Happy Friday and greetings from Bible Study Snacks! Whether it's your first time with us, or if you're a regular follower of this blog, it's great to have you! I am delighted that you will be joining me as we walk through the richness of God's spoken word, and wisdom. As always, I hope you had a great week, and that today finds you in good health, positive in energy, and strong in faith!
This week, we continue the study of The First Epistle of Peter, or 1 Peter. It was written about 60 A.D., and was addressed to all believers in general. Its purpose was to encourage, prompt, and instruct the suffering Christians; also to summon them to personal holiness. The central focus here in Peter's epistle is persecution.
The studies presented here are intentionally brief, yet packed full of good information for everyone regardless of your level of biblical knowledge. It is my ultimate hope that they might inspire you to an even deeper study of Scripture!
As always, I whole-heartedly believe in the importance that any Bible study should begin with prayer. If you have your Bible ready, let us pray together...
"Heavenly father, please guide us as we study your Word today; I pray that our hearts and our minds will be open so that we will not only receive your Gospel, but learn from it as well; you are the Light of the world, Lord, and your Spirit will illuminate our path as we journey through your teachings. In the name of Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Savior. Amen"
If you are taking notes for yourself, or using this for a bible study with others, here are some things to think about for this week's lesson...
This Weeks Objectives: Participants should be able to...
* examine the duties of wives and husbands to each other.
* consider the duties that we have to one another as brethren in Christ.
* see how one should prepare for persecution, motivated by the example of Christ.
* note how and in what way baptism now saves us.
Peter continues to describe the duties of Christians living as sojourners and pilgrims in this world. He counsels wives to be submissive to their husbands and to focus their adornment on the development of a meek and quiet spirit, like the holy women in the past who trusted in God (such as Sarah).
For those whose husbands are not believers, their chaste and respectful conduct may influence them to respond to the gospel. Husbands are then instructed to live with their wives in an understanding way, honoring them as the weaker vessel and as fellow heirs of the grace of life. Such treatment would ensure that their prayers were not hindered (1 Peter 3:1-7).
Duties toward brethren are then summarized, stressing unity, compassion, love, kindness, and simple courtesy. When mistreated by brethren, the proper response is to extend a blessing, for to such conduct we were called, that we might inherit a blessing. As motivation for such conduct, Peter quotes Psalms 34:12-16 which offers advice to loving life and seeing good days.The key is to turn from evil and do good, to seek peace and pursue it. Those who do so have the assurance that the Lord
watches over them and hears their prayers (1 Peter 3:8-12).
Peter then turns to the theme of suffering for righteousness' sake. In most circumstances, no one will harm you for doing good. If one suffers for doing good, they are blessed (cf. 2:19-20; 4:14). To prepare for persecution, one should sanctify the Lord God in their heart and be ready to meekly provide the reason for their hope. With clear conscience and good conduct, those who defame and revile them will likely be ashamed. If it is God's will that they suffer, let it be for doing good and not evil (1 Peter 3:13-17).
To appreciate how suffering for righteousness' sake can be for good, Peter relates how Jesus suffered for our sins. Though put to death in the flesh, Jesus was made alive by the Spirit (cf. Romans 1:4), in which He preached to spirits in prison who were disobedient in the days of Noah, and ultimately exalted at the right hand of God with angels, authorities and powers made subject to Him. Alluding to the example of Noah's salvation, Peter says baptism now saves us as an appeal for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 3:18-22).
REVIEW QUESTIONS:
1) What are wives told to be in regards to their husbands? Why? (1 Peter 3:1)
2) What does Peter hope the unbelieving husbands will observe in their wives? (1 Peter 3:2)
3) What should not be the focus of their adornment? (1 Peter 3:3)
4) What should be the focus of their adornment? (1 Peter 3:4)
5) What other women so adorned themselves and were submissive to their husbands? (1 Peter 3:5-6)
6) How are husbands to treat their wives? (1 Peter 3:7)
7) Why should husbands treat their wives so kindly? (1 Peter 3:7)
8) What duties do we as brothers have to one another? (1 Peter 3:8)
9) How are we to respond when mistreated by brothers? Why? (1 Peter 3:9)
10) What proscription is offered for those who would love life and see good days? (1 Peter 3:10-11)
11) What is said of the righteous? Of those who do evil? (1 Peter 3:12)
12) What is the general principle regarding persecution? (1 Peter 3:13)
13) What is said of those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake? (1 Peter 3:14)
14) How should one prepare themselves for possible persecution? (1 Peter 3:15-16)
15) If we maintain good conduct, what will happen to those who defame and revile us? (1 Peter 3:16)
16) If we suffer according to God's will, what is better? (1 Peter 3:17)
17) Who also suffered for righteousness' sake? For what reason? (1 Peter 3:18)
18) Though put to death in the flesh, what was He able to do by the Spirit? (1 Peter 3:18-19)
19) When were such "spirits" disobedient? (1 Peter 3:20)
20) Of what is the salvation of eight souls through water a "type"? (1 Peter 3:21)
21) How does baptism not save us? How does it save us? (1 Peter 3:21)
22) What was the final outcome of Jesus who suffered for righteousness' sake? (1 Peter 3:22)
After completing this week's study, I encourage you to go back and read through the material again. Take your time and read each topic and scripture reference as many times as you feel necessary. Keep in mind that by doing this, you just might see something new that you overlooked the first time around!
As always, I will continue to pray that God’s message will come through to you loud and crystal clear. Until our next Bible study...
God bless you!
Sheri
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