Pastors Jim and Marie Watt
(From: 1 PETER #1 - 1:1-12)
1 PETER SUMMARY - PRACTICAL SALVATION: AN OVERALL CHRISTIAN MOTIVATION.
I. 1:1-2:10 MOTIVATION TO GOOD BEHAVIOR
A. 1:1-2 APOSTOLIC GREETING
PEtros, aPOsto-los IeSOU ChrisTOU, e-klekTOIS [1588] pa-re-piDEmois [3927] di-as-poRAS [1290]
Peter, apostle of Jesus Christ, to theelect sojournersof the Dispersion
PONtou, Ga-laTIas, Kap-pa-doKIas, A-SIas, kai Bi-thuNIas,
in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,
kaTA PROGno-sin [4268]TheOU paTROS, en ha-gi-asMO[38]PNEUma-tos,
2 according to theforeknowledge of God theFather, in sanctification of theSpirit,
eis hu-pa-koEN [4218]kai 'ran-tisMON [4473]HAIma-tos IeSOU ChrisTOU:
unto obedience and sprinkling of Jesus Christ's blood:
CHAris huMIN kai eiREneple-thunTHEIe[4129].
Grace to you and peace be multiplied.
B. 1:3-12 THE EXCELLENCY OF GOD'S SALVATION TO THE CHURCH
a. 1:3-5 ESTATE PLANNING BY GOD
Eu-lo-geTOS [2128] ho TheOS kai paTER tou KuRIou heMON 'eSOU ChrisTOU,
Blessed the God and Father of our :Lord Jesus Christ,
ho kaTA to poLU auTOU Ele-os [1656] a-na-genNEsas [313] heMAS eis elPIda [1680] ZOsan [2198]
who according to his great :mercy begat us again unto a living hope
di' a-naSTAse-os [386] IeSOU ChrisTOU ek neKRON,
by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
eis kle-ro-noMIan [2817] APHthar-ton [862], kai aMIan-ton [283],
4unto an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled,
kai aMAran-ton [263], te-te-reMEnen [5083] en ou-raNOIS eis huMAS,
and unfading, reserved in theheavens for you,
tous en duNAmei [1411] TheOU phrou-rouMEnous [5432]diA PIS-te-os eis so-teRIan [4991]
5who by God's power are guarded through faith unto a salvation
heTOImen [3092] a-po-ka-luphTHEnai [601] en kaiRO[2540] esCHAto.
ready to be revealed in thelast season.
b. 1:6-9 TRIUMPH THROUGH TRIALS
en hoa-gal-liASthe [21], oLIgon ARti ei DEon, lu-peTHENtes [3076] en poiKIlois [4164] pei-rasMOIS [3986],
Wherein you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while if need be, put to grief in manifold trials,
HIna to doKImi-on [1383] huMON tes PISte-os,
7 that the proving of your :faith,
po-lu-tiMOte-ron [5093]chruSIou [5553]tou a-pol-luMEnou [622] diA puROS de do-ki-ma-zoMEnou [1381],
more precious than gold that perishes though it is proved by fire,
heu-reTHEeis Epai-non [1868] kai DOxan kai tiMEN [5092] en a-po-kaLUpsei [602] IeSOU ChrisTOU:
be found unto praise and glory and honor at therevelation of Jesus Christ:
hon ouk iDONtes a-gaPAte; eis hon, ARti me hoRONtes [3708], pisTEUon-tes [4100] de,
8 whom not seeing you love; on whom, though now you see him not, yetbelieving,
a-gal-liAte [21] chaRA [5479]a-ne-klaLEto[412] kai de-do-xasMEne[1392]:
you rejoice greatly with joy unspeakable and glorified:
ko-miZOme-noi [2865] to TElos [5056]tePISte-os, so-teRIan [4992] psuCHON [5590].
9receiving the end of the faith, salvation of souls.
c. 1:10-11 PROPHETIC SALVATION: FULFILLED
peRI hes soteRIas [4991] e-xeZEte-san [1567] kai e-xeRAUne-san [1830] proPHEtai,
Concerning which salvation prophets sought and searched diligently,
hoi peRI tes eis huMAS CHAri-tos pro-pheTEUsan-tes [4395]:
who prophesied of the grace that is unto you:
e-rauNONtes [2045] eis TIna e POIon kaiRON eDElou [1213] to en auTOIS PNEUma ChrisTOU,
11 searching what timeor what manner of season Christ's Spirit who wasin them did point unto,
pro-mar-tuROme-non [4303] ta eis ChrisTON paTHEma-ta [3804], kai tas meTA TAUta DOxas.
when he testified beforehand the sufferings unto Christ, and the glories after them.
d. 1:12 ANGELIC DETECTIVES SCRUTINIZE SALVATION
hois a-pe-kaLUPHthe [601], HOti ouch he-auTOIS, huMIN de, di-eKOnoun [1247] auTA,
To whom it was revealed, that not to themselves, but to you, did they minister the very things,
ha nun a-negGEle [312] huMIN diA ton eu-ag-ge-li-saMEnon [2097] huMAS PNEUma-ti HaGIo
which now have been announced to you through them that preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit
a-po-staLENti [649] ap' ou-raNOU; eis ha e-pi-thuMOUsin [1937] AGge-loi [32] pa-raKUpsai [3879].
sent forth from heaven; which things angels desire to look into.
NOTE: Peter does not merely wish grace and peace unto God's saints, His holy ones - he wishes them to be multiplied.
Then his blessing starting in 1:3, reminds us of Paul's blessing to the Ephesian church in 1:3. It was the resurrection of Jesus that Peter and the other apostles majored on. The resurrection not only proved the efficacy of Jesus' Atonement, but it was the very reason forthe Atonement. It was the firstfruit for us in the Holy Spirit. God used this to raise Jesus from the dead, and that is His very life that is now in us through the Regeneration that is based on Christ's Redemption. These events are all of one.
The Second Coming of Christ ushers all of us yet alive at His Coming - into our heavenly inheritance, where all the dead in Christ already reside. “Intra Muros” by Agnes Reuter Springer - “Within Heaven's Gates,” marvelously makes real this Heavenly Inheritance. It comes to us through the Hopethat purifies - the Second Coming of Jesus.
And Peter clearly sees that this present life is one of testing and suffering. Yet in the midst of it, the inward Holy Spirit causes us to rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory!
The Old Testament prophets only dimly perceived and understood these rich truths, that Peter by the Spirit so deftly expounds and explains to us. They did not see that Christ's First Coming was for our Redemption, and that His Second Coming would be as King and Judge. We can fear today that many New Testament saints also but dimly perceive these great truths that are now upon us.
But God showed Old Testament prophets that what they prophesied of concerning the glory to come - was notfor them, but for us. Even angels seek to understand more clearly the great Redemption that Christ has wrought on our behalf.
Note here also - that both ancient and present preachers did not proclaim their messages by notes, by outlines or by manuscript! Theypreached and proclaimed by the anointing of the Holy Spirit from heaven! In 1952 I wrote my M. Div. (Master of Divinity) thesis at Northern Baptist Theological Seminary of Chicago entitled, “Preaching by the Power of the Holy Spirit,” based on this verse. I used Dr. T.J. McCrossan's book, “Christ's Paralyzed Church X-Rayed” in part, where he sets forth the difference between the Spirit coming inus (eis) at Regeneration, and uponus (Epi). We need both. The anointing to preach as the early apostles is dependent upon having the Holy Spirit uponus, a second work of grace, the baptism of the Holy Spirit. R.A. Torrey effectively confirms this truth.
I nearly didn't graduate from seminary because of this position - but my mentor-professor finally asked me, “Do you truly believe your thesis is true to the Greek New Testament?” I assured him that I did. “Then,” he said, “I accept your thesis, and you can graduate.” My wife Marie rejoiced with me!
Many seminary students checked out this thesis to see what I believed, and whyI believed it. They knew Marie and I had a Spirit anointing not always encountered by most Baptist students.
Remember Jesus' words through Luke in Acts chapter one, “But tarryin Jerusalem untilyou be endued with power(DUna-mis) on high.” We can't preach with unction and fruitfulness unless we have this enduement. “Without Him, we can do nothing. Without Him, we'd surely fail. Without Him, we'd only be drifting - Like a boat without a sail!” Read again John 15:1-16, the chapter on abiding. J. Hudson Taylor, founder of the China Inland Mission, livedin this passage. For 20 years he labored apart from this. Then upon entering in, the Holy Spirit through him accomplished multipliedresults over against what preceded - and with but a portionof his former effort! J.A.W.