1 PETER LESSON 1


     The books of Peter were written a little over 60 years after the
resurrection of Jesus Christ. Peter was called by many different
names. He was Simon, Peter, Cephas, and Bar-jonah. His name Peter
{Petros} means a rock. Peter was the son of Jonas. He was from
Bethsaida.

     Peter was a fisherman on the Sea of Galilee, when he was called
to follow Jesus. His brother, Andrew, was a fisherman, as well. Peter
was married and had a home in Capernaum. When Jesus called Peter, he
left his nets and followed Jesus.

     There are many outstanding things about Peter. This is the same
Peter, who was chosen with James and John to carry out special tasks
for the Lord Jesus. This is the same Peter, who walked on the water.
He is the same Peter, who saw the transfiguration. He is the same
Peter, who told Jesus who He was, when people were guessing who Jesus
was. He said, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

     This is one of the penman that we all relate to better than to
most. Peter was actually two men. Peter, before the baptism of the
Holy Spirit at Pentecost, and Peter after the baptism. The Peter,
before the baptism of the Holy Ghost denied Jesus as the Christ 3
times. The Peter after the baptism, historians tell us, was pleased to
be crucified like his Lord. We can relate the weakness in all of us to
Peter's weakness and restoration.

     Jesus chose Peter to head His church. Jesus said, in Matthew
16:18 "And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this
rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail
against it."

     Peter saw most of the miracles Jesus did. Peter's mother-in-law
had been healed of Jesus. Peter was there when John the Baptist called
Jesus the Lamb of God. Peter had been an eye-witness of the Lord.

     We will go into a great deal more as we study this book. For now,
this is enough to allow us to know which Peter is the penman of the
book.

     We will begin in I Peter 1:1 "Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia,
Asia, and Bithynia,"

     This is addressed primarily to the Jews that were scattered in
these places. Peter's calling was primarily to the Jew. He had been
taught of God not to call any man unclean , when the Lord let the
sheet full of unclean animals down three times to him. It was, also,
Peter who saw the first Gentiles baptized in the Holy Spirit. Read
about it in Acts chapters 10 and 11. "Apostle", in this instance,
means an ambassador for Christ.  Peter is bringing the message of
Christ, and not his own.  Notice, that Peter did not say he was the
apostle, but an apostle, which recognizes the other apostles.

     I Peter 1:2 "Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the
Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and
sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be
multiplied."

     This is a very controversial Scripture. The "elect" are those
chosen from the foundation of the earth to receive salvation. The
elect are the elect, because they activate their free will and accept
the Lord as their Saviour. God is not controlled by time, as we are.
He is eternal. He lives in eternity. It is no problem for Him to look
a few thousand years into the future {by our time}. God dwells where
there is one eternal day. There is no separation of time into days,
and weeks, and months where God the Father dwells. He foreknew, from
the foundation of the earth, what decision you and I would make
pertaining to salvation. He wrote our name into the Lamb's book of
life at the foundation of the earth. He did not make us like puppets
where we would not have a choice, He just knew ahead of time, how we
would choose. God chose all who would believe to be His sons, from the
beginning of time. The plan of salvation was worked out from the very
beginning. God knew our weakness and made provision for it. We are
sanctified in the Spirit by the shed blood of Jesus Christ. It is in
the Holy Spirit that we are "sanctified" {made holy}. It is the Holy
Spirit of God which keeps us. Jesus promised He would send the Holy
Spirit to dwell within us and be our Teacher and our Guide. He would
teach us all Truth. It is the sprinkled blood of Jesus Christ that
cleanses us and makes us acceptable to the Father. To be filled with
God's Spirit, brings grace and peace, multiplied.

     I Peter 1:3 "Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again
unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,"

     The hope for the Christian is the resurrection. The word
"blessed", in the Scripture above is from the word, eulogetos. This
word translated blessed, is only used in regard to God. When blessed
is said of the Christians, it is taken from another root word. The
Lord Jesus Christ is the first of the first fruit harvest. He was the
first to be begotten at resurrection. The hope of the believer is that
our Leader, Jesus Christ, arose and so all who put their faith in Him,
shall rise, also. The Christian's new life is in Christ.

     I Peter 1:4 "To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and
that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,"

     The New Testament is the last will and testament for those who
choose to believe in and follow Jesus. Our inheritance in Jesus is
incorruptible, because He is incorruptible. Since Jesus is the
Beginning and the Ending, the inheritance is forever, as well. What a
wonderful promise to the believer, that we will be joint-heirs with
Jesus. This inheritance is not of this world. It is not an earthly
inheritance which is corruptible. We are told in John 14:1 "Let not
your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me."  John
14:2 "In my Father's house are many mansions: if [it were] not [so], I
would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you."  John 14:3 "And
if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive
you unto myself; that where I am, [there] ye may be also."

     I Peter 1:5 "Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto
salvation ready to be revealed in the last time."

     We must have faith to receive this great inheritance that God has
for us in heaven. Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is the substance of things
hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."  It takes no faith to
believe in things on this earth that we can see with our physical
eyes. It takes faith to believe in the things in heaven that we cannot
see. It is our faith that activates the power of God within us. By
faith are we saved. Faith in Jesus Christ and His resurrection is what
brings salvation to us. Read Romans chapter 10 verses 9 and 10. The
revealing will take place when we have shed this house of flesh and
are in heaven with Jesus. Some revealing of the Scriptures are taking
place now, because the coming of Christ is so near.

     I Peter 1:6 "Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season,
if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:"

     There is anticipation looking forward to that wonderful day, when
we will be with Jesus for all of eternity. Christians are in the
world, but not of the world. This earth is not our home, we are just
passing through. Since we are still housed in a body of flesh, we have
problems originating from that flesh. We age, we get sick, we get
tired, etc. Some of the temptations we experience are no more than
just being tempted to eat too much. Praise God!  I will have a new
body. Temptations are earthly in nature. I will no longer experience
temptations, when I get my new body and dwell in heaven.

     I Peter 1:7 "That the trial of your faith, being much more
precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire,
might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of
Jesus Christ:"

     Gold, tried in the fire, just becomes more and more pure. Some of
the fiery trials that come on us, are to purify us and make us better
Christians. Sometimes that is very hard to see, but usually a great
problem that we overcome, makes us stronger in the Lord. Job, in the
Bible, is a very good example of overcoming in dire circumstances.
Gold will perish, when the earth is destroyed. Gold may be changed,
now, but it is still around in some form or other after it is melted.
We are the same. We are still around after the testing, but the
question is, are we a vessel of honor or dishonor, after the trial?







                          1 Peter 1 Questions


1.  Approximately when were the books of Peter written?
2.  What were some of the names Peter was called by?
3.  What does the name Peter mean?
4.  What area was Peter from?
5.  What occupation did Peter have, and where was it located?
6.  Name some of the outstanding things about Peter.
7.  What statement had Peter made that let Jesus know Peter knew who
    He was?
8.  Why can all Christians relate to Peter?
9.  The author believe Peter's life was divided by two. What was the
    difference noted here?
10. Quote Matthew chapter 16 verse 18.
11. What relative of Peter did Jesus heal?
12. Who called Jesus "The Lamb of God"?
13. Who was this book addressed to?
14. Who did Peter call himself in the first verse?
15. Peter's calling was primarily to the ______.
16. When had God taught Peter to call no man unclean?
17. What does "apostle", in this instance, mean?
18. Who are the elect?
19. Why are they the elect?
20. Why is it no problem for God to look ahead a few thousand years?
21. When was the plan for our salvation figured out?
22. What does "sanctified" mean?
23. Quote 1 Peter chapter 1 verse 3.
24. What is the hope for the Christian?
25. What is unusual about the word "blessed" in verse 3?
26. The Christian's new life is in ________.
27. What is the New Testament to the believer in Christ?
28. Why is our inheritance incorruptible?
29. Quote John chapter 14 verses 1-3.
30. How do we receive this great inheritance?
31. Quote Hebrews chapter 11 verse 1.
32. What is one way our new body will be different?
33. What happens to gold that is heated really hot?
34. How does that compare to Christian's trials?
35. The question is, after the trial, are we a vessel of ________ or
    ____________?