-25, etc.), and neither were they any more (Hebrews 8:13) even though they were still zealous for it (Acts 21:20). You are holy because He made you holy (1 Corinthians 6:11, Hebrews 10:10), so acting like it is the most natural thing for you and the only way of life that will make sense. It’s where He’s leading you anyway (Romans 14:4, Philippians 1:6, Philippians 2:13, Hebrews 13:20-21, Jude 24)

1:17 “reverent fear” Remember that to fear God in the Old Testament sense is to be in awe of God and worship God; Jesus taught us this when He explained Deuteronomy 6:13 in Matthew 4:10. His perfect love casts out what we call fear (1 John 4:18). This life of worship looks like loving others (verse 22); we have been forgiven much, so let us love much (Luke 7:47).

Have some more grace: See John 5:24, Hebrews 4:16, and Romans 10:13.

1:18 “empty” The dead works of the Temple system or paganism both fit this backstory.

1:20 “last times” The story has always been about Jesus, and it’s been the “end times” ever since the Incarnation.

1:21-22 Here comes “Believe and Love” again. He’s the Truth (John 14:6), and to obey Him is to believe in Him (John 6:28-29) and love (John 13:34-35).

1:23 You have been born again (past tense; already happened) as an eternal being (what else would be born of imperishable seed through the enduring word of God?).

1:24-25 See Isaiah 40:6-8 in the Septuagint. Verse 23 just said that we’re eternal like Jesus, so saints are distinct from the grasslike people mentioned here (2 Corinthians 5:17).

2:1 “Therefore” You’re a saint; act like it (and He guides you – Romans 14:4). Possibilities for what prompted this verse, based on the audience, include internecine conflict pre-70 AD, hatred for the Romans, hatred for Gentile believers, etc.

2:2 “grow up” into that Ephesians 4:13-15 maturity, but you’re saved at every step of the journey.

2:3 like Psalm 34:8.

2:4 Peter was nicknamed the Rock, but Jesus is the real Cornerstone (Psalm 118:22, Isaiah 28:16).

2:5 Peter the Rock calls us stones, too. See Exodus 19:6 and Isaiah 66:21. Pete had a special calling (Matthew 16:18, Matthew 14:29,) but so do we (Matthew 18:19-20). We’re a “holy priesthood”; if we’re all priests, then we have no need of human “priests” as middlemen to our One Mediator, Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 2:5). The “sacrifices'' are praise/gratitude and sharing (Hebrews 13:15-16).

2:6 from Isaiah 28:16.

2:7 from Psalm 118:22.

2:8 from Isaiah 8:14. To obey Him is to believe (verse 7).

2:9 from Exodus 19:6. See the 1 Peter 2:5 note.

2:10 Romans 9 used Hosea 2:23 to speak of Gentile inclusion despite its original context. If God could say that to wayward Israel in the days of Baal worship and child sacrifice, then adopting some Gentile strays isn’t a stretch. We have received mercy (past tense; we’re not earning it), and we have all we need (Romans 5:20) – this isn’t a scary past tense implying that there’s no more mercy to be had.

2:11 See Romans 6:12, Romans 7:23, and Galatians 5:17. These are Sin’s desires, not your desires. Your soul is your psyche (like the word psychology); sinning as a Christian just doesn’t feel right and leads to feeling conflicted. You are a spiritual new creation, and sinning won’t be a satisfying way to live for you. What you actually want is to express Jesus Christ in your life.

2:12 Maintaining the reputation of the faith to keep our witness strong was a recurring concern in Paul’s letters, too.

2:13-15 See Romans 13, Titus 3, Exodus 22:28, and Jeremiah 29:4-7. Christians are to be good citizens and be respectful even toward leaders that are viceroys of Satan. God gave Nebuchadnezzar his throne in Daniel; God decided to get rid of Babylon, too.

2:16 The existence of this verse proves that you could totally go be evil. You are free to do so. You’re safe. Don’t do it; it’s not who you are now. See Romans 6:1-2.

2:17 Similar advice was offered as the good life in Ecclesiastes. Acts 5:29 says to obey God if there’s any question. For example, participation in the imperial cult was off limits to Christians.

2:18 Again, Paul gave similar instructions.

2:19 God pays double for trouble, in this world or the next.

2:20 Lately, I hear the following semi-frequently: "Aside from my own actions, what did I do to deserve this?"

2:21 Nero’s persecution of the Church got wild after this letter.

2:22 See Isaiah 53:9 and John 8:46.

2:23 as in Isaiah 53:7. See Leviticus 19:18 and Deuteronomy 32:35. Peter says that Jesus left His case with God, so that’s an appropriate response for us, too.

2:24-25 See Isaiah 53:4-6 in the Septuagint. On the Cross, He held the Father’s hand and our hands, bringing us together; He is the Blessed Peacemaker. Also, saying they had returned to the Shepherd is further proof of a Jewish focus for this letter unless Pete was reaching deep into the past.

3:1-2 Peter advocates the same wifely submission as Paul, but notice that here it’s for the purpose of evangelism.

3:3 Many translations capture the flavor of the language here: “should not be merely external”. Again, some women in the Roman Empire’s hairstyles were elaborate creations that took all day, required keeping special slaves (ornatrices) trained for the task, and could have included jeweled ornaments, etc. Think of wearing the most ostentatious thing you’ve ever seen in pictures of the Met Gala to church weekly to get attention and to rub it in the poorer members’ faces. The point is not so much what to avoid as to encourage highlighting inner beauty (verse 4). Again, Paul’s specific instructions to the Corinthians can be generalized to “represent Christianity well and dress appropriately to the occasion”, and Peter parallels Paul frequently. There are things appropriate to wear or not to wear depending on whether you are in your grandmother’s church, on a beach, evangelizing a tropical island as a guest, etc. If wearing more than the belts from Genesis 3:21 is considered rude, Paul would have fit in (1 Corinthians 9:19-23).

3:4-6 in Genesis 18:12. The “fear” bit looks ahead to verse 14.

3:7 “so that nothing will hinder your prayers” for the spouse’s conversion to Christianity, as this mirrors 1 Peter 3:1-2. The “honor” here is food, clothing, and shelter as also provided to widows and church elders (Ephesians 5:25, Colossians 3:19, 1 Timothy 5). While this was written to people still zealous for the Law of Moses (Acts 21:20), people using this and Psalm 34:15-16 to postulate a “sin block” for believers’ prayers forget that Christ has completely dealt with all the sins of believers (Hebrews 10:14). Also, if God didn’t listen to sinners at least some of the time, no one’s repentance would be heard. Still, as the Bride of Christ the Church has a kind Husband, so emulating his love and grace toward your spouse is only natural. Our time on Earth is too short to get properly Ezekiel 16:35-42-level mad at a spouse, so choose kindness instead. Even under the Old Covenant, God was at least 1000:4 merciful (Deuteronomy 5:9-10).

3:8-9 See Matthew 5:43-44 and 1 Peter 2:21-23.

3:10-12 from Psalm 34:12-16. Here’s another place believers panic about alleged Old Covenant-style “sin blocks” (Proverbs 15:29, Proverbs 28:9, Isaiah 59:1-2, John 9:31, James 5:16, Lamentations 3:44 but Lamentations 3:56) for their prayer lives, but Jesus took our sins away (2 Corinthians 5:21). The face of the Lord is against the insulting outsiders of verse 9 that you don’t have to worry about because God has it handled. You are called to do good, to be blessed for it, and to enjoy it. Those people, not so much. Dad’s listening (Psalm 91:14-15, John 6:28-29).

3:14 like Isaiah 8:12. See Matthew 5:10-12.

3:15 Being an evangelist is a specific spiritual gift. Many pastors, who may have this gift, try to pressure their flock, who may lack this gift, to try to be just like them. The Great Commission was to the Apostles and to the Body of Christ as a whole; there are more of us meant to support evangelists than there are gifted talkers. This verse has the evangelism expectations for every believer: just be ready to tell your story of what Jesus did for you in a respectful way if someone asks you. Sometimes, the Holy Spirit will tee someone up and infuse our meager efforts with exactly what that person needs to accept Christ. If they didn’t ask you and evangelism isn’t your spiritual gift, then just keep living a quiet life of faith and exuding Jesus Christ. Jesus stands at the door of our lives and knocks but doesn’t barge in, and He doesn’t send us door-to-door waking people up on their day off to poison their minds against religious folk.

There’s a recurring motif of wrestling in this commentary (See Genesis 32). After the death of his brother Jay, wrestler Mark Briscoe was asked how it seemed that he was dealing with that and other related tragedies so well. His response was a good example of 1 Peter 3:15: He talked about how in the midst of his circumstances, he realized that he actually believed what he had been saying that he believed about Jesus and that his brother was fine where he went. People who rarely or never hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ could see God’s peace coming out of Mark (Philippians 4:7) in that moment in contrast to his usual boisterousness. Therefore, in the spirit of one of his better-known speeches, we’re never going to get where we’re going by looking in the rearview mirror, today is today, and the Word of today and every day is Jesus Christ. Yes! That's the answer! He did it all; there’s nothing you can do. To the conglomeration of our Christian brothers and sisters who have gone on before us, “We comin’ for you. Let’s go!”

3:16 Again, like Titus 2:10.

3:17 See Matthew 5:10-12. Are you wondering why God’s will for you would be suffering, especially given John 10:10? God’s will for you is salvation in Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:9), and the saved get attacked just like Jesus did (John 15:18-21). I’ve read ahead in the Bible; it all ends well for us, but it can get rough.

3:18 “once” He’s not up there dying over and over to forgive you over and over; it is finished (John 19:30, Hebrews 9:27-28). This verse does not say He rose as an incorporeal spirit; He rose with the new incorruptible spiritual body we’re still waiting for (1 Corinthians 15:44).

3:19-20 This is considered one of the trickiest bits in the Bible. This section about sources outside the Bible is offered in the spirit of understanding what was on the reading list of 1 Peter’s audience and not an endorsement of the non-canonical books as a whole. The Book of Enoch (quoted by Jude and considered canonical in the Ethiopian Church) says the fallen angels or Watchers that mated with human women (a boundary-crossing “strange flesh” pairing like bestiality) in Genesis 6 also taught humanity skills like making weapons, cosmetics, written communication, meteorology, astrology, etc. The Book of Enoch and our Bible’s Jude says these angels are imprisoned until the end of the world for their crimes. Their hybrid children drowned in the Flood and allegedly became the possessing demons seen in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and Acts. In the non-canonical Book of Jubilees, this amounts to 90% of the fallen Watchers, and they were locked up due to a prayer by the righteous Noah. We were divided into 70 “nations” or people-groups with ancestors listed in Genesis 10 under the watchful gaze of angels (Deuteronomy 32:8), elsewhere called Watchers (no matter where the lines on our ever-changing human maps are). The remaining allegedly 10% of free Watchers remained in service to Satan (2 Corinthians 4:4), accounting for the spirit prince that Michael (the not-fallen angel that represents God’s people in the heavenly court) fights in Daniel 10:13. These Watchers are the focus of Ephesians 3:10-11 and Ephesians 6:12. I just described the angelic “government” to help this part of Peter’s letter to make sense; Christ is above all of that (Colossians 1:16-17, Matthew 28:18). The risen Christ taking control of everything again as a human and providing a way for us to go to Heaven with Him meant that the devil and his angels had failed to deprive God of us; I believe the proclamation was something to the effect of, “In your face!”

3:21 See Acts 10:44-48, Galatians 3:2, Galatians 3:5, and Hebrews 9:10. Believing in Christ places you into Him (John 17:20-23); receiving His resurrection life and the Holy Spirit upon believing in Christ is the “dunk” that matters. Peter says that it isn’t the removal of dirt from the body with water that saves, but the appeal for a clean conscience to God. You asked to be saved, and you were. The water is an external celebration of an inner change, much like Communion is a way to remember His death for us (1 Corinthians 11:24).

3:22 He sits at the right hand of the Father (Psalm 110:1), and we’re raised and seated with Him already (Ephesians 2:6). Both the non-fallen angels and the subordinates of Satan that are not trapped (see the 1 Peter 3:19-20 note) are beneath Him.

Your Bible translators may have given this part of 1 Peter a title like “Living for God”; don’t forget that Christ is your life (Colossians 3:4), and that the Christian life is lived from Him (Galatians 2:20) rather than for Him. Trust Him, rest in His finished work, and ask Him to handle your day through you. “I ain’t got this, but I know You do, so thanks!” is a fine prayer.

4:1-2 Keep reading. In context, suffering is taking heat for being a Christian, and sin is the pagan ritual behavior of verses 3 through 5 formerly practiced by Gentiles (Peter had some Gentile converts despite being officially sent to the Jews) and by the more Hellenistic Jews such as the Herodians. Besides deepening commitment, another way to look at those who suffer being done with sin is that finding sin profoundly unfulfilling (Galatians 5:17) is a good sign that you’re new inside. If sinning makes you suffer inside, why not be done with it? See Romans 6:1-2. Several translations get the “evil human desires” right here; human desires are not all evil, but there are evil things that Sin wants for you (Galatians 5:19-21). Also, Jesus suffered when it was time to suffer, but Jesus is not a full-time ascetic (Matthew 11:19).

4:3 This whole list is a description of pagan worship as seen in Revelation 2:14, not that individual behaviors on the list are a good idea.

4:4-5 The persecution is from unbelievers that will be judged. Believers are done being judged (John 5:24).

4:6 This is meant to convey that those who had physically died due to persecution were still alive spiritually with Him. Early Christians were shocked that believers ever died at all since we have His resurrection life in us.

4:7 Again, there is no “sin block” for believers’ prayers because Jesus succeeded (John 1:29, Hebrews 8:12). Peter emphasizes the importance of being spiritually vigilant and clear-minded in light of the return of Christ. The phrase "the end of all things is near" reminds us to live with an eternal perspective, recognizing that Christ's return could happen at any time and that even/especially under persecution, Heaven is close at hand for us. Being "alert and of sober mind" for prayer isn’t head-on-a-swivel paranoia and teetotalling; it’s maintaining our focus on the reality of things above while under persecution to obtain the peace in Philippians 4:6-7 rather than freaking out about worldly concerns like torture and death and trying to go it alone without using your connection to God.

4:8 See Proverbs 10:12. You are forgiven, so this is about maintaining group unity in the face of persecution instead of squabbling over slights against each other.

4.9 People were losing their homes, people were running away from bad situations, teachers were traveling, etc. They didn’t have widespread hotel availability (and the ones that existed often doubled as whorehouses and weren’t very restful), so travelers usually stayed at someone’s home.

4:10-11 You have something unique to offer the rest of your siblings in Christ, but not every tool in the toolbox is used for every job or even every day. Your thing will probably seem easy and natural for you (Philippians 2:13).

4:12 as we discussed in 1 Peter 1:6-7.

4:13 See John 15:18-21 and John 16:33. Be happy to be on Team Jesus. Since all Christians are united together with Christ, we’re all persecuted together. If you’re not feeling the heat at the moment, you’re probably in position to help our brothers and sisters in Christ who do.

4:14 See Matthew 5:11-12 and Luke 12:11-12.

4:15 Peter’s predominantly Jewish audience not only cared about Noahide matters like murder and theft, but Leviticus 19:16 as well. See Sirach 28:12-26 for bonus points. Slander, lies, betraying confidences (Proverbs 11:13), tearing other people down with your words, etc., are not loving.

4:16 Again, be happy to be on Team Jesus.

4:17 Peter refers to Jeremiah 25:17-26 and Ezekiel 9:6; he means that things were about to get hot for his Jewish Christian audience, but the Romans have more in store at the Last Judgment. Christians are done being judged in the truest sense (John 5:24).

4:18 See Proverbs 11:31 in the Septuagint. Even so, your English translation may say it’s “hard” to be saved, but Jesus did the hard stuff; this is more like being “scarcely saved” like the brand out of the fire in Zechariah 3:2. This reality will burn, but we will be safe.

4:19 Again, God wants to give you the abundant life (John 10:10), and He calls you to peace (1 Corinthians 7:15), but what He wants most of all is for you to be saved (2 Peter 3:9), and in this world, that can get rough (John 15:18-21).

5:2 looks back to Peter’s calling in John 21.

5:3 Victory Over the People is one interpretation of the Nicolaitans seen in Revelation.

5:4 Victorious athletes got laurel wreaths that were ephemeral.

5:5 in Proverbs 3:34.

5:6 To be humble, derive your value entirely from what Jesus did instead of your own works and let go of the need to be proud or seen as right all the time, etc.

5:7 If it matters to you, it matters to Him (Psalm 55:22, Matthew 10:30).

5:8 See Ezekiel 22:25 in the Septuagint, Judges 14:5, 1 Kings 13:24, 1 Kings 20:36, 2 Kings 17:25, (and Sirach 27:10). In the context of the Ezekiel reference, Peter was talking about the Romans attacking the Jews and Christians. Also of note, in Proverbs 19:12 a king’s rage is like the roar of a lion. Peter said the Accuser prowls “like” a roaring lion; the Accuser fools people into thinking the loving Father who has reconciled us to Himself through the finished work of Jesus Christ isn’t fond of us. See Colossians 1:20.

5:9 To resist him, just don’t obey him.

5:10 God will restore you. We don’t stay down. He will make you what you ought to be.

5:11 “To Him be the power” for it is His work that matters, not our meager efforts.

5:12 God fixing us and handling what needs recompensing is all due to grace. I like the NLT’s handling of this: “the grace of God is with you no matter what happens”.

5:13 “Babylon” We’re the Temple now (1 Corinthians 3:16-17), so our killers are called Babylon. Rome would definitely apply, but in the Acts 7 and Acts 8 persecution, Jerusalem was also Babylon. Colossians 4:10 places Mark in Rome with Paul while he was imprisoned, and Mark and Silas likely helped Peter (the first “Pope”) in Rome also while Paul was locked up or after he died, depending on your preferred timeline. (And Peter was known to those who met at Mark’s house in Acts 12, so they could have worked together in Jerusalem for those who favor that timeline. I’m trying to keep everyone happy.) “She who is…chosen together with you” is likely a Jewish Christian church given Peter’s writing to the Jewish diaspora (1 Peter 1:1).

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