From Peter to You
Jerry Watts
1 Peter 1:1-2
Imagine yourself in the middle of the ocean, the ship taking on water, you have a broken leg, and hope is all but lost. In the middle of your distress and pain, you look up and see a helicopter from the US Navy hovering over to offer help. What do you do? (After you attempt to dance on a broken leg) You let anyone, and everyone know that help is on the way (and you are grateful).
Now, superimpose the feelings of that scenario on to the first century readers of Peter's writings.
How? We need to have a cursory grasp of the conditions in which the people who first received Peter's writings actually lived. We will not do this through an academic study of the Bible, but to understand the story of our Lord Christ, through the lens of 1 Peter is to understand and come face to face with truths that speak to us today. This letter, which is placed in the Bible as a ''General Epistle'' contains messages and lessons that are as much for us today as they were for the people in the sliver of land that the text identifies as Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia (today called ''Turkey). That said, there are indeed a couple of things we should realize about this context of this book so stay with me a second.
It had been about 30 years since the crucifixion of Jesus. Time-lines differ from historian to historian. Depending on who you read, Jesus was crucified between the years of 29ad and 33ad. About a month or so after Resurrection Day, Jesus ascended back to heaven in front of a crowd of approximately 500. It was at the ascension that Jesus uttered the words, ''After the Holy Spirit comes on you, you will receive power and you will be my witnesses, in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the rest of the world.'' We call this the Great Commission. Peter was in the crowd and heard these words. In fact, I submit that all the 11 remaining disciples were there to hear the wishes of Jesus.
Many people think that the ...
Jerry Watts
1 Peter 1:1-2
Imagine yourself in the middle of the ocean, the ship taking on water, you have a broken leg, and hope is all but lost. In the middle of your distress and pain, you look up and see a helicopter from the US Navy hovering over to offer help. What do you do? (After you attempt to dance on a broken leg) You let anyone, and everyone know that help is on the way (and you are grateful).
Now, superimpose the feelings of that scenario on to the first century readers of Peter's writings.
How? We need to have a cursory grasp of the conditions in which the people who first received Peter's writings actually lived. We will not do this through an academic study of the Bible, but to understand the story of our Lord Christ, through the lens of 1 Peter is to understand and come face to face with truths that speak to us today. This letter, which is placed in the Bible as a ''General Epistle'' contains messages and lessons that are as much for us today as they were for the people in the sliver of land that the text identifies as Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia (today called ''Turkey). That said, there are indeed a couple of things we should realize about this context of this book so stay with me a second.
It had been about 30 years since the crucifixion of Jesus. Time-lines differ from historian to historian. Depending on who you read, Jesus was crucified between the years of 29ad and 33ad. About a month or so after Resurrection Day, Jesus ascended back to heaven in front of a crowd of approximately 500. It was at the ascension that Jesus uttered the words, ''After the Holy Spirit comes on you, you will receive power and you will be my witnesses, in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the rest of the world.'' We call this the Great Commission. Peter was in the crowd and heard these words. In fact, I submit that all the 11 remaining disciples were there to hear the wishes of Jesus.
Many people think that the ...
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