1 Peter - Clover Sitesstorage.cloversites.com/journeythruthebiblesundayschoolclass/documents/1Peter00_2.pdf10 Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus. Lived 37-68 AD [age 30] and

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Introduction to 1 Peter Klaus G. Schiessel Copyright © January 2018

1 Peter

Introduction

AUTHORSHIP:

Self-identified as Peter (Simon) {1 Peter 1:1}

However, liberal scholars dispute the fact that Peter wrote the two letters ascribed to him because

they are skeptical that a “crude” and “illiterate” fisherman could have written letters of such

exquisite quality and clarity. But what they don’t understand is that Peter did have an “education”—

he spent approximately 3½ years at the best seminary of the day— personally experiencing and

witnessing the teaching, preaching and correction of the Son of God—Jesus Christ!

What’s ironic is that even the educated religious leaders1 of his day recognized this:

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.—Acts 4:13-14

Peter deals with doctrine and skillfully handles deeply theological/spiritual subjects. In just the first

few verses of his first letter he deals with the great doctrines of election, foreknowledge,

sanctification, obedience, the blood of Christ, the Trinity, the grace of God, salvation, revelation,

glory, faith, and hope. The way in which he handles these great themes of the Bible reveals that he

was by no means an ignorant fisherman.

It again proves that man’s wisdom is inferior to God’s wisdom. As Paul tells us:

“But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written2: "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him’.”—1 Cor. 2:7-9

Ultimately, it’s this same prideful attitude, thinking you know better than God, that keeps people

from accepting the Gospel.

“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written3: ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent’. Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.”— 1 Cor. 1:18-25

Peter, under the influence and inspiration of the Holy Spirit was indeed more than capable of

writing the two letters he claims to have written!

1 That is, the rulers, elders, and scribes, including Annas the high priest and Caiaphas, John, and Alexander,

and all those of the family of the high priest who were gathered together at Jerusalem heard Peter speak {see Acts 4:5-6}. 2 Quote from Isaiah 64:4.

3 Quote from Isaiah 29:14.

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This is a wonderful lesson to all Christians—don’t ever underestimate the power of the Holy Spirit

working through those who spend time with the LORD through prayer and reading, studying and

contemplating His holy Word!

As the apostle Paul was the evangelist sent to the Gentiles, Peter’s ministry seems to have

concentrated on spreading the Gospel message to the Jews and strengthening the faith of the Jewish

Christians who were scattered abroad by persecution [the “DIASPORA”; 1 Peter 1:1].

The apostle Paul has been called the apostle of Faith and the apostle John has been called the

apostle of Love. But in these two letters Peter makes himself known as the “apostle of Hope”.

PLACE OF WRITING:

From 1 Peter 5:13 it appears4 at first glance that this letter was written from BABYLON and the

geographical references just north of Babylon mentioned in 1 Peter 1:1 are consistent with such a

conclusion. This would mean that an active, perhaps even large, church was located in BABYLON.

However, there are two issues which mitigate against this being the case.

FIRST, the LORD pronounces a curse on Babylon that it will be as when God destroyed Sodom and

Gomorrah and the prophet Isaiah proclaimed that it will remain uninhabited—pretty much as it is to

this day5. Babylon was destroyed

6 by the Medes/Persians in 539 BC [about 150 years after Isaiah

prophesied it], by the armies of Darius the Mede and the Persian king, Cyrus the Great. Note7:

“And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldeans' pride, will be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. It will never be inhabited, nor will it be settled from generation to generation; nor will the Arabian pitch tents there, nor will the shepherds make their sheepfolds there. But wild beasts of the desert will lie there, and their houses will be full of owls; ostriches will dwell there, and wild goats will dance there. The wild beasts will speak in their citadels, and dragons in their pleasant palaces. Her time is near to come and her days will not be prolonged.”—Isa. 13:19-22

SECOND, this name can also be understood as being a term symbolizing ROME since the apostle

John uses the name this way. Rev. 14:8; 16:19; 17:5; 18:2, 10 all mention “BABYLON”, which is

identified in Rev. 17:9; “Here is a mind of wisdom: the seven heads are seven mountains on which

the woman [i.e., BABYLON] sits”; and Rev. 17:18; where Babylon is referred to as “...that great city

which reigns over the kings of the earth”.

Rome was famously known as “the city of seven hills” and, at the time John wrote the Apocalypse

of Jesus Christ, Rome did reign over the kings of earth8. (Refer to Figure 1). A Roman coin minted

under the Roman Emperor Vespasian [69-79 AD] in 71 AD, about one year after the Roman army

destroyed Jerusalem, depicts Rome as a woman sitting on seven hills! (Refer to Figure 2).

THIRD, the apostle Paul places [John] Mark in Rome on an earlier occasion {during his first

imprisonment; Col. 4:10} and Peter mentions that Mark [now released from prison] was with him

when he wrote this letter {1 Pet. 5:13}.

4 “She who is in Babylon, elect together with you, greets you; and so does Mark my son”; where the “she”

refers to the church located in Babylon. 5 In May 2009, the provincial government of Babil re-opened the site of ancient Babylon to tourists, but not

many have come. An oil pipeline runs through an outer wall of the city. 6 See Dan. 5:17-31.

7 Refer also to Jeremiah 51:36-44.

8 It is also interesting to note from an eschatological viewpoint, all of the pagan and evil influences which

Babylon was the “fountain” of were transferred to Rome, representing the Roman Empire. Thus, the Roman Empire is the fourth beast in Daniel’s prophecy of the four great kingdoms; but which lies “dormant” today. See Dan. 7:7-8, 23-25.

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Thus, Peter probably wrote this letter from ROME9 to the Christian Jews living in the geographical

regions mentioned in 1 Peter 1:1 [essentially, modern Turkey]. He wrote his letters during a time

of extreme persecution under the Roman Emperor Nero10

[54-68 AD]. Because of this 1 Peter has

been called “a handbook written for ambassadors [missionaries] in a hostile, foreign land”.

FIGURE 1. GEOGRAPHICAL FOOTPRINT OF ROME SHOWING THE LOCATION AND NAMES OF THE SEVEN HILLS.

FIGURE 2. ROMAN COIN MINTED IN 71 AD BY EMPEROR VESPASIAN TO COMMEMORATE VICTORY IN

THE JEWISH WARS. NOTE THAT ROME IS DEPICTED AS A WOMAN SITTING ON SEVEN HILLS.

(Source: https://cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=184449)

9 Although J. Vernon McGee is one of the reputable Bible commentators that believe Peter was too practical

to use a metaphor here and in his commentary McGee says that Peter was literally referring to Babylon. But Peter may have been using the term this way because of the persecution of Christians in Rome at this time. 10

Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus. Lived 37-68 AD [age 30] and reigned from 54 to 68 AD; his death [some believe by suicide]. His step-father and adoptive father, Claudius, was also his grand-uncle.

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HISTORICAL & CULTURAL SETTING 11

:

The Great Fire of Rome erupted on the night of 18 July to 19 July, 64 AD and started on the slope

of the Aventine overlooking the Circus Maximus. The fire is reported to have burned for over a

week and destroyed three of the fourteen Roman districts and severely damaged seven more12

.

Tacitus13

, the main ancient source for information about the fire, wrote that countless mansions,

residences and temples were destroyed. He also wrote that some ancient accounts described the fire

as an accident, while others had claimed that it was a plot of Nero's to get rid of the slum district

and old buildings so he could replace the old with new construction.

Pliny the Elder14

, Suetonius15

and Cassius Dio16

all wrote that Nero was responsible for the fire,

although Tacitus writes that he is “unsure”. These accounts give several reasons for Nero's alleged

arson. For example, it was claimed that Nero envied King Priam’s more modern city and disliked

the ancient construction of the buildings in Rome.

Suetonius wrote that Nero started the fire because he wanted the space to build a new palace

complex known as the Domus Aurea [i.e., Golden House].

In the wake of the fire, Nero devised a new urban development plan and built houses of brick that

were spaced out, and were faced by porticos on wide roads. Nero also built his new palace complex,

the Domus Aurea [Golden House], in an area cleared by the fire. This complex [100 to 300 acres]

included lush artificial landscapes and a 90-foot-tall statue of himself, the Colossus of Nero.

11

Source material taken mainly from (1) F.W. Clayton, "Tacitus and Christian Persecution", (2) The Classical Quarterly, pp. 81–85; (3) B.W. Henderson, Life and Principate of the Emperor Nero, p. 437; (4) Edward Champlin, Nero, Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2003, pp. 36–52; (5) "Nero | Roman emperor". Encyclopedia Britannica. 12

The Roman historians, Suetonius and Cassius Dio, alleged that Nero sang the "Sack of Ilium" in stage costume while the city burned. The popular story that Nero played the fiddle while Rome burned "is at least partly a literary construct of Flavian propaganda [...]”; which looked with suspicion on the failed Neronian attempt to change Augustan rules of governing. 13

Publius/Gaius Cornelius Tacitus [~56-120 AD) was a senator and a historian of the Roman Empire. The surviving portions of his two major works—the Annals and the Histories—examine the reigns of the Roman emperors Tiberius, Claudius, Nero, and those who reigned in the Year of the Four Emperors (69 AD). These two works span the history of the Roman Empire from the death of Augustus, in 14 AD, to the years of the First Jewish–Roman War, in 70 AD. There are substantial missing segments in the surviving texts, including a gap in the Annals that is four books long. 14

Pliny the Elder [born Gaius Plinius Secundus, 23 – 79 AD] was a Roman author, naturalist and natural philosopher, a naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire and friend of the emperor Vespasian. Spending most of his spare time studying, writing, and investigating natural and geographic phenomena in the field, Pliny wrote the encyclopedic Naturalis Historia (Natural History), which became an editorial model for encyclopedias. He apparently died in the sixth and largest pyroclastic surge during the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius while his ship was trapped at the port city of Stabiae in the gulf of Naples. 15

Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus commonly known as Suetonius [~69 – after 122 AD] was a Roman historian who wrote during the early Imperial era [27 BC – 284 AD] of the Roman Empire. His most important surviving work is a set of biographies of twelve successive Roman rulers, from Julius Caesar to Domitian, entitled De Vita Caesarum. Other works by Suetonius concern the daily life of Rome, politics, oratory, and the lives of famous writers, including poets, historians, and grammarians. A few of these books have partially survived, but many have been lost. 16

Cassius Dio or Dio Cassius [~155–235 AD] was a Roman statesman and historian of Greek origin.

Written in Greek over a period spanning more than 22 years, he published 80 volumes of history on Ancient Rome; documenting the founding of Rome (753 BC), the formation of the Republic (509 BC), and the creation of the Empire (31 BC) and its expansion up until 229 AD. This is a period covering approximately 1,000 years of history. Many of his 80 books have survived intact, or as fragments, providing modern scholars with a detailed perspective on Roman history.

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The cost to rebuild Rome was immense, requiring funds the state treasury did not have. To find the

necessary funds for the reconstruction, tributes were imposed on the provinces controlled by the

Empire and, for the first time in the Empire's history, Roman currency was significantly devalued.

Tacitus wrote that Nero accused Christians of starting the fire to remove suspicion from himself 17

.

According to this account, it is the reason that many Christians were arrested and brutally executed

by "being thrown to the beasts, crucified, and being burned alive" [i.e., sown up into animal skins

and thrown into the coliseum arena with lions; or they were fashioned on poles as torches and then

set on fire].

Both apostles, Paul and Peter, were put to death in Rome during the reign of Nero [54-68 AD].

Peter was probably executed first by the means of crucifixion. Then afterwards Paul was executed

by beheading, since he was a Roman citizen on his father’s side and therefore was not subject to

death by crucifixion.

In a manuscript [i.e., the Vercelli codex] entitled, the Acts of Peter [written in Greek during the

second half of the 2nd century], it is said that Peter requested to be crucified upside-down because

he felt unworthy to be crucified in the same upright manner that Jesus Christ was. The account ends

with the apostle Paul still alive. But this manuscript contains many highly questionable accounts

and should be viewed with skepticism18

.

The ancient historian Josephus [~37-100 AD] does describe how Roman soldiers would amuse

themselves by crucifying criminals in different positions19

, and it is likely that this would have been

known to the author of the Acts of Peter.

Peter of Alexandria, who was bishop of Alexandria and died around A.D. 311, wrote a letter on

Penitence, in which he says: “Peter, the first of the apostles, having been often apprehended, and

thrown into prison, and treated with ignominy, was last of all crucified at Rome”.

Jerome describes that “At his Nero's hands Peter received the crown of martyrdom being nailed to

the cross with his head towards the ground and his feet raised on high, asserting that he was unworthy to be crucified in the same manner as his Lord.”

The position attributed to Peter's crucifixion is thus plausible, either as having happened historically

or as being an invention by the author of the Acts of Peter. Death, by crucifixion head down, is

unlikely to be caused by suffocation, the usual “cause of death in ordinary crucifixion”. Blood

loss, dehydration and fatigue would be the likely causes of death in such a situation.

But the fact remains that Peter was executed in Rome by means of crucifixion because the apostle

John tells us that after Peter is graciously restored by Jesus after His resurrection and prior to His

ascension he is told:

Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep. Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish”. This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me.”—John 21:17-19

17

Perhaps in an additional effort to remove suspicion from himself, Nero returned to Rome to organize a relief effort, which he paid for from his own funds. Nero's contributions to the relief extended to personally taking part in the search for and rescue of victims of the blaze, spending days searching the debris without even his bodyguards. After the fire, Nero opened his palaces to provide shelter for the homeless, and arranged for food supplies to be delivered in order to prevent starvation among the survivor 18

At best the manuscript should be considered unverified history and at worst Gnostic mysticism. 19

Josephus Flavius; “Jewish War, Book V, Chapter 11”.

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DATE OF WRITING:

The city of Rome burned in July of 64 AD and afterward Nero blamed the Christians for starting the

fire. Note that most of the Jews had already been expelled from Rome by Nero’s predecessor,

Claudius [41-54 AD]; an event is mentioned in passing in Acts 18:2 [“.....(because Claudius had

commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome)”].

After most of Rome was destroyed by fire, Nero earnestly began his persecution of Christians in the

latter half of 64 AD. He had them (a) crucified, (b) sown up in animal skins and thrown into the

coliseum arena to be torn apart and eaten by wild animals and (c) set up on wooden poles and

burned alive as human torches. This persecution spread to other regions of the Roman Empire,

eventually coming to the regions mentioned by Peter in the first verse of his letter.

Therefore, if we allow a little time for the expulsion of Jews and Christian persecution to expand to

the outer regions of the Roman Empire, perhaps several months to a year, Peter probably wrote his

two letters sometime in late 64 AD to early 65 AD. Shortly after writing these letters the Roman

persecution of Christians caught up with Peter and he martyred in Rome, probably in early 65 AD.

PURPOSE:

If you were a Jewish Christian, you had already been given orders of expulsion from Rome under

Emperor Claudius and then, under Emperor Nero, you were especially susceptible to persecution,

torture and death.

Thus, Peter, previously a hardened fisherman, now humbled and commissioned to be “a fisher of

men” writes these letters to encourage and comfort Christian Jews who were suffering persecution

at the hands of Emperor Nero. They needed to remain steadfast in their testimony of the Gospel

knowing that as Jesus Christ suffered, they are now suffering.

MAJOR THEME: PAST VICTORY, PRESENT SUFFERING AND FUTURE GLORY

SETS FORTH: THE SUFFERINGS OF CHRISTIANS IN LIGHT OF THE SUFFERINGS OF JESUS

CHRIST AND THE HOPE OF THE BELIEVER IN LIGHT OF THE RESURRECTION

KEY VERSES: 1 PETER 1:3-7; 13-25; 2:5, 9-10, 21-25; 3:8-9, 15, 18; 4:1, 10, 12-16; 5:2-4, 6-9

KEY WORDS: JESUS CHRIST, SALVATION, SANCTIFICATION, HOLINESS, SECURITY, HOPE,

SUFFERING, RESURRECTION, FAITH, GLORY.

KEY TEACHINGS:

Christians are strangers, foreigners and aliens who are passing through this present world; our

earthly home is temporary, Heaven is our future, final and eternal home!

Steadfastness and faithfulness in time of suffering and persecution is possible because of the

believer’s blessed hope in the resurrected Savior, Jesus Christ.

In the midst of suffering a Christian can experience security, holiness, hope and joy!

Suffering and security produce joy; suffering and the Scriptures produce holiness.

Hardships, trials and persecution may come to a Christian, but the future is secure and full of hope

in the foreknowledge of the Father, the sanctification of the Holy Spirit and the sacrificial offering

of Jesus Christ.

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RECIPIENTS:

The letter of 1 Peter is addressed to “the elect pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus20

, Galatia21

,

Cappadocia, Asia22

, and Bithynia” {v.1}. These then were Christians [the elect] who lived in the

five listed Roman provinces, which encompassed all of Asia Minor [modern Turkey]. See the map

in Figure 3.

We know they were primarily Christian Jews because Peter uses the term and “Diaspora” which is

a specific term used to describe Jews who were dispersed after the destruction of Jerusalem by

Nebuchadnezzar and his army in 586 BC. For example, refer also to John 7:35 and James 1:1.

They had fled to the region after the Babylonian conquest and remained there. Many in the various

provinces of Asia Minor were saved through the preaching of Paul and the other apostles {Acts 6:9;

18:23; 19:10, 22, 26; 20:16; 1 Cor. 16:19; 2 Cor. 1:8; 2 Tim. 1:15}. Many probably also had fled

to these provinces after their expulsion from Rome [~51-52 AD] by order of Emperor Claudius

{mentioned in Acts 18:2} and also because of the religious persecution under his successor,

Emperor Nero [64-68 AD].

It is interesting to note that many of those who heard the disciples speak “in their own language” on

the Day of Pentecost are specifically mentioned as having come from Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia

[as well as Phrygia and Pamphylia] {see Acts 2:9-10}.

FIGURE 3. ROMAN PROVINCES IN ASIA MINOR AT THE TIME OF PETER’S WRITING.

20

Aquila, the tent-maker that Paul stayed with at Corinth, was born in Pontus. He, along with his wife Priscilla had evidently emigrated to Rome and then fled to Corinth because of the expulsion of Jews around 51-52 AD {Acts 18:1-3}. 21

Paul wrote the letter of Galatians to the Jewish Christians living here. 22

This is the region that the seven churches referenced in the book of Revelation were located.

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BACKGROUND:

We need to get to know the author of these two letters more intimately.

Peter’s name is listed first in the lists of the disciples {i.e., Matt. 10:2; Mark 3:13; Luke 6:14}.

But this was not because Peter was more important than any of the other disciples; although he was

one of the “inner three” disciples of Jesus, along with James and John {e.g., Mark 5:37; Luke

8:51; see also Matt. 17:1; 26:37; Mark 9:2; 14:33; Luke 9:28}. It was because Peter, along with

his brother Andrew, were the first two disciples chosen by Jesus {Matt. 4:18} to follow Him.

Therefore, we also see Andrew’s name listed second {Matt. 10:2; Luke 16:14}.

Peter was also known as “Simon” and Jesus changed his name to “Peter”; which is the Greek

diminutive for “rock”, Petros: a piece of rock. He was one of several fisherman fishing on the Sea

of Galilee {Matt. 4:18; 10:2}; along with James and John [sons of Zebedee] who were his partners

in his fishing business {Luke 5:10}. Jesus tells Peter and his brother Andrew that He will make

them “fishers of men” {see Matt. 4:19; Mark 1:17; Luke 5:10}.

It is interesting to note that in the New Testament scripture the apostle Peter is mentioned 210

times, the apostle Paul is mentioned 162 times and the other apostles combined are mentioned 114

times. Peter made a very powerful impact in furthering the Gospel message!

The Gospels record that Peter was brash and impulsive, but nevertheless, Jesus Christ never stopped

loving him!

Peter was the disciple who initially refused to have his feet washed by Jesus {John 13:8}, but then,

after Jesus explains things to him {John 13:7, 8b}, wants his whole body washed {John 13:9} and

Jesus has to explain that is not necessary {John 13:10}!

It was Peter who walked on the water with Jesus. When Peter and the other disciples were in the

boat in the middle of the Sea of Galilee, a storm came up and they were tossed by the waves. Early

in the morning as Jesus came walking to them on the water Peter asked Jesus for permission to

come out and walk on the water with Him. He did so but when the physical conditions became

fierce [the wind increased], Peter’s faith turned to fear he began to sink and he cried out, “Lord,

save me!” Jesus reached out His hand and caught him and as soon as they got into the boat the wind

ceased! Jesus reprimanded Peter for his doubt yet all those in the boat began worshipping Jesus

saying, “Truly You are the Son of God”. Refer to Matt. 14:27-33.

Peter was also the first of the disciples to recognize the deity of Jesus and that He was the

MESSIAH23

{Matt. 16:13-17; Mark 8:27-29; Luke 9:18-20} for which Jesus commended him. He

also received special insight from the Savior related to the “rock” (confession) of faith upon which

Jesus’ Church was to be built upon {Matt. 16:18-19}.

Although the Roman Catholic Church claims that immediately after this, when Jesus told Peter he

would be given the “keys of the kingdom of Heaven”, Peter received a divine unction directly from

Jesus Christ giving him the authority of being the first Pope24

; there is a different, and correct,

scriptural interpretation of this incident. Let’s look at the passage of scripture in question:

23

Meaning “Anointed One Who Saves”. 24

The Roman Catholic concept of a sovereign “Pope” ruling from Rome was actually derived from the pagan office of Pontifex Maximus [the religious name given to the Romans Emperor] and not until after the time of Constantine the Great [272-337 AD]. Early “popes” were nothing more that “bishops” that were chief elders in such places as Rome, Alexandria, Constantinople, Jerusalem, Damascus, Antioch and Ephesus. Eventually, in the centuries after Constantine, the bishop of Rome appropriated more-and-more power until Christian religious power resided there.

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Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”—Matt. 16:17-19

The key to understanding what Jesus meant is in v.18 and the Greek words rendered “Peter” and

[this]“rock” for there are two different words used here. The first, petros, a masculine noun means

a mass-of-rock. This is the name assigned to Peter. The second, petra, is the feminine noun for a

mass of rock. It is noted here that the Greek word for a little rock, i.e., a stone, is “lithos”.

Peter has just made a profound, and spiritually discerned, confession. By faith and supernatural

revelation, he had confessed that Jesus was “the Christ” [the anointed One who saves; the

MESSIAH] and “the Son of the living God”. Another word used throughout both the Old and New

Testaments for the MESSIAH is “the ROCK” {e.g., Deut. 32:4, 15, 18, 31; 2 Sam. 22:47; 23:3;

Psalms 18:46; 28:1; 42:9; 61:2; 62:2, 6-7; 71:3; 78:35; 89:26; 94:22; 95:1; 144:1; Isa. 17:10;

44:8; Hab. 1:12; Matt. 7:24; Luke 6:48; Rom. 9:33; 1 Cor. 10:4}.

Thus, the “ROCK” that Jesus was speaking of to Peter was both (a) the confession of faith that Jesus

is the Messiah-Savior and (b) Jesus Himself!

Note that Peter recognizes this because in his first letter he writes:

“Coming to Him as to a living stone [“lithos”], rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and

precious, you also, as living stones [“lithoi”], are being built up a spiritual house,…..‘The Stone

[“Lithos”] which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone’ and ‘A Stone

[“Lithos”] of stumbling and a Rock [“Petra”] of offense’.”—1 Peter 2:4-5, 7-8

Jesus is the Chief Corner-Stone and Rock of offense. It was that “Rock” that Jesus was referring

to—not Peter!

It should also be noted that later Jesus says a similar thing when addressing all of His the disciples

{Matt. 18:18}; so Peter’s authority is not being singled out as something “special”.

Yet, immediately after this, Peter has a serious dispute with the MESSIAH after He tells the Disciples

that He must go to Jerusalem, suffer at the hands of the religious rulers and be killed but be raised

on the third day. Not a very appropriate reaction from the future Pope of Christ’s Church. For his

strenuous objection to this taking place Peter is sternly rebuked by the LORD in sobering terms:

From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying; “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!” But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men”.—Matt. 16:21-24

Peter had previously understood, via divine revelation from the Holy Spirit, that Jesus was the Son

of God and MESSIAH [the Christ]—but he didn’t accept Jesus’ divine purpose for His death to

happen. Even though it came from the mouth of Jesus Himself! So Jesus compares his attitude with

that of Satan! Evidently, Satan did not want the LORD to die on the cross either.

Peter didn’t understand [and perhaps had forgotten] that the Messiah needed to suffer and die for

people’s sin and that this was the LORD’s intention {ref. Isaiah 53:1-12; especially vv.10-11; see

also Psalms 22:16; Isaiah 9:6-7; Zech. 12:10}.

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Afterward, Peter was the one who was adamant that he would never deny Jesus and would die with

Him {see Matt. 26:35; Mark 14:29; Luke 22:33} but then denied him three times {Matt.

26:70,72,74; Mark 14:68,70,71; Luke 22:57,58,60; John 18:17,25,27} just as Jesus had

prophesied {Matt. 26:34; Mark 14:30; Luke 22:34}.

But Jesus had also encouraged Peter by prophesying the fact that he would be restored and be an

example of faith and able to strengthen the other disciples {Luke 22:31-32}.

Peter was the one who cut-off the ear of the high-priest’s servant25

with a sword but was

reprimanded by Jesus for it {John 18:10-11}.

On a high mountain Peter was one of the three disciples [along with James and John] privileged to

get a personal preview of the glorious return [2nd

Coming] of Jesus Christ at his transfiguration

{Matt. 17:1-8; Mark 9:1-13; Luke 9:27-36}.

Peter actually refers to this in his second letter when he states:

“For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased’. And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.” —2 Pet. 1:16-18

Peter uses this fact to authenticate and validate the prophetic and divine origin of scripture—God’s

Word; by the power of the Holy Spirit!

Near the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry, Peter was restored and receives, from Jesus, a loving and

gracious tri-fold [one for each time Peter had denied Him] invitation [“feed my lambs”, “tend my

sheep”, “feed my sheep”] to teach and care for Christian believers {John 21:15-19}.

The frightful experience of Jesus Christ’s bloody death by crucifixion, his hiding with the other

disciples after devastating disappointment over Jesus’ death and then the thrill and joy of seeing the

resurrected Jesus humbled Peter and he, along with the apostle Paul, become one of the most

powerful voices of early Christian evangelism.

Acquainted with suffering, persecution and rejection, Peter now pens two wonderful letters to

believers who are “in the world” but “not of it”. The purpose was to encourage, comfort, guide and

empower them to continue persevering for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

Oh, how many of us could identify with Peter. Spiritually in-tune one moment, and the next out-of-

order and disobedient; but loved by God, experiencing His grace and mercy in the worst of times

and continually learning and being fashioned into the messenger of the Gospel that God wants us to

be!

25

It is interesting to note that later, after Jesus had been arrested, on two different occasions, two of the servant girls of the high priest came and identified Peter as one of those who was a disciple of Jesus {Mark 14:66-69} and on a third occasion a servant girl who was a relative of the high priest identified Peter as a disciple of Jesus {John 18:26}. It was these three occasions in which Peter denied he know Jesus Christ.

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OUTLINES:

OUTLINE OF 1 PETER (from J. Vernon McGee)

I. Suffering and the Security of Believers, Chapter 1:1–9 Produces Joy

II. Suffering and the Scriptures, Chapter 1:10–25 Produces Holiness

III. Suffering and the Suffering of Christ, Chapters 2–4

A. Produces Separation, Chapter 2

B. Produces Christian Conduct, Chapter 3

1. Conduct in the Home, Chapter 3:1–7 2. Conduct in the Church, Chapter 3:8–17 3. Christ’s Suffering Preached by the Spirit in Noah’s Day, Chapter 3:18–22

C. Produces Obedience to the Will of God, Chapter 4

IV. Suffering and the Second Coming of Christ, Chapter 5

A. Produces Service and Hope, Chapter 5:1–4

B. Produces Humility and Patience, Chapter 5:5–14

OUTLINE OF 1 PETER (from Holman Bible Dictionary)

INTRODUCTION (1:1-2)

I. THE COMING OF GRACE IN SALVATION (1:3-2:12)

A. The theme Presented (1:3-12)

B. Worked into life by holiness (1:13-2:12) 1. Positive: what to be (1:13-25)

2. Negative: what to avoid (2:1-12)

II. THE OUTWORKING OF GRACE IN LIVING (2:13-3:7)

A. Submission to Government (2:13-17)

B. Submission to Leaders (2:18-25)

C. Submission to Spouses (3:1-7)

III. THE TESTING OF GRACE IN SUFFERING (3:8-4:19)

IV. THE SUMMARY OF STANDING IN GRACE (5:1-10)

A. Instructions to Elders (5:1-4)

B. Instructions to the Congregation (5:5-10)

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OUTLINE OF 1 PETER (from New Scofield Ref. Bible)

(I.) CHRISTIAN SUFFERING & CONDUCT IN LIGHT OF SALVATION……………. 1:1-2:8

PETER’S GREETING TO THE DIASPORA……………………………………..……………. 1:1-2

THE LIVING HOPE OF THE CHRISTIAN ………………………..…...……………………... 1:3-12

LIVING HOLY LIVES BY OBEYING THE TRUTH...………………………………………….. 1:13-25

LIVING HOLY LIVES BY OFFERING UP SPIRITUAL SACRIFICES……………………………2:1-8

(II.) CHRISTIAN LIFE IN LIGHT OF THE BELIEVER’S POSITION………………... 2:9-4:19

THE HOLY PRIESTHOOD OF THE BELIEVER….…………………..…………………….…. 2:9-20

THE VICARIOUS SUFFERING OF CHRIST ….………………………………………..…….. 2:21-25

GODLY LIVING IN THE HOME & IN THE CHURCH..………………………....….………….. 3:1-12

GODLY TESTIMONY IN THE WORLD…………………………………………………..…….3:13-17

THE POWER OF THE DEATH & RESURRECTION OF CHRIST………………………………..3:18-22

APPEAL TO GODLY LIVING IN LIGHT OF THE SUFFERING OF CHRIST……………………..4:1-6

CHRISTIAN CONDUCT IN RELATION TO SUFFERING………………………………………..4:7-19

(III.) CHRISTIAN SERVICE IN THE LIGHT OF THE 2ND

COMING OF CHRIST….......... 5:1-9

EXHORTATION TO ELDERS/PASTORS ………………………………….……………...….. 5:1-4

EXHORTATION TO BELIEVERS …………….…………………….…………………...….... 5:5-9

(IV.) CONCLUSION……………………………………………………………......... 5:10-14

Bibliography

(1) New Unger's Bible Dictionary, Moody Press of Chicago, Illinois. © 1988.

(2) Nelson’s Bible Dictionary; Thomas Nelson Publishers, © 1986.

(3) Bible Knowledge Commentary/New Testament, Cook Communications Ministries;

Copyright © 1983, 2000.

(4) Barnes Notes,

(5) Thru the Bible Commentary: Volume 5 (1Peter); J. Vernon McGee, Thomas Nelson;

Nashville. ©1983.

(6) Vincent’s Word Studies of the New Testament, Hendrickson Publishers, Copyright © 1886.

(7) Wycliffe Bible Commentary, edited by Charles F. Pfeiffer, Everett F. Harrison, Moody

Publishers, Copyright ©1962.

(8) New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew

Dictionary, International Bible Translators, Inc; Copyright © 1994, 2003.

(9) The NET Bible, Copyright © 1996-2006; Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C., Dallas, Texas.

Documents

1 Peter - Clover Sitesstorage.cloversites.com/journeythruthebiblesundayschoolclass/documents/1Peter00_2.pdf10 Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus. Lived 37-68 AD [age 30] and