Study of First Peter                                        Lesson 15

Review:

 

 

 

Observations on Fear! (cont'd)

 

2. Characteristics of those who fear the Lord:

a. Is said to be clean.   Psa 19:9; teharah speaks of ritual purity, that is being experientially righteous, in fellowship, operating on a F/O/R of truth, Dvpt.

 

b. They are tenacious towards the Word knowing that it provides the wisdom and understanding needed in life.   Psa 111:10; Prov 9:10

 

c.  Are teachable:  Prov. 1:7; 1:29; 15:33; Pas 34:11

 

d. Chooses to walk in His way (by the directive will of God) Psa 128:1

 

e. Will have strong confidence in life Prov 14:26.

 

f.  Will choose to separate from and to hate evil.  Prov 3:5-7;  8:13;

 

g. Are contented within their niche.  Prov 15:16; 16:8

 

3.  There are benefits or blessings associated with the "fear of the Lord."  Psa. 115:13

 

a. There is the prolonging of life  Prov. 10:27; 14:27

 

b. Divine guidance is there for the one who fears the Lord.  Psa. 25:12,14

 

c. Deliverance in time of trouble  Psa. 34:4-7; 33:18-22;

 

4.  Occupation with Christ (fear of the Lord in operation in our life) neutralizes fear while rejection of truth, pursuing false doctrine enslaves with fear.  Heb 13:5b-6;  Psa 56:3,11;1

 

1:18-19  The Means of our Redemption,  the basis or fountain from which flows the  fear and right conduct. 

1:18 begins with a phrase "knowing that" which is a common way of introducing familiar truth, things that they know. 

Knowing the following  things should become the ultimate motivator in life as a believer! 

 

you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold

Key word and concept here is redeemed - redemption.  

 

Let's look first at some things that point out for us what Scripture teaches about redemption, being redeemed.

There are actually 8 words used in the Greek NT to express the various nuances of redemption.

 

#1 Three of the words refer to redemption as the objective historical payment of the ransom price by Christ on the Cross.

agorazw,     lu,tron     avnti,lutron

 

#2 Three of the words used refer to subjective liberation, the release from slavery when the individual believes in Christ.

apolutrwsij  exagorazw  lutrwth,j

 

#3 There are 2 others that are a blending of the first 2 ideas, the price paid and the release from slavery.

lu,trwsij   lutro,w

 

When you think of redemption you need to remember that redemption involves 3 concepts:

#1. a price paid      #2. a purchaser      #3. a prisoner freed   

 

-  Basically the idea of redemption is to deliver (provide freedom) by paying a price.

 

-  The imagery arises out of the OT concept of the redemption of the nation of Israel from slavery in Egypt;  Ex. 6:6;  15:13  

 

- What's the picture with the Passover and the Exodus? 

 

They were in a hopeless situation unless someone from outside would willingly intervene and pay the price to free them.

 

Their release from bondage was tied to their choice to believe and apply the blood to the door-posts.

 

 

What did John the Baptist cry out when he first saw Jesus? 

"Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world."

 

 

- It was the blood applied, without any thing else, that constituted a perfect and complete protection from judgment.

 

** When we believed in Christ His work on the cross was applied to us!  A perfect and complete protection from eternal judgment.

 

The work of Christ in fulfilling the OT types and prophecies of redemption is portrayed very vividly through the words that are used for redemption in the N.T.

Redemption is always a divine provision, never a human attainment!

 

     #1. agorazw, to buy in the market; agora = the market place

- it was the common commercial term for making purchases and for the place they were made, the market.  1 Cor 6:20 & 7:23

 

 

** Christ by His work on the cross provided the ransom price needed to purchase us in this slave market of sin. He is the purchaser! 

 

Emphasis of agoradzo is on the price paid, the liberation or release form the slave market is dependent on the individual believing in Christ.

 

#2. exagorazw  to buy out of the slave market; when purchased never to be exposed to being sold again.  Gal 3:13; 4:5

- speaks of the finality of the work of redemption! 

 

#3.  apolutrwsij;  basic to loose, to set free by paying a price;  

- basic idea of this word group is to release, to deliver;

 

In other words what the ransom price bought and paid for! Our freedom in Christ!

 

- Paul uses it 7 x's   Rom. 3:24;  8:23;  1 Co. 1:30;  Eph. 1:7, 14;  4:30;  Col. 1:14

 

- 1 Pet. 1:18-19; our context here it stresses the price paid!  lutro,w

 

Peter first details what does not redeem or ransom us from slavery.

Then in vs:19 he describes for us what does provide the ransom price, our redemption.

 

 

Let's examine what our redemption is not based on.

 

with perishable things  describes things that are by their nature subject to decay, corruption and destruction.

 

 

like silver or gold  gives us an example of what he means by perishable things; both are things that man places in high regard, as having great value or worth.

 

 

Links these, the silver and gold as things attained or acquired:

from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers,

 

 

First thing we notice here is that with the use of the prep  evk Peter is saying to his readers and to believers today that we are removed from this pattern of life since as believers we are new creations in Christ.

 

 

way of life  same as in vs:15 describes ones conduct, pattern of life especially in public

 

 

inherited from your forefathers   patropara,dotoj  describes beliefs and practices, traditions handed down from one's ancestors.

 

 

Family tradition or practices must be considered or evaluated on the basis of their consistency with DVPT.

 

1:18  Knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold out from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers.