1 Peter 1:1-12
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1 Peter 1:1-12 The Living Hope
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Summary of passage
(Only a paragraph or two)
Text and Translation
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Original Context & Exegesis
A. Passage Boundaries (why are these verses grouped together in this chapter or pericope?)
B. Exegesis of passage as a whole (or verse-by-verse, if helpful).
1:2 Here the Trinity appears with their (at least partial) job descriptions. Father - foreknowledge, Spirit - sanctification, Son - sprinkling of blood Also interesting to note is that although these Christians had been dispersed by persecution (see v.1) even that was by the foreknowledge and plan of God.
1:3 We don’t just have hope in death because of Christ’s death, we have hope in life because of His resurrection.
1:4 Our inheritance ain't gonna rust, must, or bust!
1:5 We often think that our salvation begins at the moment we accept Christ and eternal life begins when we die. In reality, the opposite is true – our eternal life begins at the moment we trust Christ and our salvation “will be revealed” as we see in this verse.
1:6 The word used for “rejoice” literally means “to jump for joy.” When was the last time that you jumped for joy when you thought on the salvation that is to come? The word used for “little” in the phrase “a little while” means “puny” and the word for “trials” refers to purifying (as of gold) or disciplining. This is purposeful pain, meant for the purpose of improving or correcting us. Therefore, this verse could be read “You jump for joy over the salvation that is to come, even though you are saddened for a puny time now by the various tests and disciplines that you are going through.”
1:7 Gold is proved (purified) by fire and it still will perish. Our faith is more valuable because when it has been purified by trials it will endure to be rewarded in Heaven.
1:8 We love Jesus though we have never seen Him. Indeed, we would not be able to love Him (or anyone else for that matter) had He not loved us first (1 John 4:19). Our faith allows us to have joy in any circumstances. This is not just any joy. There are actually two words for joy in this phrase. One means “to jump for joy” and the other is a more passive word meaning “cheerfulness.” On top of that then is added the word “unspeakable”. If we can’t even describe this joy, it goes without saying that the world will never understand it.
1:9 The salvation of one's soul is the chief end of faith according to Peter. Everything else that we receive is just a fringe benefit – and there are plenty of them.
1:10-12 The prophets in the Old Testament prophesied precisely and accurately of the coming Promise, and yet had no idea what or who exactly they were prophesying about. See Heb 11:39 where these believed, having not received the promise because the Promise hadn't been sent yet. The mystery of redemption is something that the angels desire to look into. Redemption is hardly understood by someone who has experienced it, and not at all by someone who hasn't.
Another interesting thought -- God revealed bits of information to the prophets that they couldn't possibly use at the time. Their job was to faithfully proclaim it even if they didn't know what it meant. God still does this today, revealing bits of His plan that can't be used at the time. I've seen this in my own life as it seemed that God was handing me pieces to a jigsaw puzzle that wouldn't fit together until His perfect time.
C. Literary Features--What genre is it? What literary devices (e.g, metaphor) does it use?
D. Connections to the rest of book—what purpose does this pericope serve in the bigger picture of the book?
E. Connections to the rest of Scripture--How is it referenced or alluded to elsewhere?
Jesus Christ: The Redemptive-Historical Context
A. Where is Christ and the Gospel present in this passage?
B. How does this passage point to Christ or depend on Christ? How does Christ fulfill this passage? How was it fulfilled already? How will it be fulfilled?
C. What does this passage tell us about God’s plan of redemption in Christ?
Current Context
A. What does this tell us about ourselves, our world, and the human condition?
B. What are some modern parallels to the original situation?
C. What is the call/command/invitation of this passage?
D. How does Christ & the Gospel in this passage enable us to see, think, and live differently?
Links/References/Bibliography
A. Representative sermons on the passage
B. Examples and Illustrations
C. Commentaries on this book
D. Articles on this book or passage
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