Page 120 - New Testament Survey Student Textbook

1 Peter 2:1-12 – Have you ever been frustrated about the strangeness of this world? Felt like giving up
your faith and/ or perhaps, your life? This is our passage then. Peter here clearly shows us that we are
strangers in this world. With this understanding, we should find it easy to accept the strangeness of this
world and all its frustrations. we can surely depend on Jesus to live a victorious life.

Peter has a lot to say about relating to authority in various contexts—society, family, and even the
church (see 1 Pet 2:13–3:7; 5:1–5). How do you respond to authority? Do you resist it, accept it, mistrust
it, or pursue it? According to Peter, what is the appropriate way to relate to authority? In what ways
should you reconsider how authority functions in your life?

What do you think Peter means by sharing “in the sufferings of Christ?” (1 Pet 4:13). How have you
faced difficulty or opposition because of Christ? What perspective do you think Peter wants believers to
have about suffering for the sake of Christ? (1 Pet 4:1–19).

1 Peter 5:6-11 – Here Peter gives a comforting message when he says that the sufferings we go through
are also suffered by our brethren all around the world. So, we shouldn’t take suffering for Christ’s sake
as a personal issue to cause us commit suicide, it is a global Christian problem which should be laid at
the feet of Jesus who is in control.

Atmosphere

The readers of the Apostle Peter’s first letter were confused and discouraged by the persecution they
were encountering because of their faith. Peter exhorted them to stand strong, repeatedly reminding
them of Christ’s example, the riches of their inheritance in him, and the hope of his returning again to
take them to heaven. He explained how Christians should respond when they suffer because of their
beliefs. Called the “apostle of hope,” Peter's primary message is to trust the Lord, live obediently no
matter your circumstances, and keep your hope fixed on God’s ultimate promise of deliverance.
Suffering is to be expected, but it is temporary and yields great blessings for those who remain
steadfast. Peter wrote this letter in the mid-A.D.60s

Highlights: key passages

1 Peter

• Rejoicing in Our Salvation (1:1-12)
• Living Holy Lives (1:13-2:3)
• Being God's Chosen People (2:4-12)
• Submitting and Suffering Like Jesus (2:13-23)
• Appreciating Jesus' Atonement for Our Sins (2:24-25)
• Living as Christian Husbands and Wives (3:1-7)
• Suffering with a Clear Conscience (3:8-22)
• Serving God in Everything (4:1-11)
• Suffering According to God's Will (4:12-19)
• Leading with Humility (5:1-6)
• He Cares for You (5:7-14)

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