PeterBegining

INTRODUCTION TO 1 PETER

Peter was the shepherd of God's flock. Jesus called him "Rock" and helped him grow to be the spiritual leader of his church. His final words to Peter were, "Feed my sheep" and "Follow me." Paul calls him the apostle to the Jews, and so he was, for the earliest Christians were Jews. But Peter was the one through whom God opened a door to the Gentile world (Ac 10, 11,15). After Stephen's martyrdom, Peter stayed in Jerusalem, and from there, traveled about in Judea and Samaria shepherding God's flock (Ac 8-12). At the time of James' death at the hands of Herod, Peter was also imprisoned. His life was spared because of the prayers of the church and God's miraculous intervention. He traveled more widely after this. Peter was not an organization man or a church politician; he was a shepherd. His spiritual leadership in the church was unquestioned.

This first letter was written from "Babylon" (possibly Rome, probably not) (1Pe 5: 13). He writes to believers scattered throughout Asia Minor by persecution. He wrote to encourage people suffering for Jesus' sake and the gospel's. He reminds us that Jesus suffered for us. He tells us that those who challenge the non-Christian world with their obedient lifestyle and with the gospel can expect to suffer too.