Bible Study: 1 Peter

Peter writing this to the strangers (saints) of 5 cities: Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. I'm trying to find a mnemonics to memorize these 5: PGCAB. PongalCosby? Peter Going Crazy B?

Chapter 1 - a reminder of who we are. "Be ye holy for I am holy" v.16

Chapter 2 - How men in general behave in public

Chapter 3 - How family: wives and husbands behave in general.

Chapter 4 - 苦难神学。 A life a Christian should live that many today may thought to only be for pastors and preachers.

Update: I realize that I had done a very short entry (2023-09-26) on the first epistle of Peter before so I am merging the data here and delete the old one:

Peter writing to the saints (v.2) in the Northern half of Turkey (Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, not Pisidia in the South), whom he knows not (v.1).

Chapter 1

v.2: Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father…προγνωσιν (prognosin) here is not the kind of foreknowledge the Pelagians or the Molinists are tempted to define as precognition or prognosis. This is not a 100% forecast of what will come to be, as if God needs to obey a set of rules in Himself. If so, this Author is no better than our common authors of novels.

v.6-7: When we pray for challenges, we are not praying for negativity, as GCC's Pastor Chris often identify it as (it may not be surprising seeing him coming from a generation and culture of not taking up much challenges in life). We are praying for both negativity and positivity that only result in good. Not just one or the other. But here, negativity is stressed. So the wording is best put as challenges rather than negativities, to avoid misunderstanding. For challenges are always negative yet opening the possibility for positivity that is always, always, greater than non-challenges. The focus is in the worth of such sufferings and trials. "If need be" is truly needed. Only through this may greater praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ be found. The genuineness of faith is to be tested, as it is more precious than gold that perishes.

v.11: "Spirit of Christ" - John Calvin in his Galatians 3:19 commentary joined it with Exodus 3:2, that the Angel who appeared to Moses can be no other person.

v.12: John Gill interestingly associated the hint of the Cherubim facing the mercy seat in Exo 25:20, with "which things the angels desire to look into".

v.20: Calvin treated this verse briefly on the question that "What if" Adam had not sinned. Or if before Adam had sinned, how could the remedy not be posterior to the disease? Calvin answered: God's foreknowledge. But he referred curious minds to his Institutes for further investigation. One could probably find it in Book III, Chapter 23, on the keyword of "foreknowledge". Where "decree" and "foreknowledge" are of equal standard: …he foresees the things which are to happen, simply because he has decreed that they are so to happen…

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3 Responses to Bible Study: 1 Peter

  1. timlyg says:

    Chapter 2

    v.5: 活石,灵宫,灵祭

    v.8: double predestination...他们这样绊跌也是预定的

    v.9: Peter was calling out the Jews to become the TRUE ISRAEL, which is the Church in the full revelation of the Messiah!

    v.10: The great mystery of what being an Israelite is, is revealed in this verse...the people of God.

    v.16: Do not live as hypocrite, think that the understanding of the Gospel was a way out for you to enjoy yourself. Nay, but enjoy God in being His servants, FOREVER. This is true freedom.

    v.17-19: Peter really laid it out there for honoring those who are above us (emperor - masters/bosses/managers, etc.), even to the unjust. Being mindful of God.

    v.18: ...also to the froward. Therefore, be subject to even the froward masters with all fear. Obviously here fear refers to the fear of the Lord, not of men. Thus comes wisdom in such fear so as to be prepared and not surprised by your submission to the froward, that your good was returned with evil, thus the path you chose to suffer is not a vain foolish one.

    v. 18-24: The worthiness in suffering. With Christ as an example (v.21). Material/worldly things, revile not again, leave it to the Righteous Judge v.23.

  2. timlyg says:

    Chapter 3

    v1-2: This is wisdom, for wives to be in subjection to their husbands in order to win their unbelieving husbands by conversation (which is coupled with chaste and fear). This wisdom is also applicable to other kinds of relationships that has to do with subjection (servants to masters, etc. from previous chapter) or even temporal subjection (victims of wars - Joseph in Egypt, Daniel in Babylon, etc.) This is ultimately referring to our subjection to God who unlike others, is perfectly holy. However, here Peter focuses on the role of wives.

    v.6: ...calling him lord. (Genesis 18:12). Sarah's obedience was also shown in her following Abraham moving from rich to poor (Gen 12:5), running tasks for Abraham (Gen 18:6). Obviously this is not the status of a slave nor servant, but of a inwardly adorned (v.5) wife (not outward adorning, v.3).
    "...not afraid with any amazement": Not obedience out of fear of men or their husbands (a recurring theme in v.14). Wicked men do enjoy collecting obedience out of fear, but a self-adorned Godly woman is impervious to that, yet she maintains her obedience to her husband before the Lord in either a good testimony or heirs together of the grace of life with her husband.

    v.7: Peter deals now with husbands and coining honour of wives with "weaker vessel". This coinage is incredible such that it has multiple layers: Husbands suit himself to the wives' capacity and weakness (John Gill's commentary from Jewish custom). This obviously can be applied to other than marital relationships, as long as they are done before a righteous and holy God (not promoting wickedness of the sinful and spoilt). Many (husbands) fail in this by retracting honour when provoked. These husbands or the likes, unlike Christ (1Pe 2:23), reviled even more against their wives when reviled by them, threatened when suffered. When done according to Christ, it cannot be patronizing but truly honouring to the wives and the likes.

    v.8: It would seem that Peter here move from marital relationship to a more public relationship and revisiting chapter 2.

    v.13-14: These two verses create the paradox. For the true harm in v.13 is not the same as the temporal suffering in v.14.

    v.14: a reflection of "...not afraid with any amazement" for the wives in v.6.

    v.15: This verse may have been overly misapplied by many: "Just keep smiling in time of peace and wait passively for others to be curious enough of your happiness to ask you of your faith of your religion, of the opportunity for you to preach them the Gospel". The context here is not a peaceful one, on the contrary, this verse sits between bombardment of terror from one's enemies. Moreover, the error mentioned is not in the passivity of it for a passive person is still in the right to share the Gospel when opportunity comes, but this error is in the principle of it: That you are selling them happiness coupons and not the Gospel.

    ἀπολογία (plea, defense) is not simply just giving an "answer" (and certainly the opposite of sigḗ(G4602)/hēsuchía(G2271) that is waiting silently/peacefully before passively giving an answer), but it works hand in hand with challenges with a active attitude. For this, it is good to pray for challenges, especially in evangelism, for only so, is God's glory shone before sinful and wicked men. To not pray for challenges in this context is basically harboring the belief that sinful men are NOT the enemies of God and even yielding to sinful men which is the only alternative (v.17-which is better, suffer for well doing or suffer/yielding to evil?). And certainly, this prayer is asking opposition against God, a twisted assessment on the prayer for challenges, for let us know deceive ourselves, we do not preach the Gospel to saints in evangelism, we preach the Gospel to sinful and wicked enemies of God.

    And yes, this is the favorite verse of the so called "apologists" of today, but it is more than just doing apologetics or Q&A in the lecture halls. It is facing the challenges of the Lord's enemies with a godly heart, in meekness and God-fearing (fear here is not the same as "afraid" used in v.6 & 14). Consider the great evangelist Stephen Tong's example when being robbed.

    v.18: ...quickened by the Spirit. David Tong would be happy with this verse on the passive and not active resurrection of Christ.

    v.21: Calvin here reckoned that baptism was performed by immersion.
    Although, Calvin does not care much about the modes of baptism:
    But whether the person being baptized should be wholly immersed, and whether thrice or once, whether he should only be sprinkled with poured water -these details are of no importance, but ought to be optional to churches according to the diversity of countries. Yet the word “baptize” means to immerse, and it is clear that the rite of immersion was observed in the ancient church.” (Book IV, Ch. XV.19)
    Nor WCF:
    “Dipping of the person into the water is not necessary; but baptism is rightly administered by pouring, or sprinkling water upon the person.” (Westminster Confession of Faith 28.3)

    Should the Baptists use this verse against paedobaptism: One must exhibit good conscience toward the Gospel before baptism, I rebut with this: That this interpretation is more than scripture allows, which does not make reference good conscience to every individual being baptised, the understanding of a covenantal family is lacking, perhaps replaced erroneously by tribal family instead. For paedobaptism is not done to the infant alone, but to the infant with the federal guardianship (i.e. Noah himself, parents, etc.) of him/her who answers with a good conscience toward God. Such is the importance of covenant that resonates with scripture. Because it is important, that the infant is shown that not only grace precedes human answer, but is laid upon an obligation to walk in newness of life at the moment of infancy in a Christian home. This obligation is not withheld until the moment the infant became an adult or reached the so called "age of accountability". Covenantal family is God-centered. Tribal family (as Christian as one pretends it to be) can never be God-centered, but only men-centered.

  3. timlyg says:

    Chapter 4

    v.1-2 This is the kind of challenge I pray for those who wish to minister for God. That we arm ourselves like Christ in His suffering for us.
    For such mind in suffering is opposite of the lusts of men. Suffering itself is not the challenge, but the facing of it is. Such suffering is the trial of God. To respond to Pastor Chris' alleged "interpretation" of my prayer for "challenges" for those who wish to do outreach for God, as "oppositions to God", I would say to call the trials of God as opposition to God Himself is to make God contradict Himself, and thus, calling God a LIAR. So two can play that game.

    The only desire to truly pray for challenging trials of God is that it is the only way to glorify God better than those who do not have such trials, or worse, those who are good at avoiding such trials. To personally witness God's great glory.

    He therefore says, arm yourselves, or be ye armed, intimating that we are really and effectually supplied with invincible weapons to subdue the flesh, if we partake as we ought of the efficacy of Christ’s death. ~ Calvin

    "...to the lusts of men" contrasts against "to the will of God"

    v.7: ...The end of all things...This should contrast the wrong motive of being sober, watchful, prayerful. This where Premil's motive fails, which is the end of the world as the motive. The true Reformed motive, should be that this is the last age, there is no more new revelation in God's plan on Earth for us, we are either Christ's or we are not.

    A warning against those who gets too comfortable having long live in this world, being careless and slothful. We ought not to sit still in the world! Watch ye! (Mat25:13) ~ John Calvin.

    The idea of selling everything for the end is near, is probably due to a idolatry of the Bible. Solo Scriptura. They read a verse with their own interpretation and in order to commit full faith to that interpretation, it results in them selling everything.

    v.8: love shall cover the multitude of sins (Pro 10:12). I think Solomon could foretell it, that love which is coming in Christ, but he could only understand it as multitude, not ALL, which isn't much difference to bicker over, but one comes before the other. V.8 fulfills what Solomon saw. The forgiveness of our sins in Christ. So likewise, we now have this love given us to love one another.

    v.9: Hospitality 款待 φιλόξενος philoxenos (friendship to a stranger): I believe there's a contrast of φιλόξενος to draw here between this verse and verses such as Hebrews 13:2. This one is used among believers, the other ones aren't necessarily so. Though contrast, it should be noted that these two kinds are complementary, not opposed. There's an "especially" in Gal 6:10, which leads to a Christian only focus (Romans 15:7).
    Among Christians:
    - Strengthen church family
    - Christian unity
    - sharing burdens, support ministries, those who are persecuted.
    Toward nonbelievers:
    - Christian love extended
    - a form of sincere witness
    - Trusting God wisely in certain risk (this risk obviously can also come from non-Christians who claim themselves Christians)

    In a sense, there's also a sense of priority. That the family of God comes first, not in the sense of need or duty, but in the sense of importance: i.e. if all being equal between a Christian and a non-Christian, a Christian would rather spend time with another Christian first, then together (or separately in unison) extend this love to nonbelievers as a gospel witness.

    "without grudging 不发怨言" would have to mean when 吃亏, since the betrayal is from within (among Christians), and not really 吃苦. 吃亏 is harder than 吃苦, though both under the umbrella of suffering.

    v.11: The motivational foundation of all works, is the last of the verse: God be glorified through Jesus Christ who deserves all praise and dominion forever.

    v.12: An prophetic allusion to Jerusalem's inevitable destruction and a theology of the cross, this is one of those verses where it teaches that suffering must come to a try a true Christian. Try by fire. Purified. Made stronger in faith, consoled in fellowship with Christ. It is unavoidable. This is not some personal suffering because how sinful this world is. This is not some troubles common to man's life. This kind, is the wrong done to the faithful for the name of Christ be prepared to bear the cross, this is a necessary trial. Remember that we have the dying of Christ in our flesh ~ Calvin. This is the SUFFERING of Christ, as next verse indicates:

    v.13: instead of feeling it strange, REJOICE! as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings. This is how we are tried and become the partakers with our Lord, first of sufferings, then partakers of His glory (from cross to resurrection) ~ Calvin. Unfortunately, many Christians today connect their own personal suffering apart from Christ's sufferings. John Gills called this to be revealed glory of Christ's divine nature and incommunicable. There's a two fold joy by Calvin: 1. enjoying now in hope; 2. shall be brought by the coming of Christ (not mingled with grief and sorrow but only exultation).

    v.14: Reproaches are often more bitter than loss of goods or torments of the body, here is a list of reproaches:
    Evildoers
    Atheists (for rejecting pagan gods)
    Cannibals (misreading the Lord’s Supper)
    Immoral/incestuous (misreading Christian fellowship)
    Fools / irrational (for believing in a crucified Messiah)
    Followers of a criminal (Jesus)
    Politically dangerous (disloyal to Rome)

    v.17: An allusion to Isa 10:12, that God will rise up to be the judge of the world after he had completed His work on Mount Zion/Israel/His house/His people. It is important to stress that God is impartial. His chastisements/hand indifferently put forth against His own people and against strangers ~Calvin. So there's an illusion that the reprobate are spared by Him while the godly complain in pain (Job 21:13; Psa 73:3). But He disciplines those He love (Hebrew 12:6) and we have the hope of resurrection which is our only way to look at this otherwise it truly is miserable (1Co 15:19).

    v.18: Scarcely be saved...Lest the faithful should envy the prosperity of the ungodly (Psa 37). And there is a dangerous trial for the envious temptation is there seeing how well with the wicked. So scarcely is to be seen as the difficulties of the present life, the temporal narrow road the faithful must walk. But in the meantime, the righteous are in no danger of shipwreck in this storm as long as we have God as our pilot.

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