As the World Burns: 2 Peter 3

In the Chapter:

I’ve decided this last chapter of Peter’s letter doesn’t lend itself to being broken down, so instead of the usual Summary/Focus, I’m going to give you the chapter as a whole for 2 Peter 3. There’s a lot here that seems less than practical, but I think we can shine some light into why it matters. First, though, we’ll start at the end. Peter finishes with an “Amen.” :)

Okay, there’s more to the wrap-up than just that word. The last verse, 2 Peter 3:18, is a great reminder of what is, and is not, our responsibility. We should grow in the grace and knowledge of the Savior, and to Him be the glory forever. We learn, which is followed by doing, and understand better and better our need for grace and how to spread grace. Meanwhile, He gets the glory. Not us, not our churches or organizations, but Jesus. We might be astounded what would happen if growing in grace was more of our focus than growing in number, reputation, or importance.

Prior to that we see Peter reference Paul, a thought we’ll get back to in the In Nerdiness section. Let’s jump all the way to the top of the chapter. Peter clearly acknowledges his prior letter, which leads us to think this letter was sent to the same basic audience as 1 Peter. The other option is that there’s a Petrine Epistle we don’t have (Petrine Epistle=Letter from Peter). The simplest answer is that he’s referring to 1 Peter. I’d say that’s as good an explanation as any, barring other evidence.

He then goes on to highlight that the church might as well expect trouble. The world, after all, has always produced mockers and they will keep coming. In fact, even as Noah built the ark, people expected God to not notice what was happening. Peter warns that evildoers will behave the same way in his day: they will assume that God is slow, if not negligent, in His responses.

Yet God is not slow or negligent. Instead, God is patient and allowing time for grace in the lives of everyone. Here we have a repetition of Psalm 90:4, that a thousand years are like a day, and vice versa, in the sight of God. That’s an oft-cited phrase but rarely noted in context. The Psalms are poetic and Peter is referring to why God does not bring judgment instantly. It is not presented in Scripture as a way around what appears plain in Genesis. If you want something other 6 literal days, you need a different proof than this.

Peter goes on to explain the problem: people are short-sighted. If there is no change they observe in their lives, then the assumption is made that nothing changes. This misses the time frame that God works on, as He works related to His own will and to bring glory to Himself throughout eternity. There’s a difference in that and what is observable in a human life.


In Practice:

Practically speaking, there are several things to take from this. The first is what Peter himself says: be diligent and blameless. There is a bit of difference in “blameless” and “sinless,” for those of you who wonder. Blameless relates to what we attempt to do—sinless means we are always right. Blameless reflects never intentionally being wrong. Now, being human, we tend to mix our motives and blow both sides of that. But it’s worth knowing—Peter commands the possible.

Next, there is this reality: trust the Lord’s word, even as you cannot see the Lord’s actions. Do not think He is ignoring His promises or neglecting His justice. That also means that we do not attempt to step in for what we perceive as God’s negligence. Trust, and walk in obedience. That will mean following through with justice and righteousness, but not because God won’t. Instead, it’s because that is part of how we live in obedience to Him.

Finally, study Scripture. Peter warns that Paul can be understood badly, like the rest of Scripture. He then highlights that his readers should be “on guard” against the errors of unprincipled, untaught teachers who will lead them astray. If you are not personally growing in your knowledge of God’s Word, you are at risk of being caught up in errors of others. Study Scripture. Balance your influences—don’t get everything from the same source, just to be cautious not to get caught up in the same blind spots. (Don’t be so open-minded your brains fall out, either, though.)

In Nerdiness:  

So, Peter says that Paul is hard to understand, like the other parts of the Scripture. From this, we see that Peter considered Paul’s letters on an equal level to the Old Testament. That matters for our understanding of Scripture. Here’s Peter affirming Paul’s writings as inspired.

Second, since the reference is sent on to the churches, we can see that the church was also willing to consider Paul’s writings as Scripture as well. This tells us that the idea of a “canon” (or official list) of Scripture was not a late invention, but something that the church recognized even before the New Testament was finished. That matters.

Reveling in Falsehood: 2 Peter 2

In Summary:

Peter continues his letter with warnings of false prophets. These false prophets have come and will keep coming, just they had throughout Israel’s history. The first few verses speak of the motivation and attraction of these false teachers: sensuality, greed, and arrogance.

In discussing these false prophets, Peter mentions Balaam (from Numbers 22-24, see here, here, and here,) the talking donkey, the Flood, Noah, angels, and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. We are forced to select one of two options: either Peter’s citations are accurate, and so is the Old Testament, or Peter was wrong. If he’s wrong on the Old Testament, then that throws his credibility in doubt for all things.

The chapter as a whole resounds with condemnation of those who push evil. Peter recognizes that a new religion is easily corrupted. And he knows that corruption usually arises from within—whether by deceptive entrance or being deceived down the line. The trick? It starts as simple teaching that is a shade off, and then morphs into something much, much worse.

In Focus:

Turn your eyes firmly to 2 Peter 2:2. The first verse has addressed the false teachers who will arise among the church. This verse speaks to those who will follow them. In this, we see a couple of major issues:

1. The teaching that we are dealing with here is destructive heresy. I wrote, a long time ago, about calling stuff “heresy” (link) and how we should reserve that for theology that masquerades as Christian but is truly going to send someone to hell. Assuming Peter and I are on the same page here, his point supports that one can sneak into the church and push the church into heresy. He’s not talking about those who shift opinions on debatable matters like mode of baptism.

This is about those who start teaching that one does not surrender to Jesus as Lord for salvation. That can be those who think there are multiple paths or that one’s life does not have to follow the instructions of Jesus after salvation (obedience follows grace).

2. The teaching that we are dealing with ends up sounding good but brings reproach on the “way of the truth.” That could slice in a couple of directions, but the main concept here is that it becomes a self-pleasing idea. The hearers want to believe it over the truth, because it is easier to follow.

In Practice:

Practical steps to deal with heresy and false teachers? These bear constant repeating:

1. Read your own Bible. Not just a little of it, nor just for the light and fluffy moments. Read it, grow through it, and do not leave it to someone else to always tell you what it means!

2. Keep your teachers accountable. Including your pastors. It astounds me that we often want to keep our ministers more accountable for how they spend their time than how they hold to sound doctrine. We act like a one-time ordination questionnaire is all the theological exam someone needs. It’s not the case. But if you’re more worried whether your youth minister came to work at 8 or 805 than if he still believes the Bible is actually true, you’ll never notice his theological drift.

Or if you’re more concerned with the measurable effects: if your senses are more pleased by a large crowd than you are concerned with right doctrine, you are following down into trouble.

3. False teaching almost never sounds “bad” to our natural ears. It either supplies us justification for what we want, like men drawn to extreme patriarchy views, or it rolls nicely with what we’ve always heard, like some views of nationalism mixed into worship. These are harder to stop than we might think, because they sound so appealing and reasonable at the outset.

Overall, the difficulty in fighting false prophets and teachers is that they rarely start off sounding wrong. One preacherjust wants you to have a nice day, like every Friday should be, that’s all…somebody else just wants the 10 Commandments to be listened to. Then the next guy just wants you to have obedient children, and then the whole thing falls apart.

The best defense is keeping your focus on the One and Only Savior, and seeing the people God gives to help us walk with Jesus as precisely that: people.

In Nerdiness: 

Such nerd fun here: 1. Universal flood or not? Peter says…whole world.
2. Angels and judgment? There’s a boatload of differing opinions here. Suffice it to say that Peter’s point is not about the outcomes for the angels but about the reality that if God judges them, you do not escape the opportunity.
3. 2 Peter 2:8 is the source for thinking Lot was bothered by Sodom. Nothing in Genesis gives us that idea, so we either have to take Peter’s reflection as inspired or toss it.
4. Notice the idea that “instinct” leads one to be ignorant and destroyed. (V. 12). What does that do with viewpoints about natural inclinations?

5. Peter alludes to two major portions of the Old Testament: the Law and Wisdom divisions.

Stirring Reminders: 2 Peter 1

In Summary:

This second of Peter’s letters opens slightly differently than his first. The first calls him simply “Peter, an apostle…” while this one names him as “Simon Peter, bondservant and apostle.” The difference is more than just window dressing or epistolary frippery. Peter’s use of his full name may only be about clarifying his identity to the audience, but it may also indicate his embrace of the swings back and forth in his past.

Identifying himself as a bondservant as well as an apostle reminds the reader that even Peter’s importance did not elevate him beyond serving the Lord Jesus Christ. From that point, his first chapter establishes that this letter addresses practical matters from the spectrum of life that all believers can benefit from.

For example, Peter speaks to his readers about applying diligence, moral excellence, and kindness—all because of the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Further, he goes on to talk about the eyewitness nature of the faith of Christians. They were not believing in made-up stories or even ancient tales, but believing individuals telling the story of Jesus.


In Focus:

Let’s put the focus on 2 Peter 1:12-15. First, Peter states that he will “always be ready to remind…even though you already know them.” He is not concerned that his message is a repetition of what they already know. Reminding one another of the truth is more critical than innovating new ideas.

Second, Peter wants his reminder to be more than just (v.13) history. His goal is that they will be “stirred up” to action. This is his goal while he remains on this earth. The follow up idea is that they would not lose their grip when he is no longer around. Peter writes, partially, to prepare for his own death.

In Practice:

Practically, then, what do we need to do?

1. Know the truth for ourselves. This shouldn’t be hard to reason, but if you do not know the truth, you cannot remind others of it.

2. Develop a list of critical items to remind yourself and your fellow learners about. For example, grab Scott Duvall’s Experiencing God’s Story of Life and Hope and see how those dozen ideas are worth repeating on a regular basis. Or Robert Morgan’s 100 Bible Verses Every Christian Should Know by Heart. Either one is a good start.

On this note, even though I select sermons based on preaching through blocks of text, I do maintain a list of concepts that I want to remind the church of on a regular basis. These are ideas like the grace of God or the sufficiency of Scripture.

3. Connect those ideas to definite actions. The definite action of learning, followed by practical steps to take because of that learning. Learning that God’s grace should be declared to all people, for example, should shift your budget priorities.

4. Keep your own end in mind. At some point, you will no longer be able to teach and remind the people you have now. It may be a move. It may be changes of life. It may be death. Whatever that change, realize that you cannot stir people up constantly. You must expect that shift to come.

In Nerdiness: 

Nerds:

1. Peter as author? There are some who think Peter is the author of 2 Peter but wasn’t of 1 Peter. They take the rougher language of 2 Peter (rough as in not smooth, not rough as in UPS) as evidence of this. I find it more likely that Silas helped him with the first letter but not with the second.

2. Note how the chapter wraps up talking about the “holy mountain” and the “utterance.” The best view on this would be the Mount of Transfiguration in Matthew 17.

Shepherds and Flocks: 1 Peter 5

In Summary:

Peter concludes his letter with some personal greetings (5:12-14), but not before giving final critical instructions. These open with a “therefore” in verse 1 as Peter charges the elders to shepherd well. In this section, we see the elders commanded to shepherd, and so is one place where we get the idea of “elders” as equivalent to “shepherds” in the church. “Shepherd” being a term that can also come into English as “pastor,” and we see this as addressing (partly) the responsibilities of pastors.

We’ll come back to that, though, in a moment. The next part of the chapter gives instruction to the younger men, which lends itself to understanding “elder men” in the earlier verses as those who are simply that, elder and more mature. The younger men are addressed as needing to move beyond their arrogance and worry, instructions that clearly should be followed by all of us.

Finally, Peter gives the general instruction to be of sober spirit with a warning about the adversary of God’s people. Fortunately, we are given the promise that the adversary will flee if we resist in faith. This should make it clear, though, that our suffering over things of this world is not guaranteed to go away—after all, we’d all resist that. Instead, resistance in faith supports our spiritual walk.

In Focus:

Let’s bring the focus back on the opening verses. Peter speaks to the elders about their actions in leading the church. For the sake of argument, we’ll stick with the idea that “elders” here speaks of a specific group of leaders in the church rather than just those who have been around the longest. I would suggest, though, that in a world where church participation is opposed culturally, legally, and traditionally, those who have been around a long time likely are the most committed and should be the leaders. Also, do not forget that Peter’s writing comes in a time where there would have been older believers who were actual witnesses of the life of Christ, which would even better qualify them for leadership.

That being said, take a look at the instructions to the elders. First, the ownership of the flock. It belongs to God, not to the elders. Likewise, fellow pastors, these are God’s people not ours. Our charge is to defend and feed—the Lord God will decide when it’s time to shear. Second, consider the the statement of “voluntarily” in our service. While there is something to the idea of calling, it remains that we could do something else. So we should dial down our “I sacrifice so much” jabber and work forward. Third, not “lording” it over. The Church of God has ONE Lord. It’s not your pastor. Even you, East End, the church I serve.

What has this to do with those who are not pastors? Quite simple: do not surrender to a pastor what belongs to God. And do not expect from a pastor what only God can do. Your pastor is not to lord things over you, but likewise you cannot expect him to solve every problem like a man with the power to enforce compliance. God’s people have to work together—don’t expect the pastor to save you. Jesus did that already.

In Practice:

1. Pastors, pray for your section of God’s flock and remember you are one of them. And feed them the Word of God.

2. People, pray for your section of God’s flock and your pastors. And feed on the Word of God so that you can recognize when your pastor is right and when he’s not.

In Nerdiness: 

Two things on the nerd side.

1. There is debate about whether or not “elders” and “pastors” are the same group in the church or not. This debate extends to whether or not any of these terms apply technically, that is referring to a specific group at all. They may simply apply to whoever is or does what the term means. There’s big debate on this. Grab a book or two and study up.

2. Note v. 12’s reference to writing through Silvanus. We’re fairly certain that this is Silas, and that Peter used him as a scribe for the letter. One question is how much Silas influenced the wording/structure of 1 Peter. Compare it to 2 Peter, for example. The other is how much Silas’ presence influence Peter in general.

Trouble's Coming: 1 Peter 4

In Summary:

Peter continues with his direct style in 1 Peter 4. I’ve found that it’s actually hard to preach some of these verses, because there is nothing else to say about them. Take 1 Peter 4:9 as an example. Go on, read it. Now, try to figure a way to expound on that for half an hour.

It’s not easy. In fact, it can be done in a few short sentences: be hospitable, welcoming, not dwelling on the faults or problems of others, to the family of faith. And do it without whining about it. End of story. Get to work.

The rest of the chapter may need a bit more explanation, like how “love covers a multitude of sins” but that our own love doesn’t cover enough. It takes the love of Christ, acted on at the Cross.

Further, Peter is straightforward that the Christian is not to live according to the moral foundations (or lack thereof) common to pagans. He is not one for nuance or sensitivity here. Perhaps his own experience showed that some weaknesses should be addressed by challenging them, not coddling them.

In Focus:

Let us put 1 Peter 4:12-17 in focus. Here, Peter warns that trouble will be coming for the people of God. This, even after telling them 3:13 that there should be no one to harm them for doing good. The trouble will not be light and fluffy either. Peter expresses that it will be a fiery ordeal.

And that it comes “for your testing.” This contrasts the ordeal of the believers with the trouble that falls on criminals. Further, apparently not everyone in the church was truly on the up and up. Peter warns them not to be counted a murderer, thief, evildoer, or troublesome meddler.

The question for the church was this, “Would you rather be blessed for being reviled for Christ, or be comfortable?” Peter warns them to take heed of the issue.

In Practice:

In practice, the Universal Church (all the redeemed of all the ages) has never seen a time without fiery ordeals. There have been seasons and locations of ease, like many years in the United States have been, but always there have been members of the family of faith who could not lightly hold their confession. As those seasons and locations of safety shift, it is worth asking ourselves the same question: Would you rather be blessed for being reviled for Christ, or be comfortable?

You see, a comfortable church does not always shake the world as we ought to. Once we start trying to make peace with the world that we are supposed to be “alien” from, we start sliding away from our home country. It is simply not possible to be at peace with a world that lives as enemies of Christ. Now, there is no reason for us to be the riff-raff of this world. Just like those movie villains who think their “diplomatic immunity” allows them to be criminals without consequence, so we must acknowledge that consequences come from breaking the laws that are against evil, and we have no place to complain of those.

And the troubles that come for being Christians? (Peter is the only New Testament writer to refer to the church as “Christians.” Luke records that others refer to the church as Christians in Acts.) That trouble is coming, and will purify the church. It is part of the judgment of God that clears out those who do not truly belong in the family of faith.

Is it comfortable? No. It should not be, because our hope is not for a smooth life here but for a life that glorifies God for eternity.

In Nerdiness: 

A few quick points: 4:17 echoes Ezekiel and Malachi’s warning that God will judge the priests first for misleading the people. Given Peter’s view of all the believers as a kingdom of priests, we should understand this as referring to the need for a church that walks as purely after Christ as possible.

4:18 echoes Proverbs 11:31. And note that throughout, Peter is still more focused on encouraging and challenging the church to be like Jesus and fulfill His call than he is on helping them avoid trouble.

Who we are more than what we do: 1 Peter 3

In Summary:

This chapter of 1 Peter opens with a controversial idea, follows it up with a controversial idea, and then finishes with some controversy about Noah and baptism. It’s almost like the author did not have a major problem pushing controversy into the situation! Of course, based on what we know of Peter, I doubt that anyone is surprised by this.

1 Peter 3 works its way through several of the practical concepts of obedience for the Christian life. He starts with instructions about living at home, because life begins where you live. Which sounds cliche, and is, but it’s also true. If you are not demonstrating your beliefs at home, then you are most likely not doing them any justice in the wider world.

From there, Peter goes on to express how our expression of faith should look in life generally lived. He addresses the issue of doing good, even in a pagan world. This occupies vv. 13-14, that no one should cause difficulties for those who are doing right, but even if they do, then so what? Do what is right anyway.

Peter then connects the idea of the once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus with the once-for-all salvation through the ark during the flood, including a parallel with baptism that causes some consternation. At first look, he may be promoting the idea that baptism saves, but some suggest he refers to the “baptism of the Holy Spirit,” which results automatically in salvation, rather than baptism in water done to signify salvation.


In Focus:

Take a long, hard look at 1 Peter 3:8-9. Read it again, and again. Why? For these reasons:

First, to add context to the household passages that precede it. We usually go strip-mine the Scripture for soundbites to address one specific issue. The problem is that we miss the wider context of the passage. For example, the opening of this chapter speaks to wives about submission, then husbands about serving wives. But you have to put it together with this: instructions about how all of us should live in light of grace. There is no fear in submitting to one who is kindhearted and humble in spirit; there is no difficulty in living together with one who is harmonious. If we would proactively do our side of the Scriptural commands, the other side can work itself out.

Second, to see character traits we need to cultivate. Note that these are not actions to fulfill so much as ideals to live out. Over and over again, we see this concept in Scripture: the character of the disciple is formed by the Spirit, driven by the Word, and is the same in all people who claim the name of Christ. This passage is one of those places. How it works out may change, slightly, through time and culture but the characteristics remain the same. Our character, though, works in to out and is not an imposed issue from the outside. That’s the difference between Christian living and legalistic living. The outer may look the same, but Christian living forms from the inside rather than forces its way in from the outside.


In Practice:

Practically speaking, it is like the difference in rubbing lotion on your skin for moisturizing and drinking enough water to stay hydrated. Occasionally, the outer is helpful but it cannot fix the inner deficit. You cannot rub enough lotion to make up for your water intake. You have to change inside working out.

Therefore, we study the Scripture and let the character of Christ form in us. We also acknowledge that problems may come our way just because the world is not on our side. If someone cannot allow us to live out the character of Christ, what is it to us? We are His emissaries, strangers in a foreign world. He will attend to the issue.


In Nerdiness: 

So much worth nerding off on in this chapter. There’s the assumption of the reality of Noah and his global flood experience—one more place where we either must accept the Old Testament at face value or explain off a New Testament author’s ignorance. There’s the question of “preaching to spirits in bondage” in 3:19. There are the issues of male/female relationships in the opening section.

Leaving the first two for further study, consider these truths on the male/female issues. 1. “Your own husbands” could be as much about ignoring the whims of the outside male-dominated world and listening to your God-honoring husband instead; 2. “Adorn yourselves with…” is a reflection not merely on modesty but glorifying God and not flouting wealth; 3. There’s plenty of responsibility on the husbands’ part, and there is nothing here about enforcing or coercing behavior.

Study it, keep it with other Scripture, and honor the Lord above all else.

Baby Stone Sheep! 1 Peter 2

In Summary:

Peter, unlike Paul, does not spend as much time on the theological background issues of his epistle. Instead, as we see in 1 Peter 2:1-3, he comes rapidly to the point of action as he commands his audience to put aside evil actions and words. This is not prefaced with a long instruction about why—Peter gives the “why” after this: “if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.”

He then goes on to summarize the Christian life with three examples. The first is that we are to live as newborns, desiring to feast on the pure Word. The second is to be as stones that are used to build up the house of the Lord Jesus. This is likely done in parallel to Psalm 118 and the references to the rejected stone that became the cornerstone, which Peter applies to Jesus.

(I once heard this related to a story from the construction of Solomon’s Temple, where the builders found that a stone they felt was useless was actually the perfect finishing stone for the building. I can’t find that reference, though, so I offer that as only a faint memory.)

The third parallel with Christian life is at the end of the chapter where we are compared with wandering sheep. We were continually straying, Peter says, but have now returned to our Shepherd. Sheep sometimes wander—especially if they are distracted—and need to be sought out by their shepherd. Fortunately for us, if Peter is right, our Shepherd not only sought us but also took the penalty for our wandering in His own body (1 Peter 2:24).

In Focus:

Peter’s middle segment draws a couple of important points up, and I think I’ll deal with some of it in a separate post. Here, let us put 1 Peter 2:16-17 under our focus. We see a summary command: live as free people, not using freedom for evil, but to serve God.

From that point, Peter develops four commands that express how he expected the believers to do this. Some translations make this verse one long sentence, as the NASB. Others, like ESV, make four sentences. Then there’s the NLT, which makes v. 17 into two sentences.

Which I think suggests a useful possibility for understanding. Look at the verse in ESV:

“Honor everyone.
Love the brotherhood.
Fear God.
Honor the emperor.”

Now, look at the verse in the NLT:

“Respect everyone, and love the family of believers. Fear God, and respect the king.”

Leaving aside whether it’s appropriate to translate “brotherhood” into “family of believers” or the lesser concern of “king” or “emperor,” look at how the ESV makes a series of commands while the NLT makes a pair of contrasting commands.

The first pairing is that everyone should be respected (or honored,) but the family of faith is deserving of special love. The second suggests that God is worthy of fear, and the king only deserves respect.

This shows the differences in how Christians, as aliens, interact with the world around them. We are not antagonistic toward the wider world, nor towards its rulers. Instead, we respect and honor these as appropriate.

However, our hearts quicken even more as we deal with our folks—the family of of faith, the brotherhood of believers. And our respect for the king never eclipses our reverent fear of the Lord God Almighty.

In Practice:

What does this contrast look like in practice? Here are a few thoughts:

1. Love bears with it a sense of intimacy, while respect and honor do not. My closest struggles and greatest successes should be shared with the family of faith more than the wider world. Likewise, my dearest friends should come from within the household, including those of you who are seeking a spouse. We should develop respectful friendships with anyone—but that deeper love? It has a home.

2. There are times when decisions require prioritizing relationships. While I do respect my completely pacifistic brethren in Christ, I am not from that branch of the family. Instead, I think there is a time that violence is regrettably necessary. And the hierarchy falls along the lines of honoring all but loving the family: I would stand with a weapon between violent people and the children’s department at church. My love for the family overrides my respect for the wider world.

3. This extends to the question of obedience to authorities. My respect for the emperor (used here for any government, not as a comment on the behavior of current American government people) is crucial, but I must fear God above the emperor, putting the needs of the Kingdom of God above the needs of the nation. Therefore, I might pray for a strong dollar to aid mission efforts though it is not better for exporters and the economy. Or I might pray for a longer negotiation with other nations at the cost of national prestige if it allows the spread of the Gospel.

Those are just some examples of how that might look in practice.

In Nerdiness: 

Not a lot of words left for nerdiness—let’s grab a few translation issues.

First, the word NASB renders “aliens” in 2:11 is not the same as the word rendered “aliens” in 1:1. There may be exegetical significance in the difference, and there may not be. 2:11 reflects those who reside away from home while 1:1 has the context of those who reside temporarily out of place. Of interest is that the word rendered “strangers” in 2:11 is the same Greek word as “alien” in 1:1. This is a good example of context driving meaning, and the lack of one-to-one equivalence between languages.

Second, the word rendered “honor” or “respect” in 2:17 is one of those that had shades of meaning even in its own day. It appears to be descended from the Classical Greek word that included “fear,” even though “fear” has its own word, “phobeo,” in Koine Greek. The Classical Greek word figures in the expression of “I fear the Greeks, even when they bring gifts,” going back to the Trojan War saga.

Aliens? 1 Peter 1

In Summary:

We finished Luke a few weeks back, and I’ve been wrestling over how to get into the next book installment of Through the Whole Bible here on the blog. I’ve covered three of the Gospels, Acts, and a few Pauline Epistles. I’m almost done with the Pentateuch (finally!) on the Old Testament side. I’m not ready to tackle Revelation here…I may even pull a Calvin and not ever do Revelation! (Seriously, there are 46 Logos volumes, or 23 print volumes, of Calvin’s Commentaries. He stops at Jude.)

I thought we’d take a trip together into 1 and 2 Peter for the next few months. I’ve written a bit before, in fragments, on Peter’s Epistles (see here), but not as part of this series. As with any of the New Testament Epistles, it’s hard to get past the first verse without camping out. We’ll throw 1 Peter 1:1 under the In Focus section, then, and try to summarize the rest of chapter 1.

Which will not be simple. Peter writes to the church-at-large, rather than to a specific local church. He highlights the mercy of God amid trials (v.4-6) and goes on to emphasize the continuity of the Christian message with the prophets of old.

We also see that Peter is concerned that the believers evidence their faith by acting on it. He does not suggest social improvement projects or joyful community service. From v. 13-19 the command is to live out the holiness of God through a mind prepared for action, with fear of God, and in recognition of God’s impending judgment of humanity.

The chapter concludes with a reminder of the eternal nature of the Word of God, including a reference to Isaiah 40 and the statement that the “Word of the Lord endures forever.” It was a good reminder to those he called “aliens” back in verse 1.

In Focus:

Let us take the focus light and shine it on 1 Peter 1:1. The first point that rises is “Peter.” Peter, whose life changed as he started following Jesus back on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. Peter. If you know the Gospels, you’ve heard of Peter. There are whole volumes written about his life, his work, his theology, and his legacy.

What I would focus on in this: Peter opens with his name. Yes, it is the standard pattern of letters in the time. Except for Hebrews and 1-3 John, that is. You see, anonymous was possible—we even accept all four anonymous Gospels, though our traditions tell us the authors. Peter could have posted this to churches that knew him and would have listened.

But he chose to be clear about who it was from. To invoke his legacy, his whole legacy, into the message. He made it personal, not by making it about him but by being clear the message is from him.

The second point of focus is the reference to believers as “aliens.” I’m glad “Christian” stuck as the label, but I could go with alien. Wrapped up in this label are all the things we ought to be: different but present; obvious but similar; foreign but respectful. That sums up the Christian life.

In Practice:

Two quick notes on practice from these focused points. First, make the message personal. It’s not about you, it’s about Jesus—that is absolutely true. But if you are not personally involved in living and proclaiming the message, what are you doing? And what are you hiding from?

Second, be an alien. Your thought processes, your actions, your attitudes, all ought to be different as a Christian. And it should be clearly visible to the people around you. Aliens stand out—aliens in residence do their best to respect the indigenous population but remain true to their heritage. Do the same.

In Nerdiness: 

A pair of nerd notes:

1. Most of the locations mentioned are in modern-day Turkey. That’s not exhaustive, but a good generalization.

2. The consensus of my sources is that Peter writes this, likely with the aid of Silas (Silvanus, 5:12). Overall, there’s no definite reason to remove the writing of this letter from Peter’s lifetime and ministry. Many of the grammatical/vocabulary arguments are blurred when one considers the work of Silas as an amanuensis.

And an unpaired note: probably, Peter writes this with Silas around the early 60s AD. It’s likely Peter was in Rome at the time, but not under any form of arrest or threat. That comes a bit later.

2 Peter 3:3-6

3 knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. 4 They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” 5 For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, 6 and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished.

2 Peter 3:3-6 (ESV)

 

Ok, we recently took a look at verses 1 and 2, and now let's go on to these 4.  Here we see a few things to be aware of:

1.  Scoffers will come and scoff.  NASB has mockers and mock, but either way it's the same basic meaning: people will come and say mean things.  In fact, they'll say mean things with the explicit intention of hurting your feelings.  Guess what?  You will not stop them, and you should expect them.  These folks are following their own desires.

2.  These scoffers will come at your most preciously held ideas.  For the early church, I think that the most encouraging thing they held to was the Return of Christ.  I would be inclined to believe that when the Church is truly persecuted, the hope of heaven is a major highpoint in their theology.  (side note: easy Christianity like we have in America leads to nonsense like prosperity preachers.  More on that elsewhere.)  So, where do the scoffers in Peter's day attack? Right on the hope of eternity.  Right on the hope that God will come in mercy and justice.  Where is the day?

Likewise we see today that scoffers and mockers come after God's people: "Where's God in this tragedy?"  "Where's God when this happens?" "Where was God on 9/11 or in Katrina or during your heart attack or your bankruptcy?"  "Where was God when your pastor failed or sinned or treated you sinfully?"

Guess what?  These people aren't really looking for answers.  Some of them might listen, and might be moved by the answers, but they're mainly trying to derail you.  Provide an answer based on your faith, and move on.  Don't argue, and don't wallow in it.

Notice this also: they fail to notice contrary evidence.  Now, we have to be careful to avoid the same thing, and cannot cavalierly dismiss legitimate questions or doubts, but many who attack people of faith have no interest in evidence.  They want argument, they want bickering, but they don't want debate and evidence.

So, don't be shocked when mockers come.  Don't be shocked when they miss your point.  But don't let them derail you.  Challenge, yes.  Help you to grow, yes.  Just don't let their failure to notice the hand of God in the world cause you to miss Him.

Doug

2 Peter 3:1-2

The Day of the Lord Will Come

3:1 This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, 2 that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles,

2 Peter 3:1-2 (ESV)

Ok, I'm back.  Hopefully for good.  I've got some book reviews to drop on you in the next few weeks, and I feel like you should get some more original content and not just book commercials.  I'll try to get a post updating you on life here in a day or two, but for now, I wanted to share a few thoughts from the above verses in 2 Peter.

Peter here shares that he's writing to stir up his audience.  He wants them not just to learn, not just to sit and listen, but to respond.  Now, to be stirred up can be good and it can be, well, not-so-good.  Consider this:

1.  Stirred up hornets: not-so-good.  They are agitated and vicious.  I'm sure Peter sometimes stirred up people like hornets get stirred.  Now, if the hornets need to be moved, it's a necessary not-so-good.

2.  Stirred up chocolate milk: good. Otherwise, you have powdered NesQuik on the bottom, and weak flavor throughout.  Sometimes, we need stirred to blend in the things that have been added, to put them to good use.

3.  Stirred up casseroles: not-so-good.  If it's supposed to have layers, and you stir it, you can mix what shouldn't be mixed.  It's not totally destructive, but it can cause a few problems.  Of course, in the end, you can't eat it without mixing it, so you're going to stir it some.  Just realize, stirred might be practical, but it isn't pretty.

4.  Stirred up rice: good.  If you don't stir it, it sticks, the bottom burns, and the whole thing is wasted.  Guess what?  Sometimes we need stirred so that we don't burn on part of us and waste everything.  Same thing holds with a church as a group.

Now, that's some thoughts on stirring things up.  Two other things to consider:

Peter refers to the readers' sincere mind.  He doesn't seek to create waffle-minded folks.  He's not out for flimsy efforts.  He's out for a mind, a will, that is sincere, resolute, committed to the task.  That is what he wants stirred up.  Let's stir up sincerity and commitment in ourselves.

The other is that he is writing by way of reminder.  This is something that I need to keep on my daily list.  I'm not supposed to be creating new as a preacher so much as finding ways to help people remember what God has said.  It's important.  Why?  Because life isn't really about reminders.  I have an application on my Blackberry that serves to remind me what I need to get at Wal-mart.  I use it, it helps.  Do I celebrate the reminder program? Not really, I celebrate what it helps me remember: the things Ann wants me to get.  It strengthens my relationship, which is what matters.

The same way, I want to preach, write, teach, and live so as to be a reminder of who Jesus Christ is.  I want to stir up the will of people to be sincere in their following of Christ, and then fade, knowing their focus is on Him.

 

Doug

Credit where credit is due

Have you ever seen the Tim Allen/Sigourney Weaver movie GalaxyQuest?  It's actually been out several years.  How many?  Enough that the DVD is in the $5 bin at Wal-Mart.  Ann and I recently watched it for the first time in several years after we got it through our Netflix membership.

As you watch the film, and if you like Star Trek or other space-type movies, you should, there's a scene where Alan Rickman has saved some of the good guys from certain destruction.  Rickman is one of the crew that works for Tim Allen's character, much like Spock to Kirk.  As Rickman enters the room, the crowd begins to cheer their rescuer…and they cheer Allen.  Rickman drops his head and mutters "That's just not fair." (I'd link the scene, but you need the rest of the film for it to make sense, and I can't link the whole film.)

Sometimes, we don't get credit for the things we do.  The truth is, though, sometimes we don't deserve credit.  Today, I want to look at another verse in 1 Peter: 

12 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

1 Peter 2:12 (ESV)

Notice a few things here:

1.  Peter has commanded the believers about how they behave among the Gentiles.  The word was "honorable."  That means, for those of you keeping score, worthy of honor.  It's behavior that the Gentiles can't help but approve.  It means an adherence to a standard of behavior that is knowable and known inside and outside the church.

2.  Peter has notified the believers that the same ones who they behave honorably among will call them evildoers.  And "speak" here isn't just a "blast them in the Facebook comment stream" term.  It's a legal term.  "Speak" as in "file a legal charge against."  Your honorable behavior will cause you to stand out, and, as such, be a target for the Gentiles to go after.

3.  Peter has identified the divide in the world.  The Jews saw the world as Jews or Gentiles.  I think the New Testament, especially the Epistles, begin to use "Gentile" to refer to those not in the church, excluding Jews that weren't.  That's probably more of a paper for school to explain it than a blog post, but I think you can see in the New Testament 3 groups: Jews, Believers, and Gentiles.  Jews are an ethnic group and partakers in a belief system.  Gentiles are all non-Jews, so another ethnic group.  Believers are those who follow Christ, and come from either ethnic group.  I could be wrong, but I think that's right.

4.  Peter has pointed to the right place for glory.  Now we get back to our opening movie scene.  In the movie, Tim Allen gets credit, though it's due Alan Rickman.  In our lives, when we do good things, credit rightly belongs to God our King.  As such, while we may think it's not fair, it's actually very fair.  We are capable of doing good and right things because God has made us in His image, and we're free to do things that please God because He has redeemed us.  Rather than be exasperated, we should be happy that God is praised.

5.  Peter has, finally, warned us: a day of "visitation" is coming.  And I don't think he means happy church members with fresh-baked bread for those who came to church for the first time last week.  I see the two-fold meaning here: A.  When the Spirit of God "visits" and draws someone to Christ.  If they have seen us be honorable, they will more likely give glory to God and accept Him.  B.  When God returns to judge men according to their deeds. 

 

I hope to live my life today to give glory and credit where it is due: to the God who has made me, rather to live in such a way that I must take the blame for failing Him.

 

Doug

1 Peter 1:3-5 Part II

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4 to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,
5 who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

1 Peter 1:3-5 (NASB)

 

A few more thoughts here:

1.  "Has caused us to be born again."  Our regeneration and new life in Christ is caused by the work of God.  It is really nothing at all to our credit that we've been born again, any more than a child really chooses their own birthday.  Somehow, in His mercy, God has made the starting effort to bring us to Him.

2.  "To a living hope."  Not a dead hope, not a passive hope, but a living hope.  I'm taking this, personally, as a comfort that the hope we have in Christ is not just static, but able to fill whatever void we're feeling in our hearts.  We're not handed a hope that only hits one point.  True, it's based in eternity, but the hope spreads from there to replace false hopes in current lifetimes.  I should be allowing the living hope from God to grow and replace the hopes I've pinned on earthly sources. 

3.  "An inheritance."  You don't gain an inheritance without someone's death.  And it's not yours by your own virtue, but rather by the decedent's gift.  We have the advantage of both, though: Christ's death bought us our inheritance, yet He lives still! And we shall come into the fullness of our inheritance when we've died.

4.  "Protected by the power of God."  Realize something important here:  We are not saved by the strength of our faith.  In fact, based on Ephesians 2:8-9, we're saved by faith that is the gift of God.  So, our salvation and inheritance are good as long as God's power is intact.  So is His work in perfecting us to the image and likeness of Christ.

 

That's where I am going through Peter today and for the past few days.  More to come, hopefully at a quicker pace!

Doug

1 Peter 1:3-5

Born Again to a Living Hope

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

1 Peter 1:3-5 (ESV)

A few things to note here:

1.  "Blessed be" is more of an observation than a command.  It's the essence, really, of our worship of God.  We don't add anything to God by worshipping Him.  This doesn't mean we don't do it, just that we're doing is expressing realities, not inventing them.  This is why you can worship God with new songs or old ones: as long as they are connected with the truth of who God is, and He doesn't change, they're valid. It depends, of course, on where your heart is.  But you're not adding to God by worship.  You're recognizing the reality that is already there.  Peter is observing that God is blessed, not blessing God.

2.  "our Lord Jesus Christ" is an essential here.  Peter is an eyewitness of the Resurrection.  He's been with Jesus face-to-face, was called by name, and even had his name changed, by Christ.  He's the first one to really confess "You are the Christ!" about Jesus.  Yet he doesn't identify "my Lord Jesus Christ, and yours too" or any other differential.  He equates himself among his fellow believers.  Did he have some authority as a preacher and teacher?  Certainly!  He taught the Word, and rightfully received respect and honor from doing so.  Moreover, when he presented truth and instruction, he most likely had a reasonable expectation that people would follow those instructions. 

However, he's still one of all who follow "our Lord Jesus Christ."  We fall into several errors these days.  One is that our leaders are always right when our leaders aren't always right.  Another is that we need no leaders at all, since we're all part of the priesthood of believers.  Find the balance.  Respect, listen, compare to Scripture, but realize that God might just have placed that leader in your life to guide you.

3.  "According to his great mercy" is where we'll stop: never forget that what God did for us through Christ at Calvary was to be merciful to us.  He has never owed us a favor, and nothing we do puts God in our debt.  It is according to His mercy, His great mercy, that we continue on.  We live our lives in response to this mercy.  We sometimes act like our actions make God obligated to us.  If we go to church, He's obligated to give us a great week.  If we tithe, He's obligated to balance out our finances.  Actually, we're obligated to His mercy to count 100% of our money and 7 days of our week as His.

There's obviously more here.  Hopefully next week will bring the opportunity to address it!

 

Doug

1 Peter 1:2

Thought I'd abandoned this line of thought, didn't you?  Not quite.

I'd like to focus on the closing line of Peter's greeting: "May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure."  (1 Peter 1:2)

What is he talking about here?  Well, let's break it down.  I'm seeing, as us preachers are typically taught to see, 3 major points:

1.  Grace:  Grace is being treated differently than we deserve to be.  Too often we are caught up in our own rights and privileges, as if we have earned these.  Whether we take God's word for it or Jefferson's, our rights are ours not by merit or effort, but by the endowment of our Creator.  Now, certain rights are secured by the efforts of mankind, but others are not subject to human effort at all, but come only through the work of God.  This is the grace of God: that for the rights we need, He provides them.  What right is that?  For the image of God in all of us to be loosed to come out past the corruption of sin.  This is grace. 

2.  Peace: not just absence of external conflict.  First, absence of internal conflict: the victory of the work of the Holy Spirit within us over the effects of sin to block us from the Word of God.  Second, the absence of conflict with our fellow man: the combined effort we strike forward to expand the Kingdom of God ought to put us at peace with our fellow followers of Christ.  Consider this: if you ever watched "Band of Brothers" on HBO about the 101st Airborne, all of the personality conflicts faded when the enemy bullets started flying.  We live in the presence, always, of our mission.  When we get done, we'll have time and energy to bicker.  Of course, my reading of the end of the book is that we won't want to, but that's another matter.  Finally, and most importantly, we're talking about absence of conflict with God.  We've been His enemies.  No longer.  We're on His side.

And peace goes a step deeper: above, I've called it all "absence of conflict."  It's really not.  It's the presence of right relationship.  If you have any relationships, you know the difference, and the blessing of real peace.  It's not just that my wife and I aren't fighting.  It's that we're all the way okay with each other.  I wouldn't call myself at "peace" with President Obama, but neither am I at "war" with him.  We're not in any personal relationship at all.  This is the peace Peter's talking about: a personal level of peace, not merely a legal or technical peace.  A personal state of having a right relationship.

3.  Yours in Fullest Measure:  By the work of God, we have these 2 things, grace and peace, without deficit.  There is no follower of Christ that must do without grace from God or peace with God.  We often choose to neglect these things, especially peace with our fellow believers, but we don't have to do so.  They are yours, they are ours to have.  Not just enough, but the fullest measure. 

 

Let's focus on this.  It's a good thing.

 

Doug

1 Peter 1:2

Reams of paper and digital ink have been spilled over the words at the end of 1 Peter 1:1 and the beginning of 1:2.  There's even been blood, unfortunately, spilled over this:

Who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father.  1 Peter 1:1-2

 

Now, what's the problem?  Well, the problem comes in the "chosen" part.  We as people like to believe we're in control of our lives, that we're ultimately in charge of our own destiny.

Yet, how does this reconcile with being "chosen?"  I, for one, cannot fully answer you.  I firmly believe that God is more capable of ruling the universe than I am.  So, we'll pass on that.  It represents one of the pitfalls in Biblical study: you can bog yourself down trying to solve one argument and miss reading and doing what you can actually understand.

So, let's take a look at the rest:

1.  The foreknowledge of God the Father: this is God as we understand we are to pray to.  Without His foreknowledge, our prayers would be fairly useless.  If He has all resources, but not foreknowledge, where might that leave us? With a God who will be glad to do something about your problem, once He's had a chance to adjust to it.  Rather, God's foreknowledge means that He is able to supply what we truly need when we truly need it.  Now, you and I both know neither of us truly need that new Corvette.  Need.

2.  The sanctification of the Holy Spirit: we are being made holy by the power of God.  It is not something we can do by ourselves or for ourselves.  It must be done in us by God Almighty.

3.  To obey Jesus Christ: this is our responsibility.  We cannot make ourselves holy.  We can, however, obey Christ and His commands.  That is our responsibility.  Let God do the rest.

 

What ways do we get bogged down on arguments when we could be obedient?

 

Doug

1 Peter 1:1-2

Continuing an intended long look through 1 Peter, I'm still in verse 1.  Yep.  3 weeks, and I'm still commenting on the first verse.  I've read more, but I'm still here.  Partly because the SBC had a negative impact on my blogging time.  Well, the SBC and the 16-hour road trip to get there.  So, 1 Peter 1:1-2:

¹Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen

²according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and besprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.

Three words stood out to me:

1.  Reside: I started thinking of the time I spent living "in residence" in college. The train of thought moved on to that time in medical school called "residency."  Both evoke the idea of someone living, working, and studying in a place not their home.  That their is a defined time and purpose that one is somewhere, and when it is completed, you go home.  Not a return to your home of origin, but your home of destination.  Home for me is no longer where I left to attend college, rather it's where I am.

2.  Scattered:  First thought: hash browns at the Waffle House.  Seriously.  Then, on to spices and seasonings in food.  Perhaps propaganda agents in enemy territory or lights across a field.  Scattered: you can have your hash browns at Waffle House scattered, instead of in the big greasy mass they are cooked in.  This allows for flavors to be added, and for the grease to subside (not much, but just enough).  Meanwhile, you scattered salt across fries, but you don't eat it straight up (at least you shouldn't).  If you sought to spread the truth of God's love (or even a lesser truth) into North Korea, you'd spread out your people, and it takes less power to light a room from multiple sources than to cluster the light in one place.  Scattering may distance us from those who are like minded, but it gives us more impact.  And, like the hash browns, it opens us up to receive flavor and impact from other sources.

3.  Chosen:  We are chosen in Christ.  We'll not hash and rehash all the ins-and-outs of Calvinism and predestination.  Suffice it to say that here in Scripture is an expression that followers of Christ are chosen by God.  Recognize that there exist other Scriptures that explain this choice is consistent with justice and the free agency of man.  The point is this: I've been selected to do something.  It is not my place to argue my own qualifications or abilities.  If I were incompetent for the task, I would not have been chosen to do it.  If I were not being made capable, I would not have been chosen to do it. (note, I'll not use "elected" here.  We elect incompetent people all the time in America.)  Now, am I able on my own?  Nonsense.  I'm able by the power of Christ.

 

Now, we're residing, scattered, and chosen.  What are we doing about it?

 

Doug

1 Peter 1:1 Part II

So yesterday we looked at the opening of 1 Peter.  Now, into the verse:

Peter addresses his letter to "those who reside as aliens in " and goes on to list several Roman provinces.  They're all in what is now Turkey, but we'll leave geography for the present time.  Instead, what about residing as aliens?

The first thing that comes to my mind, having been raised in the Star Wars/Star Trek era is, of course, ALIENS!!  You know, critters from another planet.  Whether benign ones like ET or bad ones like the Borg.  Aliens.  Sometimes like Vulcans, sometimes Klingons.  Sometimes Wookiees or Jawas or Gungans or….well, you get the picture.  Hopefully.  If not, go watch Star Wars and take in the cantina scene.  That's aliens.  Watch Star Trek VI and see the clash of cultures.  The fact is that aliens stick out, because they don't belong.  They have their own rules of conduct, manner of dress, and language.  They even have their own dietary requirements!

The next thing about aliens is our current national debate about immigration.  Typically, alien is used in conjunction with illegal, though the term is a legal term for any non-citizen.  People on the right-side (right as opposed to left) are concerned that the flood of aliens causes these problems: they won't live like us, they won't speak our language, and if they keep coming, they will turn our entire nation into one just like their home culture.

Finally, the whole context of alien makes me think of various movie encounters with aliens. Rarely is anyone the same of encountering an alien.  Whether it's Lonestar encountering Yogurt (Spaceballs) or Murtaugh and Riggs encountering the Hongs (Lethal Weapon 4), lives are radically different after the interaction.

So what does that mean for us?

If we are aliens in this world, then the same things should be evident in us:

1.  A different culture: including language, dress, and priorities.  Why should we look just like everyone else and sound like everyone else?  We're supposed to be different. 

2.  A subversive mindset: it ought to be our long-term goal to never assimilate ourselves, but rather to demonstrate by word and deed the value of assimilating to our culture.  Note: the culture of following Christ.  Not American culture.  There's a huge difference that's only getting larger there.

3.  A challenging interaction: people that interact with Christians ought to be able to know that they've been with Christians, and ought to be challenged to become like Christ from the encounter.  Not be annoyed by Christ.  Changed by Christ.  There's a pretty important difference there to!

 

I leave at 5 tomorrow morning for the SBC.  I hope to be back online by Sunday afternoon, but no  promises.  Pray for us.  We in the SBC have the most resources of any Evangelical group (I think) that could be used for the Kingdom of God.  Instead, we spend a lot of it bickering and on personal empire building.  It's got to stop, but this year doesn't look much better.

 

Doug

1 Peter 1:1

Ok, I'm going to try and take a different angle on the blog for a few weeks.  I've started reading through 1 Peter and I'm going to focus on sharing my thoughts about it.  There may be a few comments about life in general, but I'm wanting to stay focused.  Why?

Well, let's look at 1 Peter 1:1 to start with: "Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,"  and then he goes on to address the specific audience. I'll touch on that in a different post.

Peter had a great many things he could have worried about.  The Roman Empire wasn't exactly godly.  There were problems among churches and church leaders.  There were economic issues and other problems.

Yet he identifies himself first and foremost as "an apostle of Jesus Christ."  I want to be more like that.  I have allowed myself to spend a lot of time catching up and trying to stay current on SBC issues, American Christianity issues, and politics.

And I'm tired.  Really.  It's been too much of a distraction from what's important.  And I'm not convincing anyone, am I?  Not likely.  So, I want to focus on what matters most: being a representative of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Will I refrain from all political, social, or conventional commentary?  No way.  There are things that we need to deal with in our lives, both individually and corporately.

Rather, I'm wanting to look to the Word of God first, then come to the blog.  It will make for better days for me, and make me a better person.  Hopefully that means a better blog reading experience for you, my faithful reader. 

Thanks for reading!

 

Doug