In my previous 5-blog series regarding the introduction to Peter’s first letter (1Peter 1-2), we discussed the possibility that Peter’s introduction could easily be interpreted as Peter’s attempt to introduce the content of his letter: that content being the blessing of the gospel message (Gen 12:1-2, Gal 3:8) delivered to the Jews first and then to the nations. (Romans 1:16)
We also discussed the probability of Peter identifying himself as an “apostle” to intentionally lead his readers’ thoughts to the fact that Peter, in scripture, has been identified as “the apostle to the Jews.” In addition, we discussed the probability that Peter’s use of the phrase “elect exiles of the Diaspora,” as a triple-identifying-noun-phrase, was an indelible reference to the Jewish nation with their history of being scattered throughout the world, and in this case specific portions of that nation being scattered throughout Asia Minor and now living in the regions of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia.
We then suggested the possibility that Peter becoming the apostle to the Jews, and God electing the Jewish nation (Romans 11:2), and God exiling the Jewish nation throughout their history was the means by which the gospel of salvation was to spread from the Jews first and then to the nations. (Romans 1:16)
We suggested that all of those historical events occurred “according to the foreknowledge of God” as Peter’s introduction states. Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood:
And then we briefly discussed the possibility that Peter’s use of the key words “sanctification,” “obedience” and “blood” were clear references to the content of that gospel message.
Finally we suggested that if we combine those three key words with the previous idea of the Jewish nation as the nation chosen to first to receive the gospel message and through whom God would then further announce that gospel message to all other nations, Peter would have formulated a very powerful introduction to his letter that displayed his understanding of God’s plan of salvation, the plan that he was about to reveal to Sylavnus/Silas, who apparently transcribed Peter’s words at Peter’s dictation. (5:12)
Now, as we get started here in this blog, it is interesting to note that both Paul and Peter are consistent in communicating what God foreknew before the foundation of the world.
For Peter, God foreknew that the Jews were chosen before the foundation of the world. εκλεκτοις is the Greek word used in 1 Peter for elect/chosen. And Peter is also consistent in describing the purpose for which the Jews were chosen before the foundation of the world: sanctification or holiness or purity. αγιους is the Greek word used in 1 Peter.
Now notice what Paul says in Ephesians 1:4.
Paul says that God…chose (εξελεξατο) us (Jews) before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy (αγιους). Notice the same verbiage in both Paul and Peter, as both use the same vocabulary, εκλεκτοις (elected) and αγιους (holy, sanctification), in the context of what happened “before the foundation of the world.”
So, it seems that Peter knew what God foreknew; He knew that God set in place His plan of salvation (choosing the Jews and purifying the Jews as His people) before the foundation of the world for them to be a light to the nations, and through whom the Messiah would emerge on the historical scene and die for the purification of the sins of both Jews and the nations through their faith in Him. And it is that message that we will demonstrate that Peter is communicating to his readers in this letter, especially the first chapter of his letter. Not only did Peter know what God foreknew, but Jesus also knew what the Father foreknew. Jesus knew God’s plan of salvation was established before the foundation of the world. In his prayer in John 17, he tells the Father, “You loved Me before the foundation of the world.” Matthew also, not only references Jesus’ awareness of God’s foreknowledge, but he also makes known that Jesus himself was aware that His ministry of salvation was planned before the foundation of the world. Matthew writes concerning the events of Jesus’ ministry as happening in order…that it (scripture) might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying:“ I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things kept secret from the foundation of the world.” Scripture cannot be any more clear that “God foreknew” that His plan of salvation would be revealed through the nation of Israel (Genesis 12:1-3, Galatians 3:8, Romans 11:2), through the historical event of the sacrificial death of the Messiah, to the Jew first and then the nations (Romans 1:16), bringing the gospel message of sanctification through obedience to the truth that Jesus’ blood shed on the cross provides forgiveness of sins by faith. Paul clearly posits this gospel message when he said, “what the law could not accomplish (sanctification) God did accomplish by sending his son to shed his blood on the cross…” Romans 8:3-4 Peter also clearly posits this same gospel message in 1 Peter 1:19-20. Peter tells his version of that same fact to his readers. He says they were ransomed… “with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot (sanctification). He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.” It is a monumental scriptural truth that God definitely planned and choreographed (Acts 2:23) His plan of salvation before the foundation of the world (Hebrews 9:26). It should not be overlooked how significant it is to the interpretation of all of scripture that God’s plan was set in place before the foundation of the world and was kept secret for long ages (Rom 16:25), only to be revealed at the right time (Romans 5:6), a specific time in history, when God sent forth his Son…when that fullness of time had come (Galatians 4:4). This scriptural truth is a foundational interpretive principal that underpins a wholistic understanding of all of scripture. This principal is the contextual and interpretive connection between the gospel preached in the Old Testament and the gospel preached in the New Testament as we have seen in previous blogs in the connection between Genesis 12:1-3 and Galatians 3:8. So, we begin this blog with a demonstration of the importance of approaching all of scripture from a wholistic interpretive perspective, understanding Peter’s own words, first with his introduction, and then Peter’s words’ in the first chapter of his letter. So as not to belabor the point any further, suffice it to say that Peter’s introduction, in his first letter, serves as an initial road sign pointing his readers to this reality… “I Peter, am the apostle to the Jews, writing to the Jews, those elected to carry the blessing of the gospel, specifically to the Jews first, and then exiled to carry it to the nations, specifically now those Jews who have been scattered to Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. This blessing of the gospel message to the Jews first and then to the nations, that through obedience to the truth of the death of the Messiah and his blood being shed for the purification of all souls, God forgives sin and declares people righteous by faith in Him.
So, we have seen that Peter begins his letter with his introduction + the gospel interlude, (“sanctification,” “obedience” and “blood”) used as gospel content markers or road signs, as a way of indicating God’s plan of salvation that God foreknew. So, the introduction + the gospel interlude appears to be a tightly connected literary construction purposely used by Peter to pave the way for the content of his first chapter, which as we have been saying, is the content of the blessing of the gospel message. We will see this later.
What's more, Peter not only begins his letter with his introduction + the gospel interlude, but he also then ends his first chapter with words summarizing the content of what he just wrote…any guesses what that content may be? Yes, Peter tells us that he has spent the first chapter recounting the blessing of the gospel message. He says,
"this word (that I have just recounted to you all) is the good news (gospel) that was preached to you.” (1 Peter 1:25)
So, the adage, “Tell them what you’re going to say; say it; and then tell them what you said” rings true here for Peter in the first chapter of his letter.
We have demonstrated the first and third parts of that adage; the Tell them what you're going to say" part and the "Tell them what you said" part. But we have yet to discuss the second part, the "say it" part. We have not yet discussed what Peter actually told his readers in the first chapter.
So the question now remains, “What did Peter tell his readers in the first chapter? What was that “word” that he claimed was the “good news/gospel” that he communicated in that first chapter? We have yet to feast on that question.
Up to this point, with Peter’s introduction, we have seen what Peter has set the table for what he would like to serve his readers to eat in the first chapter. And we have seen how Peter has cleaned up the remaining scraps of what was leftover at the end of the first chapter meal. But we have yet to see the meal.
In my next blog we will demonstrate that Peter serves up the concepts of “sanctification,” “obedience” and the “blood” of Jesus, as the main course of the gospel message.