1Peter 1
1. Who are the "strangers" Peter mentions in verse 1? Answer
2. Where was Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia located? Answer
3. What does verse 4 promise Christians? Answer
4. When are Christians, according to Peter, to receive their inheritance (verse 5)? Answer
5. Why is faith so important (verses 6 - 7)? Answer
6. What does verse 12 reveal about God's plans? Answer
7. What is God's goal, according to Peter, for all humans (verses 14 - 16)? Answer
8. What is the meaning of verse 20? Answer
9. What does Peter teach about how Christians are purified (verse 22)? Answer
1Peter 2
10. For what future responsibilities is God training Christians (verse 5)? Answer
11. Where did the quote of 1Peter 2:6 come from? Answer
12. What is unique about verses 6 and 8? Answer
13. What does verse 12 say about the purpose of doing good? Answer
14. What is the meaning of verses 13 and 14? Answer
15. What hard truth is Peter conveying in verses 18 to 21? Answer
1Peter 3
16. Does Peter forbid women from wearing jewelry or expensive clothes, or otherwise adorning themselves (verses 3 - 4)? Answer
17. What did Peter mean in verse 7 when he said women were the "weaker vessel?" Answer
18. What is difficult about not rendering evil for evil (verse 9)? Answer
19. What unpleasant truth does Peter reveal in verse 14? Answer
20. What is a conscience (verse 16)? Answer
21. When were the spirits in prison preached to by Jesus (verses 18 - 20)? Answer
22. What does verse 22 reveal about Jesus? Answer
1Peter 4
23. Why are Christians sometimes reviled by their friends and even their family (verses 4 - 5)? Answer
24. What does Peter mean when he says love covers a multitude of sins (verses 8)? Answer
25. What was the fiery trial Peter was referencing in verses 12 to 14? Answer
1Peter 5
26. According to Peter, how should those considered elders NOT serve the church of God (verses 2 - 3)? Answer
27. What does verse 8 reveal about Satan the devil? Answer
28. From where did Peter write this letter (verse 13)? Answer
1Peter 1 Answers
1. Peter writes to Christians he refers to as "strangers" (or the "elect strangers" when coupled with verse 2). "Elect" refers to the fact that Christians are called directly by God the Father who places his Spirit in them making them his spiritual children (John 6:44, Romans 8:9, 16 - 17, 2Corinthians 1:21 - 22, etc.).
[Life of Apostle Peter Timeline]
Peter uses the word "strangers" for Christians because, once converted, they are considered no longer part of this world (John 15:19, 17:14, 16). They become, spiritually, citizens of heaven (Philippians 3:20).
[Roman Provinces in New Testament]
2. Peter writes to Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia which were all Roman provinces in Asia Minor. Bithynia became a province in 74 B.C. When Pontus became a province in 65 B.C. it was combined with Bithynia to become Bithynia - Pontus.
3. Peter, in the fourth verse of chapter 1, says the following.
To an inheritance incorruptible (Greek aphthartos, Strong's Concordance #G862), and undefiled (amiantos, #G283), and that fadeth not away (amarantos, #G263), reserved in heaven for you (1Peter 1:4, KJV).
God promises that a Christian's inheritance cannot be destroyed by man, nor can it spoil (be defiled) or fade away. Interestingly, Peter uses three Greek words to describe this inheritance that begin with the same letter and end with the same syllable!
4. The fullness of a Christian's salvation, and their inheritance, will be revealed "in the last time" according to Peter in verse 5 of chapter 1.
[Timeline of Jesus' Return to Earth!]
[What Is the First Resurrection?]
It is during the return of Jesus Christ to earth, in the prophetic End Time, that the first resurrection takes place, where the righteous are resurrected and given immortal spiritual bodies (1Thessalonians 4:13 - 17, 1Corinthians 15:51 - 54). They will then receive their reward from Christ (Matthew 16:27, Luke 6:35, 1Corinthians 3:8 - 14, Revelation 11:18).
5. A Christian's faith in God, according to Peter, is sometimes allowed to be tested through the "fire" of trials and troubles. This is because God wants his people to have the same holy righteous character as he has, which can only be achieved through a life of overcoming.
Faith, boiled down to its essence, is far more than a person believing God exists (Hebrews 1:6, James 2:19). It is the unwavering conviction that the Lord is always righteous, that as the definition of selfless love he always wants the best for us, and that everything he says is true.
6. 1Peter 1:12 reveals that God has plans and purposes the fullness of which he has not revealed to the angels who serve him constantly! He has, rather, reserved to reveal aspects of man's salvation and future glory to those who are his spiritual children (true Christians).
The profound mystery of the gospel, and how God is fulfilling His will in humans, is still something the angels desire to understand according to Peter.
7. God wants nothing less than Christians to become as holy and righteous as he is! He greatly wants believers to imitate his holiness in both their character and their actions. Jesus made this fact abundantly clear in his Sermon on the Mount.
Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect (Matthew 5:48).
8. 1Peter 1:20 reveals the amazing fact that God knew, before his creation of Adam and Eve, that Jesus' sacrifice would be needed! God was not surprised at all when the first two humans sinned, having a plan already in place to handle the ultimate salvation of humanity.
[Did God Know Adam Would Sin?]
Peter counteracts the belief, in verse 20, that the need of Jesus' sacrifice was a last-minute remedy the Godhead had to devise to handle the sin they did not expect!
9. Peter teaches in verse 22 that Christians are purified by obeying, and not merely believing, the truth. Faith alone is not enough (see James 2:14 - 20)! Faith requires works, actual acts of obeying what God commands believers to do.
1Peter 2 Answers
10. Verse 5 of 1Peter 2 tells us that God is training believers to be a holy priesthood after they are resurrected upon Jesus' return. The Lord originally had this desire for his people Israel after they left Egyptian bondage (Exodus 19:5 - 6).
Peter further expands on this responsibility a few verses later when he writes the following.
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light (1Peter 2:9).
Peter teaches that Christians are priests in training who are also learning how to rule. During Jesus' reign in the Millennium, they will aid him in ruling and judging the earth. Their role as both priest and king is not alike that of Melchizedek, who was both priest of the Most High God and the King of Salem (Genesis 14:18).
Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years (Revelation 20:6, see also Matthew 19:28).
[The Greatest Bible Promises!]
11. The quote Peter uses in verse 6 of chapter 2 is taken from Isaiah 28.
Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste (Isaiah 28:16).
Paul also quotes Isaiah 28:16 in Romans 9:33.
12. Peter offers, in chapter 2, a few symbolic phrases to describe Jesus and his role in building and leading his church. He is a "chief cornerstone" (see Isaiah 28:16) that is both elect and precious (1Peter 2:6).
A cornerstone is a stone that forms the base of the corner of a building. It is stone that the rest of the building relies on for stability and strength. Once a cornerstone is laid the rest of the building can be constructed based on its location.
Verses 7 and 8 of chapter 2 also calls Christ "the stone which the builders disallowed" as well as a "stone of stumbling" and a "rock of offense." These phrases are taken from Psalm 118:22 and Isaiah 8:14. Jesus quotes Psalms 118:22 - 23 in Matthew 21:42.
13. Christians, which Peter and others teach, are to strive to constantly do good even to those who hate them or use them for their own selfish motivations (Matthew 5:44).
[What is the Resurrection of the Dead?]
Part of the purpose of doing good is as a witness to those who indulge in evil. When God, sometime in the future, calls these individuals, they will remember how the Lord still loved them through those who believed in him. They will then glorify him for receiving such undeserved treatment even though they were sinning against him and his people.
14. Peter, in 1Peter 2:13 - 14, encourages Christians to submit to man’s laws for the Lord's sake.
Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme or unto governors . . . (1Peter 2:13 - 14).
Christians should submit to the laws and rules of the society they live in (Romans 13:1 - 7, Titus 3:1 - 2) so long as they do not conflict with clear Biblical teachings (see Acts 4:19).
15. Although Peter's words in verses 18 to 21 is directed towards servants in relation to their masters, the principle he teaches can be applied to any situation.
According to Peter, it is commendable toward God if a Christian patiently endures being treated unjustly. A believer, for the sake of conscience, is called to endure unfair treatment if it is for their obedience to God's way. The motivation to willingly suffer loss that is undeserved should be to please God, and not men.
1Peter 3 Answers
16. Peter, in 1Peter 3:3 - 4, does not outright condemn the wearing of nice clothes, expensive jewelry or the latest hair styles by women. What he is tackling is the belief that such things should be pursued as the source of genuine beauty or to vainly show one's wealth and status.
[Should Women Wear Only Long Hair?]
The true beauty of a woman lies not in her outer attire but in her character. What is beautiful to God is a female with a gentle, quiet and humble spirit (1Timothy 2:9 - 11). She is also industrious and hard-working, spending her time providing for others (see Proverbs 31).
Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised (Proverbs 31:30).
17. Peter's comment that women are the "weaker vessel" certainly does not mean females are inferior spiritually compared to men. Verse 7 states that husbands ought to honor their wives as they are BOTH receivers of God's grace and both are heirs of salvation.
Peter, unfortunately, does not further define how women are weaker than men. Some Biblical commentaries believe the apostle is referencing the overall physical strength of women compared to men. Females, they say, are also subject to more infirmities and health weaknesses than males. Others believe Peter is referring to a woman's innate emotional weakness compared to men.
18. Human nature has a nasty tendency to pursue various levels of revenge against others who abuse, mistreat or otherwise take advantage of us. This is what makes implementing what Peter teaches in chapter 3 verse 9 difficult!
God wants Christians to consciously fight their human nature and not take revenge, as he reserves the right to punish those who sin (Romans 12:19, 2Thessalonians 1:8, Hebrews 10:30). Believers are called to spend their lives dedicated to doing good even to those who have sinned against us. Doing good to such people is part of the process of learning how to be like our heavenly Father as was taught by Jesus.
[Meaning of an Eye for an Eye]
But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven (Matthew 5:44 - 45).
19. Peter teaches in 1Peter 3:14 that God may allow Christians to suffer in this life for doing what is right. It does, admittedly, take some spiritual maturity to accept such as God's will and even more maturity to believe this suffering is blessing us!
Peter admonishes Christians in verse 14 to also not be intimidated or afraid of those who persecute them for the sake of righteousness. Believers are promised in the book of Romans that God will make whatever happens work out for their own good.
[Why Is There Sin and Suffering?]
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28).
20. God seems to have placed, in every human, a comprehension of basic right and wrong. Most human societies throughout history, for example, recognized that stealing, murder, lying and so on amongst themselves were not beneficial practices.
A conscience is the moral voice within humans that helps us distinguish what is right from what is wrong and prompts us to do what is good and reject evil. Consciences are not static, however, as they can be educated and strengthened or degraded and destroyed (1Timothy 4:2).
21. When were the spirits in prison, referenced by Peter in 1Peter 3:19, preached to by Jesus? Verse 20 gives us our answer.
. . . when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing . . . (1Peter 3:20).
[Are There Spirits in Prison?]
God tasked Noah to build an ark to save his family from the flood he planned to bring on the earth (Genesis 6:11 - 14). At the same time he decided to give humans 120 years to repent through the preaching of Noah (verse 3, 2Peter 2:5). It was during this time, when Noah was between 480 and 600 years old (see Genesis 7:6), that Jesus preached to demons who were restrained in a spiritual prison.
1Peter 3:18 - 19 is also one of the many proofs that Jesus existed before his Incarnation as a human through Mary.
[Did Peter Have the
Keys to the Kingdom?]
22. Jesus is currently, according to Peter, seated at the right hand of God (1Peter 3:22, see also Psalm 110:1, Mark 16:19, Acts 2:33). Biblically, the right hand symbolizes authority, power, strength and honor.
Peter reveals that the Lord has authority over all spirits, be they angels or demons, as well as all creation (see also Ephesians 1:20 - 21). The completion of God's plan will come when Jesus delivers all things to God the Father (1Corinthians 15:24 - 25).
1Peter 4 Answers
23. Christians, before conversion, indulged in some or many of the same sinful behaviors as others. Peter's examples of carnal pursuits include drunkenness, carousing, unlawful sex, excessive partying, worshipping something other than the true God (idolatry) and alike (1Peter 4:3). Those who become Christians, however, are commanded to abandon all the sinful behaviors they once pursued.
The change in a believer's life, as they pursue God's will, is usually a surprise to people such as acquaintences, old friends and family. They may find it strange that the believer no longer indulges in the sinful behavior they themselves continue to practice. Their shock at the new behavior can easily turn into open hostility and even (false) accusations of vanity, hypocrisy or other sins on the part of the Christian.
Peter reminds his readers that it is infinitely more important to please God than other humans. Those who wrongly revile Christians will someday have to give an account to God for their treatment of his spiritual children.
24. Peter is drawing from the principle found in Proverbs 10:12 for his teaching in 1Peter 4:8.
Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins (Proverbs 10:12).
The covering of sins Peter discusses is between believers and not believers and God.
An integral part of the relationships among Christians is the willingness to overlook and forgive the faults of each other. Love between believers must be patient, kind, not easily provoked and willing to bear whatever it takes for it to flourish (1Corinthians 13:4 - 8).
Love covers sins as it places a higher value on forgiveness than the sin itself. Forgiveness is necessary for relationships to continue and grow.
[Best Bible Verses About Love]
25. Unfortunately, Peter does not specify the cause or type of the fiery trial that would soon come upon his readers. That said, by the time Peter wrote his letter from 64 to 65 A.D., Christianity had already been persecuted in various parts of the Roman Empire for several years.
[Will the Devil Live Forever?]
When Paul arrived in Rome as a prisoner in the early spring of 61 A.D., he was told that Christianity was spoken against through much of the empire (Acts 28:22).
The Apostle Paul, who was still alive when Peter wrote 1Peter, had experienced countless arrests, beatings, imprisonments, conspiracies against his life and so on during his ministry (2Corinthians 11:23 - 26). Christians, as well as Jews, were expelled from the city of Rome by Emperor Claudius shortly before Paul arrived in Corinth around late 50 A.D. (Acts 18:1 - 2).
[Roman Empire at its Peak Map]
The first epistle of Peter was written roughly around the time of Rome's great fire which took place in July of 64 A.D. Nero, after about 75% of the city was destroyed, sought to blame Christians for the devastation to deflect any criticism directed toward him. The horrible persecution of Christians in Rome then ensued.
"Christians . . . were identified, arrested, and killed. Some, for the entertainment of spectators, were torn to pieces by hunting dogs, while others were crucified in ways calculated to make them look ridiculous." (Wikipedia article on the Great Fire of Rome).
It was only a matter of time before fiery trials of their faith came upon Peter's readers.
1Peter 5 Answers
26. Elders in the church were older men in a particular congregation. By virtue of age they were considered leaders in the group. Peter was NOT referencing those who held the office of an elder, regardless of age, as such did not exist at the time. Elder was a title of honor, not of office (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary).
The Greek word translated as the phrase "beings lords over" in 1Peter 5:2 includes the idea of domineering such as a strong person ruling over someone who is weak. Those considered elders were to guide by example, willingly serving others. They were not to rule over others for the sake of vanity, money or power.
[How to Operate Church Without Pastor!]
Elders, based on the clear teachings of Jesus Christ (Matthew 20:25 - 28, Mark 10:42 - 45), were forbidden to set up a hierarchical set of offices, a top-down church government, to rule God's people! Those who did so cared only for themselves and were nothing more than hirelings and not true shepherds (Ezekiel 34:2 - 3, John 10:12 - 13). The Apostle John had no end of trouble with a man named Diotrephes who ruled a local church like a dictator (3John)!
27. Satan's character is sealed to do evil. He is, in fact, as dedicated to sin as God is to righteousness. He is constantly looking to destroy people! According to Peter he should not be taken for granted.
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour (1Peter 5:8).
[Why Did the Devil Attack God?]
Christians should be constantly alert as their chief enemy has a violent and insatiable thirst for prey like a hungry lion.
28. Peter wrote 1Peter from the ancient city of Babylon found in an area known as Mesopotamia. The apostle, whose ministry focused on the Jews (Galatians 2:7), was evangelizing the city which had a large Jewish population. The Jewish historian Josephus wrote that many of the diaspora lived in the city.
"But when Hyrcanus was brought into Parthia the King Phraates treated him after a very gentle manner, as having already learned of what an illustrious family he was; on which account he set him free from his bonds, and gave him a habitation at Babylon, WHERE THERE WERE JEWS IN GREAT NUMBERS." (Antiquities of the Jews, Book 15, Chapter 2, Section 2).
Some Biblical commentaries believe that the reference to Babylon by Peter was some coded symbolism that actually referenced Rome and its empire. This, however, cannot be the case. The Biblical linkage of Babylon with Rome does not occur until the book of Revelation which was written roughly 30 years AFTER Peter wrote this epistle!