(v 1-4) Shepherds: Peter is an elder, a witness and Heaven-bound; as such, he appeals to his fellow elders in churches that will read this letter. They are to shepherd the churches entrusted to them tenderly, so that when Jesus appears to them they will be rewarded. (You get the sense here that Peter is expecting the return of Christ from the clouds, rather than an appearance at death; not that the end result is different.)

(v 5-7) Sheep #1: listen humbly to those in charge. (Here Peter quotes Job 22:29 – as does James 4:6.) Being humble now also brings reward later – in this case you will be exalted. Similarly, He cares for YOU, so cast your cares on HIM.

[A side note – how interesting and consistent God’s method is: pray for patience and get the chance to exercise it (gack!); pray for wisdom with time management or humility likewise brings the opportunity. But the end result of gaining humility is to be exalted. What is the like result for patience and margin?]

(v 8-9) Sheep #2 (and presumably shepherds as well now): “Be sober-minded” – just as alcohol allows the drinker to make foolish decisions, in the same way avoid foolish choices in daily life – think before you act (indeed, ACT rather than REACT); be thoughtful and considerate. Be aware that the devil wants to bring you down – to devour you (or your witness – how many times in recent decades have we seen men with great witness brought down because they overlooked these words?). Resist him. All your suffering is shared by others. (Other Scriptures of note here: Jam 4:7; 1 Cor 10:13.)

(v 10-11) Back to suffering: At the end of suffering, all is more than restored – you are not just healed, you are confirmed (i.e., what you stood for was true), strengthened and established by the One who has all power for all time.

(v 12-14) Closing: Peter’s Greek in this letter was apparently far above the ability of a Galilean fisherman. Silvanus (or Silas), who also traveled with Paul was a Greek scholar though, and Peter here credits him with the writing down of this epistle.

“She who is at Babylon”: The Greek has “The elect one in Babylon”. Babylon was probably a code name for Rome. The KJV has ‘the church in Babylon’.

Mark: we also know him as John Mark, author of the Gospel of Mark; he traveled with Paul for a while (Acts 12:25), had a breakup (Acts 15:38-39) but later Paul referred to him as a trusted companion (2 Tim 4:11). Peter and Mark may have had something else in common: many think that Mk 14:51-52 refers to John Mark. If so, they both ran off on the night Jesus was betrayed.

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• Commentary on 1 Peter 4 – Suffering and the End Times (0)
• Commentary on 1 Peter 3 – Wives, Husbands and Life (1)
• Commentary on 1 Peter 2 – Glory and Duty (3)
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• Message: The Hardest ‘Q’ of All (1)

(v 1-2) Suffer: Because Jesus suffered on Earth for the will of God, assume that you may well be asked to suffer for His sake as well. The verse does not mean that you quit all sin once having been made to suffer; nor does it imply that subsequent sin will be overlooked. Rather you yourself have changed. Once having suffered for Christ and for God’s will, you have made a high personal investment in what is right and will certainly continue in that vein.

(v 3-5) Rejected: You used to do all those things, but now you’ve put them behind you. However, your old cronies have not, and they resent your moving away into ‘Holier than thou’ status. They know what’s right; they see you doing what’s right; but because they like what’s wrong they put you down in order to feel you are somehow lacking (where they are not). However, at the end, they will have to pay for their unbelief.

(v 6) Preached to the dead: This is a bit tricky. There are apparently some who hold that, on the strength of this verse, when you are dead you get a second chance. But there is no Scriptural backing for that thought, and in fact it is quite contrary to the evident intent. Then there are some (for instance, the ESV study notes) who hold that ‘dead’ refers to those who have become Christians and then died by the time of writing – i.e., converts between Christ’s death and around 63AD when this letter was written. But that doesn’t explain the sense that the word ‘even’ brings to the verse. I think we have to see this as linked to v 19 of the previous chapter – it’s always wise to consider the context! – and see it as Jesus having preached to those faithful dead from before His death (cf 1 Peter 3:19; Luke 16:22; Psa 66:18; Eph 4:8; Isa 61:1; Luke 4:18). As such, they anticipated the coming Messiah, and this preaching completes their salvation (in the same sense with which today we use the expression ‘A completed Jew).

(v 7-11) The end is near: Not just an expression for sandwich boards and Hyde Park Corner! If the end is near, we must be vigilant over ourselves. There follows a list of areas to focus on: love, hospitality, using one’s gifts (prophecy and services are mentioned here) to the glory of God.

(v 12-14) And … back to suffering: Talk about the gift of prophecy! Peter was truly prophetic here (vv 12-19). The first persecution was a year away, started by Nero as an excuse for excess (the fire in Rome, 64AD); but it was coming! (And in view of the reason for the persecution, the adjective ‘fiery’ seems peculiarly apt!)

(v 15-16) Suffer for the right reasons, though: This thought too has already been put forth – suffering that you deserve is nothing to boast of or wish for; nor does it bring glory to God or His praise to you. Suffer for being a Christian is the only reason to be proud.

(v 17-19) If God’s children will suffer, what will happen to those who don’t have that protection to trust in? (v 18 is quoting Prov 11:31)

See you tomorrow!

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• Message: The Hardest ‘Q’ of All (1)

(v 1-2) Wives: Here is a word to the wise. In Peter’s day and age, the idea that a woman should have a religion other than her husband’s was unthinkable. A Greek historian living c. 46-127AD, said,

“A wife should not acquire her own friends, but should make her husband’s friends her own. The gods are the first and most significant friends. For this reason, it is proper for a wife to recognize only those gods whom her husband worships.” Plutarch, Advice to Bride and Groom 19, Moralia 140D

So when she becomes a Christian, what should she do? Should she push/demand/nag her husband into becoming one as well? Should she separate from or divorce him? Peter says no. Instead, continue in the way you were going; only make sure you show him respect and purity of conduct.

(v 3-6) Adornment: Fashion is not a new phenomenon – dying hair, wearing wigs, new hair styles, jewelry, haute couture was all very much in vogue in those days too. And Peter wasn’t saying don’t do it (presumably in moderation); he was saying that the internal beauty was so much more important – “The imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.”

(v 7) Husbands: Husbands only get one verse, but it’s a doozy! The stale old saw is that no man can understand a woman. Peter puts the lie to this – it is the husband’s job to do exactly that for his wife. And by understanding her, he finds her heart, for she is then loved and she knows it. What wife doesn’t long for that? Further, she should be shown honor, not treated as a second-class citizen just because the husband is physically bigger or has society ‘on his side’. She is fully his equal in God’s eyes; she is a fellow-heir to the kingdom. And lastly – if you’re messing with her, you’re messing with God – kiss that prayer life goodbye!

Do not miss what Scripture says each is to give the other – she craves love, which he is to develop and demonstrate through understanding. Love is not his deepest need – he yearns for respect, which she is to give without qualification. Respect is not a reward, any more than love is – it is what is right in God’s order of things.

(v 8-12) Unity: be as one with God and each other, and if you are thinking God’s thoughts, these areas will fall into place. (In vv 10-12 Peter is quoting Ps 34:12-16.)

(v 13-14) Be zealous for good: Peter is writing around 63AD, just before the burning of Rome when Nero outlawed Christianity and began the first of many waves of persecution. Up to this point, Christianity was perceived as a sect of Judaism which was a lawful religion in the Roman Empire. As a result, the general feeling at this time was that obeying the government was no harder for a Christian then than it is today. However, if you do suffer for righteousness, then there is a reward in Heaven.

(v 15-16) Defense: Be ready to defend your hope in the Savior who defended you against the cost of your sin.

(v 17-18) Suffering: here is a flavor of 1 Pet 2:19-23 popping up again – and our sufferings connect us to Christ as well (James 1:2-3).

(v 19-20) Christ in Hades: He preached to those who were lost before His crucifixion.

(v 21-22) Baptism: We are not saved by baptism but by the blood of Jesus; however, baptism is an indication that we are resurrected just as Jesus was – cleansed not of dirt but of sin.

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(v 1-3) milk – Put aside the old junk from your life (malice, etc.); start all over again (milk) and if you’re really born all over again, the simple single-focused approach is what you’ll want. Straight answers, nothing devious or convoluted. Stuff from God is pure and good.

(v 4-8) The cornerstone was the first one laid in a building; it was always visible from the front and side of the building; it was used as a guideline so the walls would line up true; it was huge and unmovable; it was foundational. This cornerstone (Jesus) was placed by God, and although it was rejected by men, that didn’t stop it from being exactly what it was supposed to be. We are to be imitators of that stone, and together become a temple acceptable to God. For those who rejected the cornerstone, it turned into a stumbling block – they fall to their doom through His rejection.

(v 9) Priesthood – I have nothing to add to this utterly glorious verse!

(v 11-15) Again with the old ways! How often we need to be told. There’s a battle going on inside each of us, even though the war has already been won. It’s not just for us, though; our behavior influences others; they either copy or mock our faith walk, so we need to get it right.

(v 16) Live free – not to say, “I’m free so I can do whatever I want, including the old evil!”, but live in such a way as to show that you are free of the old evil.

(v 17-18) Honor everyone – Christian and non-Christian alike; presidents and all those in charge. Honor those generally and specifically to whom you owe responsibility.

(v 19-23) Don’t be proud of how you accepted with grace that smackdown that you deserved – it’s how you behave when it’s undeserved that counts. And it counts because you are behaving as the sinless Jesus did when He was executed as a criminal on your account.

(v 24-25) He was an example, but more than an example He was a conscious, deliberate sacrifice. (cf Isa 53:5)t have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. – 1Peter 2:1-25 (ESV)

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• Message: The Hardest ‘Q’ of All (1)

1. This is known as one of the ‘general epistles’ – written to the church in general, rather than to a person (Timothy, Titus) or a city (Corinth, Philippi).
2. Peter is one of the ‘big three’ in the inner circle (Peter, James & John), and was the first to step up to lead after Christ’s death. His letters would have been considered very authoritative/important. No other disciple is quoted more often in the Gospels. He was both rebuked and praised more than any other disciple. He was impetuous and bold.
3. He speaks of the Christians in this letter as ‘pilgrims’ or ‘sojourners’, suggesting that they have a different home (Heaven) and are travelling toward it through a foreign land controlled by someone who doesn’t think as they do (Satan).
4. (v 2) Obedience – note that we see this word 3 times in this chapter – in vv 2, 14 & 22. Christians are ‘elect’ (pre-chosen – v 1) and ‘sanctified’ (made holy – v 2) for the express purpose of being obedient to Jesus Christ.
5. (v 2) Sprinkling of the blood of Jesus – Guzik notes that there are 3 times in the OT when blood was sprinkled: (1) at the establishment of the covenant on Mt Sinai (Ex 24:5-8), (2) at ordination (Ex 29:21) and (3) at the purification ceremony for a leper (Lev 14:6-7). Christ’s blood has bound us to Him, ordained us and cleansed us.
6. (v 3) A living hope – Christians are born again to a hope that never ends, thanks to Jesus being raised from the dead.
7. (v 4) inheritance – our inheritance is guaranteed safe; kept imperishable for us in Heaven.
8. (v 5) guarded – we are being guarded by God’s power – Heaven awaits!
9. (v 6-7) trials – we rejoice in what awaits, although we may well have trials initially. Those trials are to test the genuineness of our faith – (do we fall away? Then that faith wasn’t real). This testing will show it to us.
• NOTE – Part of the value of gold lies in its permanence – it doesn’t rust and is difficult to dissolve. Peter here calls gold ‘perishable’ when compared to our faith.
10. (v 10) The OT prophets knew OF the Messiah, but didn’t know who or when, although they searched diligently.
11. (v 11) The angels – who watch us (1 Cor 4:9) – wanted to know too! It must have been hidden from them as well (Mk 13:32, Eph 3:10-11).
• NOTE: At this point, Peter switches over to speak about how we should live:
12. (v 13) Action – prepare your minds for it! God’s plan is one of action, not passivity.
13. (v 13) Sober – get focused; get serious.
14. (v 13) Hope on the Grace – Grace is on its way when Christ reveals it to us.
15. (v 14) obedient – oh dear – here it is again. It only works when we are obedient. He’ll do the planning, we do the follow-through.
16. (v 14) passions – don’t stop half-way over the fence; don’t hang on to your old ways.
17. (v 15-16) holy – we are set apart by God as holy. We need to keep ourselves that way. (Lev 11:44, 19:2)
18. (v 17) fear – Peter isn’t suggesting we should have a cowardly, craven cringing fear, but an attitude of awe at God’s power revealed.
19. (v 18-19) ransomed – awe about being ransomed. The closer we come to Jesus, the more we can see how little we deserve His ransom.
20. (v 18-19) gold is perishable; His blood is not.
21. (v 21) Put your FAITH and HOPE in God
22. (v 22) obedience – purifies your so your love can be sincere and earnest.
23. (v 23) the Word – God’s Word caused for you to be born again, this time an immortal.
24. (v 24-25) the Word will abide forever.

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Of all the things I think of when I read chapter 1 of Mark’s Gospel, I think that the idea of timing hits me most solidly.

First the promise of 2,000 years has suddenly come to pass, and who was ready for it? As a nation it had looked forward to this time since its infancy in Goshen, Egypt – as the patriarchs did before that – but it has been so long that expectancy had become the habit and realization just couldn’t take hold.

Then comes John the Baptist to ‘Prepare the way of the Lord’ – but very few are awake to hear his song in the Jordan Valley. He must have had some impact though: God never sends someone to do pointless things.

But most of all, he is there for the Christ – to make sure that the prophecies are completed:

• Mark 1:4 “John appeared…” (to fulfill Malachi 3:1 and Isaiah 40:3-4)
• Mark 1:9 “In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee” (a prophecy referenced in Matt 2:23 that seems to refer back to something Isaiah references in Isaiah 11:1)
• Mark 1:15 “and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’

Secondly I’m struck by the immediacy of response throughout the chapter. Look at all these verses:

For all that few are awake to respond to the Christ, He Himself is in the center of a whirlpool of activity. Every few minutes some new event seems to be triggered; there is a sense of intense and irresistible urgency; once the Christ has appeared, there is no stopping the forward momentum.

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Oops – that was pride slipping in there. Maybe I’m not quite perfect.

In which case, I’ve also just told a lie. (Gack!)

Oh, like you’ve never fibbed before. (Uh-oh, that wasn’t a very nice thing to say. I’m getting in deep here.)

OK, I’m not perfect. There. I’ve admitted it. (Phew! That wasn’t too hard.)

So I can’t be all that bad. (Arggh! Pride again! It just snuck up on me!)

If I had been made perfect, I’m wondering what the implications would be…

1. Being perfect, I would never sin – never hurt anybody, always do the right thing.
2. Therefore being perfect, I would have no personal understanding of what sin is.
3. Therefore being perfect, I would never have a sense of wrong-doing.
4. Therefore being perfect, I would never be aware of my separation from God.
5. Therefore being perfect, I would never understand the power of sin.
6. Therefore being perfect, I may experience sympathy, but would never experience empathy; and any compassion would be academic and patronizing.
7. Being made perfect would have removed my free will, because I would be able to do nothing but perfect things.
8. Therefore being perfect, I would never have the chance to fail. I would never have the opportunity to succeed despite myself.
9. Therefore being perfect, I would never be stretched. I would never grow.
10. Therefore (also from #8) being perfect, when God told me to do something and I did it, there would be no just reward because there was no chance I’d do the job badly or fail to do it at all.
11. Therefore being perfect, I would never experience humiliation, shame or contrition; but I would also never experience forgiveness, rebirth, reward, praise and grace.
12. Being perfect, God’s righteous perfection wouldn’t astound me, terrify me or shatter my complacency because – hey lookee! Me too!
13. In fact, being perfect, I would be self-contained, so I would have no reason to reach for God.

On the other hand:

1. Since I’m not perfect, eternal damnation is not my guaranteed end.
2. Since I’m not perfect, Perfection took compassion on me.
3. Since I’m not perfect, Perfection chose to redeem me.
4. Since I’m not perfect, Perfection perfected me.
5. Since I’m not perfect, Perfection adopted me.
6. Since I’m not perfect, Perfection uses me (yes – Because, not Despite).
7. Since I am far, far from perfection, I have a great many chances to blow it completely… Ah, but when I get it right the angels go nuts and God Himself says, “Well done!”

And that last is really where I’m headed here. Amongst other reasons, I was made imperfect in order that God could give me a piece of His action – a task that He wanted completed. And each time I fulfill a task in obedience to His design, I – Mr. Imperfect – get the pat on the back from the Everlasting King of Glory.

And that, I think, is a pretty good trade-off.

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Apart from its obvious impact to the Calvinism/Arminianism debate, this has some staggering implications, and perhaps foremost is a re-shaping of our understanding about prophecy. Consider the Old Testament prophets predicting the Messiah and the events surrounding His birth and death. There are those who have spent many hours trying to calculate the probability of those prophecies coming true – coming up with numbers such as:

• 1 in 537,000,000 for the final sufferings of Christ during the 24 hours leading up to his crucifixion ²;
• 1 in 10¹¹⁰ for 300 predictions of the Messiah in the Old Testament ³;
• 1 in 10¹⁷ in reference to 8 Messianic prophecies, and 1 in 10¹⁵⁷ in reference to 48 prophecies ⁴

… which may be a noble endeavor, but I think it completely misses the point.

We’re stuck in a one-way stream; we can’t go backwards in time; we can’t even slow it down at all. This idea of Time being a one-way flow of events is so completely ingrained in our understanding of how things work that we perceive such prophecy as being about the future. We say to ourselves, “Somehow, God has made an incredibly bold statement about an unbelievably unlikely event, before going on to fulfill that statement. What an incredible risk He took in saying that! It just shows how much He is in control of the universe.”

When we think along those lines, we impose our human limitations on God. Because it isn’t about the future – not to the Giver of the Word – it’s all in the present to Him. The point here isn’t that God should be given the glory for (1) taking a huge risk, (2) making a series of near-impossible statements, and then (3) manipulating events to make those prophecies come true. It is rather that He has made sure that the description passed along to us is so utterly impossible that we must believe that – since only Jesus can and has fulfilled them – He must be the Messiah that was prophesied!

If you believe what God told Moses about Himself in Exodus 3, then you have to accept that He is not constrained by time, and thus that He had all the details about the Messiah in front of Him as He spoke through each prophet in the Old Testament. That was the point of the prophecies – not so much to reflect on the Father’s manipulation of events, but to ensure the recognition and acceptance of the Son. Messianic prophecies are a passport – God’s proof of who Jesus really is – His ‘identity papers’, embedded unchangeably in Time.

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