Lesson 80
Study of First Peter Chapter
5
5:10 Moreover, the God of all grace who has called you in
Christ for the purpose of His eternal glory after you have suffered for a short
time He Himself will equip you completely, will establish you firmly, will strengthen
you, will ground you firmly, securely.
Summary
1. Peter is here
encouraging his readers (and us by application) to patient endurance as they
work through the suffering and tests that they will face in life so that the
grace of God would be manifest in their lives.
2. We must realize
that the suffering however great is only for a short time while the glory in
Christ is eternal.
Rom
2 Cor. 4:16-18
3. The promise of
these 4 verbs describe the vindication, the promotion
of the believer who maintains his or her spiritual momentum while under testing
and suffering.
-
link back to exalting of 5:6 at the proper time.
4. Consistent
intake of truth + tests/UNDSF + application of truth = results in patient endurance,
proven character, hope as well as the promise of these 4 verbs.
-
point is that grace produces strength in our life
5. The promise
that God makes to the advancing believer is seen in these 4 verbs:
a. katartidzo - fully
equipped, prepared for any challenge
b. steridzo - establish
you firmly, unyielding in diving viewpoint
c. sthenoo - strong in
doctrine so that we're able to stand up under pressure
d. themelioo - have a firm foundation in divine viewpoint so
that we're immovable by the tests, pressures or any challenge to your MPR
6. God's promise will be realized if we are
faithful to the Word, that is, utilizing the grace provisions given which in
the flow of the context becomes the means of holding off or resisting our
adversary - Satan with all of his counterfeits.
Next
- This brings into
focus once again the OmPo of God, "mighty
hand of God" (vs:6)
- Emphasizes for
us once again that it is upon Him that all the assurances and promises of this
passage rest for fulfillment, we can count on Him to be faithful and provide
what He has promised.
There is a textual issue here. The majority text adds "glory" (do,xa) which adds another focus on His
essence and character, who He is, to guarantee the promises made.
The
last part of the doxology is an idiom, forever and ever eivj tou.j aivw/naj( which indicates
that He has the power and ability to complete what He has promised not only now
but also for all time, eternally.
To Him be glory and dominion forever and ever.
Amen.
Summary
1. This is a reminder to us that the provision
needed in time always depends on Him.
2. You cannot frustrate God's plan! He is the God of all grace and has the power
and strength to carry out His plan for the ages.
3. You can mess up your life by bad choices but
not so bad that God's grace can't turn it around.
4. His plan will keep on advancing in time even
if you do not!
With
Through Silvanus, our
faithful brother (for so I regard him),
- What Peter is telling us
is that Silvanus was his amanuensis who wrote down the message we have
here in this epistle and who also delivered the epistle to those Peter was
writing.
- What do we know about
Silvanus or as he is also referred to as Silas?
- Paul mentions him in 2 Cor 1:19; 1 Ths 1:1; 2 Ths 1:1
- Find in Acts 15:22 that he
is called Silas, his Aramaic name
- He is said to have the
gift of prophecy Acts 15:32
- Later in the same context
we find that he is a Jewish believer Acts 16:20
- Like Paul he was also a
Roman citizen Acts
16:37,38
What all this tells us about
Silvanus is that he was a highly respected support troop for the apostles
aiding the accomplishment of their mission in spreading the Gospel and
establishing churches in the first century.
I have written to you
briefly, (gra,fw) epistolary aorist; when looked at from the standpoint of
the writer, Peter, I am writing, still at it, but from the standpoint of those
receiving the epistle, I have written.
This next phrase is
reiterating to those he's writing that the message of this epistle is important
and expresses the grace of God to them. Its truth, pay
attention to it.
exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God.
- Point here is that Peter
is confirming to them principles of truth, BD and this epistle is the evidence.
that this is the true grace of God
- this describes the epistle
that he is sending to them, it is true, genuine grace therefore the perfect
provision for them and for us as we have seen since it provides divine
viewpoint and therefore guidance in so many areas.
Stand firm in it! (i[sthmi) (aorist act imp) basic meaning is to stand; the aorist is
ingressive which puts the emphasis on beginning of the action to take a stand
on the truth of this epistle of grace.
This is consistent with what he exhorted in vs:9 when he said to resist the pressures of Satan with all
his counterfeits that we needed to be steadfast by means of faith, that BD in
you so that we are able to realize the promise of the 4 verbs in vs:10 which
are the culmination of taking the message of this epistle seriously, so that
#1
He will equip us completely
#2
establish you firmly in your niche
#3
strengthen you for what ever test you might face
#4
ground you with a solid foundation
Observations:
1.
Was not only Peter's amanuensis, his aide in inscribing this epistle but he
also delivered it.
2.
It was indeed the true and dependable grace provision at the right time, since
they were experiencing the refining fire of suffering and would shortly
experience the charge of the roaring lion.
3.
Peter considers this epistle to be brief which demonstrates that to be
profitable a doctrinal study doesn't necessarily need to be long, just complete
and accurate.
4.
His final exhortation is a call to apply the message of the epistle, take your
stand in it.
5. This is a call to be as James put it to not be
a hearer only but a doer
of the word (
5:13-14
closing greetings
:13 She who is in
Observations:
1.
-
Peter saw
2. Many of these believers in
- great persecution started in
3. The early churches face these persecutions
from the Romans and thrived because they heeded the exhortations of the Word
taught by the Apostles and P/T's and they took their stand on it.
:14 Greet one
another with a kiss of love. Peace be to you all who
are in Christ.
- this first phrase is a figure of speech for a greeting;
Then
Peter closes with Peace be to you
all who are in Christ.
- peace - eivrh,nh -
- This is an inner MA that one can have that
keeps them spiritually confident and content even in the midst of turmoil - Phil 4:7.
There can be no peace with God apart from the grace of
God.
Grace is the fountain from which peace flows.
The bottom line is that you can have confidence and inner
tranquility even in the face of persecution, great suffering knowing that the
God of all grace backs you as an advancing believer.
who are in
Christ.
Peter's last phrase reminds us of the basis for our peace, its our position in Christ, our union with Him