A letter of encouragement to believers in Jesus in the midst of suffering

Themes: Salvation, Spiritual House, Submission, Suffering and Shepherding

Salvation – 1Peter 1:1-2:3; 2:24-25; 3:18-22

Spiritual House – 1Peter 2:4-12

Submission – 1Peter 2:13-3:7; 5:5-7

Suffering – 1Peter 3:8-4:19; 1:6-7,11; 2:19-22; 5:8-9

Shepherding – 1Peter 5:1-4; 2:25

The above mentioned themes are not limited to the specified sections from 1Peter, nor are they the only obvious themes.  It just happens that 1Peter seemed to divide up well into those themes as well as providing for excellent mnemonic alliteration. ;)  For example, Peter’s encouragement and the importance of loving others & doing good are additional themes which thread through the letter.

Word Count:

Suffer             7            1Peter 1-2:3 --> Salvation-4, faith-4, holy-4

Suffered         5

Suffering        2

Sufferings      4

1Peter Total  18

Who, What, When , Where and Why?

Who wrote 1Peter?  Peter & Silas

To Whom was  it written?  God’s elect scattered throughout Asia Minor (Turkey) , strangers in the world, people of God, Christians, those in Christ, slaves, wives and husbands, family of God, beloved or dear friends, brothers, elders and young men.

What is it about?  Suffering – Peter’s encouragement to Christians in the midst of their suffering – see 5:12

Where was it written? Babylon = Rome?

When was it written?  Guesstimate ~ 60 to 64 AD

Why was it written?  Assurance of Salvation, Encouragement during various trials and suffering

How did Peter encourage the believers going through various trials?

Who Wrote This Book and Why

Peter, the apostle, saw that increasing hardship and persecution and caused some Christians to wonder if God had abandoned them.  He wrote to encourage these believers, offering them hope and meaning in the midst of their suffering.

What Was the Background behind This Book

At first the Roman government had given Christians the same freedom of religion as the Jews.  But as the rift between Jews and Christians grew, tolerance for Christianity faded.  The Roman policy was to band problem religions, which were perceived as a threat to the stability of the Empire.  Christians began facing discrimination, acts of violence, arrest and confiscation of property.  Some were beginning to waver in their faith, others feared how much they would have to endure.  Peter himself was imprisoned and beaten for his faith, thus he earned the right to address the subject of suffering.

Nero Persecutes The Christians, 64 A.D.

A generation after the death of Christ, Christianity had reached Rome in the form of an obscure offshoot of Judaism popular among the city's poor and destitute. Members of this religious sect spoke of the coming of a new kingdom and a new king. These views provoked suspicion among the Jewish authorities who rejected the group and fear among the Roman authorities who perceived these sentiments as a threat to the Empire.

In the summer of 64, Rome suffered a terrible fire that burned for six days and seven nights consuming almost three quarters of the city. The people accused the Emperor Nero for the devastation claiming he set the fire for his own amusement. In order to deflect these accusations and placate the people, Nero laid blame for the fire on the Christians. The emperor ordered the arrest of a few members of the sect who, under torture, accused others until the entire Christian populace was implicated and became fair game for retribution. As many of the religious sect that could be found were rounded up and put to death in the most horrific manner for the amusement of the citizens of Rome. The ghastly way in which the victims were put to death aroused sympathy among many Romans, although most felt their execution justified.

1Peter 1 
All mentioned: Redemption, justification, sanctification, glorification
dead faith, demonic faith, or dynamic faith?