From the earliest days of Christianity, when things in the ways of God were in transition (dispensationally) from Judaism to Christianity, there has been a need for Jewish believers in Christ to be instructed in this new departure of God. It is why the Hebrew-Christian epistles (Hebrews, James, 1 & 2 Peter) were written and included in the canon of Scripture.
Just prior to going to the cross, the Lord said to Peter, “When once thou hast been restored, confirm [establish] thy brethren” (Luke 22:32). Then, after the Lord rose from among the dead, He formally commissioned him to this work, stating: “Feed My lambs” and “Feed [shepherd] My sheep” (John 21:15-17). Thus, the Great Shepherd appointed Peter as an under-shepherd to care for His flock and to minister to its needs in the time of His absence—particularly in practical things involved in the change from Judaism to Christianity. In the book of the Acts, and in his two inspired epistles, we see Peter fulfilling this ministry.
We learn from Galatians 2:7-8, that Peter’s “apostleship” was to “the circumcision.” That is, the focus of his ministry was primarily toward his fellow Jewish brethren who had become believers on the Lord Jesus Christ. Accordingly, he writes his epistles to them. (1 Peter 1:18 and 2:12 confirm this.) The Apostle Paul calls these believers “a remnant according to the election of grace” (Rom. 11:5) and “the Israel of God” (Gal. 6:16).
Several things connected with Judaism had formed the consciences of those raised in that God-given religion, which were not easy to let go of, even though they had become Christians. These scruples clung to these dear saints of God (and understandably so) and tended to hinder them from walking in the liberty of Christianity. These things could be called “graveclothes,” which in the case of Lazarus, had to be taken off before he could walk properly (John 11:44). Hence, there was a real need for the truth in the Hebrew-Christian epistles in the early days of Christianity when most of the saints in the Church were from a Jewish background. Jews have been steadily coming to Christ for salvation from those early days until now, and these epistles have been a real help to them.
At the close of this epistle, Peter stated: “I have written to you briefly; exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God in which ye stand.” Thus, he made it clear that his purpose in writing to these Jewish saints was to instruct them and to exhort them regarding the conduct that was suited to the new position in which they stood as Christians.
The Transition From Judaism to Christianity
After the death of Christ, those of the Jewish community who had believed on Him were quite unsure of the direction in which God was moving in connection with the Old Testament promises concerning the establishment of the Messianic kingdom. The Lord’s death had been a terrible shock to them; they were convinced that “it had been He which should have redeemed Israel” (Luke 24:21). They thought that He was going to set them free (the meaning of redemption) from their Gentile oppressors who ruled over them (Luke 4:18), and thus, He would effect the “great salvation” of national deliverance from their enemies as announced in the Gospel of the Kingdom (Heb. 2:3). But having died, their hopes in Him had been shattered and they were dismayed. In this epistle, Peter shows these dear believers that all was not lost in the death of Christ. In fact, Christ’s death had accomplished great things for the glory of God and for the blessing of man. It glorified God regarding the whole question of sin. It was the ultimate “sin-offering” (Isa. 53:10; Rom. 8:3; 2 Cor. 5:21) that enabled God to put away the sins of all who would believe (Heb. 9:26-28). Moreover, Peter taught them that in Christ risen and the coming of the Holy Spirit, God was bringing in a far greater scope of blessings and privileges than that which Jewish hopes had in view—and that these new blessings in Christ were eternally secure. Hence, Israel’s failure to receive their Messiah did not defeat God. It did not upset His plan to open up greater blessing in Christ; it was something that He had purposed to do before the foundation of the world.
Consequent upon Israel’s failure to keep the conditions of the legal covenant and their rejection of their Messiah, there has been a change in the ways of God; His dealings with the nation of Israel have been suspended. This is something that was foretold by Israel’s prophets (Dan. 9:24-27; Mic. 5:1-3; Zech. 11:10-14, etc.). In the meanwhile, God would “visit the Gentiles” with the gospel of His grace with a view of calling believers on the Lord Jesus Christ out from among them to compose a new heavenly company of blessed persons—the Church of God (Acts 15:14). All who would believe from among both the Jews and the Gentiles would be part of this new company (1 Cor. 12:13; Eph. 2:11-22; 3:6).
As mentioned, the first generation of Jewish Christians needed instruction because of this dispensational shift in the ways of God, which the Hebrew-Christian epistles give. (The Apostle Paul also explains this dispensational change in Romans 9-11.) The hopes of Jewish believers on the Lord Jesus before the cross were centered in Him, and rightly so, but those hopes were along the lines of His being their earthly Jewish Messiah. But Christ’s death and resurrection changed everything; having been “cut off” in death, He would have “nothing” at that time, so far as His Messiahship is concerned (Dan. 9:26). As Christians, Jewish believers were now going to know Him in a new and far more blessed relationship—as a risen Saviour in heavenly glory. Accordingly, Paul said, “Yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we Him no more. Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature [creation]: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Cor. 5:16-17). Thus, the death of Christ has closed the door (temporarily) to Jewish blessing on earth, but the resurrection and ascension of Christ has opened the door to superior blessings for Christians, who stand in a new place of favour before God in Christ.
Peter was not writing to those who had known the Lord on earth, for he says, “Whom having not seen, ye love....” (chap. 1:8). These believers had been converted after Pentecost, and therefore, had not seen the Lord in person. Some of them may well have been converted through Peter’s preaching on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:5-11). And, some may have been saved through the labours of Paul and Barnabas, who preached in some of the regions mentioned in chapter 1:1. Regardless of whether these saints were Peter’s converts or not, they were Jewish believers, and he felt a responsibility to shepherd them as he had been commissioned by the Lord. Thus, he writes to tell them of the new relationship that they had with God as Father and of their new place before Him in Christ. He also shows them that they had new and better hopes in Christ risen, and instructs them as to the proper conduct suited to their new Christian blessings. Since he was writing to those who were familiar with the Old Testament Scriptures, he makes numerous allusions to passages in the Old Testament with which they would be familiar.
Some Characteristics of the Epistle
Peter’s two epistles are somewhat based on two memorable experiences that he had as a disciple of the Lord. This first epistle links with the occasion when the Lord announced that He was going to build His Church (Matt. 16:16-18). At that time, He called him “Peter” (which means “a stone”), indicating that he would be a part of that building as a living stone (1 Peter 2:5). (Compare John 1:42.) The second epistle is founded upon Peter’s experience with the Lord on the Mount of Transfiguration (Matt. 17:1-9). He makes reference to it in chapter 1:16-18 and bases a number of remarks and exhortations on it.
As noted, the Apostle Peter had a special line of ministry from the Lord. The character of his ministry is altogether different from that of Paul and John. Paul’s ministry emphasizes our union with Christ as members of His body and our place in the new creation race as His brethren. The theme in John’s ministry is the characteristics of life eternal in the family of God, whereas in Peter’s epistles, we do not get union with Christ, the new creation race, or eternal life—nor do we find the love of God and the Rapture of the saints in his epistles. J. N. Darby pointed out that “the doctrine of the gathering together of the saints to Jesus in the air, when they go to meet Him, forms no part of Peter’s teaching” (Synopsis of the Books of the Bible, Loizeaux edition, vol. 5, p. 427; Collected Writings, vol. 28, p. 164). As mentioned, Peter labours to establish Jewish believers in the new way of life in Christianity and in the exercises that are proper to a believer walking by faith in that path. For this reason, his ministry has an application to Gentile believers too—for all Christians, not just Jewish converts, need practical exhortation in regard to Christian living. Thus, Peter’s ministry is mostly pastoral, touching heavily on the practical side of Christianity.
The Sufferings of Christ
An outstanding feature of Peter’s first epistle is the subject of “the sufferings of Christ.” It is mentioned in every chapter (chaps. 1:11; 2:21; 3:18; 4:1, 13; 5:1). His sufferings are brought in either as a model of how we should respond when people evil-treat us or as a motivation for us to live a godly, devoted life.
Peter emphasizes the sufferings of Christ in his ministry because it was something that the Jews had generally overlooked in the oracles of God—the Messianic Scriptures. In each of the prophecies concerning the Messiah, the Spirit of Christ testified of two great themes—“the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow” (chap. 1:11). Throughout the Old Testament prophetical writings, there is that which pertains to the Messiah’s sufferings and that which pertains to His reign in kingdom glory. The order in which these things are found in Scripture indicates that Christ would first suffer before He would enter into His glory (Luke 24:26).
The Jews dwelt on the passages that pertained to the glories of the Messiah and reveled in them. They would read them at their yearly feasts with great excitement. But sadly, they overlooked the passages having to do with the Messiah’s sufferings––e.g. Psalm 22; Psalm 69; Isaiah 50:4-6; 53:1-12; Micah 5:1; Zechariah 13:7, etc. These Scriptures reveal that Christ would be rejected by His own people whom He came to bless (John 1:11) and would be “cut off” in death (Psa. 22:15; Isa. 53:8; Dan. 9:26). God had a very important reason for allowing this to happen; Christ’s death would be the means by which sin would be atoned for in His great, once-for-all “offering for sin” (Isa. 53:10; 2 Cor. 5:21).
The Lord pointed out these two themes in the Scriptures to those with whom He went to Emmaus. He rebuked them for not believing “all that the prophets have spoken” concerning the Messiah. They, like the Jews generally, had only believed the parts of Scripture that pertained to the Messiah’s glory, and this led them to mistaken conclusions when He was rejected and crucified. To meet their disappointment, the Lord explained from the Scriptures that He must first suffer before He would enter into His kingdom glory (Luke 24:25-27).
Coupled with Christ’s sufferings in this epistle is the repeated mention of the sufferings of the saints. Peter mentions this a number of times, in various ways and aspects, and views it as the normal experience of Christians (chaps. 2:19; 3:14, 17; 4:1, 16; 5:10). He shows that it is part and parcel with the life of faith being lived in a world that has rejected Christ. Hence, in this first epistle, we see Peter preparing the saints for adversity. He encourages them to endure the suffering which is unavoidable when living for Christ.
Living by Faith
Another characteristic feature in the epistle is living by faith (chap. 1:5, 7, 9, 21; 5:9, etc.). Even though “faith” is only mentioned twice in the Old Testament (Deut. 32:20; Hab. 2:4), it would not be a new thing to someone from a Jewish background. Hebrews 11 shows that the saints from the beginning of time all lived by faith. (Words such as: “trust,” “wait,” and “rest,” are used quite frequently in the Old Testament, and they convey the thought of the soul’s faith in God – Psalm 37, etc.)
The burden of Peter’s ministry was to show these believers that even though they had become Christians, they still had to walk by faith—only now, it was in connection with new heavenly blessings and hopes which they had in Christ. In the days of His earthly ministry, the disciples knew Him as the Messiah on earth, but when He was rejected by the nation and returned to the Father above, they were to know Him in a new way—as a glorified Man at God’s right hand. The Lord explained this to the apostles in the upper room. He taught them that just as they had faith in God whom they couldn’t see, so they were to have faith in Him whom they would shortly no longer see, because He was going back to the Father (John 14:1).
Living by faith is characteristic of the “wilderness” epistles—1 Corinthians, Philippians, Hebrews, and 1 Peter. These epistles view the saints as “strangers and pilgrims” on earth (chap. 2:11) being tested by the trials they face in the path (chap. 1:6-7). Thus, we see Peter exhorting and comforting the saints who are running the course of faith. The Lord Jesus was a Pilgrim and a heavenly Stranger when He was here, and He is set before us as an “example [model]” to emulate in our pilgrimage (chap. 2:21). Hence, whether in Old Testament times or in New Testament times, living by faith is necessary. All who do so please God (Heb. 11:6).
The Government of God
While living by faith is emphasized in all of the Hebrew-Christian epistles, unique to Peter’s epistles is the theme of the governmental dealings of God which work behind the scenes in our lives. It is alluded to in every chapter (chaps. 1:17; 2:12; 3:10-12; 4:17; 5:5-6). In Peter’s first epistle, God’s government is seen working in connection with believers, whereas in the second epistle, it is against unbelievers. A key text in this regard is 1 Peter 4:17. The first part of the verse pertains to those in “the house of God” and the latter part of the verse pertains to those outside of the house who “obey not the gospel of God.”
The government of God is a term that Bible teachers use to denote the providential dealings of God with men—either positively or negatively—as a consequence of the way in which they live. Galatians 6:7-8, gives the general principle on which God’s government works: “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.” This shows that there are consequences to our actions, even though we may not feel them immediately. The two sides of God’s government are:
• Governmental judgment.
• Governmental blessing.
Since the Lord has “all power” in “heaven and on earth” (Matt. 28:18), He can cause good things as well as bad things (calamities) to occur in the lives of men according to their works. He can “hedge up” the way of the transgressor with governmental judgments in the form of troubles, problems, sorrows, sicknesses, etc., with a view to arresting his wayward course and producing repentance (Hos. 2:6-7). God can also use His power to order happy and blessed circumstances in the lives of men who do right, and thus, they “inherit blessing” in their lives (practically) and “see good days” (1 Peter 3:9-12a).
It is important to understand that God’s governmental dealings with men pertain only to their time on earth; it does not have anything to do with their eternal destiny. Moreover, if we bring upon ourselves the governmental judgment of God on account of our sinful actions; there is such a thing as God’s governmental forgiveness, if and when we are repentant (Matt. 18:26-27; Luke 7:48; John 5:14; James 5:15; Psa. 103:10-12). This shows that God has a forgiving heart (Psa. 130:3-4). Governmental forgiveness has to do with God’s lifting His judgment on us in whatever way or measure that we have been made to feel it. Then again, the Lord may choose to leave us to continue under the effects of His governmental judgment (either partially or fully), even when there has been real repentance, because He knows the tendencies of our hearts, and this keeps us dependent upon Him, and ultimately, from going off track again. Hence, communion will be restored, but the effects of our actions may continue to be felt (2 Sam. 12:10).
Many Christians have an imbalanced view of the subject of the government of God. They think of it only from the negative, judgmental side. In referring to someone who has rebelled against God, they will say, “So and so is under the government of God.” This is true, but in reality, all Christians are under the government of the Father—either for good or for bad.
The Kingdom
Having been given “the keys of the kingdom of the heavens” (Matt. 16:19), Peter had been selected to open the door of blessing to both the Jews (Acts 2) and to the Gentiles (Acts 10). Accordingly, he has an emphasis on the kingdom in his ministry. He speaks frequently of the Appearing of Christ, which is the event that marks the introduction of the kingdom and His public reign in this world (1 Peter 1:5, 7, 13; 4:13; 5:1, 4; 2 Peter 1:11, 16; 3:4, 10).
The mention of “the kingdom of God,” in Scripture, emphasizes the moral side of things (Rom. 14:17). That is, it pertains to the moral character of God being worked out in the walk and ways of the saints. Since Peter’s ministry is immensely practical, the subject of the kingdom fits well with His teaching and exhortations.