When I was in seminary I wrote a paper for a class on I Peter 1:13-25 titled, "The Distinctive Marks of a Christian". For the next several blog posts I will be using that paper, broken down into sections. The first one is:
Background and Context
First Peter was written during a time of great persecution throughout the Roman empire under Emperor Nero. The church in Jerusalem was scattered throughout the Mediterranean world, and Christians were facing torture and death on account of their faith. Peter himself, the author of this epistle, was probably a victim of this persecution, being executed in Rome. However, Peter had been persecuted many times since his proclamation on the day of Pentecost. It was to encourage the suffering Christians that Peter penned this letter sometime around A.D. 63, no doubt from Rome, to the believers, but particularly to the Jewish Christians that had been drive out of Jerusalem and scattered throughout Asia Minor.
In the midst of persecution and suffering it is easy to lose hope. Once hope is gone, despair sets in, and it becomes easier to surrender one's faith and give in to the pressures of the surrounding forces of evil. The followers of Christ were being abused for their belief in and obedience to Jesus. But Peter had an unshakable faith in his risen Lord, and he wrote to his fellow Christians to urge them to continue to be loyal to Jesus. He had a message of comfort and hope that they needed to hear as a lifeline to hold on to their faith. God had called them to live lives distinctively set apart from the pagan world, for which He would reward them at the return of Christ.
Peter starts his letter with thanksgiving to God for salvation (1:2-6). He then explains how faith is refined through various trials (1:7-9). He urged the Christians to look beyond their present circumstances and recall what Christ had done for them, bringing to them the salvation that the prophets had wrote about (1:10-12). In response to what Christ had done for them, Peter exhorts the believers about their distinctive call and the marks they should bear as baptized Christians. These marks are:
- Holiness (1:13-16)
- Godly Fear (1:17-21)
- Brotherly Love (1:22-25)
It is this message of Peter that we need to hear again today. Perhaps we are not currently suffering persecution or trials such as the early Christians faced, but there is a subtle world view that seems to be overtaking the church world in vast numbers. Soldiers, weary from the battle and waiting, are surrendering to the enemy, willing to trade eternal life for immediate gratification and momentary pleasures. We will not survive in this battle for the Kingdom if we are not fully committed to God's call on our life to be holy. Let's take a closer look at the message from Peter.
(to be continued in the next blog)
