Hope in Hard Times: 1 Peter 1:1-9
Sunday, January 10, 2016
CONVERSATION GUIDE:
First Peter is an exercise in pastoral care, offered
from one sufferer to the fellowship of sufferers
abroad.1 The epistle is persecution literature,
written to churches in Asia Minor, encouraging
them toward an attitude of patience and endurance,
and for specific social situations that existed in the
second half of the first century A.D. The author
begins and ends the letter with reference to
suffering because persecution was so prevalent. As
we will read in the first few verses, he presents it as
the immediate idea of his letter.2
1. Do you generally talk of salvation as past,
present or future? (e.g. past: “I was saved when
I was in high school…”)
2. Define: exile, foreknowledge and sanctification.
READ 1 Peter 1:1-9. Note: In the Greek text,
verses 3 through 12 are one long, complex
sentence; therefore, this passage can be dissected
into three subparts: verses 3-5, 6-7 & 8-9.
DISCUSS
1. To whom is Peter writing? (v. 1) Why might he
use that term?
2. In verse 2, Peter uses the phrase, “sprinkled
with His blood” referring to Christ. What is the
background of this phrase, “sprinkled with
blood” and what does it signify, especially for a
first century Jew? (Scan Hebrews 9 and
Leviticus 4 for more insight.)
Because of their faith in Jesus, the purpose of
First Peter is to encourage suffering Christians
to expect and endure trials and persecution.
They will undoubtedly encounter suffering.
Persecution has awakened a great gentleness and a
noble submission to the will of God in the author.
He knows that his audience needs a larger
perspective, so he helps them to see their grateful
place in the context of God’s plan for history, a
privilege not yet achieved, but promised, and to be
granted, by God’s grace.3
Suffering is not God’s “slap on the wrist” for sinful
behavior4 nor is it to be over-spiritualized as
enjoyable. Sufferings function as the crucible for
faith5 and in them, because of the salvation that
awaits, the Christian can rejoice.
Theologically, the opening blessing of God for
what he has done (namely, created a new people)
places the new life in contrast with the old life with
its dead hope, its perishable inheritance and its
unreliable salvation.6
The inheritance for the Christian is imperishable,
undefiled, unfading and kept. This unmatched
inheritance is the eschatological hope of all
believers7. It is presently guarded in heaven, for us,
to be revealed in the last time. Peter uses the
strongest possible adjectives to assure the reader of
its guaranteed reward and parallels the inheritance
of verse 4 to the hope of verse 3. The living hope
of Christians is their present inheritance.
3. Who “caused us to be born again?” (v. 3)
APPLY
1. What reassurance or hope do you find in 1:3-5?
4. What are four characteristics of our
inheritance? (v. 4) Define and describe each
one.
2. Is your joy and love based on faith or sight (v.
8)? Explain.
5. What tests the genuineness of your faith? (vv.
6-7) For what purpose? (v. 7b)
6. The primary parallel in verse 8 is between the
verbs “to love” and “to rejoice.” What is the
connection of the object of the love, whom
they have never seen, with the cause for
rejoicing?
1
2
Witherington, Letters and Homilies, 86.
1 Peter 1:6, 1 Peter 5:10
3. What is said of Peter’s readers in verse 8? Can
this be said of you?
God in his mercy has made us alive with Christ. He
calls us children by the resurrection of Jesus. It is
no wonder that Peter begins in praise, “Blessed be
the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!”
Boring, I Peter, 65.
John 9:1-3
5 Schreiner, The New American Commentary, 67.
6 Achtemeier, 1 Peter, 92
7 Ephesians 1:11-14; Galatians 3:18; Colossians 1:12; 3:24
3
4
1
Hope in Hard Times: 1 Peter 1:1-9
Sunday, January 10, 2016
HOMEWORK THIS WEEK:
WHY?
To reflect more fully on the meaning of the text
and how it applies to you personally.
Day 1: MEMORIZE
“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,”
~ 1 Peter 1:3, ESV
Day 2: READ
Compare James 1:2-4 and 1 Peter 1:6-7. Both
passages discuss suffering and joy in close
proximity.
How do you have joy in the midst of suffering or
trials? What would this look like for you in your life
right now?
Read 1 Peter 1:13-21. Next week’s sermon: Living
Differently.
Day 3: EXERCISE
Read 1 Peter (in one sitting if possible), inviting the
Holy Spirit to reveal God’s truth to you. Ask God
for greater understanding of his holy Word.
•
Who was Peter? Who was Peter’s
audience?
•
What are Peter’s primary concerns?
•
What words or phrases occur three or
more times?
•
What does Peter draw from the Old
Testament?
Day 4: TRAIN
Authors repeat certain words or phrases to catch
our attention and shape the message of their books.
What word or phrase from this passage stood out
to you yesterday/today?
Go deeper with God regarding that word/phrase
by looking up cross references or by using a
commentary, a Bible dictionary or another
translation. Some examples might be: blood, grace,
glory, hope, inheritance, resurrection, faith,
salvation, trial. (Example: blood = Ephesians 1;
Hebrews 9; Leviticus 4.)
What gospel truth has caught the attention of your
heart or mind today regarding this word or phrase?
Close this time with God by thanking him for
speaking to you.
Day 5: PRAY
In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he writes, “In him
we have redemption through his blood, the
forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the
riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all
wisdom and insight, making known to us the
mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which
he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of
time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven
and things on earth. In him we have obtained an
inheritance, having been predestined according to
the purpose of him who works all things according
to the counsel of His will.”8
Pray this scripture to God, praising him for your
salvation in Jesus, his purpose, his grace lavished
on you, etc.
Pray for one person who needs to hear the gospel,
have redemption through Jesus’ blood and the
forgiveness of their sin.
Finally, pray for yourself to be attentive to the Holy
Spirit as you live to proclaim the gospel this week.
•
What does Peter draw from the teachings
of Christ?
•
What is Peter’s concept of the gospel?
What does he emphasize?
8
Ephesians 1:7-11
2