1 PETER 1 

Survey of the epistle
The apostle uses the background of his readers as the basis for his encouragement of them. As those who are Jews of the Dispersion, or Diaspora, they had lost their earthly inheritance, and there was no apparent prospect of them receiving it back. He encourages them that, as believers, they have a heavenly inheritance which God keeps for them, and also keeps them for it. They may rejoice in that inheritance even now, so certain is it. But they are also being tried as to their faith. They should realise, however, that if they endure those trials in a spiritual way, this will be to the praise and honour and glory of Christ when He comes to reign.
There is a sense in which the epistle reflects the truths brought out in the five books of Moses, and we shall notice this as we make our way through the epistle.

The Genesis section 1:1-12
The apostle begins with the idea of election and foreknowledge, and we remember that Abraham was known and chosen too. Then there is emphasis on an inheritance, which, although not reached yet, was to be enjoyed. This was Abraham’s experience in Genesis; promised an inheritance, and able to walk up and down in it, but not in full possession of it. But Abraham was tested to the extreme, as God required him to give up his dear son, and this was a great trial to his faith.

Then there was Rebekah’s experience, for it surely could be said of her in relation to Isaac, that having not seen she loved.

The book of Genesis ends with Jacob prophesying on his bed, and saying, “I have waited for thy salvation, O Lord”, just as Peter’s first section ends with the prophets looking into the future to see the salvation they but dimly appreciated.

Structure of the Genesis Section

(a)	Verses 1,2	Description of the strangers
(b)	Verses 3-5	Destiny of the saints
(c)	Verses 6-7	Distress of the sufferers
(d)	Verses 8,9	Delight in the Saviour
(e)	Verses 10-12	Dealings of the Spirit

(a) Verses 1,2
Description of the strangers

1:1
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,

Peter- after he had denied his Lord, and then been converted from that error by a personal interview with Him in resurrection, Peter was reinstated to his place of prominence as an apostle. The Lord’s command to him was to strengthen his brethren, Luke 22:32. He did this both by preaching and writing, so that his desire at the end of this epistle will be, “But the God of all grace, who hath called us to eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you”, 1 Peter 5:10.

An apostle of Jesus Christ- he calls himself simply an apostle; not even the first of the apostles, which he might be justified in doing because of the words of Matthew 10:2, “Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: the first, Simon, who is called Peter”. He has learnt the lesson about striving as to who is the greatest, Luke 22:24. The Lord said to them on that occasion, “He that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; amd he that is chief, as he that doth serve”, verse 26.

The order of the names Jesus and Christ reminds us of the order in which Peter came to know Christ. He came to realise that Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ, or the Messiah. He must have been present when the Spirit descended upon Him at His baptism, marking Him out as Christ, the Anointed One, for according to his own words, an apostle had to have known Christ from the time John baptised Christ, Acts 1:22.

To the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia- the idea of strangers being scattered is that of being dispersed like seed when it is sown. “The Diaspora” is a term used even today by Jews to refer to their dispersion amongst the Gentiles. This original dispersion took place when they were taken into captivity. They had been scattered because of national disobedience, in accordance with God’s warning in Deuteronomy 28:64, “The Lord shall scatter thee among the people”. This took place during the reign of Hoshea, for we read, “and the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away into Assyria, and placed them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes”, 2 Kings17:6.

That they were still scattered in New Testament times is seen from the following scriptures:

“Then said the Jews among themselves, ‘Whither will he go, that we shall not find him? Will he go unto the dispersed among the Gentiles, and teach the Gentiles?'”, John 7:35

Caiaphas declared “it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people”, and John adds that Caiaphas “prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation; and not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad”, John11:51,52.

On the Day of Pentecost there were present in Jerusalem at the feast Jews who were Parthians, Medes, Elamites, dwellers in Mesopotamia, Cappadocia, Pontus, and Asia. Many of these, having heard the gospel from Peter, had been converted and baptized, and had gone back to their adopted homelands and spread the gospel there.

As the one who had especially “the apostleship of the circumcision”, Galatians 2:8, Peter was fitted to minister to these converted Jews who needed special encouragement because of the mistreatment they were suffering. Because of this, the epistle is not addressed to assemblies, but individuals all sharing a common problem. They might well have used the words of the two on the road to Emmaus, “We trusted it had been he which should have redeemed Israel”, Luke 24:21. After all, Isaiah had prophesied that the Messiah would “recover the remnant of his people”, Isaiah 11:11. Why had it not happened, they may have wondered. But then, having been saved, they found themselves oppressed and ill-treated. The main encouragement Peter offers them is the example of the Lord Jesus in His various forms of suffering, but also by the contrast with what they knew as dispersed Jews and what they possessed as converted Jews. These contrasts will become clear as we proceed.

1:2
Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.

Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father- the word elect is an adjective, and is connected with the word sojourners in verse 1. However, to read “to the elect strangers…according to the foreknowledge of God” would not make good sense, and we might think that the specific reference is to being strangers according to the foreknowledge of God, whereas the real point is that they are elect according to the foreknowledge of God. Noting this does serve to highlight a very important matter, which is this. Believers, when considered personally, are not described as elect before they have become believers.

Election according to foreknowledge is election in relation to God’s foreknowledge of the exercise of faith. Not that faith forces God to elect, but His sovereign electing purpose is to only involve those who will believe. That is the way He has predetermined to act, and does not make Him to be at the mercy of the will of man. Of course Ephesians 1:4 does speak of believers, (“us”), as being chosen in Him, that is, Christ, before the foundation of the world. The operative words being “in Him”, which occur throughout the passage, for we read, “faithful in Christ Jesus…spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ…chosen us in Him…in the beloved…in whom we have redemption…gather together in one all things in Christ…even in Him…in whom we also have obtained an inheritance”.
When, for instance, we read the expression “in whom we have redemption”, we rightly conclude that the redemption is totally Christ’s responsibility, and our only claim upon it is our claim upon Him. The redemption and its benefits lie entirely within Christ, and we have no input at all. So is it with being “chosen in Him”. God’s choice of His people is entirely dependant upon Christ, and only as men are linked to Christ upon believing are they personally in the good of what eternally has been vested in Christ.
We notice that the apostle, when he is listing the working out of Divine counsel in Romans 8:28-30, does not say “whom he did foreknow, them he also elected”, even though the apostle Peter tells that we are “elect according to the foreknowledge of God”, 1 Peter 1:2. It is not until the whole range of God’s purpose in this matter has been outlined, that the apostle Paul calls believers, “God’s elect”, Romans 8:33.
This is not to say that sinners elect themselves, for that is certainly untrue. Election is God’s prerogative alone, but we ought to be open to allowing Him to say how He does it, rather than formulating our own system and imposing it upon the Scriptures.The apostle is describing elect persons, and he is saying that they are elect “according to” something, “through” something, and “unto” two things. They may be scattered, but they are held in the hand of their God. Being an adjective, the word elect is used of them as believers. The reason they are now elect is because of the foreknowledge of God. The “order”, if such a word may be used of God’s eternal purpose, is foreknowledge, predestination, call, justification, glorification, Romans 8:29,30. Only when he has mentioned these things does Paul call the believers the elect. In Revelation 17:14 the order is “called, and chosen, and faithful”, so they are chosen after they have been called, and are faithful after they have been chosen. Peter exhorts us in his second epistle to make our “calling and election” sure, 2 Peter 1:10, and again the order is significant.

As we may learn from Romans 8:29, God’s foreknowledge is neither general nor gradual, but personal and eternal. In His mind, and in eternity, God knowingly took account of certain specific persons. He purposed that those persons would be conformed eventually to the image of His Son; so His foreknowledge takes account of that. (That state of conformity to the image of His Son is another way of saying they are glorified). This state of glory is granted only to those who are justified, so His foreknowledge takes account of that act of justifying them. That state of being justified is the portion only of those who have obeyed the call of the gospel, so His foreknowledge takes account of that, too. The result is that the foreknowledge of God has taken account of all these parts of the Divine Purpose, and when those persons obey God’s call in the gospel they may rightly be described as elect. They have then become in actuality what God sovereignly determined in eternity to make them.

Through sanctification of the Spirit- so the foreknowledge of God the Father is said to be “through” sanctification of the Spirit, where the preposition through is the Greek word “en”. This signifies the instrumentality and manner in which the foreknowledge operated. It may be thought of as “in virtue of”. It was in the realm of the Spirit’s activity, and resulted in a spiritual outcome. Divine persons were acting for man’s blessing and Their own glory.

Peter’s readers had been part of an elect nation, but national election does not guarantee that all are believers. This was shown by the idolatry of the majority, resulting in them being scattered. The fact that the election of these individuals is of God the Father shows they have now come to individual and genuine faith in the Lord Jesus, who has revealed God as Father.

Peter is writing to those who had been brought up as part of a nation that God had separated to Himself. “Ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation”, were His words to Israel in Exodus 19:6. But Peter’s readers have been saved, and now they are separated to God as individual believers, for sanctification is no longer national. (Election was national as far as Israel was concerned, as may easily be seen from a comparison of Romans 9:10-13 with Genesis 25:23, where we read, “Two nations are in thy womb…the elder shall serve the younger”. Esau did not serve Jacob personally during his lifetime; in fact he was addressed as lord by Jacob. But Esau, as Edom, did serve Jacob as the nation of Israel in David’s time, for we read, “and all the Edomites became David’s servants”, 1 Chronicles 18:13. In confirmation of this Paul quotes from Malachi, giving God’s words about His dealings with Edom and Israel in the past, “Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated”; that is, nationally, for Edom had been laid waste, whereas Israel had been restored to his land after the captivity).

Thus it was that upon believing the Spirit of God severed Peter’s readers from their natural connections, and they were joined to Christ. And since they are now believers, they may be described as elect. So they are elect through the sanctification of the Spirit.

The way in which the foreknowledge had worked out was that the Spirit had separated them from former things, and had incorporated them into Christ. He can speak of them in 2:9 as a chosen generation. They were as much separated as individuals, as they had been as a nation, for God had made them a holy people unto Himself, Deuteronomy 28:9.

As a nation they had been separated from the land of promise by the captivity, but now as believers they are separated to heavenly blessing by the Spirit of God sent down from heaven consequent upon the ascension of Christ.

Unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ- their sanctification was unto two things, namely obedience, and sprinkling of the blood. Taking the sentence as a whole, they are elect unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. The means whereby God formed a holy nation for Himself was by entering into a covenant with Israel. He stated, “ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine”, Exodus 19:5. In other words, God is saying that He could choose any people wherever they are upon the earth, but He chose the children of Israel to be a people to have for Himself specially, His “peculiar treasure”. And what was to be distinctive about this people? Two things; first, obedience- “if ye will obey my voice”. Second, faithfulness to His covenant- “and keep my covenant”. Now that covenant of the law was ratified by the sprinkling of blood, for we read, “Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, ‘Behold the blood of the covenant, which the Lord hath made with you concerning all these words'”, Exodus 24:8.

So we can easily see that Peter is using this as a means of contrasting their present individual position with their former national position. God’s choice of the nation and their sanctification was closely connected with obedience and sprinkling of blood. So Peter’s readers, as believers, are God’s elect, for He had taken foreknowledge of them, separated them to Himself in the power of the Spirit, and done so in view of obedience and the sprinkling of blood. But whereas the obedience was to be Israel’s, as they attempted to keep the law, the obedience Peter refers to is Christ’s, (the words “Jesus Christ” relate to both obedience and sprinkling), as He committed Himself to being the covenant victim in accordance with His Father’s command. It is His precious blood that has been applied to the hearts of His people, so that they are eternally bonded to Him.

So, summarising, we may conclude that God’s elect ones are those whom He has foreknown eternally; who have been set apart by the Spirit to be His own; who are in the good of the obedient submission of Christ to His Father’s will that He should be the covenant victim for His people.

Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied- grace comes first, to emphasise that as former Jews they needed grace just as much as Gentiles, especially as they were under law before. They needed grace for salvation, but they need grace for day by day living, and this the apostle seeks for them.

Peace they need as well, for one of the penalties of disobeying the law was a lack of ease; for God warned them “In the morning thou shalt say, Would God it were even! And at even thou shalt say, Would God it were morning! For the fear of thine heart wherewith thou shalt fear, and for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see”, Deuteronomy 28:67.

(b) Verses 3-5
Destiny of the saints

1:3
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ- Israel were warned against thinking that they deserved their inheritance because of their supposed righteousness, Deuteronomy 9:5, so Peter blesses God, thus ensuring that all the praise is given to God.

These believers were on true Christian ground, for they were in relationship with God as the God and Father of the Lord Jesus. This reminds us of the words of Christ in resurrection, “I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God”, John 20:17. As our Father, we know His provision; as our God we know His power, and we know these things as Christ knew them on earth, as a dependant man.

Which according to his abundant mercy- previously, as part of the dispersed and rejected ten-tribed part of Israel, they had “not obtained mercy” because of disobedience, 2:10. This rejection was pronounced upon them by God when He said through Hosea, “I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel; but I will utterly take them away”, Hosea 1:6. This is a particular curse upon the ten-tribed nation to whom Peter is writing, for the next verse in Hosea speaks of the Lord saving the house of Judah. By the coming of Christ this is now reversed, and the abundant mercy they need because of their sad departure as a nation from God’s Law is available to them.

Hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead- to be begotten again means they have eternal life; not as in the Old Testament, in preparation for an earthly kingdom, but in preparation for heaven. The resurrection of Jesus Christ was that which introduced them to a new sphere, just as crossing the Red Sea brought them as a nation on their way to Canaan, their “hope”.

Note how Peter combines here the idea of new birth, the subject he and John and James emphasised, and resurrection, the subject Paul concentrated on. Old Testament saints must have been born again, and possessed everlasting life, or else they could not have communed with God. But these believers have it because Jesus Christ is risen from the dead. The psalmist speaks beforehand of Christ’s resurrection and writes, “He asked life of thee, and thou gavest it him, even length of days for ever and ever”, Psalm 21:4. So the Old Testament saints had everlasting life because God anticipated the resurrection of Christ.

A lively hope is one that is full of energy and optimism. It was not a pious dream, but a living reality. Any hope based on the resurrection of Jesus Christ must be of this sort. Israel’s inheritance was across the Jordan, whereas ours in across what Jordan speaks of. The hopes that Israel had were dashed when they were taken into captivity, but believers shall never have that experience, since captivity cannot come to those on resurrection ground. And even those of the nation who were believers had their hopes dashed by His crucifixion, as two of them said, “We trusted that it should have been he which should have redeemed Israel”, Luke 24:21. The apostle will exhort them to hope to the end in verse 13, showing they were in danger of losing their grasp of this hope. They needed to “hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end”, Hebrews 3:6.

In Ezekiel 37 the nation of Israel is likened to dry bones, and they will say “Our hope is lost”, verse 11. But chapters 36 and 37 of Ezekiel form the basis for the Lord’s teaching to Nicodemus about the new birth. Chapter 36 showing that Israelites must be born again, chapter 37 showing that their new birth is of God. So instead of hope being lost, through the application of the truth of the sin-offering death of Christ, (for the sprinkling of clean water upon them has reference to the red heifer ceremony of Numbers 19), the nation will be born again, and the hope before them will be a living hope, since their Messiah is living, having risen from the dead. This the believers to whom Peter writes have anticipated personally.

1:4
To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,

To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you- Peter had heard the Lord refuse to adjudicate over an earthly inheritance, Luke 12:13,14. He had not come at that time to govern the earth, (as He will one day), but to ensure that a spiritual inheritance was available to those who believe. The apostle is looking at that inheritance as being in the future, for his emphasis is on the trials of this present pilgrimage, but we are assured from the first chapter of the epistle to the Ephesians that the blessings of the inheritance in Christ are for us to enjoy now.

Incorruptible means not liable to decay. So the glory and blessedness of the believer’s spiritual inheritance shall never deteriorate, unlike Israel’s inheritance, which declined from the glory-days of David and Solomon to the shame of the times of Zedekiah, when heathen kings dictated who was allowed to sit on the throne of Israel.

The inheritance is undefiled as to its constant character. It shall never have introduced into it that which is unclean. Israel’s inheritance was defiled by idolatry. It was also defiled by the heathen invaders, as the psalmist lamented, “O God, the heathen have come into thine inheritance; thy holy temple have they defiled”, Psalm 79:1.

The inheritance does not fade away, for it is as lasting as heaven itself. It shall be preserved in all its glorious freshness for all eternity. The inheritance they were promised nationally had been corrupted by their sinfulness, defiled by their idolatry, and as a result, as they were carried away captive they saw it fade into the distance. Their inheritance as believers in Christ is not like this at all, since the inheritance consists of blessings which are in Christ, and therefore are secure.

There are three “for you’s” in the epistle. “Manifest in these last times for you”, 1:20 (past); “He careth for you”, 5:7, (present); and this one, in the future. The idea in the word reserved is that the Lord watches over it.

1:5
Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Who are kept by the power of God, through faith- they may be weak, fearful, scattered, and suffering, but God Himself guards them as with a garrison. They should not presume on this guarding, however, for it is “through faith”. If we do not act in faith we may forfeit this protection. The Devil sought to get the Lord to cast Himself from the pinnacle of the temple, in order to show that His Father was able to preserve Him. This temptation was resisted, for it would involve putting God to the test, as if He might not be reliable.

Unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time- Peter looks at the aspect of salvation that is future, the full realisation of it through deliverance from this body which is liable to suffering. As Jews they would be used to the idea of waiting for salvation when Messiah came. See, for instance, Genesis 49:18, (“I have waited for thy salvation, O Lord”), with its first use of the Hebrew word Yeshua, the equivalent of the name Jesus.

Paul wrote of the last time, and connected it with the revelation of salvation, meaning the saving of this body from its current corrupt state, Romans 13:11. This is how Peter is viewing things, too. The apostle John exhorted the little children in the family of God, in view of the fact that it was the last time,1 John 2:18. Those who have a certain hope for the future project themselves towards it, so that they live as if it about to be realised, and as if they are in the last time. This is what the Hebrew worthies listed in Hebrews 11 did, for faith is the substance of things hoped for, and their faith stretched out to embrace the future as if it was present.

(c) Verses 6-7
Distress of the sufferers

1:6
Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:

Wherein ye greatly rejoice- wherein is best related to the inheritance of verse 4, with verse 5 being a parenthesis describing the believers as preserved of God until they reach the inheritance. As those who had their hopes dashed on earth, the great joy they had as the Spirit gave them foretastes of the future enabled them to bear up under the heavy burdens they had to bear.

Though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations- the “last time” of verse 5 would be the introduction to eternity, when the inheritance would be reached, but there was the “now” of present experience. But that “now” was only for a season, temporary and passing, giving way to things eternal. “Now” indicates it is a present thing, but “season” indicates it is a limited thing.

During that temporary season they could expect to be in heaviness because of the many and varied trials they would pass through. The apostle Paul contrasted the light affliction of the present with the eternal weight of glory hereafter, 2 Corinthians 4:17.

They would only be put through manifold trials if it was necessary for their education in Divine things. Romans 5:3-5 speaks of a process by which believers are enabled to develop, as tribulation works patience, patience works experience, and experience works hope. This is why we should glory in tribulations, for it is one of the ways God refines us, as Peter now goes on to say. James exhorted believers to count it all joy when they fell into diverse trials, James 1:2.

1:7
That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire- we are to see the trial of faith as being a precious thing, for it will produce praise, honour, and glory for Christ when He comes to earth to reign. A natural thing like gold, when tried by the fire and purified, is precious. Yet at the dissolution of all things, when the elements shall melt with fervent heat, 2 Peter 3:10, it shall perish, despite its value. Not so the result of faith’s trial, for it shall be found as being precious when Christ comes, unlike the heavens and the earth, gold included, which will disappear at the end of the Millenium.

Might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ- the apostle Paul spoke of Christ being “glorified in his saints, and admired in all them that believe” when He comes to the earth to reign, 2 Thessalonians1:10. This is why Romans 8:17 links suffering with Christ, (for as the Man of supreme faith He was tried to the extreme during His life down here), and being glorified together with Him, when those who have suffered like Christ did in His life, will be seen in their mature state as sons. Their life of faith will be to Christ’s praise, for it was through His enabling as the author and finisher of our faith, Hebrews 12:2. It will be to His honour and glory, for the features that will have been built in to His saints will enhance His worthiness in that day of glory.

(d) Verses 8,9
Delight in the Saviour

1:8
Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:

Whom having not seen, ye love- there are two aspects to the fact that they had not seen Christ. First, they had not seen Him as a man upon the earth, for He had returned to heaven before they were saved. But the apostle has mentioned the revelation of Christ in the previous verse, and so the contrast is also, (and mainly), with the sight of Him then, and the non-sight of Him now.

John reminds us that “love is of God: he that loveth is born of God and knoweth God”,1 John 4:7. Those who love as believers do so because they have the life of the one who is love,1 John 5:1. They have this life because they have believed in His Son, John 20:31. Faith therefore enables believers to love the unseen Christ in heaven.

Love may be defined as “The expression of an attraction”, and is the strongest of the emotions. Because of this, it is the hardest to manifest, so the love towards Christ of the believers to whom Peter writes shows that a powerful force has been at work to enable them to love the one they have never seen. That powerful force is the love of God and of Christ.

In whom, though now ye see him not- the second aspect is that although they did not see Him in the here and now, they would see Him when He comes for His church saints. The Lord Jesus said, “Blessed are they who have not seen, and yet have believed”, John 20:29.

Yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory- as those who were able to penetrate the heavens by faith and see Him there, they rejoiced in Him in the sense that they rejoiced in all the implications of His ascension. The sight of Christ in glory gave them unspeakable joy, for by faith the unseen things of Christ in heaven are brought within the soul, and the glories of heaven are thereby anticipated, even whilst they were in trials and difficulties. Joy unspeakable is joy that is unable to be told out, for it is the personal joy of those whose hearts are fixed on a glorified Christ. There are some things in the Christian life which are, in the old phrase, “better felt than telt”. It is also true that the sight of Christ as He was down here, as we read the gospel records, fill us with joy, as John expressly says in 1 John 1:1-4.

1:9
Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

Receiving the end of your faith- those who do have this joy in practice, are in the process of receiving the end of their faith. That is, they are appreciating even now, in advance, the joys that will be theirs when the end or goal of the life of faith is reached, and heavenly glories overwhelm us for all eternity.

The Lord Jesus prayed that those whom the Father had given Him might be with Him where He is, that they might behold His glory, John17:24. The powerful basis for His appeal, and the guarantee that it will be granted, is that the Father loved Him before the foundation of the world. All believers will be in heaven beholding the glory of Christ on the solid ground of the eternal love of Divine Persons for one another. The apostle is indicating here that the proper Christian position at this present moment, (“receiving”, present tense), is to enjoy the glories of Christ now.

Even the salvation of your souls- as we enjoy these anticipations of heaven, our souls are delivered from doubt and despondency, and in this sense we are in present receipt of deliverance. James exhorted his readers to receive with meekness the engrafted word, which was able to save their souls, James 1:21. The salvation of the body from its current trials is assured when salvation is revealed at the last time, verse 5, and the salvation of the soul is known meanwhile.

(e) Verses 10-12
Dealings of the Spirit

1:10
Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:

Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently- so the prophets spoke of “grace unto them”, as a nation, but these believers had come into grace beforehand.

Special note on Old Testament prophecies of grace to Israel
Bearing in mind that Peter’s readers were amongst the scattered of Israel, we need to refer to those passages in the Old Testament prophecies which foretell the gracious dealings of God towards them when they are recovered from their scattering. This will help us understand the mindset of the believers now that they are Christians. Such scriptures as the following:

“And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea…and in that day ye shall say, “O Lord, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me. Behold God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation”, Isaiah 11:11;12:1-2.

“And it shall be said in that day, ‘Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation'”, Isaiah 25:9. (Note how similar these words are to those spoken by Thomas, who prefigures the nation of Israel who will acknowledge the Lord after an interval, and not straight away, as the other disciples, representing the church, did, John 20:28).

“And therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you:…He will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry; when he shall hear it, he will answer thee”, Isaiah 30:18,19.

“And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away”, Isaiah 35:10.

Peter is not saying that these scriptures have been fulfilled, but rather that the grace the nation shall yet know, and which the prophets have foretold, is their present portion as individual believers as the know God’s salvation.

The words “enquire” and “searched” are very similar in meaning; “sought out and searched out” is the literal meaning. Perhaps the “sought out” means they enquired of the Lord, and then “searched out” the scriptures He directed them to, and then had revealed to them certain things, verse 12. So what they were doing was as follows:

Enquiring of the Lord, verse 10.
Searching the scriptures out, verse 10.
Searching what time the Spirit of Christ meant in the writings, verse 11.
Searching what manner of time was meant in the writings, verse 11.
Understanding that what they foretold was not relevant to them in their time, but to others in the future, verse 12. An illustration of this is Daniel, who asked, “How long shall be the vision…” Daniel 8:12. He then tells us he “sought for the meaning”, verse 15, (the very thing that Peter tells us the prophets in general did). Gabriel then comes to him as says, “Understand, O son of man, for at the time of the end shall be the vision”, verse 17. He was also given the time-line involving the coming of Messiah the Prince, in Daniel 9:25-27.:

Who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you- the apostle Paul made it clear that the gospel was “promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures”, Romans 1:2. Every time Christ was prophesied, then the gospel that is vitally bound up in Him and His work at Calvary was contained within it. And when He at last came, it could be said, “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men”, Titus 2:11, for the grace of God is embodied in the person of Christ.

1:11
Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.

Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify- Revelation 19:10 says that “the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy”, for in effect all prophecy centres around Him. It is no surprise then to find the apostle here calling the Spirit of God the Spirit of Christ. And this not only because Christ possesses full Deity, but also because the Spirit delights to tell of Him in the Old Testament prophecies, just as He delights to tell of Him in the New Testament epistles. See John 16:14, where we hear the Lord Jesus, speaking of the Holy Spirit, say “He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine and shall shew it unto you”.

So Peter is saying that the prophets desired to know two things. First what time the Spirit was speaking of, and secondly, what manner of time. So they were interested in the time-scale involved, and also under what circumstances and in what way the events surrounding the Messiah, whether His sufferings or His glories, would work out. It is noticeable that the writing prophets, (as opposed to prophets like Elijah and Elisha), only came to the fore when Israel was about to go, or had gone into captivity. They must have been much perplexed as to how God’s promises to the nation were going to be realised in such circumstances. They knew from Deuteronomy 30:8-10 that repentance on the part of the nation was essential, but they knew not when. Nor did they know in what circumstances this repentance and recovery would happen.

When it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow- they knew about the sufferings of the Messiah, they knew of His glories, but they did not know how His experience would relate to the nation, and under what conditions, and at what time. In particular, what interval, if any, would elapse between the sufferings and the glories. Peter knew that the glories followed the sufferings, but did the prophets know that this was the order? After all, David suffered after he came to the throne as well as before.

The word Christ is equivalent to the Old Testament Messiah, signifying “Anointed One”. Note that the sufferings are not simply of Christ the Messiah in the sense of “belonging to Christ”, but “pertaining to” Christ, such is the force of the preposition Peter uses. In other words, being Messiah or Christ is bound up with suffering, as well as with glory. The sufferings are not a mistake, but part of the determinate counsel of God, Acts 2:23. And since the believers are vitally linked with Christ in both His sufferings and His glories, then their sufferings are not a mistake either. They are to “rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy,” 1 Peter 4:13.

1:12
Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.

Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things- the apostle informs us here that it was revealed to the prophets that the matters they foretold would not happen in their lifetime, the vision given to Daniel in Chapter 9 being a case in point. However, they knew that what they wrote would assist or minister unto those who would preach at a later date to the nation of Israel. Peter humbly avoids saying that he was one of those principally in view in this, but nonetheless it is true that he was the one who stood up at Pentecost before many of those who had come from the districts to which he is writing, and unfolded to them the explanation of what the prophets had foretold.

Which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven- the reference to the Holy Spirit as the One “sent down from heaven” would confirm that it is New Testament preachers who are in view here. So there is complete harmony between the “Spirit of Christ” moving the Old Testament prophets, and the “Holy Spirit sent down from heaven” empowering the New Testament preachers. That the Spirit is described as having been sent down from heaven reminds us that Christ has been received back in heaven, with His sufferings over. There is a difference, however, for the insight the Spirit gave to the holy men of old was not so complete as that which He gave after He had been sent down from heaven. The one who sent Him was the Christ the Old Testament prophets had spoken of, and it was now time to fully reveal what God was saying of old time.

Which things the angels desire to look into- the holy angels are greatly interested in all that concerns the Son of God, for He is their Creator and their Head. Just as the cherubim on the mercy-seat looked inwards and downwards, looking upon the glorious gold and the atoning blood, so the angels in general took a great interest in Christ’s glories and His sufferings. Peter represents them here as bending down to look with deep interest at what the prophets were writing, looking over their shoulders so to speak to take in every word. So if that is true of angels even now, it was no slur upon the Old Testament prophets to say they did not know certain things.

The Exodus Section 1:13-25
We are reminded by Peter’s words about girding up the loins of the mind, of sojourning, of being redeemed by the Lamb, and of being brought into the company of those who were likewise redeemed, of the experience of the nation of Israel as they were delivered from Egypt.

Verses 13-16
Demands of God’s holiness

1:13
Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind- we immediately think of that scene on passover night, when the Israelites were commanded to have their loins girded, for they were about to embark on the journey to their inheritance, Canaan. So the believer has an inheritance, but it is in heaven, verse 4, and Peter is now giving instruction to those on their way to heaven. The girding is not of their cloaks, as with Israel, but of their minds, for they must have their thoughts under control if they are to walk the pilgrim pathway successfully without mishap.

Be sober- whilst literally this means to keep from wine, which is good advice in any situation, it has the more general thought of keeping alert. There are dangers on the pilgrim pathway, the believer as he strides forth through the wilderness will find that there are the spiritual conterparts to the fiery serpents and scorpions that beset Israel in the wilderness, Deuteronomy 8:15.

And hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ- the full favour of God’s blessing will be known by believers when they come with Christ at His revelation on earth. It will be brought to them then in the sense that it will be at that point that they have the great privilege of being to His glory and praise as those He has redeemed. That is His grace-gift to them, a great favour indeed! He is coming to be admired in them that believe, 2 Thessalonians 1:10, and it is purely of grace that this will be our portion. We should keep that hope before us at all times in its entirety, for it will have a stabilising and stimulating effect upon us.

1:14
As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:

As obedient children- we have learned of the obedience of Christ in verse 2, and now we learn that being in relationship with Him means we should be obedient in return. The opposite of obedience is expounded in the next phrase.

Not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance- the apostle is about to stress the great change that has come about in their lives because they have been redeemed. God brought Israel out of Egypt in order that they might be a people special to Himself, living lives that were so different to the lives of the Egyptians. When they were in Egypt they were ignorant of the proper way of living, for most of them had been born in Egypt and had adopted Egypt’s ways, even to the extent of worshipping idols, Ezekiel 20:7,8. This was ignorance indeed!

1:15
But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;

But as he which hath called you is holy- the psalmist described the idols that men make, and then said, “They that make them are like unto them”, Psalm 115:8. The idol was a product of their own ignorant mind, and was the expression of what they thought God was like. No idol could be said to be essentially holy, but God is holy, totally separate from the evil thoughts and devices of men.

By the holiness of God is meant His total freedom from all that is not in harmony with His essence and character. Holiness is not just separation from evil, (for God was holy before there was evil), but is the positive possession of all that is worthy and good.

So be ye holy in all manner of conversation- the believer is to be taken up with those things that are of God in all His purity and separateness. This will affect us in every aspect of our conversation, or manner life. No department of the believer’s life is exempt from the demands of God’s holiness.

1:16
Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy- the reason why we should be practically holy is because God is essentiially holy, and we are His children, partakers of the Divine nature, 2 Peter 1:4. We have been born of His Spirit, and His Spirit is the Holy Spirit, imparting Divine holiness to us at the new birth.

The apostle is quoting from the book of Leviticus, where three times over the expression occurs. The first mention is in connection with the diet of the children of Israel. It is not that a creeping thing is unholy and therefore must not be eaten. The point is that the Canaanites, and the heathen in general, would have no scruples about eating such things. In order to impress upon the Israelites that they were different, they were commanded not to eat certain animals, fishes and birds, Leviticus 11:44. No doubt there were medical reasons why it was advisable to not eat certain foods, but the main lesson is a moral one.

Later, the lesson became a national one, for Peter was instructed to eat the forbidden animals that he saw in his vision, and this indicated to him that national distinctions were broken down, and Jew and Gentile stood on the same footing before God, and He made no difference between them when it came to their soul’s salvation, Acts 10:9-18; 27,28.

The second mention of God being holy is in connection with relationships between each other. They are to have their behaviour adjusted in accordance with the holiness of God, for He is the Moral Governor of the universe, and has regulated life on earth in the best interests of men and in the interests of His glory, Leviticus 19:2.

The third reference in Leviticus 20:7 reinforces the second reference in view of the subject matter of verses 9-27, in which distasteful things are prohibited. It is as if Moses is protecting the honour of God in the light of the depravity of man.

Verses 17-21
Deliverance from the world

1:17
And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:

And if ye call on the Father- in other words, “if you are a true child of God”. Perhaps Peter has in mind the fact that when Israel came out of Egypt they were a mixed multitude. As Jude says, “the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not”, Jude 5. It is one of the signs of the true believer that he calls on the Father in humble dependence in prayer. It is said of Saul of Tarsus, “behold, he prayeth”, Acts 9:16. Saul had prayed many times before as a devout Jew, but now things are different, for he prays as a Christian, and the difference is noted by the word “behold”, for he was doing a new thing.

When Abraham was at Shechem, he built an altar to the Lord, or Jehovah, who had appeared to him, Genesis 12:6,7. When Jacob was there, he built an altar to El-Elohe-Israel, or God, the God of Israel, Genesis 33:18-20. When the Lord Jesus is near Shechem, at Sychar, He speaks to the woman of Samaria of the worship of the Father. It is the same God who is spoken of in each instance, but revealed in a different way. The highest revelation of God that there ever could be is through His own Son, John 1:18. Hence He is to be worshipped in His character as Father.

Who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work- it is on the one hand true that all judgement has been committed to the Son because He is Son of God and Son of man, John 5:22,23,27, but on the other hand it is also true that the “Father of spirits” chastens and rebukes His children, Hebrews 12:9,5. It is Christ who shall judge every church saint’s work at the Bema, and every sinner at the Great White Throne, but here our chastening Father judges whilst we are still sojourning on earth.

Pass the time of your sojourning here in fear- this is filial fear, the fear of a genuine child who does not wish to offend his Father in any way. The reason for this desire not to displease our Father is found in the following verses, where the way God has redeemed us is set out. Sheer gratitude for redemption through the blood of the Lamb will caution us in our behaviour.

1:18
Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;

Forasmuch as ye know- the knowledge of the nature of our redemption and its cost to God and His Son will affect our manner of life, for as redeemed ones, we have obligations to fulfil.

That ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold- the children of Israel came out of Egypt laden with the “jewels of silver and jewels of gold” that the Lord ensured that the Egyptians should lend to them, Exodus 12:35,36. After all, they had been slaves in Egypt for many years with no wages, and now the payback time has come. This will be a great test for the Israelites, for the Lord will ask them to give gold and silver for the making of the tabernacle; how will they respond? If they had paid the Egyptians for their own release, they would not have the resources to build the tabernacle for God. To be redeemed with corruptible things is to be delivered from one earthly master to another, whereas the redeption of the believer is deliverance from sin to God.

From your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers- the children of Israel were in Egypt for a total of 215 years, so as the generations came and went the bad habits of the world around them would increasingly encroach upon their lives. They needed to be delivered from the empty way of life that they learned from the fathers, and only God can deliver them, so that He may become their father.

1:19
But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

But with the precious blood of Christ- the Israelites were redeemed by the blood of the passover lamb, suitable illustration of the way in which believers have been redeemed by the blood of Christ. Because the redemption price was the blood of Christ, and not the blood of an animal, then the redemption must have been of a different order to the redemption of Israel. Theirs was deliverance from physical and moral danger, whereas the believer is delivered from sin and its consequences. Silver and gold is earth’s currency, whereas the blood of Christ involves sacrifice, and has spiritual consequences.

As of a lamb without blemish and without spot- so the Lamb of God was “as a lamb” of a certain standard. That standard was perfection, for the passover lamb had to be completely free of blemish and spot. The lamb must be flawless as to its physical make-up, not injured at all, and spotless as to its physical appearance, having neither inbred spot in its wool, or outward stain on its coat. This double description is needed to adequately convey to us the moral perfection of Christ. He was sinless as to His nature, not being fathered by Joseph, but born of the virgin. This ensures that He has no sinful nature. As to His life and character, He was sinless in this as well. As He lived amongst men their pollutions did not touch Him, for He was totally opposed to sin in His will, and the corruption all around was repulsed as He totally committed Himself to doing the will of His Father, and that will certainly did not involve sinning.

1:20
Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,

Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world- the apostle uses the word verily to assure us that what he, an inspired apostle, is telling us is true, for we have no means of discovering what happened before the foundation of the world without Divine insight being given to us. So before the world was founded, before sin came in, before traditions started to be handed down, before men with their faults and failings began to live upon the earth, the Godhead was ready with the answer to the sin that would bring men into bondage.

But was manifest in these last times for you- the passover lamb was selected on the tenth day of the month, so there was a period when it did not come into the mind of man, although God had His eye on it. So with Christ, for He was under the eye of His Father in eternity. On the tenth day the lamb was selected, and it now came into view, just as Christ came into view, not only at His birth, but more especially at His baptism.

Peter speaks of last times in relation to Christ’s coming because He came to bring in finality, and to fulfil all that the prophets had said would happen when He came.

1:21
Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.

Who by him do believe in God- many to whom Peter writes were no doubt like himself, a believer in God as the God of Israel before they became Christians. In that sense they could be said to believe in God through Moses and the prophets. Now their belief in God is more advanced, for Christ has come to make God visible. This is why the apostle uses the word “manifest” in verse 20, for God was manifest in flesh in the person of His Son, and faith is now in and through Him.

That raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory- this is the sort of God they now believe in, not so much the God who delivered their forefathers by making a way through the Red Sea and bringing them to the land of Canaan to eventually enjoy the reign of Solomon in all his glory. They are now in the spiritual good of what those literal things signified.

Not only was the lamb slain on the fourteenth day, but the deliverance it obtained enabled the Israelites to escape on the seventeenth day, for it was told Pharoah on the third day that the people fled, Exodus 14:5; in other words, that they were no longer in the land. But whereas there lay a long trek through the wilderness for them before they would reach the Land of promise, Christ has been raised from the dead and immediately given glory in heaven. This tells us conclusively that His sufferings are over. There was only one passover night; the other passovers were simply memorials of the great event. So also there is only one Calvary, but it is remembered by His people not once a year, but every first day of the week.

That your faith and hope might be in God- this may be linked with “manifest in these last times for you”, verse 20, with the the resurrection and glorification of Christ being the climax to His manifestation, and great incentives to believe and hope in God. He has shown Himself believable by raising Christ, the guarantee that all His promises will come to pass, so hope in Him is worthwhile.

Verses 22-25
Divine life imparted and expressed

1:22
Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:

Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit- in order to eat the passover lamb, the Israelites were required to purge their houses of all traces of leaven. The believer has done more than this, however, for by receiving and believing the incorruptible word of God, he has purified his soul by repentance. Because it was as a result of the Spirit’s working that he did this, the act of purifying is valid before God. He could not have purified his soul in any other way.

Unto unfeigned love of the brethren- the passover-event brought the children of Israel together as never before, and this was emphasised by the fact that the passover lamb was to be eaten in their houses as households. And so important was this togetherness that if a household was too small to be able to eat the whole of their lamb, they were to combine with others to preserve the idea of being with one another. The being together of believers is to be in unfeigned, genuine love; not just a temporary forgetting of differences, but a sincere and authentic love for fellowbelievers.

See that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently- since they had purified their souls so that they could love in a pure way, they are to see to it that they put the principle, (“seeing ye have”), into practice, (“see that ye love”). This love is to be wholehearted, for the Lord Jesus exhorts His own to “love one another, as I have loved you”, John 15:12, and His love was love to the uttermost and the extreme.

1:23
Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

Being born again- it is those apostles who companied with the Lord Jesus on earth, namely Peter, James and John who emphasise being born again, for being born again implies that you have the life of God, and that life was perfectly manifested by Christ on earth. As the apostle John writes concerning the Lord Jesus, “that eternal life which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us”, 1 John 1:2. Having been sent by the Father, He manifested in manhood the relationship that exists eternally between Divine persons, and this, in turn, made a display of what eternal life, the life of God, looks like in practice on earth. Those who believe in Him as the one sent of the Father to display this life, are born of God.

Not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible- we should not import the truth of the parable of the sower here and say that Peter means the seed of the word of God at this particular point. Peter is using the word seed as in generation, or descendants. (See 1 John 3:9 for the idea of the seed of God). What he is indicating is that believers are of a particular sort of generation, a generation that is incorruptible in nature, being born of God who is, of course, incorruptible. As a result, they are enabled to display incorrupt features like unfeigned love, and can love with a pure heart fervently.

By the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever- the apostle now explains the way in which his readers became of this generation of incorrupt persons. They have been born again by the agency of the word of God. The reason why God uses His word in this way is because it is, in itself, living and powerful. The preacher needs nothing else; he does not need human devices or gimmicks, human powers of rhetoric and eloquence, high pressure tactics and ways of persuasion; all he needs to present is the unadorned, uncomplicated truth as found in scripture.

It is living because it is the word of the living God; not was the word of God centuries ago, but still the word of God. And because of this, it is powerful, for there is nothing more powerful than the voice of God. It was His word that brought the first creation into being, and it is the word by which He begets, so that His people are a kind of firstfruits of His creatures, James 1:18, so they are the first of the new creation God will bring in.

1:24
For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:

For all flesh is as grass- the apostle supports his statements about the word of God by reference to the words of Isaiah. He likened all natural men to grass, feeble and easily swayed.

And all the glory of man as the flower of grass- the best of men are no different to the insignificant flower of grass. Some flowers are very showy, but not the flower of grass.

The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away- when the grass withers, the flower is affected too. Like the grass, the flower has the same frail nature as the grass that bears it, and it falls lifeless to the ground. In the original passage in Isaiah, the grass is said to wither because the Spirit of the Lord blows upon it in judgement. But here the theme is the imparting of new life, but by the same Spirit. He convicts men of their frailty, but also points them to the source of strength, the living and powerful word of God.

1:25
But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

But the word of the Lord endureth for ever- there is no withering or fading or falling with the word of God, for despite all the attacks of the enemy, it endures for ever.

And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you- note that it is the word that is preached by means of the gospel. It is not that the gospel is preaching with the assistance of the word of God. The word is the primary thing; the gospel is the presentation of the truth of the word in a way relevant to sinners. It is vitally important that primacy be given to the written word of God, for it is belief in its teachings that results in a soul being born again. To repeat what James wrote, “Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth”, James 1:18.