Reflecting the Image (by Carla Sunberg)

Scripture: 1Pet. 2:1     Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, and all guile, insincerity, envy, and all slander. 2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation— 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. Observation: Peter’s been calling the people to a holy life and now he gets specific. It all has to do with their appetite, which can be for the pure spiritual milk of God, which the Psalmist reminds us about: “O taste and see that the LORD is good; happy are those who take refuge in him.” (Psalm 34:8) The community of God is supposed to be united but when they come under heavy pressure from the outside, there is a tendency to slowly forget to drink the spiritual milk, and live by the vices.   The vices themselves are listed: malice, guile, insecurity, envy and slander. Malice is engagement with evil and wickedness while guile is also translated as deceit. Therefore, God’s holy people are to avoid e...

My Dad's family when he was a teenager. Life was not easy but they loved deeply.  Scripture: 1Pet. 1:22     Now that you have purified your souls by your obedience to the truth so that you have genuine mutual love, love one another deeply from the heart. 23 You have been born anew, not of perishable but of imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God. 24 For “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, 25 but the word of the Lord endures forever.”   That word is the good news that was announced to you. Observation: Peter has established that these believers of the diaspora are to be grounded in the work of Christ. The result is to be seen in mutual love and affection for one another. This is a deep love, one that is active and equates to straining with all of our ability. This love is to come from a pure heart, one that has been born anew. The promise comes from t...

Scripture: 1Pet. 1:17   If you invoke as Father the one who judges all people impartially according to their deeds, live in reverent fear during the time of your exile. 18 You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish. 20 He was destined before the foundation of the world, but was revealed at the end of the ages for your sake. 21 Through him you have come to trust in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are set on God. Observation: The people of the dispersion were living in days that were very unfamiliar to them, but this was not to detract them from their faith. Peter reminded them that the things of this world, even silver and gold, were nothing in comparison to the blood of Jesus Christ. Their trust was to be in the one who freely gave up his life. As t...

Scripture:   1Pet. 1:13   Therefore prepare your minds for action; discipline yourselves; set all your hope on the grace that Jesus Christ will bring you when he is revealed. 14 Like obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires that you formerly had in ignorance. 15 Instead, as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your conduct; 16 for it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” Observation: Peter now moves into a section on holiness. First of all, he tells them to prepare their minds, but the phrase used here in the Greek is to “gird your loins.” We might translate it, “roll up your sleeves.” What it meant in their culture was to pick up the front of your robe and tuck it in at the waist so that you could get ready to run. In other words, this conversation on holiness is really important so, get your mind in gear and let’s get ready for what’s ahead! Gird up your mind, and be ready to practice self-discipline. This is a part of the Chri...

Scripture: 1Pet. 1:10   Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that was to be yours made careful search and inquiry, 11 inquiring about the person or time that the Spirit of Christ within them indicated when it testified in advance to the sufferings destined for Christ and the subsequent glory. 12 It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in regard to the things that have now been announced to you through those who brought you good news by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things into which angels long to look! Observation: Peter brings the Old Testament prophets into the story, reminding his readers that there are those who have, in the past, prophesied about the grace that was to be extended in and through the life of Christ. The prophets of old were able to do careful search because the Spirit of Christ was within them. Again, Peter is constantly drawing attention to the Triune God, and in this case, the fact that ...

Scripture:     1 Peter 1: 6 In this you rejoice, even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials, 7 so that the genuineness of your faith—being more precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Although you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. Observation: God’s people rejoice because they are protected and empowered by God’s presence. Throughout Peter’s epistle he talks about persecution and the need to endure the trials that they are facing. The trials are various, and the word used here is the same that is used to describe Jesus’ temptations in the wilderness. Some trials are long, others may be shorter, but ultimately, just like they did in Jesus’ life, they resul...

Scripture: 1Pet. 1:3   Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Observation: After the opening greeting, Peter jumps into thanksgiving. Throughout his letter we find Trinitarian language, and he begins with praise to God, who is the Father of Jesus Christ. Peter and John’s language is more often about new birth, rather than the adoption language that Paul prefers. Therefore, he speaks of the mercy that has been bestowed upon us through new birth. This new birth provides living hope for each day, which comes through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.   Gratitude continues with the promise of an inheritance for those who have bee...

Scripture: 1Pet. 1:1   Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,    To the exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 who have been chosen and destined by God the Father and sanctified by the Spirit to be obedient to Jesus Christ and to be sprinkled with his blood:    May grace and peace be yours in abundance. Observation: We begin a new book of the Bible today and this epistle follows a traditional format where the author identifies himself at the very beginning. This letter is from Peter, who is well-known as an Apostle of Jesus Christ. He saw Jesus, spent time with Jesus, and was sent-out into ministry by Jesus.   Peter’s ministry has developed throughout the following years, as he primarily ministers to Jews, but also to Gentiles. The exiles of the Dispersion include those Christians, both Jew and Gentile, who have found themselves exiled to the lands of Asia Minor, or modern-day Turkey. We hear of these places on the...

Scripture:   Phil. 4:21   Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The friends who are with me greet you. 22 All the saints greet you, especially those of the emperor’s household. Phil. 4:23   The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Observation: These are the concluding remarks in Paul’s letter to the Philippians. He may well have written these in his own hand, after dictating the letter. The words at the end echo the beginning. His language regarding “saints” is his genuine desire that all of those who follow Christ be God’s holy people, because they are “in” Christ.   Paul references the friends who are with him, and one must conclude that this includes Timothy and Epaphroditus. He wants to encourage the people of Philippi that there are “saints” here as well, including those who belong to the emperor’s household. For people living in a Roman colony, this is amazing news. They are supporters of his work and ministry and this bit of informatio...

Scripture: Phil. 4: 18 I have been paid in full and have more than enough; I am fully satisfied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. 19 And my God will fully satisfy every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. 20 To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen. Observation: Paul is continuing his words of thanksgiving to the Philippians. He doesn’t want the people of Philippi to think that they have to keep giving to him. He also wants to honor them and help them to see that their offering is one that may be given to him, but is lifted up before the Father as a pleasing sacrifice. He is assuring them that he is in plenty — even while he is in prison. He has already mentioned that he has learned to be content with whatever it is that he has, and now, he wants them to know that they can be content in all that God supplies.   Even today conversations around mo...