15 but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; 16 because it is written, “YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.”
As God’s children we are to be holy as He is holy. Here Peter quotes from Leviticus 11:44; but I think we should also consider God’s original plan for man. In His creation He created man and woman in His own image (Gen. 1:27). Hence, we were created with the desire and capacity to be holy, because that is one of the characteristics of God.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
Here Peter exhorts believers to bless, or to praise (NIV version) God for His great mercy, a mercy that has reached down in love and forgiveness, to give us new birth (to be a new creature in Christ, 2 Cor. 5:17). In this new birth we have a “living hope.’ This is a hope in what we will receive in our glorification at the Rapture—when we see Him in His glory (1 Jn. 3:2). This living hope is “through” the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead; that is, His resurrection gives us hope in our resurrection; hence, it makes our faith valid (1 Cor.15:17). Likewise, because He is resurrected to life, we also will live in a resurrected body (Jn. 11:25, 26).
2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.
Here in verse two, Peter introduces these alien recipients as people who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father. This means that God predetermined their salvation; and He did it by the sanctifying work of His Spirit, by which He made them holy (justified and righteous by His blood). But in addition to their justification, they were chosen to daily obey Jesus Christ by faith (Rom. 1:5), and also, to obtain a daily cleaning from sin, which Peter calls here to be “sprinkled with His blood.” This daily cleansing may be accomplished by a regular confession of sins, with the promise of His forgiveness and cleansing (1 Jn. 1:9), and by our understanding, in our faith, that the Lord automatically and continually forgives and cleanses His own (1 Jn. 1:7).
And so, according to what God has declare to us, we may have, and are welcome to have, a full measure of God’s grace and peace.
To those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen…
In this first verse of 1 Peter, we see that Peter was definitely one of Jesus’ apostles. In fact, he was the first to be chosen, along with his brother Andrew. When Jesus first saw them they were fishing in the Sea of Galilee, and He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matt. 4:18-20).
Peter refers to the recipients of this letter as “aliens.” That word is used because they are true believers who by their conversion to Christ have their citizenship not of this earth but in heaven (Phil. 3:20).Peter later on (in 2:11) also calls them “aliens and strangers,” an even stronger term, depicting their excellent behavior among Gentiles (but strange to them, 2:12).
The ones he is sending this letter to are “chosen” believers who are scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia—which are areas you can easily find on any bible map, generally located between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea.
But on the contrary, seeing that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been to the circumcised 8 (for He who effectually worked for Peter in his apostleship to the circumcised effectually worked for me also to the Gentiles), 9 and recognizing the grace that had been given to me, James and Cephas and John, who were reputed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, so that we might go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. 10 They only asked us to remember the poor — the very thing I also was eager to do.
11 But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 12 For prior to the coming of certain men from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he began to withdraw and hold himself aloof, fearing the party of the circumcision. 13 The rest of the Jews joined him in hypocrisy, with the result that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy. 14 But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in the presence of all, “If you, being a Jew, live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?
Here we will look at one last passage in Galatians having to do with Peter. I will make two comments. Even though Peter was used by God to begin a revival of the Gentiles, he was mainly a minister to the Jews (the circumcised), and Paul to the Gentiles.
Secondly, Paul thought that he needed to write about what happened with Peter at Antioch. Yes, Paul would not let Peter off the hook. He was guilty of fearing the more uppity-up Jews, choosing to eat only with them in order to make a favorable impression on them. In so doing he was guilty of hypocrisy. He was also sinning against all those he was wrongly influencing—other Jews (even Barnabus), and also believing Gentiles. But his sin was mainly toward God.
I would say that Peter, by Paul’s confrontation of him, had probably changed his hypocritical behavior. We all get caught up in this kind of fear and hypocrisy, and we need to check ourselves. We ought always to treat everyone the same, with love, regardless of what others may think. Jesus is our best example.
Now about that time Herod the king laid hands on some who belonged to the church in order to mistreat them. 2 And he had James the brother of John put to death with a sword. 3 When he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. Now it was during the days of Unleavened Bread. 4 When he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out before the people. 5 So Peter was kept in the prison, but prayer for him was being made fervently by the church to God.
6 On the very night when Herod was about to bring him forward, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and guards in front of the door were watching over the prison. 7 And behold, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared and a light shone in the cell; and he struck Peter’s side and woke him up, saying, “Get up quickly.” And his chains fell off his hands. 8 And the angel said to him, “Gird yourself and put on your sandals.” And he did so. And he said to him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.” 9 And he went out and continued to follow, and he did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. 10 When they had passed the first and second guard, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city, which opened for them by itself; and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel departed from him. 11 When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I know for sure that the Lord has sent forth His angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.” 12 And when he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John who was also called Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying. 13 When he knocked at the door of the gate, a servant-girl named Rhoda came to answer. 14 When she recognized Peter’s voice, because of her joy she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter was standing in front of the gate. 15 They said to her, “You are out of your mind!” But she kept insisting that it was so. They kept saying, “It is his angel.” 16 But Peter continued knocking; and when they had opened the door, they saw him and were amazed. 17 But motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had led him out of the prison.
Here is the dramatic story of how Peter was released from prison by an angel of the Lord. I will make only two comments. God knew how useful Peter was to Him so He could not allow him to be imprisoned for long. Secondly, I think Peter’s release had much to do with those who were praying for him (v. 12). God heard their prayers.
44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message. 45 All the circumcised believers who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. 46 For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and exalting God. Then Peter answered, 47 “Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?” 48 And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay on for a few days.
What happened here must have been a great shock to everyone, especially to those Jews who came with Peter. They had believed that Gentiles were unholy and could never be saved. But now they (all the Gentiles: Cornelius and his household) received the Holy Spirit, and they also were speaking in tongues (just as people were doing at Pentecost, which was an indication that the Holy Spirit had come into them).
Peter didn’t seem to be surprised at what happened. In fact, he ordered them to be baptized.
And on the next day he got up and went away with them, and some of the brethren from Joppa accompanied him. 24 On the following day he entered Caesarea. Now Cornelius was waiting for them and had called together his relatives and close friends. 25 When Peter entered, Cornelius met him, and fell at his feet and worshiped him. 26 But Peter raised him up, saying, “Stand up; I too am just a man.” 27 As he talked with him, he entered and found many people assembled. 28 And he said to them, “You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a man who is a Jew to associate with a foreigner or to visit him; and yet God has shown me that I should not call any man unholy or unclean. 29 “That is why I came without even raising any objection when I was sent for. So I ask for what reason you have sent for me.”
30 Cornelius said, “Four days ago to this hour, I was praying in my house during the ninth hour; and behold, a man stood before me in shining garments, 31 and he said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered before God. 32 ‘Therefore send to Joppa and invite Simon, who is also called Peter, to come to you; he is staying at the house of Simon the tanner by the sea.’ 33 “So I sent for you immediately, and you have been kind enough to come. Now then, we are all here present before God to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord.”
Here we see that when Peter arrived in Caesarea and met with Cornelius, he was treated like a god; hence, Peter had to insist that he was just a man. Next, he began telling him of the message God had given him—that no man should be called unholy or unclean. And this was something new to them; for Jews regarded Gentiles that way.
In the next part Peter will be more thorough in what God had told him.
Now while Peter was greatly perplexed in mind as to what the vision which he had seen might be, behold, the men who had been sent by Cornelius, having asked directions for Simon’s house, appeared at the gate; 18 and calling out, they were asking whether Simon, who was also called Peter, was staying there. 19 While Peter was reflecting on the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you. 20 “But get up, go downstairs and accompany them without misgivings, for I have sent them Myself.” 21 Peter went down to the men and said, “Behold, I am the one you are looking for; what is the reason for which you have come?” 22 They said, “Cornelius, a centurion, a righteous and God-fearing man well spoken of by the entire nation of the Jews, was divinely directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and hear a message from you.” 23 So he invited them in and gave them lodging.
Here, Peter was given a message that three men were looking for him. And he, being full of the Holy Spirit, went down to the men and said, “I am the one you are looking for.” I suppose we all wish that the Holy Spirit would speak so clearly to us.
When Peter was told who Cornelius was and that he was to go to him and give him a message, I wonder if he had any idea what he was to say. I think he was just beginning to put it all together—to form what God was telling him through his trance. We will see.
On the next day, as they were on their way and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray. 10 But he became hungry and was desiring to eat; but while they were making preparations, he fell into a trance; 11 and he saw the sky opened up, and an object like a great sheet coming down, lowered by four corners to the ground, 12 and there were in it all kinds of four-footed animals and crawling creatures of the earth and birds of the air. 13 A voice came to him, “Get up, Peter, kill and eat!” 14 But Peter said, “By no means, Lord, for I have never eaten anything unholy and unclean.” 15 Again a voice came to him a second time, “What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy.” 16 This happened three times, and immediately the object was taken up into the sky.
In this section (of which there are seven dealing with this topic), Peter is given a strange teaching through a trance. He saw in his mind a great sheet coming down from the sky; and on this sheet there were all kinds of animals and creatures, some which were considered unclean according to Jewish laws. When a voice from heaven told him to kill and eat these things, Peter protested, saying that he would never eat anything unclean. Ah, leave it to Peter to argue with the Lord!
But when the voice explained that what God has cleansed, we should no longer consider unholy, Peter apparently got the message.
Stephen Nielsen 