New Testament
1 Peter
Hope and holy living for believers suffering as strangers in the world.
Overview
- Who
Written by "Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ" (1:1), who calls himself "also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ" (5:1). He wrote "By Silvanus" (5:12).
Written to "The strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia" (1:1). Many had once lived as the Gentiles do (1:14, 4:3).
- When
Traditional view: About AD 62-64, shortly before Peter's death in Rome under the emperor Nero.
Scholarly view: Many scholars think it was written in Peter's name, about AD 70-95; others accept that Peter wrote it, perhaps with Silvanus's help (5:12).
- Where
Written to Believers in five regions of Asia Minor: Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia (1:1).
Written from "The church that is at Babylon" sends greetings (5:13). Many take Babylon here as a name for Rome; others take it as the city in Mesopotamia.
- Why
"Exhorting, and testifying that this is the true grace of God wherein ye stand" (5:12): to point readers to their "lively hope" (1:3), to call them to be holy (1:15-16) and to live honestly among the Gentiles (2:12), and to prepare them to suffer for doing good as Christ did (2:21, 3:17, 4:12-19).
The readers were spoken against "as evildoers" (2:12, 3:16) and faced "the fiery trial" (4:12) and reproach "for the name of Christ" (4:14). Marcus, whom Peter calls "my son," was with him (5:13).
Outline
- 1:1-2 Greeting
- 1:3-12 A living hope
- 1:13-2:10 Be holy: a chosen people
- 2:11-3:7 Good conduct: rulers, servants, wives and husbands
- 3:8-22 Suffering for righteousness
- 4:1-11 Living for the will of God
- 4:12-19 The fiery trial
- 5:1-14 Elders, humility, the adversary; greetings
Key themes
- A "lively hope" through the resurrection of Jesus Christ (1:3).
- "Be ye holy; for I am holy" (1:16).
- Christ suffered, "leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps" (2:21).
- Suffering for well doing, not for evil doing (3:17, 4:15-16).
- "Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you" (5:7).
From the letter's own text; authorship and dating views summarized from standard introductions.