The First Epistle of Peter

Continuing our yearlong study of the General or Catholic Epistles, we come this month to 1 Peter. This epistle, of course, was authored by Simon Peter, one of the leading Apostles, under whom many Jews came to faith and the gospel first came to the gentiles (Acts 1–12; 15:1–21). Peter may have had assistance from Silvanus, better known to us as Silas (see 15:40), in writing and delivering this epistle to the churches (1 Peter 5:12), for the New Testament writers sometimes had secretarial help in composing their correspondence. The epistle ultimately has God as its author, since He inspired its writing.

First Peter is addressed to a predominantly gentile audience living in the regions of “Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia” (1:1). The contents of the epistle indicate that the audience was being harassed and even persecuted to some degree by the pagans around them. Peter wrote to guide them in remaining faithful to God under such conditions.

We will cover 1 Peter 1:1–2:17 this month. Here the Apostle Peter stresses the work of God and Christ in the Christian’s behalf in order to keep us grounded in the sure hope in which we stand.