1 Peter

1 Peter is a general letter addressed to a wide group of churches. Although the author claims to be a disciple of Jesus, there are reasons to doubt this claim. We know that Peter, the disciple, was illiterate (Acts 4: 13), and that his native language was Aramaic. The letter under his name is written in highly literate Greek with the author using the Septuagint when making reference to Jewish scriptures. The letter also assumes a level of church organization (5:11) that probably did not exist until after the death of the disciple Peter.

On the other hand, the letter claims to be dictated by Peter to Silvanus (5: 12). One thing we do know is that the letter was most likely written in Rome (5:13), and Peter was reported to have been there. As a result, it is possible that Peter was the author, but it could also have been written by one of his disciples there or by an admirer. Though I am not fully convinced one way or the other, I lean toward pseudonymity because the letter does not have the ring of a Palestinian peasant. There is also no attempt to suggest that the author was with Jesus when.

With the question of authorship set aside, it is apparent that the letter states several well known Christian positions. Jesus’ death on the cross is seen as a once and for all atoning sacrifice for the defeat of sin (1:18 and 3: 18-19). Jesus is also proclaimed to be God’s preexistent son whom God raises from the dead (1:20-21). Salvation is defined as a future hope which is attained through faith (1:3-6). The letter also contains a great deal of practical advice for ethical living and for dealing with specific problems of concern to the addressed communities.

One important reason for the letter is that Christians are being persecuted. In a spirit that reminds me of Mohandas Gandhi, Christians are urged to respond to persecution with reverence and gentleness (3: 15-16). The goal of such a strategy is to shame your enemies into changing their behavior (3: 17). The author also reassures his readers that there will be an end to their suffering. Salvation is coming soon (4: 7) for those who remain faithful to Jesus Christ (4: 17 and 5: 10).

One final note of interest is the question of worldview. Jesus dies in his body, and is raised to life as spirit. In spirit form, he descends into hell, a place beneath the surface of the earth, to preach to those in prison there (3: 18-19). Why? Because judgment comes to all humanity—both those who are dead and those who are alive. It is important that the dead receive the good news of the gospel so that they too might be saved ( 4: 5-6). This scenario presents an interesting picture. The earth is seen as a flat surface. Heaven is a place where God lives above the earth, hell is a place below the earth’s surface where the dead are held in chains. I have asked several committed Christians how such an arrangement works. They don’t want to answer the question. They just want to believe it.