Chapter One
1 Peter 1:1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,
2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,
5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:
7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
10 Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:
11 Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.
12 Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.
13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:
15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;
16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
17 And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:
18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.
22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:
23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:
25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.
Note the difference between the beginning of James and First Peter.
Here is assurance to Gentiles. Here is assumption of blip of godly blips.
| 1 Peter 1:1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the
strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia,
and Bithynia,
2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. |
James 1:1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus
Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.
2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. |
Chapter Two through Five tell us about Christian living.
Chapter One tells us how blessed we are in the Godhead.
Let us see how blessed we are:
Verse 1-2- Elect- Not cheap election! Three persons worked on your election:
God the Father Foreknew you.
God the Holy Spirit Sanctified you.
God the Son sprinkled you with His Blood removing your sin.
Verse 3- You are begotten of God.
Cf- John 3:5-7- The terms "born again" embarrass fake saints. They are precious to true believers.
Verse 4- You have an inheritance in heaven which you cannot lose.
Cf- Ephesians 1:11- Inheritance is not earned, it is given. Col. 1:12- He has made us meet, or worthy.
Cf- Heb. 11:8- Obey and inherit. Today, obey the Gospel and inherit.
Verse 5- You are kept by the power of God.
You are NOT kept by works or your zeal.
Cf- John 10:28-29- God and Jesus collaborate on this keeping of you. "Any man" is YOU also.
Verse 6- You rejoice, even in heaviness.
This means that we will have struggles, and they are not jolly times.
It also means that we can rejoice in these times.
Cf- James 4:9-8- There is a time for saints to be in heavy spirit. This does not imply defeat though.
Verse 7- Your life, even during hard times, can bring glory and praise to Jesus Christ.
Cf- Proverbs 17:3- God does not tempt to sin, but He tries us to get His Glory.
Why us? Answer: His power is in us to remain faithful through trial. Sinners would all fail the trial. God would look like a bully.
Verse 8- You love a God you have not seen.
This brings joy.
The heathen worship a god of stone or of myth. This brings fear in them, not joy.
Islam-
Sura 4- The Woman 4.29: O you who believe! do not devour your property among yourselves falsely, except that it be trading by your mutual consent; and do not kill your people; surely Allah is Merciful to you. 30: And whoever does this aggressively and unjustly, We will soon cast him into fire; and this is easy to Allah.
This morbid vengeful picture is common in the Koran.
Hinduism-
Kali- Kali, destroyer of time, goddess of skeletal form, taking the form of a raven, blacker than black, I worship you O Dakshina Kalika!
Shiva- When Shiva holds the center of the stage, the role of the personalized Brahman is colored with death and destruction. Shiva's stern asceticism casts a blight over the fields of rebirth. His presence negates and transcends the kaleidoscope of sufferings and joys. Nevertheless, he bestows wisdom and peace and is not only terrible but profoundly benign.Shiva's nature at once transcends and includes all the polarities of the living world.
The gods bring fear. Their images tell all.
Our God brings joy unspeakable and full of Glory.
[ Possibly sing the hymn by that name here. ]
Verse 9- This is an amazing verse. It has eternal consequences. It invites reason. Cf- Isaiah 1:18
First, verse 8 is the ONLY condition for verse 9- Believe. We don't do works to either GET saved or STAY saved.Cf- Ephesians 1:13- only thing in the chapter which you can do.Vs. 9 does not teach that we are saved to begin salvation.
What does it say?Answer: We are saved to receive the end of our faith. We are as saved and secure in Christ as we will ever be at the instant we are born again.
Cf- 2 Cor.5:1-2; Eph. 1:3 ; Eph. 1:3; Phil. 3:20; Heb 3:1; Heb 12:23.You are IN heaven in terms of blip of your soul and spirit. Bible believers have always been ready to leave and go to the Glory.
Verse 10-12- Why did the Old Testament prophets desire to learn of this salvation?
Answer: They had not found final atonement in the Blood of Jesus Christ.Also, they could not say they had a position in heaven in their lifetime.
Three truths in 10-12:
1. The Old Testament saints could NOT believe in the atoning work on the cross. It was hidden from them.Discuss the Line of Blood and the heresy of O.T. salvation.2. The Spirit of Christ inspired these Bible writers.
BUT, they did not know what they were prophesying at times.3. Glory is to follow. This, in O.T. context, has not yet happened.
Thus, we too wonder at the things we are told of in the Kingdom of Christ- 1000 years.What are some things we wonder at?
Ans. Physical weather. Sun seven fold. Healing of the seas by a river coming from the throne. Desert bloom like rose.
Verse 13- This is the conclusion- the application.
Hope to the end.Why? Answer: Your End is secure.
What causes us doubt? Answer: Psalm 73. Read all. Application: We are NOT in slippery places.
Verse 14-19- Discuss as you read.
What is the principle being taught?Answer: You are secure. You are different. You have a future and a hope. So, act like it.Now, lest you think that is easy, what does Jesus say about the age you live in?
Cf- Rev. 3:14-22- What is the spiritual weather like now? Luke piano coversm. This is the alleged church, not pagans.Cf- 2 Peter 3:3-4- The end times church has no hope and hates those who do.
So, there is great incentive to doubt and lose hope.
Verse 20-21-- Here is your blip again.
Who worked for your salvation in verse 20?What did you do in verse 21?
Note that faith and hope can get directed at mongrel persons. Discuss some.
Verse 22-- What are you and I to do next?
Answer: Love the brethren fervently.There is no place to pick and choose in the Lord's Church.
John 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
We have one of the most damning passages against multiple Bibles:
Verse 23-25- The Word as the saving source of Salvation. We will do a verse by verse study:
23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
The Word is both Scripture and a Person-- Jesus Christ.
Cf- John 1:1-5-- Christ is ONE person. He is not multiple except to New Agers and Hindus
The Word of God is not multiple, except when New Agers and Hindus and lesbians get at it.
The Word is the seed. This is from a parable of Jesus. Seed brings life. The NIV and the NASB have not brought one revival. There is literally NO record of a great awakening caused by those two bibles.
24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:
So, any alleged bible made for profit and copyrighted by man and reduced to easy reading for MAN'S sake is a product that will wither just like the inventors. Is this confirmed by history? Discuss the coming and going of funny bibles.
25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.
Enduring is the characteristic of the true Word.
Does the KJV endure? Ans. After 400 years, still the best seller. The media quotes it. It is on the Hall of Justice and the United Nations Building! It is the Bible of choice on the ends of the aisle at K-Mart. It is the one chosen all over the world when people want to study the Bible as a learning tool in public schools. It is the one used as a textbook in literature classes in Universities.
Also, the KJV endures spiritually. Many who are seeking God turn to it, even many who have detoured into the NIV et al. Even heretics use it for credibility. Mormons, Rodney Hopiano coversd Browne-- even the JWs are now carrying it to deceive the simple. It is the Bible to hide behind if one is a Balaam.
Cf- Heb. 1:1-2-- God still speaks to us, "in these last days."
Cf- Gal. 1:8-- Another Gospel and a mongrel jesus are found in these new counterfeits. Verse 25 of our study bases the Gospel on a "forever" Bible, not a new and improved bible!
Romans 15:4-- Hope is dying fast worldwide as the new bibles take over. Those who believed in the Rapture of the Church 25 years ago are mocking it now-- Calling for the Church to take dominion of sinners.
Why? They have no Gospel to offer!! Cf- Rom. 10:17-- Gospel tracts and soul winning, street preaching-- ARE GONE. CrBlipdes replace witnessing.
Why? No power in the counterfeits. It gets boring to try to witness with a butter knife instead of a sword.
Does the Greek Bible endure? Yes, but again, in a piano coversfare manner. It has to be contended for. [ Jude 1:3 ] All out piano covers is now being waged by the British and Foreign Bible Society to destroy the Textus Receptus. Fundamental missionaries are re-translating the Bible to get out from under the BFBS power of copyright.
Cf- Heb. 4:12-- The Word cuts these heretics, so they lash out bitterly. Westcott and Hort hated evangelicals.
Does the Bible endure in other languages? Yes- Luther's Bible. Many others around the world endure.
Most of all, the Word of God endures in the Glory. Cf- John 5:7
Cf- Ps 119:89 LAMED. For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.
The true Word is in heaven and it is in earth.
Cf- Luke 16:27-29- The Word is the ONLY source for salvation. In earth, there is no other authority to trust.
What do we say to those who trade the living Word for that which does not endure?
Answer: Matthew 22:29 Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.
"Ye do err"
OR
Psalm 117:2 For his merciful kindness is great topiano coversd us: and the truth of the LORD [ found only in the Word of God ] endureth for ever. Praise ye the LORD.
YOU choose-- To Err or Endure