1 Peter Lesson 1 Part 1

I put this together for a new men’s bible study and to use with my family. My plan is to put out a blank ”copy” on the website under Ongoing Study” and then post a blog with my answers and any feedback the others give me. As noted for the Actions of Peter Series, this is meant to be read in conjunction with the Bible verse. For ease of use, I’ll include them as well.

And yes it looks like it will take two lesson to get through the first two verses. We are diving deep and on no timeline.

1 Peter 1:1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,

To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, 

2 who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood:

Grace and peace be yours in abundance

Study Questions

• Read the first two verses. What is your first impression?

Lots of really big words. It seems to wrap up the whole gospel as quickly as possible. The Father knew and chose us, Holy Spirit makes us Holy, and we are on mission as exiles, serving God. (Really just a personal response trigger.)

• Any questions about who Peter was?

None (see previous study). Since we studied the other aspects of Peter, we didn’t have questions, but someone did ask for a contrast of Peter and Paul. Peter was one of Christs’ main 12 disciples, knew Him personally, and was chosen as the leader of the Church with a focus on reaching the Jews. Paul met the resurrected Christ on the road to Damascus, spent great efforts studying the revealed Christ as compared to the Old Testament, and had a focus of reaching the Gentiles.

• Any questions about who the audience was?

The audience was to people who were already Christians and was to churches both Paul and Peter had established to show how Peter and Paul had aligned behind Christ. Its purpose was not really to reach non-believers.

• Any questions about what the terms mean to you?

1 Apostle – One sent on a mission, 12 disciples plus Paul, First reformer

Peter uses this almost like a title to indicate his personal interactions with Christ. As mentioned in the study, Peter got to experience things that no one else did, the 12 had experiences like no one else, and Paul had a life like no one else.

2 Pilgrims – One journeying in a foreign land, esp to holy site.

3 Dispersion – Diaspora, scattering of people, esp religious persecution.

The big concept here is that God used other nations victories against them to scatter the Jews across the world to tell others about Him, and God used the Romans to scatter the Christians across the world to tell others about His Son.

4 Elect – one chosen, set apart

God chose us and this is assuring.

5 Foreknowledge – revealed before-hand, supernaturally

God knows everything and this is assuring.

6 Sanctification – set apart, free from sin, process of becoming more Christlike.

This is a big topic and everyone grapples with what this means in their lives.

7 Obedience – follow guidance, conform

8 Sprinkling – small amount scattered over, doesn’t make sense, cleansed in other translations,

could do Greek word study

9 Grace – unmerited favor

i.e Get what we don’t deserve vs. Mercy don’t get what we do deserve.

10 Peace – free of conflict

Similar to joy, this is not outward, but inward

• Chapter 5 verse 12 gives the purpose as “Encouragement/Comfort” and “Assure/Testify”. How are these accomplished by the first two verses?

Picked me, Knows me.

Wrapup

So, this is as far as we got with the men. I pushed on with the girls, but the attention to detail is not quite the same between the two groups. We spent lots of time on each of the terms and really focused on these basics. The rest of the original lesson questions wraps up some unfinished comments above, so I’ll stop here, post these answers and pick back up next time.