Hope in Exile

PETER’S LIFE AND BACKGROUND

How does what we know about Peter’s life and background affect how we are to read the letter? In order to answer this question I will highlight four aspects of his character, seen elsewhere in the New Testament witness, followed by connections to 1 Peter throughout. 

Peter was a 1st century Galilean Jew

As a man from Bethsaida in Galilee (John 1:44), Peter would have been well-versed in Jewish culture, scripture, and Torah observance (Acts 10:9-17). Like many Jews in his day, Peter would have been devoted to Yahweh and waiting on the Messiah (Is. 25:9). These characteristics primarily affect our reading of 1 Peter in that we must recognize its intrinsic Jewish-ness, most clearly seen in Peter’s use of the Old Testament scriptures, and his developed eschatological understanding through the lens of the life, death, and resurrection of the Messiah (1 Pet. 1:3-7).

Peter was a married, blue-collar fisherman

A common trade in Galilee was, of course, to be a fisherman. Therefore it is not surprising that Peter was called from his fishing boat (Luke 5:1-11) and many other familiar scenes in the gospels took place in this context. Jesus healed Peter’s mother-in-law (Mark 1:30), so therefore he was married, which Paul later confirmed was true in 1 Corinthians 9:5. These formative aspects of Peter’s life (work and family) inform how we read 1 Peter in two primary ways. The first is that being a small business owner in Galilee would have caused him to interact with the Gentile population in the region and given him cause to learn Greek—preparing him for ministry. The second is that Peter’s instructions for husbands and wives come from testing in his own experience rather than mere concepts.

Peter became a disciple of Jesus Christ

Peter’s identity as a follower of Jesus is so foundational that this book would not have been written apart from his encountering the Christ. This relationship may have begun previously to Peter’s call (John 1:35-44), but his utter devotion to Jesus as the Son of God and the Christ became clearly evident in his confessions (Mark 8:27–29; Luke 9:18–20), especially significantly in Matthew 16:16-23. There, as Dr. Patrick Schreiner stresses, Jesus bestows unique authority on Peter, which bears significance to our reading of this letter in that he speaks from a place of Apostolic authority. An important part of why Peter was able to believe in Jesus as the Messianic savior he had waited for was in no doubt due to the many miracles he witnessed Jesus performing (John 6:68; Matt 17:1-4).

The most important formative events in Peter’s life as a disciple took place in the final days of Jesus’ life. Several events seem to surface in 1 Peter. First, he witnessed the forceful arrest of Jesus, responding by cutting off the ear of the high priest’s servant—seeking to defend Jesus. It seems that Peter took Jesus’ rebuke (Matt. 26:52; John 18:11) to heart, especially in places like 1 Peter 2:19-20. Second, he denied Jesus three times (Matt. 26:69-75), and yet after the resurrection, Jesus restored him three times (John 21:15-19). These parallel stories show us both that Peter had an intimate relationship with Jesus but also that he knows redemption on a personal level. Peter does not write from an ivory tower of theory but from an incarnational common place with his readers. Peter’s previous denial seems to inform his desire to honor Christ (1 Pet. 3:15, 4:14) when the temptation to deny him comes. The restoration Jesus gave him seems to inform his confidence in salvation through tested faith (1 Pet. 1:7) but also the manner in which he understood eldership as a shepherd (John 21:15-17; 1 Pet. 5:1-4). Third and greatest, he witnessed the crucifixion (1 Pet. 5:1) and resurrection (John 20:1-6) of Jesus Christ. Without the crucifixion and resurrection, we would not have this book; indeed, we would not have Christianity. References to these events and their significance in Peter’s life and letter are too many to name. 

Peter became an apostle of Jesus Christ 

While his experiences with Jesus as a disciple had tremendous impact on him, the continued work of Jesus through the Spirit and the word captured in the book of Acts created a closer template for Peter’s worldview as seen in his letter. Peter’s Apostolic role (1 Pet 1:1) was solidified in the book of Acts, which is reflected in how he writes, with his eschatological understanding developed during that time.

First among the important events of Acts is Pentecost. With the coming of the Holy Spirit from heaven, connections between Acts 2:1-2 and 1 Peter 1:12 could not be clearer. We can see how transformative the resurrection and arrival of the Spirit was for Peter when we contrast his denial and restoration with his sermon on Pentecost. He who was once ashamed of Jesus spoke with boldness and faith that carries through to his letter. Likewise, the way Peter understood Christ’s suffering to be a part of God’s sovereign plan had already developed by the time of his sermon (Acts 2:23) but was applied more deeply after his own suffering for Jesus (Acts 5:41; 1 Peter 4:14, 19). In fact, “suffering is one of the major themes of 1 Peter,” and in it, the word ‘suffer’ in its various forms appears fifteen times. “Peter’s words serve as an encouragement to keep his readers from being demoralized and possibly even giving up their faith.” It must have meant more to Peter's readers that he was not calling them to go somewhere he had not gone before them—even more incredible that Christ is not calling us to go somewhere he has not gone before us. Yet just as important as Christ’s example of suffering was to Peter, was the future hope of being taken up into Christ’s resurrection. Peter teaches that while the crucifixion is a template for Christian life today, the resurrection is a template for the Christian life for eternity, which is brought into the present through faith and hope among the community of Christ. Therefore, suffering and shame take on Christ-shaped meaning in the life of the believer. It is clear that from Peter’s perspective, “the antidote to a silencing shame is the hope of glory, the hope that earthly isolation and humiliation are only temporary.”

The last event in Acts with the greatest interpretive relevance to 1 Peter is found in Acts 10:9-17 and what followed it. Edwards argues that “the readers of 1 Peter were Gentiles,” which would not be possible without Peter being transformed to seeing Gentiles as inside the new covenant through Christ, so much so that the lines between Jew and Gentile are blurred in his writing, as “Peter has appropriated the language of Israel for the church.” These themes are most pronounced in passages such as 1 Peter 2:9-10. His incorporation of the Gentiles is a sign of Peter’s redemption in light of his initial defense (Acts 11:2-4) and subsequent hypocrisy (Gal. 2:11-16). Similar to his denial of and restoration from Jesus, Peter shows that he is not beyond the need for sanctification, but neither is he beyond its reach. The hope that he writes as being for all people in this letter—Jew and Gentile alike—is itself a sign of its living, present reality (1 Pet. 1:3).

THE PURPOSE OF 1 PETER

What is the purpose of 1 Peter? Peter wrote from Rome to Gentile Christians in Asia minor who were undergoing persecution. Due to their newness to the faith and living in a context alien to Judaism and Christianity, they needed both general guidance for life as well as specific reassurance regarding their ‘fiery trials’.  The purpose of 1 Peter, therefore, is to instruct and encourage Christians to live as elect exiles in order to see their present suffering as part of God’s plan for future glory through faith and hope in the suffering and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I will now divide this into three sections and demonstrate how this thesis is found in the text of 1 Peter: (1) The purpose of 1 Peter is to instruct and encourage Christians to live as elect exiles, (2) in order to see their present suffering as part of God’s plan for future glory, (3) through faith and hope in the suffering and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The purpose of 1 Peter is to instruct and encourage Christians to live as elect exiles…

After introducing himself, Peter addresses his audience by affirming their identity, which takes on different dimensions throughout the letter. The first identity he affirms is that of elect exiles (1:1). Unlike exile in the Old Testament prophets, which was an expression of God’s judgment, exile in the Christian context is a way of “referring to those whose real home is heaven but who sojourn on the earth.” Our experience of alienation from a hostile society is not due to God’s punishment but due to the fact that we have been set apart (or sanctified, 1:2) to live in ways that are at odds with the dominant culture. Therefore, Christian identity aligns us with him whose blood we have been sprinkled with (1:2) and calls us to live lives of holiness (1:15-16), not by the passions (2:11) of our former ignorance (1:14). In other words, Peter uses our identity as the basis for calling Christians to obedience (1:2, 14, 22; 2:24). This pattern is repeated throughout the letter using different terms of identity and different terms for obedience. A few examples are as follows. Because God is holy, we live holy lives (1:16); because God is our Father (1:17), we are obedient children (1:14); because wives are co-heirs (3:7) in a common eternal inheritance (1:4), husbands are to treat them honorably. Many other examples could be given.

 The term elect is another key aspect of Christian identity, hinting at themes of God’s sovereignty and foreknowledge which are fleshed out below in point two. Peter bookends his letter with this theme by noting that he shares common identity with his audience—sending greetings from “she who is at Babylon…who is likewise chosen,” likely referring to the church in Rome, hand picked by God, and of which Peter was a part.

…in order to see their present suffering as part of God’s plan for future glory… 

It is difficult to read 1 Peter without seeing his frequent appeal to God’s sovereign plan throughout history. Even as early as the first verse, he is speaking of election, and by the second verse he is speaking of the foreknowledge of God the Father. The sovereignty of God is not benign but active in the life of believers, and so worthy of being trusted. As his thought develops, Peter explains that God’s plan for salvation is what allows Christians to suffer with purpose (1:10-11) because the suffering and subsequent glory of Jesus (1:11; cf. point three below) is paradigmatic for the entire Chrisian life (2:21; 4:12-13). Just as Jesus suffered and was then glorified, and because God is a just judge (2:23; 4:5), we suffer but will be glorified. Not only is our suffering purposeful, it is a necessary (1:6) part of proving the genuineness of our faith (1:7) in Jesus Christ—leading to the glory of resurrection (5:10). Indeed, Peter argues, our suffering and God’s sovereign will do not contradict each other but can be one and the same (2:15, 3:17, 4:19). Therefore, we should not be surprised when we encounter suffering, but rejoice in it (4:12-13).

…through faith and hope in the suffering and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Beneath the meaning of the identity, calling, suffering, and future glory promised to Christians is the concrete reality of the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1:21). Thus, Peter quickly lays this foundation in the third verse of his letter and much of his use of Old Testament passages are in reference to these two events (1:25, 2:6, 2:24), highlighting Christ’s fulfillment of ancient promises with the intention of building up the faith and hope of his readers. According to Peter, the cornerstone of Christian faith is that Christ has suffered for us (2:21) but that he did not remain dead but was raised (3:21). Belief in the person of Christ and the efficacy of these events now forms the basis for our new birth—a sign of our future hope (1:3-4, 9; 1:21, 23; 3:15). Declaring what God has already accomplished through Jesus’ suffering and resurrection instills confidence in the suffering believer and courage to endure through all trials, knowing the parallel glory that awaits us.

THE MAIN THEME OF 1 PETER

The central theme of 1 Peter is Hope as Elect Exiles. Throughout this letter, Peter centers his audience on their identity as elect exiles (1:1) but also on the hope of their salvation (1:3). Peter masterfully shows how the present suffering of his audience (and Christians in general) is to be expected for exiles as a part of God’s plan. This experience is not only to be expected, but it is paradoxically also a sign of the sovereign, faithful creator fulfilling all things through the suffering and salvation of Jesus Christ, in whose footsteps we follow (2:21). Therefore, elect exiles are given hope in the midst of their suffering. 1 Peter's main theme, Hope as Elect Exiles, is made clear by what it means to be an elect exile, the nature of the hope that confers, and the effects of that hope on believers. 

The identity of Peter’s audience is that of elect exiles. His letter begins (1:1) and ends (5:12-13) with a reinforcement of this identity, with allusions littered throughout (1:14, 16, 17; 2:4-5, 9-10, 21; 3:8; 4:16; 5:9), showing that a key message he is communicating is what it means to be elect exiles. The word elect (ἐκλεκτός) immediately conjures up images of the Old Testament people of God, who had been chosen by him among all the peoples of the world (eg. Deut. 7:6-8) and draws our attention to the one who has sovereignly done the choosing. Exiles (παρεπίδημος) could also be translated as aliens (NASB) or temporary residents (NLT, NET), which may have been a literal description of his audience’s circumstance, but is at a minimum metaphorical—the people of God are waiting for their inheritance (1:4) and in the meantime will experience hostility from the world around them. “Aliens do not fit into the established patterns of the host culture,” and in a similar way, Peter reinforces this identity as a way of directing them to holy living (this will form the basis for Peter’s moral instruction).

Being an exile does not necessarily imply suffering, but in this case, suffering comes with the territory. While some who are sojourning far from home may in fact enjoy hospitality and good treatment, Peter’s audience are being treated poorly (1 Pet. 1:6–7; 3:13–17; 4:12–19), yet they have hope despite their mistreatment. And in a similar way, referring to their exilic sojourning is not just a way of instilling identity but also Peter’s way of pointing to the hope of future salvation they waited on (2:11-12).

The hope of future salvation which Peter emphasizes throughout his letter is based on the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead (1:3) and being born again into him (1:3, 23). There are two primary dimensions to the effect he expected this hope to have on his audience. 

First, just as Jesus’ suffering led to glory (1:11), the hope Christians possess is that our suffering leads to our glory (5:6, 10). Our hope is in God’s faithfulness to one day right the wrongs we face, trusting him who holds our lives in his hand. Therefore, suffering does not nullify hope. Rather, suffering confirms hope for elect exiles because it provides both the context where hope is needed and the final satisfaction of that need. Grudem argues this is at the heart of Peter’s message and finds the centerpiece of the theme of the letter in chapter four verse nineteen. He comments, “here are found the themes of suffering (‘those who suffer’) and trust in God (the suffering is ‘according to God’s will’ and should result in continual entrusting of the readers’ souls [or lives] ‘to a faithful Creator’).” Hope is not passive, but is an ongoing action in the life of those who have entrusted their souls to a faithful Creator. 

The second dimension of hope in the context of 1 Peter is his teaching that hope for future salvation is expressed by elect exiles through faithful actions in the present. In other words, because we have hope, we are holy (1:13-5:11). Put yet another way, because we are holy (elect exiles), we live holy (1:16). Therefore, hope in our future salvation is expressed in how the church relates to one another (1:22-2:10) and how we relate to the world (2:11-25; 3:13-17; 4:1-19). This may also include evangelism (3:15) and serving the church (4:10-11; 5:1-4). Yet, there is no more challenging a time to live holy lives than when we suffer. The greatest temptations we face (πειρασμός) can be when we face trials (πειρασμός), but we have been called to live like Christ who did good when he was unjustly punished because of his future hope (2:18-25; 3:9, 17).

In conclusion, the theme of Hope as Elect Exiles is impossible to miss when reading 1 Peter. While other themes such as suffering, holiness, and salvation are certainly present, these are best understood within the context of the identity that Peter repeatedly reinforces (elect exiles) and the assurance of a future (hope) that awaits us. Elect exiles are chosen by God for suffering and holiness in the present but also glory in the future. It is this hope that fuels the calling Peter presents to us in his letter and this hope that, as we live by it, will lead us to our promised inheritance.

PETER’S USE OF THE OLD TESTAMENT

Peter makes significant use of the Old Testament, in fact, it is safe to say that he would not have been able to write or make his arguments without it. Among the numerous allusions, he makes at least seven direct quotations. Those are found in Leviticus 11:44, 19:2, 20:7 (in 1:16); Isaiah 40:6, 8 (in 1:24-25); Isaiah 28:16 (in 2:6); Psalm 118:22 (in 2:7); Isaiah 8:14 (in 2:8); Psalm 34:12-16 (in 3:10-12); and Proverbs 11:31 (in 4:18). Clear allusions or references to the following passages are also found: Psalm 34:8 (in 2:3); Exodus 24:8 (in 1:2); Isaiah 48:10 (in 1:7); Psalm 118:22-23 (in 2:4, 7); Exodus 19:5-6 (in 2:9); Hosea 2:23 (in 2:10); Isaiah 53:9 (in 2:22); Isaiah 53:7 (in 2:23); Isaiah 53:6 (in 2:24-25); Genesis 18:12 (in 3:6); Proverbs 20:22 (in 3:9); Genesis 6 (in 3:20); and Proverbs 10:12 (in 4:8).

The hermeneutical approach Peter used could be called Jewish Eschatological Fulfillment. It is first and foremost Jewish in that none of his views on God, humanity, salvation, or sanctification can be understood apart from the Jewish scripture and traditions. It is eschatological in that his interpretive lens is bent on time, and especially the future completion (1:7, 5:10) of God’s salvation plans from before the foundation of the world (1:3, 10). Both the Jewish and eschatological nature of his hermeneutic are understood best in terms of fulfillment. Peter teaches that God’s plans were prophesied (1:10-12) and foreshadowed in places such as the sacrificial system (1:2, 18-19; 2:5), the   temple (2:6-8), and the covenant calling of Israel (2:9-10); all now fulfilled in Christ and being fulfilled in his elect exiles as they follow in his path.

Like the other New Testament writers, when Peter references the Old Testament, he often reveals new meaning or depth to what was originally written. This is due to God’s plan becoming ‘filled up’ in Christ and therefore becoming clearer than it may have even been to the original authors. Several of these references will be laid out below.

In its original context, Leviticus 11:44 was about Israel consecrating itself by not eating anything that swarms, yet there was a principle throughout Leviticus (for example, 19:2 and 20:26) that God's people must be devoted to him and these laws were merely the specific way He was commanding them to do so. Likewise, this is the principle Peter carries over into the New Covenant context. 

Isaiah 40:6 and 8 were originally a way of the Lord reinforcing the fact that he would fulfill what he had spoken. Peter harkens back to this text as a way of proving God's faithfulness to give everlasting life through the word of the gospel. 

In Isaiah 28:16, the prophet was promising that God would make all things right one day, and in order to do so he would need to build upon a new foundation. Peter draws from this passage to show that Isaiah's prophecy is being fulfilled—first in Jesus as the cornerstone and now through the church being built upon him. The rejection Jesus faced (Ps. 118:22) led to his glory, and is paradigmatic for those who follow in his footsteps and whose lives are built on his.

God spoke to Isaiah (Is. 8:14) to give him assurance that he didn't need to fear those who opposed him, but rather, this opposition was ultimately against the Lord, whom he should fear instead. Getting this right allowed Isaiah to endure suffering in his ministry while remaining faithful, which is the same connection Peter makes for his audience (in 2:8): when they are rejected by the world, the world is actually rejecting the word, which God destined them to do.

One of his more interesting uses is in 2:9-10, where, “Peter draws on three Old Testament passages to describe the unique status and missional vocation of the church.” The first passage is Exodus 19:3-6, the place where Yahweh is preparing to give the Ten Commandments and he is reminding Israel of their new identity as his redeemed people. Peter carries this over and shows that his gentile audience has been grafted into this identity as well. The second passage is Hosea 2:23. There, God is casting judgment on his people, yet Peter declares that these judgments have been reversed through Jesus Christ. The third passage referenced in 1 Peter 2:9-10 is Isaiah 43:20-21, which says that God’s people were chosen by him in order to give him praise. Peter maintains the same general meaning of all three passages, while bringing it forward to its fulfillment for the new covenant people. 

Psalm 34:12-16 taught Peter's audience the same thing it would have taught David's audience: the LORD is judge and he sees all, therefore, do good and wait for his blessing. Dr. Schriener points out that it is possible Peter had Psalm 34 in view through the entire epistle. Just as David (the elect) was sent away (exiled) in the context of the Psalm, so Peter’s audience are being taught to live as elect exiles.

Proverbs 11:31 was clearly trying to make a point about the righteous and the wicked each being repaid for their deeds, though Peter seems to draw a different meaning from what it said. Perhaps this was due to the use of the Septuagint? In any case, in 4:19, Peter tells us why he quoted this Proverbs passage: suffer while doing good and entrust your soul to our faithful Creator, which is not an entirely different message.

Peter saw what was revealed in the OT as having continuity but also as being fulfilled in Jesus' life, death, resurrection, ascension, and imminent return. Thus, the principles are more or less the same as they were, only they are applied in a fresh way in light of this fulfillment and anticipation of salvation upon his return.