A look into First Peter (an Introduction)

To start out, I thought it beneficial to study 1 Peter. There is a lot of valuable content in this little book, with significant application and relevance for us today. (And even more so now as we see the current attitude toward Christianity is changing) With any Bible study, a look into the surrounding context of the culture, history, setting, etc can be helpful and inform our interpretations as we progress through the book. By understanding the circumstances of the time when Peter wrote this epistle, we can better get a picture of what was on his mind as he wrote, and what kind of trials and sufferings he was referring to when he addressed the other believers.

First, it must be noted that 1 Peter was "political" in a sense; more so than any other NT book up to this point. While there are certainly other passages in other books that discuss the relationship of the Church to the government, this book seems to zero in on this more, and for good reason. First Peter was written roughly between AD 62-64 - a time when Christianity was beginning to come under public scrutiny and the Roman government began to look at Christianity as a threat. While the extent of the persecution during the time of this writing was not as severe as it would later become under the Roman regime, things were certainly unsettling.

Part of the "problem"was that Christianity was beginning to be noticed. Merrill Tenney notes on their faith and their message that "Their firm adherence to belief in an invisible God and a risen Christ excited the suspicion and contempt of the public, while their talk of a coming judgement and overthrow of the existing world created misunderstanding and hatred. The reaction against them in Rome under Nero was the product of this popular dislike, activated by Nero's spiteful accusations." (Tenney, New Testament Survey, 1985).

We have preserved  for us an example of some of the slander going around as well. Some graffiti unearthed in Rome from around this time period gives a picture of the attitude towards Christians, and their misunderstanding of the resurrection. One particular image shows a man worshiping a crucified figure on a cross. The figure on the cross is depicted with a donkey's head, with an inscription describing the worshiper as worshiping "his god".  Clearly this was meant as a derogatory description of the Christian faith and was meant to mock the Christians' belief in Christ's resurrection.  This image illustrates how Christianity was viewed during the time of Peter's writing of this epistle and can help us better understand some of the persecution and criticism they initially faced.

(Side note: There is apologetic value in this as well! There are those who try to claim that the crucifixion and resurrection were mythical events, added to the NT writing centuries after the fact. This graffiti shows however that the crucifixion and resurrection were proclaimed right after the speculated date of these events. It also illustrates the Romans' confusion over Christians worshiping Christ)

It is clear then that "the ominous shadow of persecution was the occasion for this letter. Suffering is one of the keynotes of the epistle, being mentioned no less than sixteen times. . . The letter was a warning and an encouragement preparatory to the coming emergency." (Tenney, 1985). Peter makes it clear that suffering has value for our faith, and further, it should not keep us from living out our faith, but rather to strengthen it.  Tenney further notes, "The chief value of the epistle is that it shows Christians how to live out their redemption in a hostile world. Salvation may involve suffering, but it also brings hope, as the grace of God is amplified in the individual life." (Ibid). The theme is clear- we will face suffering, which as the book progresses, makes clear because we are foreigners in this world. But, despite the suffering, we are to look to the example of Jesus and live a holy life.

With that established then, what is the value for us, the 21st century reader, when we approach this epistle? There are several themes that come out in this book that are certainly relevant to us today. Certainly an important one is that suffering is a part of the Christian experience. Simply put, if we are following Christ, we will be at odds with the world, which will mean persecution of some kind or another from the world. Secondly, we are called to be holy, set apart - even if the world persecutes us for living that way. Third, this epistle encapsulates fairly well the response we should have to our government; mainly to respect and honor our leaders, to submit to all in authority. We should live upright lives so that there is no occasion for justly deserved slander. Rebellion against our leaders or a striving against them seems to have no place in the Christian ethic.

These and other themes will be examined and discussed as we begin our study of this book. There are certainly some valuable points to discuss and consider the applications for our lives. Now that we have some background established, we are set to examine 1 Peter.