Observations on 1st Peter, chapter 1

[Alive]

Men say and believe all kinds of things. The scriptures teach that the evidence of a regenerated individual is a changing life. Can you show where Calvin himself taught what you propose above?

I propose that such a one was never converted.

[Michael37]

10 hours ago, Alive said:

The scriptures teach that the evidence of a regenerated individual is a changing life.

Agreed. 

Scripture also teaches that righteousness can be sought but this must be by faith if it is to be attained:

Rom 9:30-33  What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, who didn’t follow after righteousness, attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith;  (31)  but Israel, following after a law of righteousness, didn’t arrive at the law of righteousness.  (32)  Why? Because they didn’t seek it by faith, but as it were by works of the law. They stumbled over the stumbling stone;  (33)  even as it is written, “Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and a rock of offense; and no one who believes in him will be disappointed.”

[Omegaman 3.0]

11 hours ago, Alive said:

Men say and believe all kinds of things. The scriptures teach that the evidence of a regenerated individual is a changing life. Can you show where Calvin himself taught what you propose above?

I propose that such a one was never converted.

Sure, what people call Calvinism, usually in a misnomer, and "extreme" Calvinism, does not even come close. At the heart of the issue, is the changed heart of the new nature, which does not do such rebellious things, nor does it want to. It is unfathomable, that a person who is a receiver of the new birth, who now loves God, wants to obey and please God, and now understands spiritual things, would do this things not fitting for a child of God, nor would they ever consider going back to their former way of life and lost condition.

This is a bit out of context, but it still expresses the principle:

They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.

As has been expresseds, Christians are not sinless, they just sin less. People who call themselves Christians, but who rape, murder, steal and blaspheme, are fakes, they are not even good tares! A tree is known by it's fruit. In the case the fruit of the Spirit, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

[Alive]

10 minutes ago, Omegaman 3.0 said:

Sure, what people call Calvinism, usually in a misnomer, and "extreme" Calvinism, does not even come close. At the heart of the issue, is the changed heart of the new nature, which does not do such rebellious things, nor does it want to. It is unfathomable, that a person who is a receiver of the new birth, who now loves God, wants to obey and please God, and now understands spiritual things, would do this things not fitting for a child of God, nor would they ever consider going back to their former way of life and lost condition.

This is a bit out of context, but it still expresses the principle:

They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.

As has been expresseds, Christians are not sinless, they just sin less. People who call themselves Christians, but who rape, murder, steal and blaspheme, are fakes, they are not even good tares! A tree is known by it's fruit. In the case the fruit of the Spirit, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Amen!

[Your closest friendnt]

On 5/5/2022 at 1:32 PM, Omegaman 3.0 said:

1 Peter 1

1Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,

2according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood:

May grace and peace be multiplied to you.

 

On 5/5/2022 at 1:32 PM, Omegaman 3.0 said:

3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 

What am I emphasizing?

• Verse 3 We are not born again because we chose to be, we are born again because God caused it.

 

 

****1 Peter 1:3 NIV

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.

Praise to God for a Living Hope

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 

@Omegaman 3.0

in verse one the Apostle is addressing the believers of Jewish descent. 

Peter is telling them or he is reminding them to leave the past behind and to look forwards to the things of Jesus Christ, to seek God in the new way of the Gospel of Jesus Christ...

He reminds them of their Inheritance as the children of Abraham born from the chosen tribe of their Patriarch Jacob and who were in the past heirs of the blessings of the Law of Moses, and the Sinai Covenant. 

The Apostle Peter reminds them that as Believers in Jesus Christ are born into the New Family of God and into the New Hope because Jesus Christ was raised from the dead...

Their New Hope is that now as believers in Jesus Christ borned in to the New Family of God the Heavenly One they should look forwards to be Sanctified (not in the way they Sanctified them selves when they under the Law of Moses, which demand the obedience in their religious Calendar and the celebration there off and their presenting them selves before the Lord in the Temple...

This is they had to Sanctify themselves according to the Law...

The Apostle makes the distinction between the Sanctification available to them when they were under the Law and the Sanctification that they need to follow as Believers in Jesus Christ as the children born from above having a Heavenly Inheritance together with Jesus Christ. 

And he said to them this is how they have to look forwards to their been Sanctified.

In verse 2. 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:

Because this is made possible because Jesus Christ was raised from the dead...and he was in Heaven with the Heavenly Father... being the Christ of God and the Lord and the Judged of all... 

The Apostle said to them they are included in the New Family of God in the same way he was when they heard the Gospel and they believed that Jesus Christ who was Crucified and died on the Cross, and many of them were witnesses to his death, God has raised him from the dead and has inherited Heaven and the Throne of God not only for him self but for everyone who believes in him.  They have believe and so their hope it is to be with Jesus Christ and God where they are...

[AdHoc]

@Omegaman 3.0 @Michael37 @Alive @Rosie1jack2pauline3 @Your closest friendnt Greetings. I am joining the thread late but would like to contribute.

Peter and the other 11 were sent to the "circumcision" (Gal.2:7-9). When God wanted to spread the gospel He allowed a great persecution in Jerusalem to scatter the disciple. But Acts 8:1 tells us that the Apostles stayed - stayed at the starting point of the new religion. And we see that the 12 will judge the Tribes of Israel in the millennium (Matt.19:28).  Peter's letters are different to Paul's. They are based on his listeners having 1,500 years of relations with Jehovah. He does not have to regulate things like marriage, diet and fornication. Rather, his letters address the effects of the transition of a Jew from Judaism to Christianity.

The first big change for a converted Jew was the new birth. Israel had God living WITH them and were still sons of Jacob. But now they had God living IN them and are sons of God. This has a huge effect on the Covenant made with Abraham because while all points are obtainable if a Jew is circumcised, he is not eligible for the Kingdom that God predicted in Daniel 2. Our Lord's discussion with Nicodemus made this clear.

Next, the Jew must change his doctrine about sins. Under Law he had a row of offerings and could exercise them every day. But for the rebirth sin and sins must be fully put away. The resurrection of Jesus was proof of this. If one sin remained that Jesus had not accounted for, He could not be resurrected. So the rebirth, in Peter's explanation, is by (the proof of) the resurrection. In Paul's letters it is by faith and by the mouth.

Next, suffering must be explained. The Law of Moses promised safety, prosperity and long life if it was kept. Now, having been obedient to God and having embraced Christ, the Jewish believers were thrown into violent persecution. And added to this, other trials sought them out. Their tendency, as is shown in Hebrews, is to forsake Christianity and return to Moses. But Peter shows them that trials purge and refine their faith. The importance of this cannot be emphasized enough. "The just shall live by faith" and it is one's living that qualifies one for the coming Kingdom or not. The dreadful picture of Matthew 17 is that when the Lord was translated into His Kingdom on the Mount, He only took three of 12 disciples. The reason seems apparent. the other 9 were defeated because the Lord "found no faith when He returned". They had been overcome by a demon. 

This brings us to the next point - the salvation of the soul. To enter the coming Millennial Kingdom, a man must be of royal birth (John 3:3-6) and he must have been absolutely obedient to God (Matt.7:21-23). To follow God one must be as absolute as Jesus was was. According to Matthew 16:24-28, to be this absolute entails the loss of the "soul-life". That means, you have to deny yourself and your own will to the extent of pain and loss - even to martyrdom. But the Kingdom of God is Christ's "JOY" (Matt.25:21). That is, the fame, bliss and acceptance into Christ's circle of co-kings is so pleasurable that the soul is GAINED or SAVED. Moses taught obedience with instant reward. This reward ended with death. Jesus teaches suffering now - even unto death. But great is the REWARD for those who lost their "soul-life" (lit Gk.) for Christ's sake. "2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross."

1st Peter 1:10 says; "Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you." The prophets, having the Spirit of Christ, prophesied of Christ and His Work. And these prophets desired to be part of its effect. What made the effects of Christ's Work so superior to life in Israel? The answer again lies in two things, the first of which is that being made a co-king with Christ NEVER ENDED because of RESURRECTION. The Jew's bliss under Law ended with His death. The Christian will gain his soul AFTER RESURRECTION and his bliss will never end. The second matter that the prophets saw and could not partake of yet was Christ dwelling IN the Christian. God's purpose and glory is not achieved by living under Law. That only displays a part of His character. Only "Christ IN you is the hope of God's full glory" (Col.1:27).

My last point is that the angels desire to look into this matter too. Why? Angels come from heaven. They do not die. They were there when God made the earth and sang for joy (Job.38). The angels are glorious and powerful beings BUT THEY ARE NOT CONSTRUCTED FOR, AND ALLOWED TO HAVE CHRIST LIVING IN THEM. The might be heavenly and they might have audience with God (1st Kings 22, Job 1 & 2). But they cannot have Chris living in them. they know that we Christians carry the ultimate privilege. And SECONDLY, only the Christians who overcome, who are counted worthy, will rule the earth i the ages to come - NOT ANGELS (Heb.2:5). Lucifer is an angel and did rule, but it is OVER. Genesis 1:26-28 gives that rule to MEN.

This is a very basic commentary of the first 12 verses of a rich Chapter of the Bible. I will finish it - God willing - soon.

[Michael37]

6 hours ago, AdHoc said:

Peter and the other 11 were sent to the "circumcision" (Gal.2:7-9).

And yet Peter is observed at the forefront of the Gentile inclusion, firstly in the house of Cornelius and secondly at the Council of Jerusalem . . .

Act 10:44-45  While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word.  (45)  And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also.

Act 15:5-11  But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up, saying, "It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses."  (6)  Now the apostles and elders came together to consider this matter.  

• (7)  And when there had been much dispute, Peter rose up and said to them: "Men and brethren, you know that a good while ago God chose among us, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe.  (8)  So God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us,  (9)  and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.  (10)  Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?  (11)  But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they."

[AdHoc]

8 hours ago, Michael37 said:

And yet Peter is observed at the forefront of the Gentile inclusion, firstly in the house of Cornelius and secondly at the Council of Jerusalem . . .

Act 10:44-45  While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word.  (45)  And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also.

Act 15:5-11  But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up, saying, "It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses."  (6)  Now the apostles and elders came together to consider this matter.  

• (7)  And when there had been much dispute, Peter rose up and said to them: "Men and brethren, you know that a good while ago God chose among us, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe.  (8)  So God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us,  (9)  and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.  (10)  Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?  (11)  But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they."

Great point - and very valid. This is my understanding.

Because Christianity would be taught throughout the world, our Lord Jesus would become one of the best known characters and the Bible the most sold and most studied book ever, the enemy would try to usurp it for himself. Our Lord predicted many "False Christs". Many would lay claim to being THE Christ and would then claim the fame, power and money that spun off this claim. So how did our Lord preempt this? By a very simple move. He connected the whole move back to the disciples and Jerusalem.

This is best seen in the outpouring of the holy Spirit. There was a sequence of events on that first Pentecost. And on two more occasions do these events repeat themselves to CONNECT what happened IN JERUSALEM. They were;

1. The gospel freely given to the Gentiles. At the house of Cornelius the Holy Spirit was manifested like at Jerusalem as Peter reported in Acts 11:15; "And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning." Note that the Jews were "contending" with Peter. They would not have accepted the gospel reaching the gentiles. So God connects the gospel reaching the Gentiles with exactly the same manifestation as the "beginning" at Jerusalem.
2. The giving of the Holy Spirit only after Baptism in water in the name of Jesus. On Pentecost day in Jerusalem, after the gospel was preached, the pious Jews asked what they could do to avoid God's wrath. Peter's answer was "repent and be immersed in the name of Jesus" and they would receive what the disciples had received - the immersion into the Holy Spirit with manifestations. This they did. Now, in Acts 19, years later, men had believed and called on the name of the Lord and been immersed in water. But no Holy Spirit was given. The problem was that Apollos had taught John's Immersion and not an immersion in Jesus' Name. So Paul corrects this and after these believers were immersed in Jesus' Name, the Holy Spirit was given AS AT JERUSALEM. Thus, Christ connected Baptism with the attendant gift of the Holy Spirit FOREVER WITH THE DISCIPLES AND EVENTS AT JERUSALEM.

So although Peter and the other 11 are Apostles to the "circumcision", they are used in the beginning of things, to connect Christianity to Jesus, Jerusalem and the events at Jerusalem forever. No imposter could claim that he had started Christianity and started it in another place. Has not Rome claimed that the Citadel for Christianity is ROME? They have, but everybody knows that Jerusalem is the center of Jewry AND the place of origin of Christianity.

[Starise]

On 5/5/2022 at 1:32 PM, Omegaman 3.0 said:

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,

This is the audience, so I think it a stretch to say "we". While application might possibly be made to others this is not the audience. The chapter is very specific who it addresses.

[Omegaman 3.0]

2 hours ago, Starise said:

This is the audience, so I think it a stretch to say "we". While application might possibly be made to others this is not the audience. The chapter is very specific who it addresses.

That is true. I "complain" when people quote "I know the plans I have for you" as if it was written to them, when it has a specific audience. This issue is always something to consider. The 10 commandments were given to Moses for the people is Israel, therefore we need not pay attention to them or learn from them? Matthew 24 & 25 (the Olivet discourse) were given to the disciples. Some would say this if just for them, or this was just for Jerusalem, or just for the Jews, etc. 

I think the Bible was written to instruct and inform mankind. Though not everything in it, is applicable to every situation or individual, there is something to be learned from it anyway. Jesus said to His disciples, to make other disciples and teach them everything He taught them. From things like that, I assume that Matt 24 os for me to read also. Revelation is to specific congregation that existed in the time of John. You see where this is going. If we really want to focus on who the audience was said to me for, my Bible reading list just God real Short. Luke and Acts was to an individual, Romans was to the church at Rome, etc.

We need to be mindful of intended audiences of the human writers, but discerning of who God might want to receive his word. I could develope this further, but there is no need, I think that point is made. I am sorry if I mislead anyone in this thread by not considering who Peter was writing to specifically.