1:3 Peter called his readers to bless (praise) God for giving us a living hope. This undying hope rests on the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Because He lives, we shall live. Our new birth gave us this resurrected life of Christ. Consequently our hope is both alive within us and part of our new life in Christ.
"Just as faith' can be subjective (the act or state of believing), or objective (the content of belief), so hope' can refer either to an anticipation (even a certainty) of good things to come or to the content of that anticipation, the good things themselves. The living hope' of which Peter speaks here is better understood in the second, objective, sense. As such, it appropriately parallels, and is further explained by, the inheritance' of v 4 and the salvation' of v 5 (cf. Col 1:5 . . .)."26
Many popular writers have called Paul the apostle of faith, John the apostle of love, and Peter the apostle of hope. They have done so because of the dominant emphasis each of these writers made in the New Testament. Peter had much to say about hope in this epistle.27
"While Peter's teaching on how salvation is applied gave attention to the beginning and continued process of living as a Christian, the actual words for salvation' have a predominantly future orientation in 1 Peter."28
"Born again"(cf. v. 23) describes the Christian who experienced spiritual regeneration (John 3:3). The phrase stresses the great change that takes place at conversion and our resultant participation in the life of God. God has been exceedingly merciful in giving us this blessing (cf. Rom. 11:30-32; 15:9; Eph. 2:1-7; Titus 3:5).
1:4 As the Israelites anticipated their inheritance, the Promised Land, so Christians should anticipate ours, the other side of the grave. However ours is not subject to destruction from any source, defilement from without, or decay from within. No one can ravage or pollute it, and it will not wear out or waste away. What is it exactly? Our inheritance is Jesus Christ Himself and the blessings that He has promised us (cf. 1 John 3:2; Col. 3:4; Eph. 1:14; Rom. 8:11, 18-23). All Christians will not obtain the same amount of inheritance (cf. 2 Tim. 2:12; Matt. 25:14-30; et al.), but every Christian will obtain some inheritance. Heaven will be the portion of all, but rewards will vary (1 Cor. 3:14-15; 2 Cor. 5:10; 2 John 8).
The idea of serving Jesus Christ faithfully to receive a reward is distasteful to some Christians because such service may flow from selfish motives. However selfishness is not the only possible motive. For example, two students could study hard to finish seminary with good records. One might do so to obtain a diploma with a "highest honor"stamp so he could hang it on his wall for all to see and admire. The other might do so to prepare to serve his Savior most effectively after graduation. The Christian who serves Jesus Christ faithfully now so the Lord may entrust him with significant service opportunities in His coming kingdom may not be trying to earn rewards for his own glory. He may serve now so he can better glorify his Lord in the future. The present life is a training period designed to ready us for future service in our Lord's earthly millennial and heavenly eternal kingdoms (cf. Luke 16:1-13; 19:11-27; Rom. 8:16-18).
1:5 Not only is God protecting our inheritance, but He is also protecting us by His power. All Christians will undoubtedly obtain an eternal inheritance one day (cf. Phil. 1:6; 1 Cor. 1:8). Our faith in Christ for salvation is, on the human side, what guarantees our final realization of the fullness of our salvation (i.e., our glorification). Peter was not saying our faith keeps us saved. God's power keeps us saved. Our faith is the means by which we receive salvation initially and, therefore, our inheritance.
"Those who have true faith can lose that faith neither totally nor finally."29
The apostle did not say that the elect will inevitably continue in faith, namely, continue to believe the truth of the gospel. Paul also warned that Christians can stop believing the truth (e.g., 1 Tim. 4:1; 2 Tim. 2:17-18). Rather Peter said that God's power keeps believers saved in spite of their sins. In this sense we never lose our faith.
There is much misunderstanding about the Bible's teaching concerning the perseverance of the saints.30It does not teach that Christians will inevitably continue to persevere in the faith, that is continue believing the truth, walking with the Lord, and doing good works. It does teach that God will persevere in His commitment to bring all who have trusted in Him to heaven. If someone asks me if I believe in the perseverance of the saints, I ask them what they mean by the perseverance of the saints. If they mean that a believer is eternally secure, I say that I believe that. If they mean that a believer will inevitablyfollow God faithfully to the end of his or her life, even with occasional lapses, I say I do not believe that.
"Every preparation for the final unveiling of this salvation is completed."31
The salvation ready to be revealed in the last time is the aspect of salvation that we have yet to enjoy, namely, our glorification. When God glorifies us, He will save us from the presence of sin forever. This will happen when we see our Savior and are from then on with Him. This glorification will be ours at death or the Rapture, whichever comes first.
Salvation is the subject of 1:3-2:10. Note the recurrence of the word "salvation"(Gr. soteria) in 1:5, 9, 10, and 2:2. Peter referred primarily to the future aspect of our salvation in this epistle.
"The main thread of Peter's rhetoric [in this pericope] can . . . be expressed in one sentence: Then you will rejoice with inexpressible and glorious delight, when you each receive the outcome of your faith, your final salvation' . . ."32
1:6 We can rejoice greatly in this hope.33God will preserve both us and our inheritance until we receive our inheritance. "Trials"(Gr. peirasmois, the same kind of trials James wrote about in James 1:2, et al.) are all kinds of tests that challenge our fidelity to God's will.
"Peirasmoshere means not the inner wrestling with evil inclination, but undeserved sufferings from outside the person who is distressed by them."34
Peter was not denying that we face temptation from within, but he was addressing temptations from external sources particularly.35
In comparison with the eternal bliss ahead, our present distresses are only temporary and brief (cf. Matt. 5:4-5; 2 Cor. 4:17-18). Trials are necessary for the Christian. God uses them to perfect us (James 1). However they tend to rob us of joy if we do not remember what Peter urged his readers to bear in mind here.
1:7 Trials do to faith what fire does to gold. They purify it and show it to be what it really is (cf. James 1:3). Peter assumed his readers would respond to their trials properly. God purifies our faith with trials by helping us realize the inadequacy of anything but trust in Him in these situations. He shows that our faith is genuine by demonstrating that our joy in trials rests solely on confidence in Him and His promises. Both results bring praise, glory, and honor to God ultimately, though they also benefit us.
"Glory is never said to be the possession of humans except as we share God's glory in the parousia (e.g., Rom. 8:17; Col. 3:4), although we contribute to this glory by our actions now (1 Cor. 10:31; Eph. 1:12)."36
The "revelation"(uncovering, appearing, Gr. apokalypsis) of Jesus Christ to Christians will take place at the Rapture, and His revelation to the world will take place at the Second Coming. Both events seem to be in view here (cf. v. 13). Peter's emphasis was not on when this would happen relative to other events yet future but on the fact that it would happen in the future rather than now.
1:8 Even though we will experience joy when we see the Lord we can experience joy now too because we have hope (v. 3), faith (v. 7), and love (v. 8). These characteristics are inseparable. Our joy is "full of glory"in that the glory people will see when God reveals Jesus Christ infuses our present joy (cf. John 20:29). Our joy will be no different on that day, only greater.
1:9 Ultimately we will obtain the full salvation of our souls (i.e., glorification, not necessarily exemption from physical suffering and death). The Greek word translated "souls"(psychon) refers to our persons, namely, the whole beings God has saved (cf. Mark 3:4; 8:34-37; Rom. 13:1; 1 Thess. 1:8; James 1:21; 5:20; et al.). A better translation would be "selves"or "lives."Peter probably did not intend a contrast with our bodies.37This is part of the reason we experience joy in present trials as well. Since our salvation comes by faith it is only consistent that we should continue to trust God now. Our salvation is still in process.38
To summarize this first major section so far (vv. 3-9), Peter called on his readers to rejoice in their present sufferings because of their hope, faith, and love. They had certain hope in the future appearing of Jesus Christ and in their final glorification. They had faith in God's dealings with them presently, namely, allowing them to undergo trials, and they had love for Jesus Christ for what He had already done for them in the past. It does not matter if we look forward, around us, or backward. We find grounds for rejoicing wherever we look even as we suffer.
Peter reminded his readers that the prophets had predicted that Jesus Christ's life, as their own lives, would include suffering followed by glory. He mentioned this to encourage them to realize that their experience was not abnormal.
"To the elaborated and elevated declaration of his eschatological vision in vv 6-9, Peter now adds an explanatory postscript in a more didactic style. He pauses to measure the greatness of the salvation mentioned in vv 5 and 9 with a brief but wide-ranging reflection on the past and present. The curiosity of prophets' (v. 10) and angels' (v 12) underscores the mystery of the divine plan: God in his sovereignty has long kept secret the salvation soon to be revealed to his chosen ones (cf. Eph 3:4-6)."39
These verses reveal a chiastic structure centering on the idea that God clarified what had formerly been unclear to the prophets.
1:10-11 Salvation is the major concept that Peter was discussing. He wanted his readers to remember that it included suffering as well as glory. The Old Testament prophets had predicted that Messiah would experience both suffering and glory (e.g., Isa. 61:1-3). However, they did not understand how His suffering and glory would fit together. It is possible to understand that mystery only after Jesus' earthly ministry.
"He [Peter], who wanted to hear nothing of it [Christ's sufferings] during the lifetime of Jesus, made Jesus' suffering and death the very centre of his explanation of Jesus' earthly work."40
Many Christians do not realize that God intended our experience to include both suffering and glory.
The title "Spirit of Christ"occurs elsewhere in the New Testament only in Romans 8:9. In both places it probably signifies not only that the Spirit came from Christ but also that He witnesses to Christ as His representative (cf. John 15:16-17). Peter was stressing the Spirit's witness to Christ in the Old Testament rather than the preexistence of Christ.41
Some interpreters have seen the phrase "the grace that would come to you"(v. 10) as a reference to the salvation of Gentiles. The Old Testament prophets predicted this, too (e.g., Isa. 52:15). Peter's original audience was probably predominantly Gentile groups of Christians. It seems more likely, however, that Peter was not referring exclusively to prophecy about Gentile salvation. He seems to have been referring to the grace God promised to bestow on believers generally, including Gentile salvation, about which he had been speaking in verses 3-9.
These verses clearly distinguish, by the way, between the divine author and the human writers of Scripture. The prophets were not merely religious geniuses. They were people through whom God spoke (2 Pet. 1:21). At times they knew that they did not fully comprehend what they were communicating. At other times they probably thought they understood but did not completely realize the full significance of what they communicated (cf. Dan. 9; 12:5-13; Hab. 2:1-4). They did not know the time when Messianic prophecies would be fulfilled.
1:12 The prophets did understand, however, that God would not fulfill all of their inspired revelations in their own days but in the future. God had fulfilled the prophecies about Messiah's sufferings in Peter's day, but He had not fulfilled the prophecies of Messiah's glorification yet. Even the angels are waiting to see how and exactly when God will fulfill them (cf. Heb. 1:5-2:18).
Note that the Holy Spirit has a ministry of illumination as well as inspiration. He enables others to understand God's revelation as preachers explain it and, of course, as they hear it in other ways.
Peter's point in verses 10-12 seems to be that his readers could rejoice in their sufferings even though they could not see exactly how or when their present trials would end. The readers should find encouragement by looking at the prophets' limited understanding of their own prophecies dealing with the suffering and glorification of Messiah. God would bring their own experiences to a glorious completion just as He would Messiah's, though in both cases the details of fulfillment were not yet clear.
