21-22 The Audio Bible - Peter

The book of 1st Peter is a General Epistle (Apostolic Letter). It was written to all believers in general. The author is Peter who wrote it about 60 A.D. The key personalities are the Apostle Peter, Silas, and Mark. Its purpose was to encourage suffering Christians and to call them to personal holiness; Peter’s central focus is persecution.

• Chapters 1-2, Peter addresses the issue that believers are to live a life of personal holiness as God’s people, even during times of suffering and persecution. He teaches that all Christians are to expect suffering; it is normal and Scriptural for Christians to suffer persecution and even imprisonment and death. Peter explains that our salvation in Christ is secure and that He took our sin on the cross and, “for by His wounds you were healed” (2:24).

• In chapters 3-5, Peter explains that in living holy lives the believer is to, “sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence” (3:15). A part of living a holy life is obeying the commands of Christ and Peter claimed that we are obligated to preach the “Hope that is in you”. He expounds that believers should not be surprised when persecution comes upon them, “be on the alert” because Satan is continuously, “seeking whom he may devour” (5:8). In addition, if the believer does suffer persecution, they are to glorify God and entrust their souls to Him.

The book of 2nd Peter is a General Epistle (Apostolic Letter). It was written to all believers in general. The author is Peter who wrote it about 63-64 A.D. The key personalities are the Apostles Peter and Paul. Its purpose was to warn against the increasing number of false teachers attacking the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

• In chapters 1-2, Peter gives guidance and reassurance to the growing church and claims that the Gospel they are preaching is of Jesus Christ. He claimed, “We were eye witnesses of His Majesty” (1:16), and that men who were, “Moved by the Holy Spirit” wrote all of the teachings of Scripture (1:21). The trouble they were dealing with was the beginning of what we now know as “Gnosticism” a philosophical principal that was hurting the churches. Peter went on to teach that in the end God would judge all of the false prophets.

• Chapter 3, Peter encourages believes with the coming Day of the Lord. The Earth will receive its punishment and the righteous will dwell in the “New Heavens and the New Earth”. His final warning is critical which he claims, “Be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men” (3:17).

“For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust” (1:4).