v.1: “He writes so that you will not sin. Earlier John told them that he and those with him proclaimed the message so that his readers may enjoy fellowship with them (1:3), and that he has written so that his joy may be complete (1:4). This third statement fits in with the others for sin [...]
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debbiefitz
v.3 As eyewitness to Jesus’ ministry, John was qualified to teach the truth about him. The readers of this letter had not seen and heard Jesus themselves, but they could trust that what John wrote was accurate. We are like those second-and third-generation Christians. Though we have not personally seen, heard, or touched Jesus, we [...]
v.1 “‘Dear friends’ (lit., ‘beloved’) is repeated in vv. 8, 14, and 17 in this chapter (see also 1Pe 2:11; 4:1). ‘This is now my second letter to you.’ Does this refer to 1 Peter? Most commentators say yes. But this is not certain because (1) it has not been established that the recipients of [...]
v.1 v. 1 asserts that Christ ‘bought’ the false teachers, but this does not necessarily mean that they were saved. Salvation in the NT sense does not occur until the benefits of Christ’s work are applied to the individual by the regeneration of the Spirit and belief in the truth. In other words, Christ crucified [...]
?v.1 “Peter’s right to speak authoritatively to these Christians is emphasized even more clearly in the second title, “apostle.” This word (Greek apostolos) can mean simply “messenger” and is so used occasionally in the New Testament (e.g., 2 Cor. 8:23; Phil. 2:25). But the word more often has a technical sense, denoting those men chosen [...]
vv.1-4 “The fundamental reminder to the elders is that the flock to which they tend is God’s flock, and they are its caretakers, not its masters. Within that understanding the specific responsibilities of the elders are sketched out briefly. They are to serve ungrudgingly (not under compulsion) and gladly, not for personal gain but so [...]
v.1 “To survive persecution in an obedient manner, Christians must have proper mental preparation (cf. 1:13): ‘Arm yourselves also with the same attitude’ that Christ had. In the context of Peter’s letter, the proper attitude includes a steadfast hope for vindication (1:13; 3:18-22), a fear of God (3:15), and a commitment to live (including suffering) [...]
v.1 “Malice, guile, insincerity, envy, and slander are those habits that are most apt to destroy the mutual love to which 1 Peter calls believers (1:22). Once again we see that a major feature of the new life in which the faithful live is the mutuality and trust that Christians have with one another. That [...]
v.1 “Peter calls the people to whom he writes the elect, God’s Chosen People. Once that had been a title which belonged to Israel alone: ‘You are a people holy to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his own possession, out of all the peoples [...]
vv.1-6: “James now turns to the wealthy outside the church. These people are not only failing the test of having wealth, but they are also the source of some of the pressure on the church as they take advantage of poor Christians, either because they are poor or because they are Christians, or both. For [...]