Seeds for 04/01/2024 - 1 Peter 1:1
Scripture:
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood:
Grace and peace be yours in abundance.
Observation: We begin the First letter of Peter on the day after Easter. Like other letters in the New Testament, it is very much about how to live in light of the reality of the resurrection of Jesus. This letter is in the section of the NT called the “General Letters.” Paul wrote so many letters—both to churches and to individuals—that the letters of the NT are categorized as the “Pauline Letters” and the “General Letters,” meaning any letters deemed scripture that are not from Paul. Two letters are attributed to Peter. Others with letters attributed to them include James, John, and Jude.
At the outset, two short phrases identify the audience and set the tone for the letter’s purpose: “God’s elect,” and “exiles scattered.” These terms provide an important way to understand what it means to be a Christian.
First, “elect” and “exiles” are collective terms. Peter assumes (as do the other NT writers and the figures in the NT books) that living as a Christian is something done as a community, or in other words, as the church. Not only do we need the support of others to grow in Christian maturity, we each have a need to contribute to others’ growth in Christian maturity. Another way to say it is this: Involvement in Christian community—in a local church—is both for us to get from it and to give to it. Through worship, study, service, and fellowship, for example, we gain from the activities we participate in, and we gain by giving to those activities.
Second, “God’s elect” indicates a distinct belonging to God. Having a healthy soul includes healthy boundaries. One way to think about that is knowing “who you are and whose you are.” Peter affirms that his audience belongs to God. That is chiefly where they find their identity.
Third, “exiles scattered” shows us that these people who belong to God do not belong to the world. They are “in the world but not of the world.” They are joined together spiritually in Christ, but they are dispersed across various places geographically. The challenge this presents is remembering whose they are (“God’s elect”). This is one of the primary concerns of this letter.
But it also presents an opportunity to expand the church’s mission and witness. The church’s witness cannot expand without some scattering, and it cannot provide a Christian witness unless it remains clear about whose it is: “God’s elect.” Peter aims to help us make good use of the fact we are scattered by keeping us grounded in who we are in Christ.
Application:
How does investing yourself in a local church benefit both yourself and others?
What else might the Holy Spirit be speaking with you about in the text today?
Prayer: Lord, you have blessed us to be a blessing to others in your name. Keep us clear about who we are in you and show us opportunities to be on mission for you. Amen.
“But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” (Matthew 13:23)
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