Free Highlighting Guide

TOM · The Owner's Manual · New Testament

1 Peter 1

Before you read 1 Peter: who, when, why

BOOK 60 OF 66 · NEW TESTAMENT · LETTER

Living Hope

AUTHOR
Peter, one of Jesus' twelve apostles, 1:1, with help from Silvanus, 5:12. Many critical scholars think a later follower wrote in his name.
WRITTEN FROM
Rome, which Peter calls Babylon, 5:13.
DATE WRITTEN
About AD 62 to 64, shortly before Nero turned on the Christians of Rome. Critical scholars say about AD 70 to 95.
WRITTEN TO
Believers scattered across five Roman provinces in what is now Turkey: Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, 1:1.
WHY HE WROTE
To give hope to believers who were insulted and mistreated for following Jesus, and to show them how to live and suffer well.
KEY VERSE
1 Peter 1:3. He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
THE OLDEST COPY OF 1 PETER

The Oldest Copy of 1 Peter

Papyrus 72, copied about AD 300 and found in Egypt. The left page holds the last lines of 1 Peter, 5:12 to 14, with in Babylon and Mark my son. Under them the copyist wrote the title, Of Peter, Letter 1, and a blessing: Peace to the one who wrote and to the one who reads. The right page starts 2 Peter. Kept in the Vatican Library. Public domain.

The Setting

Peter was a fisherman from Galilee who became the leader of Jesus' twelve apostles. About 30 years after the cross, he writes from Rome to believers far away in what is now Turkey. Many of them were Gentiles who used to live wild, 4:3. When they turned to Jesus they quit the idol parties, and their old friends called them strange and spread lies about them, 2:12 and 4:4. There was no law yet against being a Christian everywhere in the empire, but they were mocked, slandered and sometimes beaten. Soon it got worse. In AD 64 a great fire burned Rome, and the emperor Nero blamed the Christians.

What Was Going Wrong

  • Insults. Neighbors slandered them as evildoers, 2:12 and 4:4.
  • Suffering. Trials of many kinds, and a fiery trial on the way, 1:6 and 4:12.
  • Old Habits. The pull back to the old life of partying and idols, 2:11 and 4:3.
  • Hard Homes. Slaves with cruel masters and wives with unbelieving husbands, 2:18 and 3:1.
  • Fear. Fear of the people who opposed them, 3:14.
  • Proud Leaders. The temptation for elders to lead for money or power, 5:2 to 3.

Where to Find Jesus

  • 1 Peter 1:19. The precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or spot.
  • 1 Peter 2:6 to 7. The chosen and precious cornerstone that the builders rejected.
  • 1 Peter 2:24. He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree.
  • 1 Peter 5:4. The Chief Shepherd who will appear.

Cool Stuff Most People Miss

  • The Rock. Jesus named him Peter, which means rock, Matthew 16:18. Here Peter calls Jesus the living stone and believers living stones, 2:4 to 5.
  • An Eyewitness. Peter calls himself a witness of Christ's sufferings, 5:1. He was there.
  • The Word Christian. 4:16 is one of only three places the Bible uses the word Christian, with Acts 11:26 and 26:28.
  • What the Romans Wrote. Two Romans, Tacitus and Pliny, wrote about Christians who suffered just for the name. See their pages.
  • Luther'S Pick. In his 1522 New Testament Martin Luther named 1 Peter among the books that show you Christ, with John, Romans and Galatians.

What Happened Next?

In AD 64 a fire burned much of Rome, and Nero blamed the Christians. Early Christian writers say Peter was crucified in Rome under Nero, and Origen says upside down. Before he died Peter wrote one more letter, 2 Peter 1:14. Papias says Mark, Peter's son in the faith, 5:13, wrote down Peter's preaching, and it became the Gospel of Mark.

Chapter 1 in 30 seconds

Peter opens with good news: a living hope and an inheritance that cannot rot, rust or get repossessed. Trials? They are a furnace that proves your faith is real gold. The prophets wondered about all this, and even angels lean in to look. So be holy, because God is holy, and love each other from the heart.

Tap a color to hide it

A Greeting from Peter// 2 Peter 1:1–2

1Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,

To the elect who are exiles of the Dispersion throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, chosen 2according to the foreknowledge of God the Father and sanctified by the Spirit for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by His blood:

  • 1PE 1:1[NOTE]WHO WROTE IT? Peter, with help from Silvanus, 5:12. Silvanus is probably the Silas who traveled with Paul, Acts 15:40 and 1 Thessalonians 1:1. He may have helped with the smooth Greek, or carried the letter. Many critical scholars think a follower wrote it in Peter's name after his death, pointing to the polished Greek.

Grace and peace be yours in abundance.

A Living Hope

3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, reserved in heaven for you, 5who through faith are shielded by God’s power for the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

  • 1PE 1:3[NOTABLE]The empty tomb is the reason for hope, and the inheritance can never spoil or fade.
  • 1PE 1:5[PROPHECY]Kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time → STILL TO COMEMEDIUM

6In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in various trials 7so that the proven character of your faith—more precious than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

  • 1PE 1:6[NOTABLE]Trials are like a furnace that shows faith is real gold.

8Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and rejoice with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9now that you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

  • 1PE 1:8[NOTABLE]They never saw Jesus, and still loved Him with an inexpressible and glorious joy.

10Concerning this salvation, the prophets who foretold the grace to come to you searched and investigated carefully, 11trying to determine the time and setting to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow.

  • 1PE 1:10[NOTABLE]The prophets saw the sufferings of Christ ahead of time, and even angels long to look into it.

12It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, when they foretold the things now announced by those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.

  • 1PE 1:12[MIRACLE]Even angels long to look into these things

A Call to Holiness// Hebrews 12:14–17

13Therefore prepare your minds for action. Be sober-minded. Set your hope fully on the grace to be given you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14As obedient children, do not conform to the passions of your former ignorance. 15But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do, 16for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

  • 1PE 1:13[PROPHECY]Rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ → STILL TO COME
  • 1PE 1:15[NOTABLE]Holy means set apart for God, in all you do, not only on Sunday.
  • 1PE 1:16[QUOTES]Direct ← LEV 11:44-45; 19:2; 20:7

17Since you call on a Father who judges each one’s work impartially, conduct yourselves in reverent fear during your stay as foreigners. 18For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life you inherited from your forefathers, 19but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or spot. 20He was known before the foundation of the world, but was revealed in the last times for your sake.

  • 1PE 1:19[FULFILLS]A spotless, blemish-free Lamb required for atonement and 2 more ← EX 12:5; IS 53:7c; JN 1:29

21Through Him you believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and glorified Him; and so your faith and hope are in God.

The Enduring Word// Isaiah 40:6–8

22Since you have purified your souls by obedience to the truth so that you have a genuine love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from a pure heart. 23For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. 24For,

  • 1PE 1:22[HEART]Love one another deeply from a pure heart.
  • 1PE 1:23[NOTABLE]New life comes through the living and enduring word of God, like John 3:3.

“All flesh is like grass,

and all its glory like the flowers of the field;

the grass withers and the flowers fall,

25but the word of the Lord stands forever.”

And this is the word that was proclaimed to you.

See the whole Bible light up in color.

Nate's Highlighting Guide lists every prophecy, fulfillment, miracle and bloodline name in one place, so you can mark your own Bible with the same 15 colors.

Get the Free Highlighting Guide Free. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

Troubleshooting

Frequently asked questions

What is TOM?

TOM is The Owner's Manual, a free translation built on the Berean Standard Bible. It uses modern measurements, prints Yahweh where the Hebrew has God's name, and puts words missing from the earliest manuscripts in [square brackets]. Every change is listed in How It Was Translated.

What do the colors mean?

Each color marks one kind of verse: lime green for prophecies about the Messiah, teal for miracles, sand for archaeology, and so on. Tap any color in the chapter key to turn it off. Use Customize to choose exactly which ones you see.

Can I read without highlights?

Yes. Turn off the Highlights switch at the top for plain text. Your choice is remembered on this device.

Do the other translations have the colors too?

Yes. The colors, red letters, bloodline names and study notes come from TOM and are matched to every other translation verse by verse, so you can read the KJV, NIV or any other translation here with the same study helps.

Is this free?

Yes. The whole Bible is free to read online. The printed Owner's Manual Study Bible is coming soon.