The First Letter of Peter Outline and Notes 1:1-2 I. PETER SENDS GREETINGS TO ASIA MINOR Peter sets his viewpoint into a trinitarian formula: chosen by the Father, made holy by the Spirit, obedient to Jesus Christ. Both the sequence (increasing immanence) and the functions assigned are significant. 1:3-21 II. TURNING TOWARD THE FUTURE 1:3-9 A. By raising Jesus, God causes our attention to shift from present troubles to the final salvation. Reborn out of ourselves into a life which is better and larger than ourselves. (No "sons"; JB is wrong.) 1:10-12 B. The prophets, and even the angels, looked for this salvation. The use of "Spirit of Christ" here supports the trinitarian interpretation of 1:2. 1:13-17 C. This gift is so important that it should overshadow everything else. V. 17 literally speaks of "fear" (as some versions) and the word is used elsewhere in the letter. Modern translators want to soften this to worship, respect, or (JB) being careful; the JB at least says to be "scrupulously careful" which carries some connotation of fearing the possible loss of this gift. (See also 2:17; 3:6ff) 1:18-21 D. Consider the high price which was paid in order to give this gift to you. Christ "was known before the throwing together of the cosmos", or "was chosen from the beginning of the cosmos". In view of Peter's emphasis on choice (on both sides) the latter may be better. 1:22-25 E. The seed of true love has been planted in you; let it grow. (a) The indication of brotherly love is "philadelphia"; the admonition is to love with "agape". However, the verb is regularly based on "agape" throughout the letter so this may not be important. (b) The "saying" of the Lord (rema), not the "Word" (logos), in verse 25. Thus the substance (or happening) rather than the thought or reason - probably following the Gk OT. (Compare 2:2) 2:1-3:22 III. TRAVELLING LIFE'S TRAIL 2:1-10 A. Grow in the Lord 1-3 i. Having tasted God's kindness, seek no other nourishment. The milk of the word - here logos, giving a more cerebral connotation than 1:25. (Perhaps we could compare R. Eastman's intellectual toughness.) 4-8 ii. Our lives can be the substance of the new "temple", just as Christ's life is the stone which defines the edifice. (a) The keystone of the arch or, perhaps better, the cornerstone which defines the shape of the bulding. (b) In view of the author, it is interesting that we have stone (lithos) except at the end of the v. from Isaiah where we have a rock (petra) of scandal. (c) There is a possible hint of foreordination, but see at 4:19. 9-10 iii. We are called to be God's people. Note the progression from suckling babes to priests. This includes a progression from solitary faith to a fully corporate experience. 2:11-3:17 B. Conduct along the road 11-12 i. We have an obligation to behave well so long as we are here, to live the "beautiful" life. "I am your guest, and only for a time, a nomad like all my ancestors." (Ps 39; JB) The added idea is that we have a home to go to. "Good" work is "true" and "beautiful". 13-25 ii. This includes a duty to society. 13-17 a. Secular authority has a function in God's plan. A Christian must honor government's place and role, even while obeying only God. Disregarding government authority is disregarding God. If obeying God (by living a good and useful life) requires disobeying the government - which Peter emphasizes elsewhere - one must still give due regard: "Respect overyone, love the brotherhood; fear God, respect the emperor." (See also 3:6.) 18-20 b. Even when society places us in unfair situations we need to respect the social order: We should never deserve punishment, even though we may have to endure it. Compare 4:15f. A bad master is a "despot" rather than a "lord" (despotes, kyrios), though either word can be used of either God or a slaveholder. 21-25 c. This is the example of Christ. It is his willingness to suffer which has brought us back to him. We return to the shepherd and overseer of our souls (or the pastor and bishop of our psyches). 1-17 iii. Even more, we have a duty to those in our families. 1-6 a. Wives may be treated like slaves but can do God's work by striving for interior beauty. See also 2:12 (and 2:19; 4:15; 3:17). This is "the hidden self (anthropos) of the heart" - which is not a bit genber-biased, even though addressed to women. (One commentator suggests that there may have been more wives than husbands in Peter's audience.) 6 a'. Do good and do not fear any fearful thing. Or, do not worship anything fearful. "Good" as in "useful" (not as 2:12). 7 b. Husbands, in the same way, must respect their wives, for both will receive the same gift. Women are weaker - or should it be translated "more helpless" with reference to the social situation? But in the end, all become equal. 8-12 c. In the family of the church we must also yield to each other in love. This is how we can love life truly. The verse of Ps 34 just prior to the quotation is, "I will teach you the fear of the Lord." (34:11) 13-17 iv. Doing the right thing should protect us from trouble, but if it doesn't the trouble can be a blessing. Good and useful, as in 2:14-15; 3:6,17. (V. 17 again hints at foreordination.) a. Do not be afraid. Compare 3:6. b. Sanctify Christ in your heart. c. Be prepared with the reason for your hope. (Logos here) d. Be courteous and respectful. (with gentleness and fear) e. Keep a good conscience. 3:18-22 C. We have a sign of our hope. A most difficult interjection. i. Christ died in the body but was raised to life in the spirit. This is often the whole token of hope. ii. Noah's flood saved only eight, but it prefigured the baptism which saves us. Why bring this in at all? Unless as a literary precursor to 4:4. iii. Baptism is not a physical cleansing but a pledge made by a clean conscience. Or a request by the conscience. (A "good" conscience.) In any case, an action of the believer, not God. (But compare the following.) iv. This pledge has power due to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. By implication, the resurrection and enthronement of Christ as Lord. 4:1-5:11 IV. TOWARD THE GOAL This is a summary section which echoes most major themes of the letter. (Or it could be a parallel composition, just tacked on ...) 4:1-6 A. Suffering with Christ can pull us out of the rushing flood of destruction. 4:7-11 B. The driving force of our lives now turns us toward others and toward God. The human passions, broken by suffering (v. 2), are replaced by calmness and love (agape). (The context may well be house worship.) 4:12-19 C. Accept what comes to you with confidence that it brings you closer to God's glory. So long as it comes to us as Christians and not as criminals or meddlers. (The "informer" of JB seems to carry too many unwarranted connotations.) 19 C'. Those who suffer according to God's will should entrust their souls to the faithful Creator by means of doing good. This verse is usually overtranslated. As I read it: (a) Doing good is sort of a pledge to God, committing one's self to whatever God will do with it. (See also 3:21) (b) "Faithful Creator" is a nice and rather Iroquioan title for God. (c) There is little support for the foreordination which can be read in it. Rather, "kata to thelema tou theou" refers back to vv. 15-16. But it may also be that God "wills" or even "desires" this suffering. I would reject Calvinistic foreordination but might accept Rahnerian plurality (see Foundations, p. 406) and the need to accept the inexplicibleness of life. 5:1-5 D. The Christian community should be well ordered on the basis of caring and example. As contrasted with the world, in which whatever order there is often seems to come from force alone. Note the unique title Chief Shepherd. 5:6-11 E. Have a good attitude. i. Be ready always to be of service. ii. Let God do the worrying. iii. Stay watchful. iv. Maintain solidarity with all of us. v. Remember that God can and will set things right again. (a) V. 6 is generally undertranslated (at least if the verb is putting on the apron of humility); either the imperative or the hand of God gets slighted. (b) V. 8 uses two prosecutorial terms in a row, possibly an indication of legal relations at the time. (c) The verb in v. 10 seems to have the sense of "restoring" or "setting right" (rather than "perfecting"). 5:12-15 V. CLOSING WORDS A. Peter is assisted by Silvanus. B. The church in Rone and Mark join their greetings to this letter. C. Peace to all in Christ. Summer 1991 (March 1996)