1 Peter

Hello everyone. I am excited for I am finally able to once again write to you twice in one week. Today we start the book of 1 Peter. Like Hebrews, 1 Peter is in a group of books known as the General Epistles. These epistles have a vague or unspecific audience and were widely distributed among the churches.

Together with Silas, Peter wrote this epistle from Rome under the persecution of Nero. We are able to speculate that, for a time, Peter and Paul were in Rome simultaneously. Though not in Scripture, Church historians place their deaths within a relative short time from one another. Tradition states that Paul died first by beheading and Peter second by crucifixion. 

In his epistle, Peter discusses such themes as: How to deal with persecution (He mentions Christ's sufferings 5 times), faithfulness (even in a helpless/powerless situations), admonition of elders, preparing your mind for action and some 34 commands. Look for these things as you read through Peter's first epistle.

^1:13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. ¹⁴ As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. ¹⁵ But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; ¹⁶ for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

This is one of the themes I mentioned above. Prepare your minds for action has a militaristic feel to it. It's like arming yourself for battle. When going into battle, our minds must be prepared for the evils that we will face. It is much the same in our daily lives in this fallen world. We have to prepare our minds to be obedient in our day to day living or else we may fall victim to our enemies' trappings. Satan and his demons desire for us to give in to our evil desires. They seek to ravage our minds and lives in order to pull us further away from the Lord our God.

We no longer live in ignorance, we are without excuse. God has called us to be holy, though that may be impossible for us, it is possible to do so while we rest and trust in Him that is Christ.  In order to fully rely on Christ we must put on the full armor of God (Ephesians 6) and keep our minds prepared. We must think about such things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely and admirable (Philippians 4). If we have our thoughts  focused on whatever is excellent or praiseworthy, then our enemies will have a much harder time penetrating our thoughts.

Let me encourage all of you to continue to fight the good fight. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.