Introduction to the First Book of Peter
The author identifies himself as the apostle Peter who is a
shepherd for God's flock and a witness to the sufferings that Jesus went
through. If you cross check with the
text John 21:15-19, you will see that Peter was asked by Jesus to tend His
flock after His resurrection.
This particular book, from what I can understand of it, was
written to a large area with many small churches in modern day Turkey. They were suffering quite a bit and he wanted
to encourage them.
It was written most likely in Rome during the reign of Nero
around the early 60s AD.
This book is focused on the bad things that Satan brought
against the early Christians and how God will take even those bad things and
use them for His glory. After all, God
does not waste anything. Not even the
mistakes of others or the intentional pain by those with evil in them.
*****
1 Peter 1:1,2
"Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
To the pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia,
and Bithynia, elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in
sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of
Jesus Christ:
Grace to you and peace be multiplied."
If you want to write an elegant and unique introduction at
the beginning of a letter, then here is something to use as an example. You know who is writing to who, and if they
are a friend or not.
This new book, or letter, that we are going to be looking at
now is to a broad group of people.
Something to definitely take into consideration as we continue to go
through 1 Peter.
Something I want to focus on is the blessing at the end of
this. "Grace to you and peace be
multiplied."
Here is something that I think we brush past without fully
realizing the gem contained in these words.
Particularly the phrase "peace be multiplied" and the impact
understanding this phrase can have on your life.
Through life bad things happen to us. Someone picks on you when you were young and
in school. Teachers give you more than
you can handle all at the same time in college.
Your supervisor at work uses you as his personal scapegoat when he has a
bad day. A family member manipulates you
or a close friend betrays you. Someone
says mean things about you or perhaps you were lied to. Some of these or all of these can be bad
points in your life. Things that you
feel grumpy about.
If you have these things in your mind or heart, then you can
not have peace too. Peace is a gentle,
nourishing thing that fills you and cleanses such memories of their sting and
bite. If you have very little peace,
then when it is multiplied, you gain only a little more. If you have a lot of peace (because you chose
to not hold onto those bitter and grumpy feelings), then when it is multiplied
you gain a lot more.
Basically in this introduction alone, we are given a
blessing that rewards you according to how you are treating your emotional
life. Your reward is larger the more you
have forgiven (and I mean truly forgiven) others no matter that wrong done to
you.
This is an interesting perspective I have not spent a lot of time considering through the past.
ReplyDeleteI am not sure that those with only a small bit of peace gain only a little more while those with a great amount of peace gain lots more.
I think that God knows individual needs and as His followers seek Divine Guidance, assurance, encouragement, grace, and peace that our Lord gives according to individual need which varies from person to person with like or unlike experiences and needs.
We are built uniquely and individually, so I think God would give according to our need rather than by the amount of what is already possessed.
I also think God directs people into new circumstances that can allow them to grow in grace and peace if they follow the will of the Father.
Thanks for sharing your insights!