1 Peter 2:1-12, This world is not our home; we are called to be witnesses, otherwise we could be at home

Review:
• Theme: Living for Christ in the midst of persecution and suffering
• Chapter one:
• Stand firm (we are going to suffer)
• We have an incredible and secure hope (the prophets didn't understand and the angels can't understand)
• Our reward is not here on Earth (we are aliens)


Timeline (key events):

~33 A.D.	Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection
~48	First book: I Thessalonians
64	Fire destroys most of Rome;  Nero blames Jews (means Christians too)
~65	1 Peter
~68	Death of Peter (historically crucified head down)
70	Jerusalem and Temple destroyed
~90-100	Last books: John, 1 2 & 3 John, and Revelation



1 Peter 2:1–3 (ESV) — 1 So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.


• In verse 1, Peter reaches a conclusion based on the previous section, what does he mean "therefore rid" -- why?
• Physical life is temporal
• Eternal things are the only things that will last
• Specifically, how does that apply to his list in verse 1?
• The listed sins are all part and parcel of living a temporal life on earth
• Why the analogy of the newborn baby in verse 2?
• A new Christian is like a newborn baby
• We need nourishment to grow up (spiritually)
• What does the word long (crave (AMP; NIV84)) mean?
• The word ἐπιποθέω [epipotheo /ep·ee·poth·eh·o/] means, in one of it's definitions, to lust or harbor forbidden desire.  I don't think we see the Word of God in that manner.  The Word has become very ho-hum and hardly something to crave since it is everywhere
• But what if we don't grow up, we are still Christians, so what does it matter?
• We have only tasted that the Lord is good.  There is much more if we are willing to pursue the relationship more deeply
• If we don't drink spiritual milk, we will never be able to handle spiritual meat


1 Peter 2:4–10 (ESV) — 4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” 7 So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” 8 and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. 9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.


• The living Stone (capital S)  is Jesus Christ.  How are we, living stones (small s) like Jesus?
• Our message has also been rejected
• We are also chosen (with foreknowledge)
• We are precious to God
• We are part of God's building, which is the church
• 1 Cor 12:12 The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ.
• 1 Cor 14:12 So it is with you. Since you are eager to have spiritual gifts, try to excel in gifts that build up the church .
• What are our sacrifices?
• Phil 4:18 I have received full payment and even more; I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice , pleasing to God.
• Heb 13:15 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise-the fruit of lips that confess his name. 
• Heb 13:16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
• Rom 12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices , holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship.
• Eph 5:1-2 Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
• We need to dissect verse 9. 
• Who was the book written to (1:1)? The dispersed
• This passage could be very specific to Jewish believers, but the benefits would still be the same because we are created to be one body, the church. In the next section we will identify similar verses for Gentiles
• What does Peter call the Jewish believers?
• Chosen people
• γένος [genos /ghen·os/] n n. From 1096; 21 occurrences; AV translates as “kind” five times, “kindred” three times, “offspring” three times, “nation” twice, “stock” twice, “born” twice, “diversity” once, and translated miscellaneously three times. 1 race. 1a offspring. 1b family. 1c stock, race, nation. 1c1 i.e. nationality or descent from a particular people. 1d the aggregate of many individuals of the same nature, kind, sort.
• Ephesians 1:4 (ESV) — 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love
• Royal priesthood
• Only used two places in NT, v5 and v9, meaning a body of priests, but Revelation use the idea three times
• Revelation 1:6 (ESV) — 6 and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
• Holy nation
• ἔθνος [ethnos /eth·nos/] 164 occurrences; AV translates as “Gentiles” 93 times, “nation” 64 times, “heathen” five times, and “people” twice. 1 a multitude (whether of men or of beasts) associated or living together. 1a a company, troop, swarm. 2 a multitude of individuals of the same nature or genus. 2a the human race. 3 a race, nation, people group. 4 in the OT, foreign nations not worshipping the true God, pagans, Gentiles. 5 Paul uses the term for Gentile Christians.
• Ephesians 3:6 (ESV) — 6 This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
• 2 Timothy 1:9 (ESV) — 9 who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,
• People belonging to God
• λαός [laos /lah·os/] 143 occurrences; AV translates as “people” 143 times. 1 a people, people group, tribe, nation, all those who are of the same stock and language. 2 of a great part of the population gathered together anywhere. Additional Information: For synonyms see entry 1218, demos.See entry 5832 for comparison of synonyms.
• Ephesians 1:13–14 (ESV) — 13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
• What is the purpose of this peculiar group of individuals, which we also call the church?
• To declare the praises of Him who called us out of darkness into His wonderful light
• How are we doing?  When was the last time you did that?
• In my mind verse 10 seems to support that Peter is talking to all believers and not just to the remnant.
• But it could apply to Jews since once they were not a people and they did receive special grace from God 
• I believe there is a "remnant" and I believe God has a special plan to fulfill for the nation of Israel.  I'm not convinced this passage makes that argument.  I especially do not believe that it teaches that the church is now Israel, which is what Replacement Theology does teach from these verses.
• Incidentally, verse 10 uses the greek word laos people both times


1 Peter 2:11–12 (ESV) — 11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 12 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.


• Now comes the application.  When Peter calls us "aliens" and "strangers," what is he referring to?
• Our peculiarity, which he had just described
• Alien in the Greek meaning "away from a home"
• Strangers in the Greek meaning "away from where you would make a home"
• Implication:  This world is not our home
• Song: 
This world is not my home, I'm just passing through.
My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue.
The angels beckon me from Heaven's open door
And I can't feel at home in this world anymore.
Chorus
O Lord you know I have no friend like you
If Heaven's not my home, then Lord what will I do?
The angels beckon me from Heaven's open door
And I can't feel at home in this world anymore.
Pasted from <http://my.homewithgod.com/heavenlymidis2/nothome.html>
• What is the admonition?
• Abstain from sinful desires
• Why?
• Wage war against our souls
• What does that mean?
• We are in a spiritual battle
• Sin does something to us spiritually which is not good. I think it also draws us into this world as our home
• Live good lives
• Why?
• Living good lives will not protect you from accusation of wrong (God is always concerned about our witness -- that is why we are aliens and strangers, otherwise we could be home, but we have a purpose here)
• But some day, the unbeliever will recognize your good deeds and will have to glorify God
• If Jesus came today, would those around you be force to say, well, he/she really did live in a way that I have to admit - I should have listened -- OR -- But God, he/she lived just like me, how was I to know I was living wrong?
• Are you bringing them into the Kingdom or are you sending them away?
• Are gracious and gentle to others or are you an ugly representative of Jesus Christ on earth?

1 Peter 1:13-25, The key to real change starts in the mind

Timeline (key events):

~33 A.D.	Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection
~48	First book: I Thessalonians
64	Fire destroys most of Rome;  Nero blames Jews (means Christians too)
~65	1 Peter
~68	Death of Peter (historically crucified head down)
70	Jerusalem and Temple destroyed
~90-100	Last books: John, 1 2 & 3 John, and Revelation

A.D. means Anno Domini
B.C. means Before Christ


1 Peter 1:13–16 (ESV) — 13 Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”


• Peter starts out by telling us to prepare "your minds."  Why "your minds?"
• Someone has said, "you are what you think" … [YA (young adults): some of you are anime characters or heroes in a TV show or whatever you spend the majority of your time thinking about]
• What do you spend the most time thinking about?
• Romans 12:2 (ESV) — 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
• How do we do that?
• Your mind is fashioned by what you feed it …
• The key is spending consistent time in God's word
• What does sober-minded mean in context? What does sobriety imply?
• The opposite of sobriety is to lose control
• A sober-minded person is not pushed here and there by different winds of doctrine
• Peter gives us 3 specifics to prepare your minds for action, what are they?
1. Set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus is revealed. What do we hope for?
2. Do not conform to the passions of former ignorance. Conform is the idea of fashioning yourself (see Logos)
3. Be holy. Holiness means to be separate
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• First.  Set you hope …
• What does that mean?
• What do we live for … what excites us … what is our reward
• Second.  Do not conform to evil desires
• How does that happen?
• The things of the world become more important than the things of God
• Third.  Be holy
• What does the word "holy" mean?
• It means "set apart"
• Many of the rules of the OT were meant to set the Jewish people apart from their neighbors so that people would inquire about their lifestyle
• Today, we are not under the OT law, yet how do we set ourselves apart?
• It is our actions for others
• [YA: What do you do that really makes you any different from others around you?]


1 Peter 1:17–21 (ESV) — 17 And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, 18 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. 20 He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you 21 who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.


• What does v17 mean … "a Father who judges each man's work impartially?"
• God judges people
• Does that mean He judges believers?
• Yes
• 1 Corinthians 3:10–17 (ESV) — 10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. 11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— 13 each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. 16 Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? 17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.
• What does it mean "to live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear?"
• There should be a seriousness to how we live our lives
• We have been warned
• Yes, we are eternally secure if we have trusted Christ, but there is great shame and great reward depending on what we invest our lives in …
• [YA: what are you investing your life in?]
• What is Peter's reason for why we need to live for God?
• We were redeemed … But what does that mean?
• We were bought, paid for … But what does that mean?
• Our lives are not our own, they were purchased by God and for God … at a very great price
• 1 Corinthians 6:19–20 (ESV) — 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
• 1 Corinthians 7:23 (ESV) — 23 You were bought with a price; do not become bondservants of men.


1 Peter 1:22–25 (ESV) — 22 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, 23 since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; 24 for “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, 25 but the word of the Lord remains forever.” And this word is the good news that was preached to you.


• "Obeying the truth" refers to our initial act of faith -- the result is that our souls have been position-ally  purified.  We call this "justification," meaning "it's just as if I'd never sinned"
• The challenge to live holy is part of the process we call sanctification.  That is what Peter is primarily addressing
• Peter mentions one of the results of the new birth, what is it?
• A sincere love
• What is meant by sincere love?
• John 13:34–35 (ESV) — 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
• What is the opposite of love?
• Selfishness
• How do you know if your life is characterized by love or selfishness?
• Think of someone, whom you consider a good example of loving -- how are you like or unlike that person?
• Peter mentions that we have been born again of imperishable seed … meaning our new birth results in an imperishable life.  He then quotes a passage in Isa 40:6-8, what is the point he is trying to make?
• Physical life is short
• Our spiritual life is eternal
• The word of God is the imperishable seed, and it is what can change our minds


APPLICATION:
Redeem our minds (Word of God can change our thinking)
Live holy lives because
We've been bought
Physical life is very short
Holy lives
Fearful of the taint of sin
Characterized by love for others
You are what you think -- what do you want to become?

1 Peter 1:1-12, We should be encouraged because of our SECURED future inheritance

• Timeline (key events):

48	I Thessalonians
43-49 or 60's	Mark (probably related to Peter's account)
64	Fire destroys most of Rome;  Nero blames Christians (means JEWS too)
64-67	1, 2 Peter
65	Hebrews (unknown author; Paul/Luke translated)
64-68	Death of Peter (historically crucified head down)
70	Jerusalem and Temple destroyed
90-95	Revelation
90-100	John
90-100	1,2,3 John



• Historical Background:
• Persecution related to Nero's attitude toward Jews (& Christians)
• While not official, it was officially tolerated
• Peter is the author
• Apostle to the Jews
• Paul was the Apostle to the Gentiles (although Peter was the first to be presented with the idea of Gentile salvation)
• Purpose of the letter
• 1 Peter 5:12 (ESV) — 12 By Silvanus, a faithful brother as I regard him, I have written briefly to you, exhorting and declaring that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it.
• To encourage; to stay strong in the faith


1 Peter 1:1–2 (ESV) — 1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you.


• Who is the letter written to?
• Acts 2:7–10 (ESV) — 7 And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? 9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome,  …
• What are the elect?
• How are the elect defined?
• Chosen according to foreknowledge -- {{ Is God "determinate?" Does God foresee things or does God cause everything? }}
• So what does that mean?
• My personal feeling is that it is a very difficult concept to understand.  We are called elect because we elected to believe
• God, in his foreknowledge, knew we would be believe, so we are also chosen before time began
• What does "strangers" mean?
• Literal meaning makes sense ...
• Pilgrims, aliens, foreigners, or aliens residing in a foreign land
• Word "scattered" or "dispersed" is Greek word diasporas which has a very specific Jewish meaning
• Refers to the Jews scattered outside the Holy land
• Would suggest recipients were primarily Jewish
• Other verses 1:14, 18; 2:9,10; 4:1-3, 15 suggest Gentile readers
• Figurative meaning makes sense as well …
• Hebrews 11:13 (ESV) — 13 These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.
• 1 Peter 2:11 (ESV) — 11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.
• Where are Pontus, Galatia, …?
• Present day Turkey


1 Peter 1:3–5 (ESV) — 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.


• What does the word "mercy" mean?
• God not giving me what I do deserve
• How is mercy different from "grace"?
• Grace is God give me what I don't deserve
• What has God caused us to, and what does that mean? Two ways of viewing
1. He caused us to be born again, but that would violate our free will
2. He caused (our rebirth) to be to a living hope through the resurrection of the dead -- but what does that mean?
1. A living hope is that we will live again
2. The resurrection of the dead is the proof. Jesus is the firstfruit of that new hope
3. So, when we are reborn (born again by faith) it is not just a changed life, but a changed future
• What else has our new birth secured for us? An inheritance
• There are four things about our inheritance. What are they and what do they mean?
1. Imperishable -- meaning it can't decay. Our presents bodies, even our planet are in the process of decaying with age
2. Undefiled -- It is not tainted with evil. This is the problem with our present life. Since the rebellion, life is not the way God intended, but it is because of sin
3. Unfading -- Fruchtenbaum suggests the emphasis is on its beauty, which would make it different in meaning from imperishable. It also harkens back to the creation when everything was beautiful
4. Kept in Heaven for you -- it is on safe deposit, a very safe deposit. It can't be taken back. We certainly don't deserve it, but belief in Jesus Christ is a guarantee of our future inheritance
• What does it mean, a salvation to be revealed in the last time?
• Salvation here refers to deliverance in last times (the are common eschatological terms)
• Salvation does not always refer to spiritual salvation (need to look at the context), here it is a physical salvation
• APPLICATION: Thankfulness -- we have a wonderful secure hope that we do not deserve.


1 Peter 1:6–9 (ESV) — 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.


• These verses probably represent the author's thesis statement.  From these verses, what do you think the author's purpose is?
• Strengthen faith
• Prepare them for suffering
• Encourage them
• I know Christians who have suffered horribly all their life -- is this verse then not true for them?  (or how do we reconcile this verse with those experiences)
• God's definition of a "little while" or "short time" may be different from us
• Also, some bring their own suffering upon themselves -- it never ends because they never learn the lesson that God is trying to teach them
• What lessons in your life do you feel you've struggled to learn?
• Faith is very important -- but what is faith?
• Fire destroys things, therefore faith remains despite suffering
• Faith believes God cares, and God can bring good out of trials (Rom 8:28)
• Faith loves God, even though you don't see Him doing what you would like Him to do in your life (this is very hard)
• APPLICATION: How do we respond to trials and testing? Do we seek God or seek what he wants us to learn through the trial?


1 Peter 1:10–12 (ESV) — 10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, 11 inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. 12 It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.


• The Rabbis and the prophets searched the scripture intently trying to determine when and where this salvation would take place
• While it is not true today, the sufferings of Christ and the glories led them to believe in two Messiahs: the first would be Ben Yosef (the son of Joseph) and the second would be Ben David (the son of David)
• Today, modern Israel interprets the Ben Yosef or suffering passages as referring to the nation of Israel
• What they didn't understand was that one Messiah would come twice, the first time to suffer for our sins and the second time to establish his Kingdom
• God did give a partial answer to the questions. That they would not understand it. Instead, they were serving us, who now do understand
• An interesting comment concerning the angels
• They are very curious concerning the grace that has been given us


• APPLICATION
• We are to live as strangers in this world, not attached or comfortable (this isn't our home)
• We need to be thankful that in God's mercy we did not get what we deserved
• We need to grow in our faith -- it is of utmost importance and value to God
• We need to be thankful for God's grace and look forward to the coming of Jesus Christ (the second coming of the son of David)