First Peter

Verse one: Note that it was customary for the apostles to identify themselves as apostles of Jesus Christ at the beginning of their letters to the churches. In this way they announced to their readers that they were not associated with any particular denomination or religious clique. The Apostle Paul dealt with this Satanic phenomenon in 1 Corinthians 1:11-13 where he chastised some of the people in the Corinthian church for creating “contentions”–divisions, denominations–within the body. His question, “Is Christ divided?” should have settled the question throughout the churches. A check of any phone book in today’s religion-soaked world reveals that the problem has not been solved. There are two basic divisions and hundreds of sub-divisions within professing Christendom, each with its own “pathway to heaven,” each claiming to be the only church to possess “the truth” and each “knowing” that it is the Lord’s emissary to the world. Each, He tells those who care to believe Him, is wrong–dead wrong. In verse 1 Peter reveals that he is writing to the Dispersion–those converted Jews (people of the tribes of Judah, Benjamin and Levi) who had been scattered throughout the region after the martyrdom of Stephen when the whole of Jewry and the ruling Roman Government turned against the followers of Jesus of Nazareth. Peter calls these saints “strangers” and “pilgrims” because they did not fit in with the general population in the areas where they had settled. True to their calling, these true saints were considered “peculiar” by those around them, so much so that they were persecuted, often to the death, by both Jews and Gentiles alike. This type of treatment is promised by the Lord to those who would obey Him in this life. See Persecution. It is for this reason that He warned those who would be His disciples to “count the cost” of true sainthood. Death at the hands of His enemies, He promised, would be the fate of some of those who loved and obeyed Him.

Verse two: The main feature of this verse is bound up in the word “sanctification.” In church circles we often hear people talking about being “sanctified,” which to modern religionists means that one has accepted Jesus as Savior, been baptized and joined the church. But before we can honestly make that claim we should determine exactly what the word means to the Lord. Scripturally, to “sanctify” means to set aside, to separate so as to make one obviously different from the norm. In God’s church it means to “walk as Jesus walked” while on earth (1 Jn. 2:6)–literally. Satan has watered down the concept of sanctification to the point that it in no way approximates the original meaning. “Sanct” refers to “sainthood”–being holy in the sight of God. Jesus, the holy Son of God, was accepted neither as holy nor as God’s Son by those around Him–including His own family. Therefore His disciples must expect to be rejected by all who know them or know of them. Recall that Jesus said that the saint’s foes would be those of his own household (Mat. 10:36). It is primarily for this reason that the vast majority of those who know God’s Word refuse to obey it. The “cost” is simply too heavy for them to bear. Note in verse 2 that sanctification is “for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ.” Sprinkling of Christ’s blood signifies forgiveness of one’s “sins of the past” (Rom. 3:25), thereby rendering him righteous–justified, without sin. Having been sanctified–“washed by the water by the Word” (Eph. 5:26)–one is then commanded to obey that Word in order to remain washed/sanctified/justified–set aside by God for the purpose of remaining in that spiritual condition. One can easily see why God warned that only a “few” would “strive” (struggle) to enter His strait gate and walk His narrow way that leads to salvation. The other 99%, He said, would simply “go in through” Satan’s wide gate and walk his broad way (Catholicism/Protestantism) that leads to death. L.J.