but sanctify in your hearts Christ as Lord: being ready always to give answer to every man that asketh you a reason concerning the hope that is in you, yet with meekness and fear: (1Peter 3:15
READ. 1Tim 4:13; 2Tim 3:14-17; Act 17:11
EAGER. Acts 26:2
ALWAYS. See Paul, Acts 23:1; 26:2
DEFENSE, not defensive. 2Tim 3:15-16.
YOU can do it. Eph 3:3-4; Titus 1:11
1Peter 3:1-7
a Husband DWELLS with his wife.
POWER of The SUFFERING Christ in 1 PETER.
Every chapter of 1Peter has a reference to the suffering of Christ. By looking at these we can see the POWER of His suffering as we face similar difficulties in the Christian’s life.
SUBMIT
1 Peter 2:13-25
SPOUSES. 1Pet 3:1-7; 1Cor 7:1-5; Eph 5:22-33
USA. Gov. 1Pet 2:13; Rom 13:1-7;
BRETHREN that labor in the Lord. 1Pet 5:5
MASTERS. 1Peter 2:18; Eph 6:5-8; Col 3:22
IN THE CHURCH. Heb 13:17; 1Pet 5:5
TRUE EXAMPLE. SUFFERING like Christ. 1Pet 2:21-25
A lesson about the Apostle PETER.
PASSIONATE. John 13:6-9
an EYEWITNESS to Christ. 2Pet 1:17
TESTED by Satan. Luke 22:31
EVANGELISTIC & Bold. Act 2 – 5
a man of REPENTANCE. 2Pet 3:15-16
An outline from 1Peter 2:11
PASSING through. Sojourners 2:12
IN THE LIGHT. 1Pet 2:9
LOOKING FOR A CITY. Heb 11:13-16;
GROANING here. Lot vexed 2Peter 2:7-8;
RESISTING… the World. Jas 4:1-6; Ga 1:10; 1Jo 2:15. the Devil. Jas 4:7-8; Eph 4:27; 6:11; 1Pe 5:9
INNOCENT of guilt. (not perfect) 1Pet 2:12.
MIND SET ON THINGS ABOVE. Col 3:1-2
STRANGERS. 2:11.
Here are a few lessons from 1Peter. Check back as new lessons are added.
INTRODUCTION OUTLINES:
1Peter Overview Chart.
Who is PETER?
1Peter is a quick start guide for Christians.
The POWER of the suffering Savior.
CHAPTER 1 OUTLINES:
Overview of 1Peter 1.
CHAPTER 2 OUTLINES:
Desiring the Sincere MILK of the word. 1Peter 1:22-2:3
We are LIVING STONES. 1Peter 2:4-8
Offer up SPIRITUAL SACRIFICES to God by Jesus Christ.
We are CALLED out of darkness into His marvelous light. 1Peter 2:9
PILGRIMS and Strangers. 1Peter 2:11
Just a-PASSING through.
by thy GOOD WORKS. 1Peter 2:12 (Scriptures about Good WORKS)
SUBMIT to one another. 1Peter 2:13-25
Follow in His STEPS. 1Peter 2:20-25
CHAPTER 3 OUTLINES:
a Husband DWELLS with his wife. 3:7
How to be READY to give a defense. 3:15
the BAPTISM that saves. 1Pet 3:21
Christ is on His THRONE now. 1Peter 3:22
CHAPTER 4 OUTLINES:
They Think it STRANGE. 1Peter 4:4
Be SOBER and watching. 1Peter 4:7-11
CHAPTER 5 OUTLINES:
the work of ELDERS.
Ye younger SUBMIT.
Ye shall receive a CROWN.
Our adversary the Devil, SATAN.
Who is SILAS?
Spencer is an evangelist for the Franklin & Juniper st church of Christ in Borger Texas.
Desiring the sincere MILK of the word.
1Peter 1:22-2:3
MOTIVATE us to want to hear it? Acts 10:30-33
INTEREST us to Think On It Phil 4:9
LACTOSE INTOLERANT? Afraid Acts 24:25. Angry Acts 7:54, Gal 4:16. Apathetic Acts 26:28,
Arrogance Phil 3:19; Col 3:23.
KEEP YOU from evil? 1Pet 2:1 lay aside. Does it keep you growing? Heb.5:13-14
The term ‘church’ (ekklesia) literally means, ‘the called out.’ It is a derivative of the word ‘kaleo’ which means a ‘calling out.’
I bring this to you attention because this is the word Peter uses in his 1st letter to us, the church.
“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath CALLED YOU OUT of darkness into his marvellous light” (1Peter 2:9; emph mine seb).
Peter’s inspired letter says much about being separate, set apart, and different from the rest of the world. The comparison in this verse is light vs darkness.
This calling is to be heeded, but how? To understand what Christian must do to stay out of the darkness and be in the light can be seen in a study of chapter two.
Before we begin, it’s important to remember that the calling by God occurs through the word preached. “Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2Thess 2:14). We become Christians by obeying the Gospel. “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (Rom 6:3-4; 2Thess 2:8-9; 1Cor 15:1-4). After responding to this call, we can then continue to answer the call to walk in the light as He is in the light (cf. 1John 1:7).
With this background, we can now proceed to answer how to answer the call to come out of darkness.
CAST OFF
Beginning at verse one of chapter two we read, “Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings…” From this we see that we are to CAST OFF worldly behaviors. The Christian that is walking in the light has nothing to do with worldliness and sin. Paul wrote, “But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints” (Eph 5:3). Paul also described the putting off as a putting to death these worldly attributes.
APPETITE for the word
Continuing on, Peter gives the source of knowing what is to be cast off and what our attitude should be toward it. “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby” (1Peter 2:2). The revealed word of God is the source book of information to teach us the difference between light and darkness, and that we need to develop an APPETITE for it as much as a newborn baby cries out for milk when it’s hungry. What a vivid description for us to see how vital the bread of life is to our growth.
LIVING STONES
From here, Peter describes who the called are. “To whom coming, as unto a LIVING STONE, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, Ye also, as LIVELY STONES, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ” (1Pet 2:4-5, emph mine seb). This is important to understand for the Christian. Especially as we face persecution for being Christians. Peter will point this out in the remainder of this letter. We are the LIVING STONES of the Spiritual Temple of God.
LIGHT BEARER
Another thing to notice for those that walk in the light. We are to be LIGHT BEARERS to the dark world. “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light” (1Peter 2:9-12). Notice that we are to “shew forth the praises of Him who hath called you out.” We can do this directly through preaching, and also through our actions in the world. Note verse 12, “they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.” The Christian that is CALLED out of darkness shines forth the Light of Christ in their words and deeds (cf. Col 3:17).
EXAMPLE
This walking in the Light becomes an EXAMPLE for others to observe and to follow. Peter lists several areas in which the Christian can shine the Light, “which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation” (1Peter 2:13-17)
DO GOOD
Finally, those that are called out of darkness are to be DO GOODERS. People that continue to do good despite persecution. “For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God” (1Peter 2:18-25).
But this is not a do as I say, not as I do command. It is a “do as I did” command. Jesus Himself being the standard for those called to follow. “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed” (1Peter 2:21-24, emph mine seb).
It’s interesting to note that chapter two is not the only place in this letter that talks about our being CALLED (see 1Pet 1:15; 3:9; 5:10). The last one is given just before the closing greetings.
“But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.”
(1Peter 5:10)
This gives us comfort as we suffer persecution because we walk in the Light. It comforts because the suffering is only temporary, but glory is Eternal!
Spencer
Spencer is an evangelist of the church of Christ in Borger Texas. He has been working with the congregation on Franklin and Juniper since 2014.
Just about everyone knows about SAMSON, the Mighty Man with the long Mane. His life is very interesting and troubling.
We all know about his STRENGTH his long hair (Jud 16:7, 13:5).
Did you know that as a Nazarene he didn’t drink ALCOHOL? (Num 6:4-5)
Did you also know that he had MARRIED a wife and that she was a Philistine (Jud 14:1-3)? Later he would be with Delilah, the woman that would cut off his STRENGTH.
After she cut his hair, Samson was blinded and mocked. But his hair grew and he OVERCAME more enemies in death that he had in his life (16:30).
The New Testament also has a record of him in the “Hall of Faith” found in Hebrews chapter eleven verse thirty-two.
Samson doesn’t fit the typical mold of a hero of faith, but a hero he was. Here are a couple of lessons we might glean from his time as a Judge.
First, be a SERVANT of God as early as you can. “For, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines” (Jud 13:5; cf. Ecc 12:13; Matt 22:387).
This next one usually ruffles some feathers, but do your best to be ALCOHOL free. “Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things” (Prov 23:29-35). John the Baptist, another one with the Nazarite vow, was called, “great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink;” (Luke 1:15).
Being alcohol free sets us apart from the world. “For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries: Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you” (1Peter 4:3-4; cf. Eph 5:18).
Another great lesson we can learn is to MARRY well. “And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death” (Jud 16:16). While it doesn’t appear that he had ever married Delilah, we know what his association with her did to him. “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness” (2Cor 6:14)? Even under the best circumstances, marrying an unbeliever means that you are headed in opposite eternal directions.
Another lesson we could glean is that of allowing the SPIRIT of the Lord direct us. “And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon, and slew thirty men of them, and took their spoil, and gave change of garments unto them which expounded the riddle. And his anger was kindled, and he went up to his father’s house” (Jud 14:19). While Samson had the personal indwelling of the Holy Spirit, we are still led by the Spirit when we are filled with His Word. “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom” (Col 3:16; cf. 2Tim 3:16-17).
The last two lessons are so important.
Despite what you’ve done in life, you may still OVERCOME sin in our lives through faith in God. Those that have obeyed the gospel may turn back to faithfulness as long as life remains. “O Lord GOD, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God,” (Judge 16:28). Repentance and Prayer is available to those that stumble after having obeyed the gospel. (Acts 8:18-24; 1John 1:9).
Finally, along with the previous lesson, NEVER quit. Despite being chained, mocked, and blinded, Samson’s final act in service to God would bring about his death. “And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life” (Judg 16:30).
While we live in an age when are weapons are spiritual and not carnal (2Cor 10:4), “all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (2Tim 3:12; cf. Rev 2:10).
May God Bless you all
Spencer
Borger church of Christ @ Franklin & Juniper 