1 & 2 Peter Book Study Sample

INTRODUCTION TO 1 AND 2 PETER

Peter is surely one of the most loved characters in the Bible. The Gospels paint a full picture of him, with all his strengths and weaknesses. He loved Jesus passionately. Under stress that we can hardly imagine, he denied him three times. And when his eyes met Jesus, he wept bitterly. I think we sometimes fail to give him credit for the fact that he followed Jesus right into the courtyard of the high priest when none of the other disciples were in sight. After the resurrection, Jesus forgave and restored him (John 21:15-19).

Peter was a changed man and became one of the leaders of the infant church. He played a key role in the church's acceptance of the Gentiles. He disappears from the narrative of Acts after chapter 12, surfaces once or twice in Paul's letters, and finally shows up in Rome.

Here is his letter to disciples in Turkey. These were small groups of people, predominantly Gentiles. They had probably heard the gospel in the synagogue and learned about Judaism. There were also Jewish converts among them. Peter greets them as "sojourners," living away from home with no civic rights. Peter plays with the metaphor. They were under stress, persecuted for their faith. In this letter, he encourages them that far from being nobodies, they were "a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light" (1 Peter 2:9 NIV). Peter urges them to live accordingly.

Peter probably wrote from Rome around the year 60 AD. From the greeting, we gather that the letter was circulated. The places mentioned are in a circle, suggesting that the letter was passed on from one church to the next in that order.

2 Peter has some harsh words for false teachers, who not only taught heresies but lived corrupt lives. No mention is made of who it was written to. Like the first letter, it encourages Christians to live godly lives and reminds them that Jesus may come back at any moment. He didn't, but the reminder is just as valid today. Our response—not that this world doesn't matter, but that it does, as we expect his return.

Annabel Robinson