This is an epistle written by St Peter to the believers in Turkey. They were living under persecutions, Peter encourage them to live in lively hope and holiness. Simple plan of salvation had accomplished through the Lord Jesus Christ, so believers are to return cursing with blessing, since they had been bless by Christ.
1:1-2, Peter was called Simon, he was an apostle who saw the coming of the Holy Spirit, like a tongue of fire at the Pentecost. Here Peter induces and reminds the believers they were cleansed by the blood of the Lamb of God.
1:3, by the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, they have the perfect salvation. They have the perfect joy from the perfect salvation. New man living with new hope!
1:4-5, the believers are living in a warfare with the devils and demons, sometimes they were up sad, by faith they can lean on God, and God preserved them in peace.
1:6, all those suffering and persecutions were temporary.
1:7, they must face suffering like Christ, they are suffering in glorifying the Lord.
1:8-9, they must build their faith in Christ, faith build on Christ can save us, and by faith we can unite with Him.
1:10-12, there are prophecies even after the Pentecost, and for the last 2 thousand years, the church prophecy truth of the Gospel and preach Christ, not ourselves. VPP is only being debated in the last few years! Which is more important? Debates or the truth?
1:13, the hope of eternal life motives us to live in holiness. God is holy, so Christian must lives in holiness, grow in spirit, when Christ comes, He will bless us, perfecting everything.
1:14, obedient is better than sacrifices. Lust is pulling us away from faith.
1:15-16, be separated from unholy and unclean things.
1:17-19, God will judge us according to how holy we live. Christ offered His blood, like a lamb in Old Testament.
1:20, even before the creation, Christ prepared Himself for us, this is revealed to us now.
1:22-25, Love one another, why? We are born again and our heart is born again, so we love one another. New life grows in God eternal Word, must love one another. Verse 24 is quoted from LXX, Isaiah 40:6-8. Even Peter used LXX?
2:1-3, Sin hindered man to love one another, put away sin and bitterness, by taking in the spiritual milk. Like a babe craving for simple truth, truth is good. When we are growing we will love one another. Christ is our spiritual milk.
2:4, we are God’s temple. Christ is also the living Rock, under the Rock there is the Living Water, whosoever thirst may come to drink freely, and live like Israelites when they have the perfect Word, but they asked for water in the wilderness. Christ is the Living Water.
2:5, we are called to be priest, redeemed by the Great High Priest. We are to live like a living sacrifice, offering our body, money and good works to bring people to Christ.
2:7, some men are predestinated to fall away; they do not and refused to believe the prophecy. God had made election some to be saved in Christ. Content, do not quarrel with mere “words.” Why quarrel for genealogy of English Bibles and underlying texts?
2:9-10, we are precious, separated from the world, brought into the Kingdom of God as Children of God.
2:12, so live rightly doing good works. When we are being slandered, do not be discourage and retaliate, do not return them with evil words or works. Return evil with love and profit, so that they may give glory to God in seeing our life.
2:13 respect the government and those have high authority. Even King Nero they had to obey, authority is from God, but rather obey God rather than obeying man. The end is near.
2:14, surely the evildoer will be judged one day.
2:15, Christians are called to be good citizens on earth.
2:16, live in holiness, by this we are free.
2:17, furthermore we are called to respect all men, love brethren in Christ, in this we fear God, do not fear kings and terrorists. (Matt 10:28)
2:18, treat the servants justly, servants also must do good, to be example, one day the servants will be rewarded in heaven.
2:21, following Christ, He was suffering for saving and redeeming sinners like us.
2:23-25, Christ is sinless, but He was even be nailed. He did not retaliate when He was being nailed. He died, so we live. He resurrected to take care, protect, feed and oversee us. He is the Shepherd of shepherds.
3:1-2, wife must influence his husband by her good characters.
3:3, inner beauty is more important than mere outlook.
3:7, husband must love and respect his wife, she is weaker physically, by this his prayer will be answered without hindrances.
3:8, St. Peter laid out the rules in true Christian’s life:
1. same heart (Rom. 15:5)
2. sympathizing (Rom 12:15)
3. love one another (Rom 12;10)
4. be merciful (Eph 4:32)
5. be humble (Eph 4:2)
3:9-12, bless those who curse and persecute us. (Luke 6:27, Rom 12:14, 1 Thess 5:15). Blessing is not enough, St. Peter said, we must pray for them!
3:13, no Christian is really hurt and killed, because Christian’s inheritance is in heaven.
3:14-16, the world will hate us, because we do not live like them, so we suffer for a little while. God is our shield and protection. (Isaiah 8:12-13)
Be prepared to give answers, defending the truth in love, gentleness and humbleness.
3:17, better to suffer in doing good works then doing evil.
3:18, Christ endured sufferings in doing well, until He was crucified on the cross.
3:21-22, first we are called to die with Christ, and later to live with Him.
3:22, fervently serving the Lord, nothing can harm us!
4:1-6, St. Peter reminded us when we are live in suffering, beware the worldliness.
4:7-11, seeing Christ is returning soon, we must behave, be sensitive, MOST IMPORTANT IS LOVE ONE ANOTHER, in loving one another, we have to forgive and cover their sins (1 Cor 13:4-7).
4:17, God’s house is the church, and judgment begin there! God cleansed His house through the persecutions!
4:18, this verse is quoted from the LXX, Proverb 11:31, by faith and grace, the ungodly are saved by God!
4:19, God preserved our souls.
5:4, Christ is the Head of all the shepherds! He is the good Shepherd! We shall not want.
5:5, humbleness is a virtue, if we really know ourselves; we have nothing to boast about! In God’s eyes, we must be humbled. Even Christ humbly washed Peter’s feet.
5:7, quoting from LXX, Psalm 55:22, God cares, so depend on God totally.
5:8 fear not our enemy! (1 John 4:4). Brethren become our enemy?
5:9, a reminder, remember all the brethren!
5:12 do not forget God’s grace is free!
5:13, Mark is closer with Peter than to Paul?
Thought:
What are Christ’s sufferings?
How holy we live?
What are the rules in true Christian’s life?
As a church leader, like Peter, what he see as the most important thing, Christian must do in the end time?
How to love one another?
What are the 2 great commandments taught by Christ Jesus?
No comments:
Post a Comment