To Us

DEVOTION

1^ST LETTER OF PETER

TO US

1 Peter 1:1-2

1:1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,

To God's elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, 2 who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood:

Grace and peace be yours in abundance.

NIV

First, it is most interesting that in the Greek the word elect is not there, but in the interlinear, it is added for clarification. The question is, by whom. It would appear that if it was added, then Peter did not use that word to describe these strangers in the world who were scattered. What is thought by some of our scholars of old is that Peter is writing to the Jews of the dispersion, those Jews who were scattered all over the nations surrender Israel? If this is the case, then of course they are God’s chosen people, which could be called His elected people, the nation he elected or choose to reveal himself to the world. This would fit right into the His foreknowledge as before the nation of Israel existed, God determined they would when he called Abraham and made a covenant with him. Of course, if these are Jews scattered all about the nations, then these Jews are converted to Christianity, although they may not have been called Christians yet. Nevertheless, it is true that whomever Peter is writing to, they have been sanctified through the work of the Spirit, and they are believers in Jesus Christ. This seems to be the first impression that these are the scattered Jews, but if we look throughout the rest of the letter we see words like called out of darkness, once you were not a people, but now you are, give us the impression these were Gentiles who lived as pagans in the dark world and now have been called into the light of God. In any case, because this letter of Peter having been kept and included in the Canon, and is considered God’s word for his people, this means that all scripture is profitable for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness so that the man of God may be fully equipped for every good work, so then we have to read this as though Peter wrote it to us. We are certainly strangers in the world and we have been scattered throughout the world, as there are believers in many nations. Each of us, no matter where in the world we are strangers, we are still strangers here. The Greek word used here means a resident foreigner, an alien. That means we are not citizens of the world, but of the kingdom of God. Because we are foreigners, we do not have the same language as the world. Because we are aliens we do not belong to the world. As strangers or pilgrims, we are just passing through this place on our way to our home. It is true as foreign residences, we live among these people, but are not part of their family. The Holy Spirit has sanctified us, set us apart for God, and as such we live differently from the rest of the people who live for other reasons. So if we take the word elect away, or the word chosen, which neither appears in the Greek then this letter would read that it is by the foreknowledge of God that we are sanctified, or purified, or made holy, set apart, by the work of the Spirit. That is what God foreknew. That is what God predetermined as to how people would come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, and that he foreknew it would be by the shedding of the Blood of Jesus that people would be saved. The foreknowledge has nothing to do with which person or an elected people, but by the method, whosoever chooses to believe. The Holy Spirit comes to convict, but we must respond to that conviction and repent and come to Jesus. So having come out of the darkness, having believed, this letter is for us. Let us read it for education, teaching, our rebuking, our correction, and our training in righteousness.