One of the most practical of letters in the New Testament is Peter’s first epistle. In this short letter, he gives a vast amount of wisdom and input on how to live as strangers in this world, regarding ourselves as citizens of a heavenly kingdom. Although it may be short, 1 Peter is extremely challenging to our spiritual lives.
You can read the letter of 1 Peter here.
Several years ago, I decided to make a stronger effort in my life to memorize Scripture. I began with the Sermon on the Mount, moved to a series of several key and favorite passages, and over the past few years, have worked on memorizing the letters of 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, and most recently, Philippians.
Sometimes this is easy, sometimes it becomes a bit more challenging. Some passages are easier to grasp than others it seems. But the effort has been well worth it, because I have a much more solid grasp on these portions of the Bible than I ever have before.
My next challenge to myself is to memorize Peter’s first letter. This letter is one of the most practical portions of the New Testament, giving some significant insights into daily matters, such as living with holiness, how to view authority, marriage and family relationships, and much, much more. 1 Peter only contains five brief chapters, but is packed full of some great input for our daily spiritual lives.
I plan to begin memorizing chapter one next week. This week, I want to give a brief overview of the letter and an introduction to 1 Peter.
Author and Location
Peter identifies himself as the author in the very opening to the letter, and this is most certainly the case. Peter is a leading figure of the early church and is well known as an apostle and leader.
In addition, many of the early church fathers cite Peter as the author, including Clement, Polycarp, and Irenaeus. As such, Peter, as the author, has been widely accepted throughout church history.
According to 1 Peter 5:13, Peter states that he is in “Babylon” when writing this letter. Just what he means by this is unclear. There are three main ideas for consideration: the city of Babylon in Mesopotamia, a Roman military establishment called Babylon in Egypt, or Rome. The third option is the most likely, since history and tradition both place Peter in Rome at the time of his death.
Date and Occasion of 1 Peter
If Peter was in Rome at the time of his death, which was likely during the persecution of the Emperor Nero, then that places his death somewhere between AD 64 and AD 68. Since Peter is clearly the author, then this letter cannot have been written later than that time. Clement of Rome implies in the mid-90s that Peter was executed in Nero’s persecution, and that he may have had a part in the founding of the Roman church.
It seems unlikely that this letter was written earlier than AD 60. Any date earlier than this does not leave time for Peter to make it to Rome or for Christianity to spread to the locations to which he writes.
Those five locations, listed in 1 Peter 1:1, are all in Asia Minor, which is modern day Turkey. Peter’s letter is written to the Christians who have been scattered throughout this area. Many have traditionally believed that Peter was writing to Jewish Christians who were scattered through this region, but a strong argument can also be made that Peter was writing to Gentile Christians, since this was a primarily Gentile region.
Many of Peter’s statements make more sense when they are viewed as address to believers who came from a pagan past, such as 1:14, “do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance”; 1:18, “you were redeemed from the evil way of life handed down to you from your forefathers”; or 4:3, “you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do.” Such statements make little sense if applied to Jewish Christians, but do so when applied to Gentile believers.
Encouragement For The Persecuted
During the early years of Christianity, many believers were being persecuted for their faith in Christ, such as Peter ultimately experienced in Rome. His purpose in writing this letter was to encourage those believers as they suffered for the sake of Christ. In 1 Peter 5:12, Peter states his purpose: “I have written to you briefly, encouraging you and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand fast in it.”
Whether this was state sponsored persecution, such as in Rome, or just persecution in general is unknown. What is known is that the believers in Asia Minor were suffering trials and grief because of their faith in Christ. Peter’s encouragement reminds them just what Christ had done for them, and he exhorts them to stand firm and hold on to the faith.
We, too, can benefit from such encouragement. Placing this portion of Scripture firmly in our hearts and minds through memorization will be a great help to us when we suffer discouragement or persecution.
Question: What passages from 1 Peter are most meaningful to you? You can leave a comment by clicking here.