1 Peter Devotions
South African Christians can seem a little disconnected from the message of 1 Peter. Peter wrote to a church audience that was socially exiled from the prevalent culture. They were exiles not only spiritually but also politically. The Christians in Asia Minor, who refused to bow the knee to Caesar, were undergoing immense suffering because of their allegiance to Christ. This affliction worked itself out in politics, in society, in the home, at work, and even, to some degree, in the church. Peter wrote to suffering Christians to offer them hope for perseverance. He wrote to help them understand their identity and to help them live in light of that. As Scot McKnight puts it, “Peter intends his readers to understand who they are before God so that they can be who they are in society.”
South African Christians have longed enjoyed great acceptance, and even privilege, in the society in which they live. It might be argued that it is becoming more and more difficult to live a faithful Christian life in our country, but we are still nowhere close to where the Asian Christians were to whom Peter wrote.
Regardless of our situation, 1 Peter asks important questions about Christian engagement in society. Should we completely withdraw from society? Should we denounce society completely? Should we accommodate society’s godless virtues? Peter offers help in this regard, showing his readers how to live hopefully in an otherwise hopeless world.
Hopeful Intentionality—Toward Enemies (Part 2) (1 Peter 3:8–17)
Throughout this section on hopeful intentionality, Peter has emphasised the need to “abstain from the passions of the flesh” and to “keep your conduct among the Gentiles honourable” (2:11–12). “The passions of the flesh” teach us to respond to opposition in kind,...
Hopeful Intentionality—Toward Enemies (Part 1) (1 Peter 3:8–17)
As we have seen, Peter applied his exhortation in 2:11–12 (to pursue honourable conduct before unbelievers) to specific situations: Christian citizens before an unbelieving government (2:13–17), Christian employees before unbelieving employers (2:18–25), Christian...
Hopeful Intentionality—Toward Your Wife (1 Peter 3:7)
Ever since 2:13, Peter has been fleshing out his exhortation of 2:11–12, where he exhorted his readers to “abstain from the passions of the flesh” and to “keep [their] conduct among the Gentiles honourable.” Specifically, he has been concerned about honourable...
Hopeful Intentionality—Toward Your Husband (1 Peter 3:1–6)
As he continues to apply his exhortation to “abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul” (2:11), Peter addresses the realm of the home. Specifically, he addresses the way that believing wives should behave toward their unbelieving...
Hopeful Intentionality—Toward Employers (1 Peter 2:18–25)
Some thirty years ago, I was in our front yard at home when I overheard a very loud disagreement between one of the neighbour children and his mother. I forget the precise cause of the disagreement, but I distinctly remember the boy at one point shouting, “Children...
Hopeful Intentionality—Toward Government (1 Peter 2:13–17)
We saw yesterday that honourable Christian living requires intentionality, which covers every area of life. Peter encouraged his readers to ensure that both their inner and outer lives honoured God (2:11–12). In what follows, he applies this truth to several spheres,...